Better XP Through Combos

Combat in the Arkham series is about finesse. Above all else, your primary goals in combat should be to avoid getting hit, and to avoid dropping your FreeFlow Combo. In FreeFlow, Batman (and any other fighter who becomes playable) hits harder and moves faster and farther, using agile melee attacks not available outside of FreeFlow. This makes it quite easy to keep a combo going just by pinballing back and forth between enemies with aimed Strikes and Countering as needed when foes attack. At a Combo counter of x8, a Special Combo move is available. These are special finishers in several variations—you can instantly K.O. a single enemy, K.O. all floored foes at once, or break the weapon of an armed enemy, among others. Keep the Combo going and use the Special Combo move in the flow, to earn another with five more Combo hits. You won’t start building to the next Special Combo move without using one you’ve already earned, so don’t hold back. If you get hit, miss an attack, or there’s a gap of longer than a second between consecutive actions, the FreeFlow Combo ends and you must build up three Combo hits again to enter FreeFlow—eight to gain another Special Combo move.

Apart from Special Combo Takedowns, which you must build up via the Combo counter, you can also use Ground Takedowns during predator stalking. If you knock a foe down with a Strike or Counter, you can transition right into a Ground Takedown. This even keeps the Combo going, and is actually one of the highest point value actions you can weave into a Combo.

Be careful, though, since you can easily be hit during a Takedown attempt. Only go for Ground Takedowns mid-Combo when you’ve knocked down a thug on the edge of the group, one who isn’t right near other enemies.

There are layers on top of this when tougher enemies show up, but that’s the basic combat refrain. To avoid hits, keep the camera oriented toward the most foes as you leap among them with attacks. Keep an eye out for any incoming attacks so you can Counter or Evade them. If you’ve already started up a Strike and you realize an attack is incoming, you can make a judgment call. If Batman will literally beat the opponent to the punch, you can just let the Strike hit; if it looks like the enemy will hit Batman first, you can interrupt Batman’s swing by Countering, up to a point. For many actions, you’re totally committed, and can’t “take it back” by canceling into a Counter, but while ping-ponging between enemies with normal Strikes, you can weave in Counters as needed. Once more challenging enemies show up, like foes with shields or weapons, or huge Brutes, then you can think of the normal thugs as the medium you move through as you deal with these higher-ranking threats.

When you’re comfortable dodging and Countering standard attacks, start watching out for attacks that cannot be Countered, which are indicated with red intuitive flashes above enemy heads instead of blue flashes. You must Evade or interrupt these. For example, when a thug charges with a tackle attempt from afar—definitely one of the prime threats from the fringe of a melee—a Quickfired Batarang in his direction is an assured K.O. Otherwise, Evade or Redirect out of his way immediately. There are always two or three toughs coming in close to try close range attacks, but keep the guys on the edges in mind. These are the ones who charge from afar, start throwing objects, or even produce a gun and start shooting. You don’t want it to come from an angle you neglected to check. Be ready to reprioritize quickly when this happens.

If you feel swarmed or unsure of action on the fringes, you can Redirect or Evade out of the enemy gang’s midst to the edges without dropping your FreeFlow Combo. You just have to make sure you hit with some action just after dodging to the edge of the group. A common way to escape a crowd and grab a mental breather is to Evade out of the way, then immediately Quickfire a Batarang back at the group. This gets you some space, keeps the Combo alive, and buys you a couple of beats to plan your next move and reposition the camera.

Avoiding hits and building up Combos have some positive natural consequences. Obviously, avoiding hits is good for Batman’s longevity and your progress in the game. Keeping your Combo going is not only fun, but vital for good combat XP scoring. By beating up enemies of Gotham City gracefully, in unbroken Combos with varied moves, you gain more XP and accrue WayneTech Upgrade Points more quickly. Combos work as a raw multiplier to your combat actions, so it’s easy to see how it quickly increases—a Strike only gets 10 XP outside of a Combo, but is worth 200 points as hit 20. Combat encounters are scored based on avoiding hits, building up Combos, and injecting those Combos with variety.

Stealthy predator scenarios are scored based on going unseen and for varying your Takedown methods. Invisible predator scenarios can devolve into combat, but that’s usually a bad idea, as the villains are all usually armed in these encounters. Attracting a lot of attention is likely to end poorly. Patience and planning are paramount. Use Detective Mode to get full situational awareness, seeing all patrols, drones, and items of interest in the area. Stay hidden and moving, pick off enemies with a variety of grate, vent, perch, and ledge Takedowns, and plan for one or two dramatic Fear Multi-Takedowns against clusters of foes you can’t split up. Depending on the environment and your Gadget selection, you can bend things in your favor. The Remote Hacking Device allows you to manipulate gates and alarms, confusing foes. The Disruptor lets you set all sorts of traps, depending on upgrades. You can prime a weak wall or patrol spot with Explosive Gel. And the Batarang itself can be used to misdirect or stun foes. In fact, the first time you’re spotted in a predator scenario, you have a split-second just to Quickfire a Batarang, giving you a chance to subdue the onlooker before he makes too much noise and warns others. If you are discovered and an onlooker calls for backup, it’s usually best to just run. Vacate the area and find a new vantage point where you can monitor the enemies. They’ll be on high alert in the area where you were seen, but you’ll have new chances to pick them off once they separate and start patrolling again.