Video Games...Discuss Them

[number8]

Any word on if any of the costumes will be available as DLC?

I'm pretty pissed that mine came with nothing.

Yeah, all of the Batman skins will be on the PSN/Xbox Live Store in December. $5 for a bundle of the whole lot. Not sure if it'll include the Yellow Lantern skin that's included in the Green Lantern Blu-ray, though.

[Ezee E]

Who cares about the different skins anyway?

My favorite thing about the game is the approach to the villains. Unique for the most part, instead of taking the various ones we've seen in the movies already. And the atmosphere in this game easily outdoes the first game. WOnderful really. Can't wait to get back to it.

But this could easily spin off into simply a Catwoman game and I'd be fine with it. Wonder if Robin's missions (guessing he has a spinoff?) bring all new moves too.

[number8]

Oh, the use of the villains are really great. I like that they're not just thrown in as boss battles like in Arkham Asylum. Nothing wrong with that, but this is certainly a more sophisticated way of doing it, by getting them involved in a developing storyline. I love the handling of Zsasz and Deadshot. It's so appropriate.

[Watashi]

Here's a good article on the sexism of Arkham City.

[number8]

I actually noticed that. Someone says "bitch" every two minutes in the game, though my first thought didn't go to "this is sexist" and more to "why are all the NPCs in this game Jesse Pinkman?" Even if it isn't purposefully misogynistic, it's still really kind of weird. I mean, Two-Face calls Catwoman a bitch like three times in one cutscene.

Come to think of it, there's also a really dumb joke where these Joker thugs are talking and the conversation goes like this:

"You think the rumors are true?"
"What, that Harley used to be a dude?"
"No, that Joker's dying."

How is that even a joke?

[D_Davis]

Old school super hero comics tend to be sexist, or, at least, overly-sexualized for their male-skewing audience. Is this really that surprising? (and, really, most non-indie video games)

I mean, look at the way Batman and Catwoman are dressed. Batman is covered head to toe, where as Catwoman's suit just so happens to have a zipper that doesn't work.

I think it'd be more surprising if it was in any way progressive with that kind of thing.

[Ezee E]

I've heard that conversation three times already, lol.

I think of it more being "machisimo" men being "machisimo."

[Ezee E]

I mean, look at the way Batman and Catwoman are dressed. Batman is covered head to toe, where as Catwoman's suit just so happens to have a zipper that doesn't work.

Still say that's how Catwoman gets what she wants though. So....

[Glass Co.]

I actually noticed that. Someone says "bitch" every two minutes in the game, though my first thought didn't go to "this is sexist" and more to "why are all the NPCs in this game Jesse Pinkman?" Even if it isn't purposefully misogynistic, it's still really kind of weird. I mean, Two-Face calls Catwoman a bitch like three times in one cutscene.

Come to think of it, there's also a really dumb joke where these Joker thugs are talking and the conversation goes like this:

"You think the rumors are true?"
"What, that Harley used to be a dude?"
"No, that Joker's dying."

How is that even a joke?

Sometimes you can just tell when sexless nerds are doing all the writing (I would know, being one). The misogyny is usually presented without any wit or insight. I'll at least give idiot jocks credit on one thing: their jokes at least have some basis in a kind (admittedly horribly skewed) worldview, and are sometimes funny despite being wrong. With bitter socially awkward guys it often boils down to an obvious pent up angst.

[D_Davis]

Still say that's how Catwoman gets what she wants though. So....

It's the deadly chinadoll syndrome. She can still kick any man's ass to get what she wants. She doesn't need to be depicted like that.

But whatever, it's all good, and she looks good...I mean, for a toon and all that.

Also, I watched GB's Quicklook on this, and damn....that game looks awesome.

[D_Davis]

Sometimes you can just tell when sexless nerds are doing all the writing (I would know, being one). The misogyny is usually presented without any wit or insight. I'll at least give idiot jocks credit on one thing: their jokes at least have some basis in a kind (admittedly horribly skewed) worldview, and are sometimes funny despite being wrong. With bitter socially awkward guys it often boils down to an obvious pent up angst.

Interesting, and well said.

[number8]

Paul Dini isn't a sexless nerd, though. Look up his wife. He's probably the only nerd who actually got to bang his favorite comic book character.

[D_Davis]

Video games are crazy misogynistic. Just look at Dark Souls. One of the bosses is a giant, lava-spewing, disgusting looking spider....what the top half a hot chick with an incredible rack sticking out of its head.

[D_Davis]

Paul Dini isn't a sexless nerd, though. Look up his wife. He's probably the only nerd who actually got to bang his favorite comic book character.

Good point. One might (should?) expect more from Dini.

[D_Davis]

Maybe he was catering to what he thought the typical gamer expected?

[Glass Co.]

Paul Dini isn't a sexless nerd, though. Look up his wife. He's probably the only nerd who actually got to bang his favorite comic book character.

Fair enough, but a lot of the time these views are formed in adolescence. That is when your core being of who you are is formed. So, if he was rejected by numerous girls in high school that is going to inform a good chunk of his sense of humour as a defense mechanism, and it's incredibly hard to change that even if you do have a sexy wife.

However, this is the video game thread and not the psychoanalysis thread so I'll let you all get back to it.

[Ezee E]

I'll bet that Dini didn't write that dialog though. He probably only does the conversations involved in the story. That dialog is Second Unit.

[Glass Co.]

Maybe he was catering to what he thought the typical gamer expected?

This is a good call.

[number8]

Maybe he was catering to what he thought the typical gamer expected?

This is likely. As you say, video games tend to be very misogynistic. Especially because there is a shift in tone in Arkham City compared to Arkham Asylum (which wasn't sexist at all). This one is just a little bit nastier and more violent, and I think the language used and the use of the female characters are there to reflect that.

[number8]

It needs to be stressed once again, though, that Dini is a lucky bastard.

Grew up fantasizing to this:



Ends up marrying this:

[number8]

:lol:

[youtube]tI3tsWus2KQ[/youtube]

[Sycophant]

Crithulk points out that there's a difference between this kind of misogynistic attitude and hypersexualixation, and I'm inclined to agree. He also rightly points out that if the creators of the game were just trying to deliver what they perceived their audience what they want, fuck them for their pandering. it's not like revealing the awesone fact that Batman gets off on choking uppity women (or whatever less snarky description you'd like to use there) will move more copies, so why do they feel the need to throw that in?

This is partly a complication of the weird chimerical marriage of video games and moving image narratives that modern video games are. If this was a movie, we could just say "fuck this repugnant shit," but apparently people think this is great at being a playable entertainment, and can appreciate that by compartmentalizing or gritting their teeth.

[EyesWideOpen]

Any word on if any of the costumes will be available as DLC?

I'm pretty pissed that mine came with nothing.

If you want, I'll pm you my Dark Knight Returns code. I don't really care about those. You can't select those until you beat the game also.

[EyesWideOpen]

And since every other thing I'm gonna say about Arkham City is going to be insanely positive let me get out of the way that some of the voice acting and/or line reading is not good. Two people were over while I was playing and they were mocking the dialogue it was so bad.

So far I've liked the voice acting on maybe 3 or 4 of the 10 or so major characters I've encountered.

[megladon8]

If you want, I'll pm you my Dark Knight Returns code. I don't really care about those. You can't select those until you beat the game also.

Wow...well, I mean, only if you're sure you won't use it?


I'm wondering how the Batman Beyond skin works. It seems to me that it'd have to be more than just a skin for the flight. Did they incorporate his retro Spider-Man style armpit wings?