Game Rant’s Andrew Dyce reviews Batman: Arkham City
Ever since Rocksteady Studios came out of nowhere with their critical and financial success Batman: Arkham Asylum, fans of Batman and third-person action games have been eager to see what would come next.
Now that question has been answered, as Batman: Arkham City has taken the basic setting and fundamentals of the original game and thrown them into an even larger open world environment. With the development team is making it clear that they were taking on a much larger story, with far more villains to keep track of, some had begun to wonder if Rocksteady was biting off more than they could chew. Now that we’ve played our way through Arkham City, can we say that the team has managed to improve upon a winning formula?
Thankfully, the answer is an undeniable ‘yes.’ By taking the moody and grimy atmosphere of Arkham Asylum and applying it to a game world many times larger than that of the first game, Rocksteady has managed to create an experience that is far more satisfying, and a breeding ground for creative gameplay.
By populating Arkham City with over a dozen villains and rival factions working to impede Batman’s progress and put citizen’s lives in danger, the result is an even better opportunity to get inside the mind of Batman. While these gangs and outlaws can be passed by entirely for those seeking to follow the main storyline, having the option to engage with them at will is a fantastic design choice that will keep many players immersed in the world over the weeks to come.
As for the main storyline, those who enjoyed the story and setting of Arkham Asylum are in for a treat, as Arkham City‘s plot is far richer and well-directed than many feature films. Arkham City‘s launch trailer showed just how many challenges would be put in front of Batman, from a range of foes both old and new. The game is framed around new warden of Arkham, Hugo Strange, whose personal vendetta against Batman explores various aspects of the caped crusader’s history – with more than a few twists and turns along the way. Strange isn’t alone though, as perennial villains Penguin and Joker have offered up their services as well. Suffice to say, the night in which this game takes place is sure to be among the worst of Bruce Wayne’s life.
Long-time fans of Batman comics were thrilled over the past few years to see the potential of the Dark Knight’s style of drama realized in Christopher Nolan’s soon-to-be film trilogy, and Arkham City brings a similar respect for the character’s past. It’s also worth noting that gamers who feel they have an idea of what Rocksteady has in store for them story-wise are in for a surprise. Plenty of surprise characters make sudden appearances entirely suited to their personalities, and are sure to be a treat (even if some Bat-fans may have predicted their inclusion). In this age of countless preview events and ‘exclusives,’ Rocksteady should be applauded for keeping the most important and striking story points under wraps.
A story is only as good as the game mechanics used to tell it though, and that is where Arkham City shines. The standard combat moves and gadgets are back from Arkham Asylum, but with a few new ones thrown in to spice things up. The combat itself will be familiar to anyone who has played through a similar third-person action title, like Assassin’s Creed or any number of brawlers. The basic system of striking, countering, and stunning isn’t what makes Arkham City‘s moment-to-moment gameplay satisfying though – instead it’s the their frequency and implementation of the difficulty curve that finds a great balance between being challenged and feeling like a badass.
Whenever a new gadget or combat attack is unlocked, a situation arises soon after that doesn’t just give the player an opportunity to use it, but makes them feel more powerful for having begun to master it. A majority of the game’s combat arenas aren’t based around clearing one room after another, but throwing Batman into a mob of enemies and left to fend for himself with his wits and gadgets – as opposed to his physical strength. Fans who may have been disappointed to find their desires of taking on groups of 30 enemies or more dashed by early previews need not worry, as you surely won’t miss it. Having 10 or 15 goons, some bearing shields which need to be bypassed, and stun batons (which can’t be countered), encircle you offers more challenge than sheer numbers could have provided.
For those who prefer stealth to all out assault, there are plenty of situations where simply dropping into a group of armed guards will result in a quick death – so strategy and stalking is a must. Since some guards are equipped with thermal-vision goggles, scanner-jamming devices or machine-guns, the large-scale sabotaging and booby-trapping from Arkham Asylum is back, and far more free-flowing than before. Whatever the case, players are usually given a chance to examine any combat situation so they can establish a strategy before getting into the action.
The game does feature a handful of boss battles to break up the standard hand-to-hand combat, which are fairly entertaining and satisfying to master. They do stick fairly close to a system of watching for visual cues, dodging attacks, then attacking when an opening arises, but the settings are usually varied enough to keep it from becoming monotonous. The showdown with Mr. Freeze is particularly good, with the player having to outsmart the villain in varying ways, since pulling the same trick on the genius doctor twice is impossible. In hindsight, more villains offering a twist like Freeze would have been even better but, with episodic DLC, that is still a very real possibility.
