HeroDistrict

I have recently taken up building Lego models again, recapturing the joy and innocence of my childhood. That and I just really like building spaceships. While I have been focusing on Star Wars sets, Lego has also put out a number of superhero sets. You can build a plane for Spider-Man, because I guess Spider-Man flies planes now, Joker’s helicopter, or even a Batmobile out of Legos. Perhaps the most successful part of Lego’s superhero franchise hasn’t involved little plastic blocks at all. The Lego Batman video game has sold more than 11 million copies, so it was only a matter of time until a sequel was announced. That time is now, as Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes will be dropping in stores during the summer of 2012, assuming the world doesn’t end before then.

I am kind of upset that I missed this game.

I have not played the Lego Batman series, but my little cousin has. I asked him to give me an in depth review of the gameplay and he gave me the following: “It’s super cool! You hit the bad guys and they explode!” I don’t think we need any more information about this game to know why it sold 11 million copies. I am thinking I might have to check out this second Lego Batman game, right after I finish building the new Lego Batcave set that comes with Bane. I have a feeling that 2012 might be a bigger year for the Dark Knight than 2011, if that’s even possible.

Robin has just been released as a playable character in Arkham City. Like there weren’t enough side missions and hidden trophies to keep you occupied as Batman or Catwoman. Now there is a brand new character to play as, with a whole new set of moves and 2 more challenge maps being added to the game. At this right, nobody will be able to get 100% completion before even more new material is added to the game. Luckily Arkham City is awesome enough that I wouldn’t mind playing through it with new characters from now until the next Batman game, possibly entitled Arkham Island or something.

Batman must beat Joker in the annual surf competition.

Robin is widely seen as a hindrance to Batman, since he is a kid going up against super-powered villains. That and the fact he wears bright yellow hot pants. This new Robin character design remembers that being stealthy is helpful in taking out guys twice your size, and that superheroes should look cool. There’s also an extra costume for Robin, allowing you to play as the Red Robin. Maybe we will get some Batgirl skins to download in the future. I won’t be truly excited until Alfred Pennyworth is a playable character, though.

Stopping crime in time for tea and crumpets.

Batman is kind of an arrogant dude. It’s understandable, seeing how he is constantly putting the beat down on super powered villains and single handedly saving Gotham City. I imagine I’d have a bit of an ego too if I ever knocked out Superman. Batman has done it several times. What I’m trying to say here is that Batman kind of has a big head. Rocksteady Studios also realize this, and decided that there should be an option in Batman: Arkham City to see what Batman’s ego really looks like. As a result, we now have big head mode in Arkham City, reminding everyone of  Goldeneye on the Nintendo 64.

The giant head of justice.

It is pretty weird to see that comically oversized head in Arkham City. So much detail has been put into the character designs and environment that adding that big old melon makes everything subtly horrifying. It makes the game feel more like one big Scarecrow level, where you have to keep Batman’s opinion of himself from growing or else his head will explode. Yes, you can turn that into a mini-game Rocksteady, but I expect royalties. Still, these goofy little easter eggs are fun to find, especially if you have somehow completed all the side missions available, like solving the identity theft murders, tracking down the mysterious stranger and finding Poison Ivy. Or you could just tell me where that darn mysterious stranger is hiding, either or. If you want to know how to unlock the mutant offspring of Bruce Wayne and Donkey Kong, check out the video below.

Even though Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 was one of the best fighting games in recent memory, I initially wasn’t thrilled to dish out $40 on a glorified expansion pack.  Of course, I bought the damn game anyway after seeing the spectacular collection of new characters. Joining the game are Nova, Ghost Rider, Dr. Strange, Hawkeye, and the magnificent Rocket Raccoon. And some Capcom characters or something.

Hell. Yes.

All of these characters are firmly in Marvel’s B-list (or lower), but deserve much more. They’re all solid heroes with huge untapped potential, but are just missing that X-factor to push them into the spotlight.  Hopefully this game will be the first step in giving these characters the exposure they need to reach out to mainstream audiences.

Now you can harness the awesome power of rabies!

