Article by Samuele Zaboi
Batman is perhaps the quintessential superhero. Characterized by internal disagreements, common with the most normal of human beings, Bruce Wayne's alter ego can rely only on his own strength, spiritual and physical, and not to use any superpower; all these details make Batman loved in every place and in every time and always for these reasons handling the Dark Knight becomes an extremely complex operation full of dangers and pitfalls. Rocksteady has already been able to show its skill in dealing with Batman and its ability to give a title, or rather, a serious videogame worthy of the hero born from the pen of Bob Kane and Bill Finger. The trilogy of the British studio has now reached its conclusion, more epic than ever, Batman: Arkham Knight.
A new ally for Batman
The main novelty that Rocksteady wanted to introduce in this chapter is undoubtedly the Batmobile, which ended up becoming the real symbol of Batman: Arkham Knight. With a design that is closest to that seen in Nolan's cinematic films, the vehicle will characterize the first hours of play that will be essential for the user to become familiar with what turns out to be a real weapon.
Once you have assimilated the commands to pilot the Batmobile, not as simple and intuitive as one might initially think and hope, it will be possible to move freely around the biggest Gotham ever. As all Batman fans know well, the Batmobile turns out not to be a common means of transport but a real weapon, essential to face the new hordes of enemies ready to eliminate the Dark Knight. The vehicle inside hides cannons and machine guns capable of eliminating the drones and heavy vehicles deployed by the Arkham Knight, the antagonist created ad hoc by Rocksteady for this final chapter of the trilogy. The Batmobile will also be an indispensable element to complete the inevitable challenges of the Riddler, also present in this title, by performing simple challenges against the clock or along a path full of obstacles.
Gotham is mine
Batman: Arkham Knight it is undoubtedly the best video game in circulation dedicated to the Dark Knight and is capable of concluding in a more than worthy way a videogame trilogy that for various reasons is destined to make the history of this sector. Rocksteady has taken the good things seen in the first two chapters, Asylum and City, and has increased it to maximum power, highlighting its strengths and trying to smooth out its defects.
The whole story of Batman: Arkham Knight will take place over the course of a single night, in an exterminated Gotham City emptied by a global threat led by the Scarecrow. With the Joker's departure, the Super Villains have rallied to put an end, once and for all, to the Dark Knight and eliminate him from circulation. For the occasion, Arkham Knight, a new antagonist, will make his appearance on the scene, who will bring with him an entire army, ready to challenge Batman and to anticipate his moves, as if he knew in depth the mind and thoughts of the hero of Gotham.
Under a pouring and uninterrupted rain, players will find themselves moving around the immense city not only with the Batmobile but also with the classic grappling hook, already known in previous chapters. Rocksteady continued to strengthen its combat system, the free-flow system, adding interesting changes that have thus perfected its effectiveness. The movements of the Dark Knight are now much smoother than in the past, thanks also to the ability to push the Unreal Engine 3 to its limits, and the enemies that Batman will face will be fully armed (firearms, knives, armor) and will also be able to count on some companions able to revive them in case of defeat, so as to justify the clear physical superiority of which the hero is endowed. Dual play is the other great addition that the combat system will vary Batman: Arkham Knight; thanks to a simple button it will be possible to change the character and thus pass to impersonate Robin or other allies without losing the combos accumulated up to that moment. These will thus be able to intervene to perform a double KO and to give rise to another spectacular addition that directly affects the combat system: it is in particular the Multi KO Terror, the ability to knock down multiple enemies at the same juncture and create panic among those still standing and eager to challenge Batman. The free flow system is also enriched with one component "Strategic", which allows players to plan their entry into the scene, making use of the endless gadgets present in the Bat-belt: it will be possible to use Batarangs, grappling hooks and traps of all kinds to differentiate their attacks and surprise rivals in the most disparate ways possible.
The conclusion on the darkest night
What makes a title great like Batman: Arkham Knight it's not just the aspects already mentioned but also a masterfully written story by Rocksteady. It is true that the first hours of the game find it hard to take off, perhaps overly occupied by the presence of the Batmobile, as if to forcefully justify the presence of the vehicle within the game. The story, however, manages to capture attention as the hours go by knowing how to give some twists capable of making the player jump with pad in hand.
Batman: Arkham Knight will accompany the players for fifteen hours, the amount of time necessary to complete the main mission. However, in addition to the aforementioned challenges of the riddle, there will be secondary missions scattered here and there around Gotham City, capable of providing stories that are anything but trivial and secondary. Once the adventure is over, players will be able to don the cloak and hood again and return to the vast city to try and get close to that much sought-after 100%, which many Dark Knight fans will chase relentlessly. The arrival of Batman: Arkham Knight has long been awaited, especially to see the behavior of the Gotham Paladin on the latest generation consoles. The result has not betrayed expectations in any way: the city shows itself to be extended and full of details to the point reached, avoiding arousing that sense of bewilderment or that feeling of being in an environment too small for one's possibilities. The graphic level reached is unprecedented in the series and seeing the raindrops slowly slide down Batman's dark cloak is one of the many graphic pleasures that Rocksteady has been able to give to its fans. The gameplay, except for the first raids with the Batmobile, remains very pleasant and never heavy, thanks also to the almost total absence of loading phases, another benefit guaranteed by the latest generation consoles. Thanks to this, pad in hand, players will really have the chance to feel like the last bastion of Gotham, to be Batman.
Final comments
Batman: Arkham Knight is a candidate to be a milestone in the field of video games as regards the tie-ins dedicated to superheroes. Rocksteady's work could make it difficult to take the Dark Knight back in his hands to create a new title, with the high risk of disfiguring in the face of this game.
Batman: Arkham Knight easily gets through the first few hours, quite stale, and the controls for the Batmobile that are not comfortable and easy to learn, giving the worthy conclusion of a trilogy that reaches its apex with this chapter, characterized by a masterful story, a Gotham City as vast and detailed as ever and a Batman ready to take on the greatest enemies ever.
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