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Old 08-07-2009, 11:01 AM   #45
Ninja Dodo
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Join Date: Sep 2003
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I had a brief run through the demo.

Top marks for visual flair and overall ambiance, though like most games the animation is very obviously mocapped, which in this case meshes badly with the fairly stylized models. Could've done with some exaggeration and general refinement in their movement - an animator's touch, if you will.

And - though this too is a problem for most games - the characters are much too shiny. I really thought we'd gotten over normal maps by now. Used wisely it can create amazing detail, but used excessively it makes everything look like it's made of wax or metal. Is Valve really the only studio that knows what a specular map is?

Gameplay-wise it was fun, but I agree with nomadsoul that the experience is too heavily directed and simplified to offer much gameplay depth. You can only grapple onto predefined points (gargoyles) and hiding under grates is obviously also limited to certain paths so the stealth aspect of the game becomes rather constricted. Would've been cool if you could climb across the level more freely a la Assassin's Creed.

There's no analog movement even with a gamepad (you have to hold A to run) and this is indicative of the rest of the mechanics. Many of the attacks are very cool, but the interaction is generally limited to pressing a single button and watching the Batman execute.

Overall seems like a good game but maybe not as daring as it could be...
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