The game itself takes the same basic formula from the first and some polish. Each of the new characters has a unique playstyle and most are tons of fun.  Nova and Iron Fist are my favorites, and Ghost Rider is positively brutal.  There are some new game modes and challenges thrown in as well. I was shocked by how recent some of the costume and level additions are, such as Spider-Mans Future Foundation colors or the Shadowland stage. If you haven’t bought the original, this is a must get. If you loved the game and are looking for another chance to mash some buttons, the new content will satisfy you. Just don’t expect something dramatically different from the original.

Okay guys, how cool was Arkham City? The game just reinforces my belief that comic books have some fantastic characters that can adapted in new mediums. Including video games. Here are a two more heroes who desperately need to be captured in video game glory.

Daredevil

What game could be more fun than a blind guy navigating rooftops?

I think this is a masterpiece waiting to happen.  Matt Murdock is one of the most compelling characters in comics with a tragic history and plenty of fantastic storylines. An open world adventure set in the heart of Hell’s Kitchen?  Throw in heavy noir overtones, filled with femme fatales, vicious underworld thugs, dark alleys and our brooding protagonist.  Let the player roam the city, climbing buildings and jumping off rooftops. Let Matt uncover a conspiracy involving the Kingpin, culminating in an emotional battle that pushes our hero to the edge.Things to leave out? Anything resembling Ben Affleck or Colin Ferell’s leprechaunesque Bullseye. And for highest difficulty? Play the game blindfolded.

Superman

Playing as Superman in any game is basically cheating.

There is a special circle of hell reserved for bad video games, and Superman 64 has earned a VIP seat there. The father of superheroes deserves something better. I’m not sure how a Superman game could be executed, but the big blue boy scout deserves a second chance. Rocksteady already did wonders with the Dark Knight, so why not let them work their magic with the Man of Steel? They’ve perfectly captured the classic superhero look for video games, so a the very least the visual style is good to go.

I haven’t heard a lot about DC Universe Online, mainly because I am not very interested in paying monthly fees to play a game that I already paid for. Apparently DC has become sympathetic to that complaint, because they recently announced that DC Universe Online will be free to play starting on November 1st. It sounds cool to be in an MMO that allows me to create my own superhero to interact with Batman, Green Lantern, Flash, and the rest of the DC characters, so I might just have to check this game out now.

There will still be some fees for this game if you want advanced gameplay, much like with many of the games on Facebook these days. The first taste is free, but you have to pay if you want the really good stuff. There is a $5 charge to open some new inventory and character slots in a premium account, but that $5 gives you those perks forever. I don’t mind that because it is more of an upgrade than a constant subscription. There is still the subscription option though, with an optional $15/month charge for a legendary account for those hardcore gamers out there. I will most likely be sticking with the free version, possibly an upgrade to a premium account, but it is nice to have options. Thanks for fixing this game for me, DC.

After many hours, I have finally completed Batman: Arkham City. Well, I’ve completed the story mode, there are still quite a few challenges to complete. Now that I have proven my ability to fight crime and protect Gotham City, I feel I am qualified to review this Batman video game. Simply put, it was awesome. If you enjoyed the Arkham Asylum video game, you will love Arkham City. The gameplay is nearly exactly the same as before, with a different story and some new gadgets that you can use to put down the bad guys. Perhaps the biggest problem with this game is that it can feel too similar to the original, getting repetitive at times. Let’s take a look at some specific aspects of the game and how well they are done.

Visuals/Sound

Batman: Arkham City is a great looking game. The cut scenes are amazing, and the voice acting is once again perfect. Mark Hamill has the perfect Joker voice and Kevin Conroy might actually be Batman. Parts of the game really feel like watching a well done Batman movie. Besides the cut scenes, the actual gameplay itself is very flowing. Movement looks natural both for Batman and the enemies he faces, whether it simple walking movement, gliding above the streets of Gotham, or during combat. I was very impressed with the overall atmosphere of the game, with darker visuals and a great soundtrack setting the mood of Arkham City perfectly.

