The big selling point of Batman: Arkham Knight is the inclusion of the Caped Crusade's legendary Batmobile. An earlier version of the iconic car was first shown in Batman: Arkham Asylum, but players couldn't actually drive it. For six long years, gamers have waited as two more installments — Arkham City and Arkham Origins — both hit shelves, still with no drivable Batmobile available.
Finally, Arkham Knight actually allows players to take to the streets in the Dark Knight's mammoth new ride, bringing vehicular mayhem to Gotham, and it's as satisfying as you would hope.
However, it's not as simple as hopping into the driver's seat and becoming the most feared superhero on four wheels. There is a steep learning curve involved with the Batmobile, and if you're not careful you could wind up as a pile of twisted steel and burnt rubber. But don't worry, I'm here to help.
Here are five tips to keep in mind to rule the streets of Gotham in the Batmobile.
Use Battle Mode To Navigate Tight Areas
There are two main functions of the Batmobile: pursuit mode and battle mode. Pursuit mode is for traveling through the streets, chasing other cars and generally getting from one point to another. Battle mode is exactly what it sounds like: it turns the car into a tank to be used against enemy vehicles.
Once in battle mode, though, the car doesn't have the same maneuverability as in pursuit mode. Instead of hitting the afterburners and hopping over chasms, battle mode's movements include more dodging and strafing.
Fortunately, because these movements are much slower and more precise, it's perfect for navigating across tight rooftops or over suspended surfaces when the speed of pursuit mode could send you hurdling off the side. So use battle mode whenever you think you're one wrong move away from a steep drop.
Use Your Enemies' Weapons Against Them
In Arkham Knight, you'll find yourself surrounded by small armies of tanks. A lot. Sometimes this can be overwhelming, especially when it's half a dozen tanks against just one of you. Thankfully, these tanks aren't the smartest enemies in the game, so when you see a tank lining up its blue targeting laser on you, quickly use your dodge thrusters to put another vehicle between you.
When you quickly put an enemy tank between yourself and the tank targeting you, there's a chance the tank will mistakenly fire on its own teammate, saving you the trouble of destroying it yourself. Plus, it's just so satisfying.
Take Your Time On Ramps
It might sound tempting to just turn the afterburners on and fly through the night sky on one of Gotham's many, many convenient ramps placed throughout the city, but until you get a good hang on the intricacies of the Batmobile controls, it's best to take an extra few seconds to perfectly line up your jump.
No one wants to keep flying off the side of a ramp or slamming into the side of a wall or diving into the drink because you were too proud to take the time to make sure you were perfectly aligned with the ramp. Batman doesn't embarrass himself, and neither should you.
Save Your Missile Barrage
Batmobile combat plays a lot like the regular hand-to-hand combat in Arkham Knight in that you have to build up your energy meter without getting hit to unleash a devastating special attack. When Batman is on foot, that attack is usually a cinematic takedown, but in the Batmobile, you can build up your meter toward a huge missile barrage.
This attack is great for taking out multiple tanks at one time, but sometimes those tanks are just the appetizer, as a boss looms around the corner. This happens early in the game, as the Arkham Knight's unmanned helicopter battles you alongside half a dozen tanks.
It's tempting to missile barrage those tanks back to the Stone Age, but it's better to use those drones to build up your special meter in order to take down the Knight's chopper with the barrage after all the smaller tanks are destroyed. This tactic cuts the boss fight down immensely, and it makes the Knight's copter easy pickings, which is important early in the game when you're still not upgraded much.
You’re Never Too Good For Practice (Or Tutorials)
No one wants to do video game tutorials, but for the Batmobile they're basically a necessity. Rocksteady doesn't hold your hand for long in Arkham Knight, and before you know it, you'll be thrown into the vast open world of Gotham with very little idea how to take those sharp turns or how to optimize battle mode.
I made the mistake of plowing headfirst into the game without going over the tutorials or traveling around Gotham to get a feel for the car. I landed upside down in the Gotham River and slamming into the side of the Ace Chemical Plant more times than I want to admit.
Trust me, you don't want to spend your first hour of Arkham Knight dying undignified deaths — take your time; learn the car's quirks and practice, practice, practice before really tackling Rocksteady's finale. You'll thank me when you're not constantly fishing the Batmobile out of the harbor.
Related: Batman: Arkham Knight Easter Eggs
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