In combat, enemy types are generally the same from previous iterations. Standard thugs litter Gotham’s streets and brutes are plentiful this time around. The diversity of enemy types was a huge draw for me as a player, one of the things I dug the most from the non-Rocksteady Arkham Origins was how diverse groups of goons were. New to the fray are medics who are able to wake up unconscious thugs and combat specialists who are essentially reskinned League of Assassin members with a few new tricks. Knife, shield, and stun baton wielding thugs are back with some specialized brutes employing bladed gauntlets and shields. I felt the balance was hitting that perfect sweet-spot between challenging while making a skilled player truly feel like Batman. I was hoping the martial arts master from Arkham Origins would have returned, but thinking back on it having to manage such a dangerous enemy type with all the new tricks would have disrupted the aforementioned balance, making the rhythm of combat a bit disjointed.

Predator missions are largely unchanged but further improved upon. Much of the game’s predator moments happen outside now, with even taller buildings and an overall larger world, the dependance on keeping predator encounters only to enclosed locales has shifted to a more open air state. Of course the vantage points return but grappling has been great expanded upon. Now you can grapple from a high vantage point to say a ledge below you. This further diversifies your choices in dispatching foes in every predator encounter. Grappling into/up out of air ducts also adds a significant boost to predator modes. Predator missions have always been my favorite encounters in the Arkham games. While it’s incredibly satisfying to knock around a few hired goons with delusions of grandeur, there’s something about picking off these guys one buy one that send a “me gusta meme” expression across my nerdy little face.

Now with an expanded move set, the enemy has to adapt to keep the challenge fresh. Most of the game’s predator moments involve Batman facing off against the Arkham Knight’s militia. The Arkham Knight is intimately acquainted with all of Batman’s tactics. If you hop around vantage points too much, he’ll instruct his men to keep their eyes peeled to the ceiling… fan of crawling around under floor grates? Do too much and his men will adapt, looking down at every floor grate… not just the ones with unconscious goons nearby. Forcing to adapt every time make each predator encounter feel like the Mister Freeze boss battle from Arkham City (hands down one of my favorite moments from that game). The aforementioned medics join the ranks during predator encounters with a new enemy type that employs an optic camouflage that blocks detective vision, forcing Batman to truly survey his surroundings before acting.