Story Mode

The story mode is a lot of fun, and I was actually pretty pleased with the overall story. There were some plot twists that I definitely did not see coming, which did a great job of drawing me in and keeping my interest on moving the story forward. There were definitely some complaints about certain plot points, much like in Arkham Asylum, but nothing that really detracted from the gameplay. What really helped were the numerous side missions that could be completed at any time.

I really enjoyed the side missions that Arkham City provided. There are a lot of big name and lesser known Batman villains that can only be faced by doing the side missions, and they can also provide a nice break from the main story, while still helping to advance it. Many of the side missions provide not only experience, which can be used to upgrade combat moves and equipment, but also unlock new and useful gadgets. The story mode itself isn’t very long either, so the side missions help extend gameplay. Some parts, such as finding Riddler’s trophies, can take an extremely long time. I’ll admit there are still some of those I’m looking for. If you are inclined to go through the story mode first, the side missions can be done after completing the main part of the game as well.

Gameplay

The gameplay is pretty much exactly the same as Arkham City. Like they say, if it’s not broke, don’t fix it. The movement is still smooth, and Batman can make his way across Arkham City with ease. Much like the first game, detective mode will be used quite often throughout the game. The part you really want to know about, the fighting, is also amazing. Stealth attacks are vital, especially against armed thugs. The unarmed thugs can be taken out with relative ease, but you definitely have to be careful about guns. The boss fights vary in difficulty, but they are all pretty fun. The methods needed to defeat certain foes are fairly intuitive, which makes the whole game flow smoothly. The difficulty can be amped up to make the game extremely difficult, but normal mode is good for casual gamers, providing a challenge without being overwhelming.

Overall Rating

Overall, Arkham City is just fun, plain and simple. It’s no surprise that it has received such high review scores from numerous sources. Hero District is giving Batman: Arkham City a 10/10. Pick it up if you haven’t already, you’ll love it.

 An amazing commercial from Wallmart for Batman: Arkham City. So many great quotes like:

“You’re like Two-Face and both sides of your face are ugly”

They both nail a good Batman voice as well. Roll the tape and tell me it’s not an awesome ad when you’re done!

If you really are keen to see some 15 minutes of gameplay footage of Batman: Arkham City, fire up the video below and hurry because the video lords are hunting down every last one of these leaked videos with a vengeance, and won’t stop until justice is served. I watched about 10 seconds, I can tell you quality is good. But there is no way I’m spoiling it for myself.

View the video after the jump…

Read the rest of this entry »

Batman: Arkham City is due in a matter of days, and is bound to kick some serious ass. Arkham Asylum is one of my favorite games of all time, so even if they though don’t change a thing the game will still rock. Most superhero video games tend to be rather junky because they’re based off movies and don’t get the resources they need.  Lesson learned? Make superhero games not based off movies. Start with these guys.

The Punisher

Picture the Punisher as a 3^rd Person shooter, throw in some brutal close combat finishing moves and the result is glorious violence. Gears of War proved this formula can be extremely successful, and a Punisher game could add a unique twist on the genre. I also vote that the extremely violent options for interrogation kills are kept around from The Punisher for X-Box.

Deathstroke

At this point, the character might be most well known for being parodied by Deadpool or getting beaten up by a couple of teenagers. That doesn’t change the fact that Deathstroke is a complete badass who once took on the entire Justice League. Imagine a Devil May Cry style blend of guns, special abilities and cinematic decapitations.

Secret Six

I refuse to hide my love for the Secret Six. It’s one the best titles in years, and has violence that can only justified in pixilated form. It would be a bit ambitious, but letting each villain play with their own unique style could make for a wonderful experience. At the very least, it would make for unbelievable multiplayer.

Granny Goodness

I’m just kidding. This is a terrible idea.

Magneto

Remember how I said we don’t need any video game movie tie-ins? I lied. The Nazi-hunting Erik Lensherr from First Class was just too cool not to get more representation. My idea for the game? Metal Gear Solid with superpowers. Keep things grounded in reality, with mechanics that reward strategy, stealth, and use of cover. Your powers could be just one weapon in your arsenal, and throughout the game they slowly become more lethal. Get Michael Fassbender to lend his likeness and you have instant success.