Arkham City - Personal Review

Whether you're a comic fan or not, it's hard to outline just how deep the DC Comic’s Batman Universe really is. A host of supporting characters, villains and of course the man himself make this whole world a richly rewarding experience. Rocksteady have followed their breakthrough success Arkham Asylum with a newly updated and hugely innovative game that gives everyone exactly what they want. Game of the Year or even the Generation is a distinct possibility. Yes the game his a few flaws but all in all this is one of the best titles you may get to play for a long time.

Off the bat I should say that Arkham City does have a lot of ties back to the previous game but is open enough for you to pick up and play even if you haven’t gone through the original. I would recommend playing through Arkham Asylum if at all possible first though; not just because of the story ties but because it is a hell of a game itself.

The plot centres on Arkham City, a prison super-complex constructed in the middle of Gotham City to house every super villain Batman has ever had to face, all being run by Hugo Strange. To go into more details would spoil the surprises but suffice to say the whole campaign is excellently driven.

The gameplay is very solid from the first encounter all the way to the last with an interesting strike, counter or stun method that has been greatly expanded over the original. The premise is still the same with certain enemies needing specific tactics to be taken down. The enemy types are much more varied with battle scenarios and strategies needing to be worked on the fly as more enemies pile into your already started brawls. You can also disarm or circumvent certain enemies which is a nice touch. Hitting a nice long combo or dropping a host of enemies without being attacked is as rewarding as ever. Rocksteady have made Batman a bad ass again.

The graphic and sound quality of Batman: Arkham City has been drastically up-scaled compared to Arkham Asylum, the lip-syncing and voice acting are more professionally handled, the animations are no longer floaty and always connect now when Batman gives a finishing blow, and overall fidelity has seen great care for the entire open world. One note to keep in mind though is that textures do tend to pop-in when the game switches to a cinematic though should not be noticeable beyond the first few moments of any clip.

The levelling system is still included from the last game but the options are much vaster with a greater variance in the option available. These are listed as combat skills or gadgets and even down to some practical functions like swinging away from your grappling hook to get a height boost. Rewards are also given for solving the Riddler Challenges which could include finding hidden trophies, unlocking tricky contraptions, scanning objects to solve word riddles, or even taking on one of his challenge rooms once you've gotten enough secrets. Alongside the main quest is a selection of side missions that flesh out the plot and have some brilliant cameos too.  All in all I’m immensely satisfied with the depth of this game and the variety of missions. Along with the main campaign is a Riddler Challenge section that pits Batman against increasingly difficult odds. These are still played as Silent and Predator modes but have a lot more variety then their Arkham Asylum counterparts.

The best character in this game is by far the city itself, its dark twisting rooftops to its grimy alleyways and buildings give the title a very real feeling of deprivation and danger. The whole game is brilliantly brought together with a fantastic story that helps move you around the world in a very constructive manner. The actual city reminds me of Zelda in the way that it’s open enough without causing the player too much hassle when looking for their next objective. The fields of Hyrule can stand for the city itself and the dungeons can be counted as the internal areas Batman gets to explore. Every so often you will obtain a new gadget that helps you reach a new area or gives you the ability to collect more Riddler trophies. The game is always adding more for the player to complete which keeps you wanting to play.

The cast of super villains is pushed up a notch too with the returns of Joker, Bane and Ivy as well as a fresh host of new faces in Mr. Freeze, Hugo Strange and Two-Face. I don’t want to spoil too much but they each have their own interests in the city and give the main quest a real feeling of danger. One point I would note is that the vast amount of villains can sometimes be a detriment to the depth each one has on the story that is unfolding. Some characters are fleshed out well while others barely get time to say their own name.

Obviously those of you who brought the game new also got Catwomen as a playable character and I would suggest that you install this before playing the game as she certainly adds another dynamic to the proceedings. The Catwoman download also has a specific set of Riddler trophies and challenges to complete. She handles differently to Batman but has a similar control system making the change over easy to work with. I’m sure you all know but Robin and Nightwing are also available if you chose the right retailer. Although they have no offerings in the campaign mode these both have additional challenge maps too and their own combat styles.

goodie in Batman's arsenal the game time is easily doubled or more. You can also play a New Game + mode that gives the player everything they had in their last game. This new game is beefed up even more too so the player is still challenged.

Overall this is a top quality title and one that any action fan should definitely pick up even if you don’t have a specific interest in the Dark Knight himself.