For those who purchase the game brand new, a separate campaign as Catwoman is included for download (no luck for those who buy a used copy - who will have to purchase the femme fatale’s section on the PSN or XBLA). With a completely separate means of traversal and whip-based combat, the experience is a nice change – while still being based on similar fundamentals.
Whether playing as the Bat or the Cat, Rocksteady sticks to the less-is-more mentality where combos are concerned. Different enemies require different combos to take them out, but attacks are only ever limited to three-button attacks that are fairly intuitive – and believe us, players will need to use them. Simply dropping into melee and button-mashing won’t work for long, so players will need to start thinking smart – thinking like Batman. By choosing when to strike and when to counter, Batman can begin to take over a fight, with one punch leading smoothly into another, and gaining force in the process. The fact that the player need only to pay attention to be successful, and not memorize extensive move-sets is a bold choice, but one that ultimately pays off.
As satisfying as the main story is, that isn’t where fans will have to end their experience. In terms of replayability, it’s hard to think of another third-person action title that can compete with the various Challenge Modes of Arkham City. Whether it’s trying to survive hordes of enemies or solving the various puzzles posed by the Riddler, it might have been an understatement when the developers claimed the game possessed over 40 hours of gameplay. Players can even challenge themselves after completing the campaign with the new Game Plus Mode, removing any combat indicators and introducing harder opponents from the get-go.
More than anything else, Batman: Arkham City proves that Rocksteady is the real deal, and that the ingenious game design and narrative told with Arkham Asylum wasn’t a fluke. They simply ‘get’ Batman, his motivations, his methods, and why fans love him, and they’ve put that into every aspect of this game. Character and genre aside, the gameplay never ceases to be entertaining, moving from satisfying combat that challenges players to understand and utilize all the tools they’ve been given, to gliding and swinging through a cityscape populated with opponents and instances of all shapes and sizes.
Whether you’re a Batman fan, or simply a fan of inspired and finely-crafted gaming experiences, this is one game that other developers should look to for direction. We don’t know what’s next for Rocksteady, but whatever the case, they’ve shown that they can deliver a game that exceeds even the highest expectations.
-
Follow me on Twitter @andrew_dyce and let us know what you think of the game in the comments.
Batman: Arkham City is available now for the Xbox 360 and PS3, with a PC release coming November 18.
Our Rating:
5 out of 5
GR Giveaway: Win a Superhero-Sized Trip to San Diego This July! 
PlayStation 4 Slogan Revealed; Next-Gen Xbox Name Possibly Confirmed 
Kevin Conroy WILL Return For ‘Batman: Arkham Origins’ 
‘Batman: Arkham Origins’ Official Story Trailer: Deadshot, Explosions, Easter Eggs, & More! 
Loading ...
Good review. Played this game for a few hours last night at my friend’s house on his Xbox. Definitely plenty of things to do in this game. The only thing I don’t really understand is why they changed Gordon’s design… I’m not saying one is better or worse than the other, just that wouldn’t it be confusing to some people that he looks one way in one game, then another way in the sequel?? I didn’t see him in-game in Arkham City, but in the character bios there’s a picture of him and he’s completely different from the way he was portrayed in Arkham Asylum, lol. But that’s just a minor curiosity, would not take away from my rating of the game at all. So far from what I’ve played, I would give this game a really solid 9 out of 10. Somehow better than the amazing Arkham Asylum. The only things that take away from the score in my opinion is how the force the inability to cause real physical harm to the enemy. Like with the electric discharge gadget, I would shoot someone who is armed. He starts firing his weapon like crazy. Sometimes it appears as if he’s somehow shooting through other henchmen without affecting them… Don’t get that. And how quickly they recover from things like that without any lasting effects is also a littls dissatisfying. I would have liked it more that if you continuously zap or knock someone out with a batarang that they will seem more terrified or dizzy or something… Other than that, awesome game.
Yeah noticed that about the Gordon skin too, weird lol. He only makes a brief appearance at the end of the game (we’re talking a single shot) so kind of curious. As for the electric blast, disoriented enemies do inflict damage on one another with random firing, but more than anything else it makes the enemies around the zapped guy focus only on him and take cover. Zapping a guy, throwing a smoke bomb, then jumping into their midst is a sure-fire way to take them out that I just stumbled on about halfway through the game.
I know for melee weapons they hit those around them, but I’ve yet to notice the guns doing anything when I zap someone who’s holding a firearm… I’ll give it another go if I’m at my friend’s again, or when it comes out for PC, already have a copy preordered. $20, can’t beat that, lol.
lol ridiculous. Jealous.
