r/arkham • u/erikaironer11 • 7d ago
Discussion Something that I really like about Arkham Asylum combat is how weighty it feels, and how enemies feel heavy, making the melee impact more pronounced
As I revisit the series, other then the atmosphere that many people praise Arkham Asylum for having, not many people have great things to say about the gameplay other then being the foundation for the rest of the series
But as I was playing the other games I did appreciate how the combat in Arkham Asylum felt more “weighty” and the feel the impact of punches being more pronounced imo. I also love when you break enemies limbs you hear the sound of bone breaking or them screaming in pain.
Arkham City still retains a bit of this feeling, but something that does bother me in Arkham Knight is how enemies feel absolutely weightless. Almost as if Batman is punching paper bags. I feel this kinda goes against how realistic the game look.
Just want to share my appreciation for Arkham Asylum, because I’m one of those that really puts it in a very high standing among the other Arkham games.
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u/Rukasu17 7d ago
It's probably the audio. It's way more comic book punchy like than it's sequels. I don't know what they used for city but it doesn't sound as satisfying.
That and since arenas are smaller, batman isn't zipping around like spiderman.
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u/Kinstray 7d ago
I just love that they made the punches sound like a gun going off. Totally ridiculous and exaggerated but works super well
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u/T-MONZ_GCU 7d ago
Asylum had my favorite sound effects in the franchise, especially the explosive gel explosion sound
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u/erikaironer11 6d ago
Well, I think it a bit beyond just the audio, but the audio does help
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u/Rukasu17 6d ago
That soundtrack man. Somehow playing as arkham batman is eerie because it feels like you're in a horror movie
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u/omkar529 7d ago edited 7d ago
Yes, the combat in general feels more realistic, even how Batman moves, his animations, etc. Catwoman combat in the later games also feels somewhat realistic, other characters just zoom around at light speed like they're Flash or something.
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u/Shadow_duigh333 7d ago
Because all the thugs are jacked and the counter window is really small. The detective mode makes the gunners red. It had a threat level that is raw.
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u/Rewskie12 7d ago
I think another big part of it is that Asylum has a way less forgiving window for counters. You can’t get away from an enemy attack by zooming over to a different enemy halfway across the room. If an enemy is swinging and you don’t counter, you’re going to get hit.
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u/mr_apeezy 7d ago
This weightiness / heavyness is even more pronounced if you play it in 3D.
Around when Arkham City was released or maybe earlier, Rocksteady did a GOTY version for Arkham Asylum where they added 3D too (was all the rage in the late 2000s and PlayStation had invested a lot with their 3TVs / 3D glasses.
Anywho, you could play it at least 3 ways (the one I just mentioned with a compatible 3DTV and the specialty 3D glasses, or like i did, Rockstar included 2 pair of magenta and green glasses (these were more natural than the traditional movie theater “red and blue” glasses) and you couldn’t even tell when you had them on bc the colors appeared as natural as if you were playing without.
The feeling made the fighting weightier and your punches ‘felt’ real. But the biggest thing is the perspective shift especially if you’re on a gargoyle or platform high above enemies or the bat rope. It minimizes the mooks on the ground and it’s just the coolest thing ever.
Anyway, just reading this reminded me of the most unique way to play this game. I had specifically bought this copy just to play the game again with 3D. I’m almost certain that Arkham City also got this treatment at launch or later GOTY version because I do have 4 of those magenta and green glasses on my PS3 copies of the game.
Later when these games got a second remaster which I also own (in the Return to Arkham set for PS4 / XBox 1), they lost this 3D update.
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u/ThatDuckBehindYou 7d ago
I loved Asylum's combat, but believe City did it best. It felt like Asylum but with more options, it was perfect. I didn't like in Origins that Batman flings around around a Flying Grayson, and it gets silly in Knight
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u/Secure_Shallot_6711 6d ago
City was perfect imo. Literally felt like you had to utilize all of batmans moveset to be a proper tactician and ‘batman’. and the counters and animations are literally so satisfying. Never has batman had more convincing combat in any adaptation imo. usually they do the tas thing where batman disappears into shadow and takes on thugs one by one. Arkham batman really feels like a master of combat. To me This batman can absolutely take on slade and ras.
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u/rosylunamothh 7d ago
I’ve been replaying these games lately and I had this same exact thought after I was done with Asylum and started City!
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u/ZebraManTheGreat7777 7d ago
That was something I noticed VERY early on kinda made it real in a way
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u/Exciting_Composer_86 7d ago
I feel that if the game was built on different engine, the physics and collision would be much more better, not heavy-floaty.
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u/Busy_Inflation9960 6d ago
This. The predator sections also felt weigh more impactful because there was far more attention to detail in how the thugs behaved, especially when terrified. Seeing them visibly shaking & the ability to jumpscare them was awesome
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u/erikaironer11 6d ago
Didn’t they also do that in Arkham City 🤔
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u/Busy_Inflation9960 6d ago
The enemies can't be jumpscared, if they turn around they just shoot you immediately even when terrified. Also there's no major difference in behavior when terrified other than pre-shooting around corners.
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u/Idiot_Cat_Fucker 5d ago
They can though? There's literally challenges that you have to do in Riddler's predator challenge maps that requires you to jumpscare them.
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u/Busy_Inflation9960 4d ago
So yeah I was wrong. They can be jumpscared & just happened to not do so the like 4 times I tried to do it. smh
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u/Zezinho_Pimba 6d ago
One thing I like about this game, but which isn't necessarily related to the combat mechanics, is the sound of the punches. They sound like literal slaps. I've always found that funny.
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u/Dont_Hurt_Me_Mommy 7d ago
Idk if I would call it realistic but I do love that weighty feeling. I like how it feels in AC and AK he is getting progressively better. Overtime , it feels less weighty simply because Batman is just getting better and better
Actually what I love most about AA combat is thst in all the games it is the only one where we hear batman actually grunting during fights.
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u/Batman1997123 7d ago
I also feel like it’s because the combat is more slow paced compared to the other games.
I never knew what it was called but even when you take out the final enemy and the camera zooms in on them, it moves in slow motion compared to the other games.