Part 13: Episode 12: Freeze

Episode 12: Freeze

This time we get back to Mr. Freeze with the material he needed to make the cure. Game's not over yet, so something comes up. Read below after you've watched the video or if you've played the game

The Freeze Fight

This is easily my favorite boss in the game, and I mention why a few times in the video. It basically boils down to the fact that every other boss fight is either Batman facing down a much more powerful enemy (Grundy) or fighting a bunch of dudes at once (Ra's' assassins). This fight takes a different tact and makes you have to use your sneaking abilities to fight a person who is more or less invincible unless you hit them in specific ways. The really cool twist is that you can't use the same tactic twice, and the gargoyles are not available to you at all, so no hiding and swooping down.

The fight forces you to be creative about how you approach Freeze. Leading him into traps is a major part of the fight, but if something doesn't work out, like you get caught in a corner, the fight is almost always over at that point. Instead you have to out think and outflank Freeze as he whittles away your avenues for attack. It really is a fantastic fight, and I think I made it look a bit too easy with the purposeful death (partially to show there was no corner takedown and that any sort of up front attack wouldn't work) and then a more or less flawless successful run.

There is a lot that can go wrong. You could miss your chance to hit him with the Gel, he may not pass by the window your hiding near so you can hit him that way, he could spot you when you're setting up the glide kick (which you don't need to be on the line launcher line for, by the way, a tall enough object works). My first time through the game I died on him more than any other boss because I just couldn't figure it all out.

The developers did two really great things to allow players to think their way out of the fight. First, the room is stocked with things they've taught you to use in takedowns and fights, from the windows to the explodable walls to the grates. If you've been paying attention to the game you should be fine. Second, the room itself. You've been here, there is a challenge room set here. The game doesn't just throw you into a space and make you figure it out on the fly, you've taken out thugs here and should know at least some of how the room works.

It really is a fantastic fight, and there are some minor echos to it in the end game sections, but nothing to this level.