14 DAY TRIAL // Batman: Arkham Knight marks the return of original developer Rocksteady to the series and the end of the current story arc involving the Dark Knight. The time spent with the game during E3 2014 suggests that the developers are making sure that the title delivers on the expectations of the loyal fan base.
The Batmobile is one of the highlights of the title, but the studio has clearly also worked hard on the combat system, introducing some refinements that make it even more cinematic and engaging.
The demo takes players to the Ace Chemical factory and is clearly designed to show how seamless the new vehicle is integrated with the rest of the Batman's tools and gadgets.
Movement is fast and precise and combat can be very fun, even if the very powerful gun has a cooldown that's just a bit too long for my linking, but the best moments are those when the car and the character work together to progress through the level or when Batman uses the vehicle to finish off enemies he throws into the air.
The Dark Knight is still very powerful in combat and has a myriad of ways to take out his enemies, but the Arkham Knight antagonist is also very capable and can call on military grade forces to back him up, even if he is no match for the main character in a straight up fight.
Rocksteady is also allowing players to chain grapple moves in order to make the entire title more vertical and that, combined with the Batmobile, make the game world more open.
Vehicle sections can be very fun, both in battle and in pursuit mode, but the core of the game still lies in the very smooth combat mechanics and the wealth of options that are offered to take out enemies, which should be a relief for long-time fans.
The game faced some criticism from some fans for dropping support for current-gen consoles, but the brief time I spent with it during E3 2014 demonstrated that the focus on next-gen devices was a great decision, allowing the team to deliver incredible details for Batman, his gadgets and the Batmobile and to make the world around him seem more real than ever.
Batman: Arkham Knight will be launched worldwide in 2015, presumably in the first few months, and can be played on the PlayStation 4 from Sony, the PC and the Xbox One from Microsoft.