After completing the first title, many gamers began a running wish list of items they would like to see in the next Batman game, announced to be titled Batman: Arkham City. At the top of a great number of gamers’ lists was the inclusion of some sort of gameplay that would involve vehicles, namely the Batmobile. Unfortunately, those gamers will have to move the Batmobile to number one on their Batman 3 wish list as Rocksteady Studios has confirmed that there will be no vehicle driving section in the game.

Focusing on the action/adventure aspects of the game, Rocksteady Studios opted not to include vehicles in the game because they see the Dark Knight as the ultimate vehicle. While Batman does carry enough brute force in order to lay down a vehicle size smack down on an enemy, it is rather unfortunate that the developers decided to pass on any sort of vehicle gameplay. Director Sefton Hill said specifically:

"There aren't any playable vehicles in the game. What we've really focused on is Batman himself. We see him as the ultimate vehicle."

Being able to explore the world of Arkham Asylum, especially towards the end of the game, became rather tedious -- having to zip line or glide from location to location in order to finish up the storyline. The hope was that in Arkham City, not only would the world be larger, but also that traversal would be streamlined, perhaps by way of a vehicle.

It might not be an indication of the exact breadth of Arkham City, with certain details suggesting Batman has some new abilities that will assist in speedier travel, but it might be a small clue as to how large a world players can expect. Perhaps in the future, if the game ever opens up the complete expanse of Gotham City, players will finally be able to jump behind the wheel of the Batmobile. Let's just hope that multiplayer is still happening.

What are your thoughts on Rocksteady’s decision not to include vehicles in Arkham City? Do you see vehicles as being a negative or a positive in terms of streamlining travel in the game?

Batman: Arkham City releases some time next year for PS3, Xbox 360, and PC. So far, details regarding Arkham City have been fairly slim with only a few screens and some story details to go by, but expect some juicy details during the Spike TV Video Game Awards.

Source: Eurogamer