Arkham City Wants You To Think Vertically

Batman: Arkham City has big things in store for fans of the Dark Knight. Rocksteady has taken a page from blockbusters like Spiderman and Infamous by creating an environment where Batman will be able to effortlessly move across the rooftops of Gotham. Instead of incorporating vehicles into the game play, players will be able to glide and dive over the city streets as Batman hunts down his enemies.

Game Director Sefton Hill from Rocksteady explains, “The biggest thing we’ve focused on is his navigation and his ability to get around Gotham City, making that as exciting and fun as possible. The game is much bigger, a larger expanse but also much more vertical. We worked a lot on the glide system; when you’re gliding you can pull R2 to throw Batman into a dive. And as you hurdle towards the ground you can build momentum to propel you around the city. You can also get a grapple boost upgrade that boosts you off ledges and rooftops. And you can combine these two moves, the dive and grapple boost, to get around Gotham City without even touching the ground, if you get good enough.”

This is welcome news to anybody that has been stuck without a car in the Grand Theft Auto games and quickly discovered the frustration of being forced to travel to locations on foot. The gliding system will not only make moving around the open world more enjoyable but will add an extra layer to the extensive combat system.

Via Playstation Blog