The boss fights in this game are cooler, particularly this frosty battle of wits against the cold hearted Mr Freeze.
From the get-go Batman: Arkham City is easily one of the coolest games I’ve ever played, and a great sequel to an already legendary game.
The story of Arkham City opens with the kidnapping of Bruce Wayne by the forces of Hugo Strange. Bruce finds himself held hostage by Strange, who warns Bruce not to interfere in his plans or he will reveal his secret identity to the world. Of course, Bruce breaks free and delivers some nasty beat downs before regaining his equipment and emerging in Arkham City as Batman.
The story is masterfully crafted. Written by the creative team of Paul Crocker, Sefton Hill and Paul Dini (the writer of Arkham Asylum and the creative mind behind the 1990s animated series), Arkham City provides a solid explanation as to why the game is set in an enclosed city. It also gives us an engrossing multi-threaded storyline that invites us to ask questions such as whether hardened criminals deserve basic human rights.
But overall it deconstructs the image of the invincible (goddamned) Batman we’ve come to embrace.
Arkham City features more members of Batman’s rouges gallery than the last game.The best part of this game is how well they are integrated into the city; some have a part in the main campaign, while others are encountered by playing through side missions. Their reasons for being in Arkham city are all sound and their dialogue is well written.
They make an awfully cute couple
And the delivery is always spot on, particularly from the two stars: Kevin Conroy as Batman and Mark Hamill who dominates the game with his affably crazy Joker. The dialogue is part of what makes the game’s story great, and while Batman is a bit too silent, his villains more than make up for that.
Players can freely roam through Arkham City but they can’t leave its boundaries; the city is surrounded by tall concrete walls mounted with more razor wire and gun emplacements than Normandy Beach had on D-Day. There’s lots to do, whether following the main campaign or deviating to solve the Riddler’s riddles, investigate murders or protect political prisoners.
Certain side missions grant Batman additional tools, and all of them give him extra experience points so they’re worth playing through and add to the game’s atmosphere.
Batman’s ‘detective mode’ returns in this game.
Detective mode allows players to observe the vitals of their enemies using an inbuilt X-Ray vision in his cowl which highlights clues and his enemies’ weapons, allows Batman to see enemies through smoke, highlights important targets, and lets Batman track and detect sounds from a distance.
Detective mode at work, note the highlighted orange goon with the gun, the yellow highlight on the machete, and the guy checking Batman’s shoe size
But its effectiveness is toned down from the last game; it’s harder to see certain weapons and attacks, and there’s less environmental detail making it harder to roam around the city. Detective mode also lets Batman see enemies’ psychological states slowly changing from confident to terrified – a nice touch that greatly adds to the ‘predator’ aspect of the game-play.
Combat in the game is divided to ‘freeflow’ and ‘predator’ style: brutal brawls versus ninja takedowns. Attacking silently involves takedowns and gadgets to dispatch Batman’s enemies. For example, one time I used a ‘Sonic Batarang’ to lure an enemy under a gargoyle, glided over to the gargoyle, had Batman hang upside down and snatch the villain, and hang him there by his ankles, crying out and luring more enemies to that area.
Sounds cruel? Don’t worry, he didn’t die, you can’t kill anyone in this game, as much as you want to – Batman’s ‘no-kill’ rule. No matter how brutally you pummel them or how much explosives you use, Batman’s no kill rule is enforced. It seems more like Batman is unable, rather than unwilling to kill considering the areas of the body he tends to aim for but it’s an integral part of the mythos and Batman’s disturbed psychology that he won’t kill.
When attacking enemies head on, Batman can either use his gadgets, punch and kick enemies, stun them with his cape or counter attack. Enemies will eventually be knocked out, or knocked down where Batman can finish them off. But be careful! Trying to finish off an enemy is risky when his buddies are around trying to kill you!
By keeping the combo meter high, Batman can start using instant takedowns and group attacks, the latter of which make no sense but are ridiculously awesome (summon a swarm of bats, anyone?).
The game allows you to briefly play as Catwoman, and to switch between her and Batman once the game is over. She’s faster and quieter, but much less powerful than Batman, has fewer toys to play with and doesn’t pack quite as much punch. These differences mean players will have to adjust their play-style for Catwoman.
The music also changes, going from the dark symphonies that surround and underscore Batman to lighter more playful tones that help emphasise Catwoman’s nature as a Classy Cat Burgler. During the Riddler trials (side missions played outside the game) you can also play as Robin, who in game play is a halfway point between Batman and Catwoman. Nightwing is also an option if you choose to purchase him but…I didn’t.
There’s so much I haven’t touched on: alternate costumes, downloadable content etc. but trust me on this one, Arkham City is a really good game. Everything about it adds to the gritty, dark, neo-noir atmosphere of the game. Whether it’s brutally beating down thugs, leaping from rooftop to rooftop, or solving clues and riddles, the game makes you feel like you’re the goddamn Batman, and that’s what makes it so great.
Developer: Rocksteady Studios
Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
Aus Release Date: 19/10/2011
Rating: 9/10
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