According to MTV Multiplayer’s Russ Frushtick, who’s had the rare pleasure of playing an early build of Batman: Arkham Asylum, the Caped Crusader will be packing a life-saving, fall-negating gadget in his newly updated utility belt.

Much like Prince of Persia, in which Elika’s magical hand holding prevented the Prince’s untimely demise, Batman: Arkam Asylum will employ a death-defying assist to avoid treating players to that “forth-wall-breaking game over screen” every time gravity gets the better of them, just in slightly less curvaceous form.

“Say you’re zipping around the depths of Arkham Asylum and you miss a jump, falling into poison gas or spikes or whathaveyou. Before you land and perish the game will actually slow down and prompt you to hit the grapple button,” said Frushtick. “Do it fast enough and Bats will shoot out his grappling hook, bringing you back to the ledge you were just on.”

Of course, this only applies to falling, not fighting - failed fisticuffs can still result in death. Should you get your ass handed to you by one of Arkham Asylum’s many unwilling guests, the Chiroptera stunt show will be replaced by “a context-sensitive game over screen where the arch villain who took you down will mock you into oblivion.” Can’t say I like the idea of being potentially ridiculed by a pants-less Poison Ivy, but I love the idea of showing consequences for your actions without stressing the little mistakes, like accidentally stepping on your cape while trying to balance on a particularly slender rafter.