Even though it's been (painfully) delayed to early 2015, Batman: Arkham Knight still remains one of the most highly anticipated games of this generation. There's no secret why. After all, this is Rocksteady Games' swan song for the series, after making so many waves with the first two games in the series, Arkham Asylum and Arkham City. It's also promising to be much bigger and better in many aspects, including size of the city. (It's even bigger than the one offered in Origins.) However, if there's one factor that offers an earth-shaking change to the formula, it has to be the Batmobile.

The vehicle, which has been an iconic addition to the Batman franchise for many years (check the Batman '66 live-action series if you don't believe us), has really taken shape over the past few years, first in 1989 with a jet-powered model in Tim Burton's Batman, and eventually shaping into a battle-tank like Tumbler in the recent Dark Knight films.

The Batmobile in Batman: Arkham Knight is a hybrid of those last two cars, slick when it comes to vehicular design, but effective when it comes to combat. It comes packed with all sorts of "wonderful toys," including a cannon that fires stun blasts at anyone it aims at, as well as plenty of traction and, as you might guess, a rocket booster, which makes it convenient for it to get across large gaps.

For good measure, the Batmobile in Arkham Knight also provides a secondary means for getting around. Sure, gliding through the city with the Caped Crusader is fun, but sometimes, you just need to get somewhere in a hurry, and that's exactly what the Batmobile can do. It can crunch through buildings like they were Lego blocks, and jet over open gaps with ease, only to safely land on the other side.

It's also incredibly useful when it comes to chases, as Batman can pursue opponents with ease and take them down with a well-timed missile attack, essentially paying tribute to the classic arcade game Spy Hunter (but with a Bat sense, mind you).

Perhaps the Batmobile's most effective "trick" is the ability to transform into a battle tank. At any given time in the game, Batman can transform the vehicle from a speedy little car to a slow-moving one, which can obliterate any given tank with a couple of well-timed shots. This mode requires a bit more dexterity when it comes to avoiding incoming bullets from enemies, but it pays off with their imminent destruction, and one less criminal element to worry about in the fallen Gotham.

The Batmobile also serves its purpose with bonus challenges, as initiated by the Riddler. One particular challenge had us taking on a dangerous race course, with Batman switching certain parts of the track to avoid crashing into a wall or falling off a ramp way. For good measure, you can also race along walls or ceilings if you go fast enough, should the floor fall out from underneath you entirely. It never helps to get some good traction.

Last but certainly not least, it helps that Batman has the Batmobile on call. If he requires the car to get to his location (after jetting out of it or spending some time on foot), the player can simply press a button and watch it zoom to his location, busting through any vehicles that happen to get in the way. This is very convenient, and an option players may want to have on hand, in case they get into a jam.

Along with all the other tricks Batman is capable of in Arkham Knight, the Batmobile will certainly play a part. You'll be able to give it a test drive for yourself when the game arrives early next year for PC, Xbox One and PlayStation 4.