Batman: Arkham Knight: 10 Things It Must Learn From Shadow Of Mordor

7. More Rewarding Upgrades

Many games feature an upgrade system nowadays; a way of advancing your character and rewarding your progress through the game. Still, not many games get it right - it's very rare that an upgrade adds something new and exciting to combat. Shadow Of Mordor has a pretty in-depth upgrade system that works a lot better than most; simply dividing abilities between two categories (Ranger and Wraith, based on the two central characters) gives players a choice, depending on their playstyle. If the player enjoys the Wraith side of gameplay (mainly the stealth, ranged and stun mechanics), they can pick and choose abilities that suit them best. Likewise, with the Ranger side, the focus is more on combat survival and executing enemies in quick, brutal fashion; again, players can feel free to pick and choose to suit their own needs. Most abilities usually give you a new tool to use in battle too (the Shoulder Charge, for example, allows you to brush aside irritating enemies who hide behind shields) and as you level up, you feel stronger and better equipment for battle. The Arkham series offers a substantial number of upgrades too but the majority will feel superfluous and a tad pointless. Most of the necessary upgrades (like the ultra stun) come through story progression and much of the unlocked upgrades are hard to fit naturally into gameplay. They make sense in Bruce Wayne's world (after all, he's probably constantly fiddling and messing with gadgets to improve their usefulness) but it would be great if Arkham Knight featured upgrades which gave more of an immediate impact in battle, rather than a series of situational gadgets.