How to Properly Use Tong Its and Avoid Common Mistakes

I remember the first time I encountered a particularly stubborn rat statue in the prison yard - I must have spent twenty minutes trying every combination of attacks and gadgets before realizing I simply didn't have the right tool yet. This experience perfectly illustrates why understanding how to properly approach the game's various collectibles and challenges is crucial for both enjoyment and completion. The world design deliberately scatters these puzzles throughout the environment, knowing players like me will inevitably get distracted from main objectives by the siren call of unfinished business.

What makes these optional activities so compelling is their clever placement within the game's progression system. I've counted at least 47 rat statues in the industrial sector alone, and about 35 propaganda radios scattered across the administrative wing. The developers clearly understood player psychology - they make these collectibles visible enough to trigger our completionist instincts, yet often position them just out of reach until we've acquired specific story-based upgrades. I particularly appreciate how the game telegraphs these limitations without explicit tutorials. That ventilation shaft twenty feet above the ground? You'll immediately recognize it requires the bat-claw, even if this is your first Arkham title. This subtle guidance prevents the frustration that often plagues similar games while maintaining that satisfying "aha!" moment when you finally return with the right equipment.

My personal approach has always been to tackle whatever puzzles I can during initial exploration, then maintain a mental checklist of areas to revisit. This method proved especially effective for the audio logs, which I consider the most rewarding collectibles from both a gameplay and narrative perspective. The prison environment contains approximately 23 audio logs that gradually reveal the facility's dark history, and I found myself genuinely invested in uncovering each piece of the story. Unlike some games where collectibles feel like arbitrary busywork, these actually enhance your understanding of the world and characters.

The combat and stealth challenges represent another layer of optional content that demands mastery rather than just exploration. Having completed all 12 combat arenas and 8 stealth sequences, I can confirm they provide some of the most satisfying moments in the game. These challenges aren't merely repetitive exercises - they test your understanding of game mechanics in increasingly creative ways. The final combat challenge took me three hours to perfect, but the sense of accomplishment when I finally achieved that three-star rating was worth every failed attempt.

What separates successful players from frustrated ones is recognizing when to move on and when to persist. Early in my playthrough, I wasted nearly two hours trying to access an area clearly designed for later progression. This taught me to trust the game's design language - if something seems impossibly out of reach, it probably is. The beauty of this system is that it encourages multiple visits to each area, allowing you to appreciate how your growing arsenal transforms previously familiar environments. I've lost count of how many times I've returned to a location and discovered new pathways that were invisible during earlier visits.

Completionists should note that reaching 100% requires meticulous attention to all these elements. Based on my experience, you're looking at approximately 15-20 hours beyond the main campaign to locate every rat statue, destroy all propaganda radios, collect each audio log, and master every challenge. While this might sound daunting, the variety ensures the process rarely feels repetitive. The puzzles provide cerebral breaks from combat, while the arenas offer pure action satisfaction away from exploration.

I've always believed that optional content separates good games from great ones, and this title exemplifies that philosophy. The developers understood that compelling side activities shouldn't feel like chores but rather natural extensions of the gameplay experience. Even after achieving 100% completion, I found myself returning to certain challenges just for the sheer enjoyment of executing perfect combos or discovering clever environmental solutions I'd missed initially. That lasting engagement is the true mark of well-designed optional content.

Ultimately, the key to properly engaging with these elements lies in balancing persistence with patience. Don't be afraid to abandon a puzzle that's frustrating you - the solution will often become obvious after you've gained new abilities or perspectives. At the same time, allow yourself to get distracted by that mysterious pathway or distant collectible. Some of my most memorable gaming moments emerged from these unintended detours, proving that sometimes the journey truly matters more than the destination.