14 DAY TRIAL // Rocksteady, the developer of the upcoming Batman: Arkham Knight game, is adamant that the new Batmobile that's present in the title will delight all players, particularly when it enters battle mode and can use an arsenal of weapons against the enemies of the Caped Crusader.
The Batman Arkham games have delighted millions of fans from around the world, proving that super-hero games can be fun and respect the comic book origins of the characters. While Asylum was a small experience, Arkham City delivered a bigger open world that was only expanded upon by last year's Arkham Origins.
Developer Rocksteady is now working on its biggest environment yet in the upcoming Batman: Arkham Knight, and in order to make traversal easier, players can not only glide around the open world but also drive the iconic Batmobile.
The studio released a fresh trailer yesterday that presented the Batmobile's special trick, the battle mode, which turns it into an agile machine complete with a suite of devastating weapons that can destroy other vehicles or incapacitate foes without killing them.
The battle mode transformation is a thing of beauty, according to Rocksteady's Guy Perkins, who talked with Polygon about the new game.
"When the transformation happens and the front and rear wings hinge outwards, wheels then become capable of almost independent movement," he said. "That allows you to pivot on the spot, which gives you accuracy. It's easier to dodge, avoid fire from drone tanks. The vehicle handles in a strafing movement that's very precise and a turret you aim with."
However, while the Batmobile's battle mode is quite handy, players aren't forced to constantly use it instead of their traditional punches and kicks, nor are they stopped from exploring Gotham City using their grapple and glide, just like in previous games.
"In terms of taking on perps, you always have the hand-to-hand option. We have a dynamic fighting system. There might be a mass group of guys, it might be wise not to take all of them on individually at first, you might want to use the vehicle."
"We're not really forcing players to use the Batmobile in scenarios where they don't have to use it, so it's really up to them. If they want to grapple glide around the city, instead of using the car to drive, they can."
Instead, the Batmobile will feel like a great new tool in Batman's utility belt and will certainly delight players when Arkham Knight is going to be released in 2015 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.