Why? Didn’t you basically get it for free? Actually, didn’t you get paid to play this game?? Lol. I’m jealous!
Thank you Dyce, good stuff again from you. Really enjoying the game so far. Never played the first one and I’m actually enjoying the learning curve and all the gameplay in this one.
You never played the first one? Pick it up quick before it sells out again
someday yes, but really with Skyrim next month taking me through the spring and ME3 coming out then; I’m more than pathetic enough. hahahaha!
I’ve been trying to get my hands on Arkham Asylum for YEARS.
I can never find a copy!
I have played certain parts of Batman: AA, but never had the game to myself.
I really hope I can find a copy before the end of next year
Woops.. I meant: “I really hope I can find a copy before the end of THIS year”
Just get it through Steam, they have… Unlimited copies and I think it’s like $10 or something… Can’t beat that… Or order it through Amazon if you’re a console guy and can’t take advantage of digital download…
have you ever heard of ebay?????
Yah, it’s a website where you used to be able to find good deals, but now people are too obsessed with winning rather than getting good prices so most products actually end up selling for more than they do from some stores. So pretty much half of the time it’s a complete waste of time looking there anymore…
Wow the illusive GR 5/5 score! This game is truly amazing. Saying that this game is a must for Batman fans would be selling it short, this is truly one of the best video games I have ever played. Tons of stuff to do, and you really get the feeling you are the character (in this case Batman which makes it even more awesome haha). I cant say enough about this game, its astounding.
Great review!
Thanks for the kind words! And I agree, this game is simply a game that every Batman fan has to play, no questions about it.
Considering that in the first 5 minutes of the game, I got flashes of Half-Life, Gears of War, Assassin’s Creed, Uncharted, and seriously skin-crawling horror movies, that says it all.
Oh, and it’s BATMAN.
And side note- you mentioned how good the story was and I completely agree. Both games have excellent stories. After the Dark Knight Rises movie Nolan is done directing them and I believe that film series is over. Perhaps the next movie series should be the Arkham series based on the games? Of course it would probably get screwed up but in the right hands with the right talent it could be incredible
One of our guys on the Screen Rant side finished the game as well and he tells me the story is better than both of the Chris Nolan movies…
Definitely more in keeping with the Batman comic books and original character. I had mentioned in my review that this game’s story is so good, so faithful to the comic book history of Batman that it would have been perfectly at home as a story arc. I took the line out, but that in itself is saying alot, especially considering where video game stories used to be.
Yea it is, Nolan’s movies are essentially Mob/Crime films with batman put in. I love them, but it’s not a true batman story. This story stayed true to the best of all the Batman Characters, and was really organic how you interacted within the world. Batman & his rogues all had their own agenda, and it all made sense with who the characters are. Obviously length wise it’s like 20 times as long, but to keep it so engaging within that length of time is really what is amazing.
The main story is so good I ended up just doing that, and focusing on the side stuff (which is very compelling in it’s own right) after I beat the game. Now that I’ve done some of the side missions the possible plot for the third game looks quite interesting.
^^This.
I’m so excited to get this game. I played Arkham Asylum for the first time only a couple of months ago, which was awesome, so thankfully the wait for this wasn’t too bad.
so far so good, combat can drag on longer then necessary, but its pretty cool watching randoms get destroyed. i think they approached the open world stuff as well as the side quests pretty nicely, instead of having to find side missions by looking around, the pop up when you get close to them (via distress signals), which imo is neat b/c i don’t want to spend hours and hours looking for missions etc.
Just fired it up last night, and I am absolutely loving it! I’m particularly fond of the Penguin’s bulldog-like charisma. These games really put the movies to shame.
Excellent review of the game Dyce, but one problem. This game needs a 6/5! This is hands down one of the best games I have ever played. Thats story wise, graphic wise, and gameplay wise. All three categories are off the charts on this game. My favorite parts were definitely the twists and turns in the story and the “surprise characters” (which included a couple of my favorites that I hoped would make an appearance). This game is more than deserving of any reward or perfect score that it gets!
i like how they have two face having dual personalities! they should have put that into the movies.,..:(
Exactly! That’s how Two-Face should be!
Thanks alot! And I may be in total agreement with you. this game was one of the most enjoyable and satisfying BEFORE the appearance of a surprising group of villains that took the game in a totally new direction. And considering the amount of side quests and DLC that is on the way, I’m still not done with it!
You can really only applaud rocksteady, and hope that massive sales will send a message on what kind of games are possible, and almost expected now by loyal fans.
