Rocksteady’s latest, Batman: Arkham Knight, is a hit with fans of the DC superhero thanks to its authentic take on Gotham’s savior (read our glowing review). The developer has a history of nailing the look and feel of the city’s imposing gothic architecture, larger-than-life villains, and each of Batman’s handy gadgets. On the topic of fancy accessories, Arkham Knight marks the first time Rocksteady has set players loose with a fully playable Batmobile in its open world, and the iconic vehicle has some fans divided. Game Informer editors Matt Bertz and Tim Turi square off in this debate about the merits and failings of Arkham Knight’s speedy transforming war machine.
Tim: To kick things off before we get into it, let me pose a question: At any point while you were playing the first three Arkham games, did you ever find yourself thinking, “This is great, but I wish I could drive the Batmobile around”?
Bertz: I never had the thought while playing Arkham Asylum, because the game smartly stayed within the walls of the infamous psychiatric hospital. But when the action spanned out to the metropolis in Arkham City, the thought did cross my mind because the street level seems drastically underutilized (and underpopulated). Plus, I love seeing all the new iterations on Batman’s primary method of travel with each comic book, film, or videogame reboot, so I’ve always been curious how Rocksteady would approach it.
Tim: That’s funny, I never really saw the need for an alternate means of travel given how effective the Dark Knight is at slingshotting and gliding around Gotham. I think that’s why the Batmobile came as such a surprise. The primary Pursuit Mode is a fun alternative to seeing the city from a new perspective, and the car controls really well (except when the streets are slick with rain). Additionally, I heard a lot of naysaying about the Batmobile’s Battle Mode tank transformation, but I have been having a lot of fun with it.
Bertz: Even with the Batmobile integrated into the experience I still find myself going for rooftops instead of the streets, primarily because of the content Rocksteady built around the Batmobile. I think the car/tank hybrid handles well enough in both modes (though I do instinctively reach for the left trigger each time I want to apply the brakes), so that’s not a big issue for me. Thematically, I’m overwhelmed with dissonance when I’m sitting in a vehicle shooting other tanks instead of role playing as the World’s Greatest Detective. Batman has always wielded amazing future-leaning tech, but I’ve never seen him go full military industrial complex and it feels like a heavy-handed, peculiar fit.
Tim: I agree about the Batmobile’s handling. I’m especially impressed by the tight, fast animations of the vehicle’s wheeled appendages while in tank mode. I also love the visual flair of the exploding enemy tanks and nimbleness Battle Mode’s side-thrusters allow. Thematically speaking, I think Batman’s beefed-up ride fits well with the need to match the Arkham Knight’s heavily militarized forces. Batman has always been great at adapting to his enemies even if it doesn’t seem like his style, whether it’s picking up a katana to battle Ra's al ghul in Arkham City or combining battle armor and kryptonite to take on The Man of Steel in the comics.