Is this game too easy?

[Red™]

The fear takedown and the fact you can still attack enemies when they are on the ground is quite too easy ngl. Would the game will be harder if played on Hard mode? I’m already familiar with Arkham combats.

[MASTAN]

Of course, play on Hard. Like in previous games, counter icons are not shown and damage from enemies is higher.

[lou]

no

[RichardMNixon]

(IMHO) Brief review: I game quite a bit recreationally. I don't know who these guys above me are, but I am fully willing to concede their skills may outstrip my own. If hard isn't hard enough there is an even harder setting too. That said, I have quite a bit of difficulty with the game on hard. Not quite on the Bloodborne/Darksouls Axis of Ragequit, but I have playing this game.

The Positive:

Combat can flow smoothly and flawlessly, with a steady accelerating percussive tempo. Fighting looks, feels, and sounds great, incremental improvements have been made without spoiling the formula. I can be more precise in switching opponents. Batman feels more Tyson-like than ever. But, Tekken, Street Fighter, Mortal Combat, and lots of other games have great combat systems. What sets this one apart from it's predecessors? You're the Bat! He doesn't fight fair if he can help it. That's what the Batman game concept brings to the table. It's less grim and real than Splinter Cell, your character name wasn't cribbed from a certain Kurt Russell film, it doesn't stultify some of the most interesting figures in recorded history, and the planning involved is just as wide open as the best of the Hitman series. Plus the goons get scared instead of going all Manchurian Candidate. Gadgets work better than in previous titles. The voice acting is straight from Saturday mornings in 1999, like all the previous titles. That's what the Batman Universe sounds like, I wish actors who took on these roles live action felt the same way. (Adam West excepted, apples and oranges.) Gotham feels gritty, but keeps it's distinctive comic book feel that the Nolan films never embraced. (And probably couldn't to be fair.) Rapidly clearing a room is like skinning a cat in that it can be done many ways, and unlike it because I find it deeply satisfying, and want to do it again. I smoothly use three or four gadgets, move quickly, and stay undetected maybe one time out of ten on a really good day.

The Negative:
F*** the BatTank. Your primary mode of transport has one function that I like, the ejection seat. Contrary to the open world spirit of the game, these encounters are repetitive and unavoidable. Bruce Wayne, Billionaire Braniac Belligerent Batman, apparently couldn't think of two ways to blow up an unmanned tank. It weakens immersion, especially considering the other capabilities at Batman's disposal. He has an unmanned jet and a high precision guided glide vehicle that delivers clothes and accessories. Apparently WayneTech's secret division was working for Amazon instead of Lockheed. He disables all kinds of other things with explosive gel, and overcomes other large enemies in a myriad of ways.
I find shields and tazer batons a little annoying for the same reason-limited options. It doesn't feel quite right.

The Detective side of things is more fleshed out, but still feels more like a mini-game than a full fledged gameplay element. You should be able to draw the wrong conclusions from evidence and blow the case, for one thing.

Conclusions/The Game I Want:
At the end of the day, I really like this game, and having played the others in the series, I think it does bring enough new content to justify a purchase. That said, it's not the Batman game I always wanted. There aren't any hard choices or consequences. You know you will glide through, and your actions don't affect the outcomes of your allies. I'd like to see a page taken out of Nolan's book here. Lose-lose scenarios, pyrrhic victories, and muddled priorities are as Batman as it gets. It's a zero sum game. Gotham evolves and reacts to Batman, it's a feedback loop.

Equifinality; that's my real problem with all the Arkham games up to this point. BioWare has avoided that pitfall for years. I think imposing limits and consequences on the player would help to create a sense of urgency the series lacks, force the error. Make Batman decide what deserves his efforts, and don't leave the rest of Gotham on pause while that happens. Make me decide between fully preventing a burglary, or work incrementally toward solving a murder. As an example, too much unanswered street crime in a neighborhood ought to make premeditated crimes (serial _____) more likely. In this game, beating up huge crowds of random men in the streets doesn't seem to deter anybody else. It ought to. Conversely, the Rogue's Gallery ought to become increasingly dangerous over time if you leave them unmolested, slowly working their way towards first killing the Bat's allies, then discovering his alter ego, and finally striking at Bruce, Alfred etc. If you imprison the Joker early, and move on to other things without dismantling his organization, he ought to escape. The sisyphean nature of Batman's vocation ought to come through. Make me work to keep Gotham somewhat safe. Concerning the Police-their cooperation ought to be conditional on player actions. Let me get to the point where a Special Bat Task Force is deployed. The Bat Family/Other Vigilantes (or whatever you want to call them) ought to work along the same lines. Lose Oracle, you lose Nightwing as an ally. Catwoman should be foe or ally based on player actions, and a certain amount of caprice. Anyway, there's more than you asked for or wanted to know about what I think. I'm curious what others want in the Batman game of their dreams.

[Red™]

I do like the combat in Arkham Knight, but what I don’t like is they don’t pose much challenge as they do in other Arkham games. Arkham Origins were arguably hardest Arkham Game, as the thugs reacted faster, hit harder than other Arkham Thugs. I would’ve say Arkham Asylum was easy, but holy moly the Inmate with gun have the accuracy of an American Sniper.

[Truest Lord Pancake]

It's got a good balance to be honest. NG+ or Hard mode make is much more fun. I like how you can really use your gadgets to their fullest and in better ways. In normal mode, you can brute force you way through fights much easier. I also find the little counter indicators distracting, I prefer to watch the fight. I think it makes it actually easier, because you pay more attention to what's going on.

[halbermensch999]

For me as a seasoned player this game is all too easy, even on NG+
It's only really challenging on some challengers, and this is because they can be timed or require that the player is never seen and of course it can be hard to do environmental takedowns because the controls are not always exactly perfect.

[Cryiox]

All of the Arkham games are too easy.

Easy - Cinematic experience
Medium - Very Easy
Hard - Easy
Very Hard - Normal
NG+ - Almost Hard or Normal (depending if the game had a Very Hard difficulty to begin with)

[Red™]

It’s quite easy for seasoned player that have experience with the basic mechanics of fighting/gliding/position.

[Zeev]

Originally posted by Batman Who Laughed:

The fear takedown and the fact you can still attack enemies when they are on the ground is quite too easy ngl. Would the game will be harder if played on Hard mode? I’m already familiar with Arkham combats.

jir njd ngl.

[spectre199]

just put the game on a harder difficulty and be good to go