Yes! Yes! And yes! I’ve completed the main story line, and a good deal of the side quests and still have only completed 59% of the game! That’s just insane. The amount of detail rocksteady has went to is enough to give this game a perfect score without adding in everything else that makes it beyond amazing. Adding the DLC will just be too much lol. I haven’t even completed this but I’m already wanting more
Finished this game last night, and li loved the ending was completely shocked, although i think they should have made strange the main primary villian, and the beat down mode is AWESOME as.
I wonder what the next one will be centered on?
And has anyone heard of all these stupid complaints of the game being ‘sexist’ because of all the cahracters using the term ‘bitch’ on catwoman?
Yeah, and people complaining about her and the other female characters being over-sexualized. Honestly, they were incredibly accurate portrayals of the comic book versions, so if anyone has any issues, go after DC Comics for portraying woman who use their sexuality to overpower and outwit men for the last 30 years. Don’t point fingers at the game designers who actually took the time to create great embodiments.
mindblowing game!!! i loved every second of it, and i was not expecting the gliding to be that well done. while i did encounter two glitches ( the top of wonder tower was missing so i had to revert checkpoint, and i fell through the map once) best story. i mean look at the side missions. they could be main story missions. overall a 10/10
Maybe I’m missing something, but during my playthrough I ran into one major plot hole, and that was when Batman was trying to get the cure from Joker. I went to the steel mill to confront Joker, but in the heat of the battle with his goons the campaign immediately cut to a Catwoman sequence. After completing that I caught up with Bats and from what I understand he’s fine and not combatting the poison which takes up the whole game. So my question is, did Batman get the cure from Joker by defeating him? Or for the rest of the game did he feel the fatiguing effects of the poison?
Believe me, that’s my only beef about the game.
****(SPOILERS!!!!)****
You mean when Batman got crushed by the roof caving in, allowing the Joker to escape, then later rescued by Catwoman? I thought he never got the cure, then was helped by Catwoman,so he could continue his trip to Strange.
After finishing the campaign, it makes some sense but then with the presence of the “other” character, I got confused with the cure, who had it, why Joker had it but didn’t use it right away… Oh well. Great game. Great story. Great job of Rocksteady staying mum on some of those characters. Wow. I was pleasantly surprised by their inclusion.
Ahhhhh I see. Yeah, exactly why he didn’t use it was weird.
The story has a tendency to go to the other character at or usually at a “cliffhanger” moment. That was one problem I had with the ENTIRE game. Luckily it was the only problem. I’d give it a 5/5
yes but only if you downloaded catwoman, is that correct? if you hadn’t you’d have played through Batman’s story then gone back and downloaded her and gotten that experience.
finished the campaign it was amazing now to spend the next three years on/off trying to get all the riddler trophies untill the next one thats all i have to do
remote.
controlled.
batarang.
equals.
awesomeness!
Lol YES! There were a few times where I would think of a solution with the RC Batarang and think “…noooo, there’s no way I can fly it that far through the level. There’s got to be another way… hasn’t there…?”
Sick implementation on it, loved it. Especially for the Riddler trophy rooms.
I’m just going to throw this out there.
Did anybody else get annoyed when Oracle came back on the radio? I guess I was just more engaged into talking with Alfred for the first chunk of the story. She just asks all of these dumb questions. For example:
Batman: “Freeze is attacking me.”
Oracle: “Why? What are you going to do about it?”
Me: “Will you shut up for five seconds, Oracle?!?”
One more thing.
Great game and all, but my question is, where does Rocksteady go from here? The story’s ending puts a few, shall we say, “constraints” on any type of adventure for a third game.
Maybe Rocksteady put all of its chips in on this game, and there won’t be another one. I mean, I don’t know if the writers could come up with a story to top what I just played. Plus the MAJOR thing missing that everyone who has played the game knows I don’t need to mention.
Arkham City is hands down the best superhero game ever nothing else comes close, been playing Batman AC since the midnight release and its awesome the gameplay and the story is amazing and the graphics are very well done there is so much to do in this game aside from the main campaign and the gadgets have been improved this time around as well as suit upgrades, I can’t wait to see where Batmans next adventure will take him, till then I’ll definately be playing AC.
They should release a Mr. Freeze DLC as a playable character.
Takedown Ideas:
Silent: Freeze Mouth shut, Freeze entire body
Ledge: Fling over ledge and freeze body in mid-air (body shatters)
Vent: Drag into vent and freeze body
Gadgets:
Freeze Ray(Freeze any object, vent, window, door, etc)
Any further ideas please comment we need them to make villain DLC also it will be amazing
i am a Batman fan,and i wish more delivery