Since Batman: Arkham City was revealed, the roster of villains has gradually grown. The game has been proclaimed to feature nearly all of Batman’s most well known evil adversaries, even the ones that you probably haven’t ever heard of. The game is long as a result, featuring an extensive 20-25 hour single player campaign. Some people may be concerned that with so many villains in the game, the story of Arkham City may lack focus. Rocksteady’s Lead Narrative Designer Paul Crocker has shared some comforting details which dismiss any concerns that fans may have.
Speaking in regards to an overabundance of villains, Crocker told Joystiq:
The main difference between us and film is that we’re 25 hours long [laughs], and everything is in there to give the player more to do, more reason for every action, and to make their actions feel meaningful.
He continued:
One of the things we’ve tried to fix this game is giving you the opportunity to punch every villain in the face. Because we didn’t last time, and we know that, and one of the problems we had with the Joker at the end was, you know, Batman versus Joker isn’t actually a very satisfying fight. We work really hard to make those encounters and I know some people don’t like them — some people do, though — but it’s not a Mario-like game, it’s not about the bosses. It’s about the characters, it’s about the people you meet.
Rocksteady is looking to improve upon the success of their previous game, Batman: Arkham Asylum. That’s challenging given the success of the previous title, but it appears that they understand where the game could have delivered even better, and as a result we will be seeing not only a more massive game, but a more consistently entertaining one as well.
You’re probably dying to play this game, and thankfully you won’t have to wait long, as Arkham City is currently slated for release in North America on October 18th and Europe on October 21st.
