Batman: Arkham City Review
Batman: Arkham City Review
By Grevster
Back in 2009 a little known developer named Rocksteady Studios released the intensely popular Batman: Arkham Asylum. It was a wonderfully inspired superhero game that allowed players to truly play as The Dark Knight. Now here we are two years on with Arkham City, a game that not only lets you play as The Dark Knight but also lets you become The Dark Knight.
Arkham City picks up shortly after the events of Asylum and sees former Asylum warden, Quincy Sharp, as mayor of Gotham, has transferred all the underbelly scum into a sectioned off area. This area, dubbed Arkham City, is run by the mysterious Dr. Hugo Strange and for reasons, at least for the moment, unknown it’s your job to find out what the hell is going on.
Written by television and comic book writer Paul Dini the story is full of twists and turns that kept me guessing throughout and although the story arc shifts between the main story and a smaller sub plot (involving Catwoman) that weave together in small parts they are standalone enough not to complicate matters. I won’t spoil things but the sheer amount of characters, plotlines and story are more than enough to keep any gamer gripped throughout.
Aside from the main campaign, Arkham City offers a wealth of other features that fully justify the price of admission. With four hundred plus Riddler trophies, numerous side quests and a multitude of challenge maps the game goes way beyond the campaign offering of a ten to twelve hour playthrough. Add to this the Catwoman missions which offer a nice refreshing shift from the structured rigidness of Batman and DLC (Nightwing DLC is already out), it can take a good 30-40 to explore every nook and cranny of Batman: Arkham City.
Fans of the original will find themselves right at home, combat remains mostly unchanged. Strikes are done with a single button whilst counters and jumps are completed in the same manner. What Rocksteady have managed to do is polish the combat with an unmatchable sheen. The variety of combat strikes, counters and gadgetry keep the game thoroughly enjoyable and interesting throughout. When enemies outnumber you substantially, it would be easy to assume that you’ll be doomed, but that is certainly not the case. When walking into a room full of combatants the wealth of weapons and armory at your disposal can sometimes make the choice of which method of attack to use a doozy. Do I drop a smoke pellet and scale the gargoyles aloft the ceiling, do I use the freeze grenade and immobilise my enemies or do I attack them all directly with my bare hands (and maybe a few grappling hooks to boot). The feeling of empowerment given by the combat in Arkham City is what truly makes you feel like you are Batman.
Where Batman is the lead in this tale, he would be nothing without is sidekick and I don’t mean Robin. Arkham City is the true star of this story. The world is entirely fleshed out down to the minutest detail. Streets are strewn with litter, buildings are crumbled and decayed, and it is filled with small nods to the DC universe throughout that would make even the most hardened Batman buff nod in approval.
Whereas Asylum was close quartered, claustrophobic and contained, City has opened the world into a sprawling metropolis. Although not fully open world a la Grand Theft Auto, Arkham City is full of landmarks, wide-open spaces and intricate detailing, even down to the Monarch Theatre where Bruce’s parents were gunned down, and the true beginnings of The Dark Knight surfaced. The attention to detail that Rocksteady has poured into this world is second to none, and truly shows how much love and care this title has been given.
This is not to say the game is without flaws. Boss fights are far too easy and few and far between. Comparing them to Asylum, I felt they were rushed and too easily completed. It doesn’t help matters that the game offers lots in the way of hints and tips during these bouts, which make it all too easy to beat. Alas, this can all be rectified in a second play through, as once completed you unlock New Game Plus. Here the difficultly is ramped up, the enemies are stronger, you can take all of your unlocks and all of the tips and hints are switched off. This makes the game feel all the more realistic in the mythos of Batman. You will approach enemies knowing full well what is in your locker, all you need to do is use them correctly (sometimes not as easy as it sounds).
Story wise the game lacks severe back story regarding its host of characters. It’s obvious that you should be expected to know a great deal about the Batman universe and the people that inhabit it. Without this knowledge you may sometimes find yourself scratching your head in bemusement about motivations or exactly who some of these people are. It’s a small niggle because in essence the story is rich and deep enough to draw attention it just lacks that connection that can transform a story from good to great.
Visually this game is spectacularly breathtaking. Looking out onto the vista of Arkham City it’s hard to imagine that this is running on the Xbox 360. Character models are stunning, lighting and textures are crisp and the environments beyond reproach. The game borrows a lot from the comics and graphic novels, so although not photo realistic, it suits well into the realm of Batman. It also plays in 3D (which I played most of the game in) and it has to be said the 3D is this time much improved over Asylum. The depth of field is visually appealing and certainly increases the sense of immersion. It would be great if all games implored such 3D effects.
The audio is a mixed bag, whilst the score is infinitely deep, brooding and profound; the voice acting is hit and miss. Hamill’s Joker is once again top notch, but the vice acting for the likes of Batman and Catwoman amongst others occasionally pulled me out of the world and into the land of disbelief. However the rest of the sound this game has to offer is tantalizing. Batmans strikes smash with an almighty thud, Catwomans whip lashes with ferocity and all the amount of inane conversation offered up by the thugs on the streets is always entertaining and realistic.
All in all Batman: Arkham City is the definitive Batman experience. Offering immense combat, an immersive story and it looks visually stunning to boot. Yes there are small flaws and the odd off key moment, but none of these deflect from the fact that this is a must play game.
Successes
- Improves in almost aspect over Batman: Arkham Asylum
- A truly fantastic rendition of DC’s Batman
- Deep and rich story
- A fresh approach to combat and leveling
- A wide variety of play modes on offer
Failures
- Boss battles are too easy
- Heavily reliant on knowledge of the Batman Universe
- Occasionally lacking in audio
Score 9/10
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