Critic & User Reviews
Incredible, near perfect game
posted by tjsmoke (NORTHAMPTON, PA) Oct 19, 2011
Member since Dec 2008
13 out of 15 gamers (87%) found this review helpful
"Batman: Arkham Asylum" is widely regarded as the best comic book game made, and many wondered how Rocksteady could top it. Well, wonder no more. "Batman: Arkham City" is bigger and better than its predecessor, with a far larger area to explore, more Riddler trophies to find (400, up from 240), and an even bigger cast of villains. Plus, if you purchase the game, you get the code to download Catwoman's missions and challenge maps. Definitely do this prior to beginning your game, as you get a different beginning if you have Catwoman installed. Combat is even smoother, with more moves and the ability to use a wide array of gadgets during a fight. Catwoman plays a bit different, and she's a lot of fun to brawl with. Graphically, this is a beautiful game, with rich details in the environment. Buildings are varied in style, colorful neon signs adorn the exteriors, and even the weather effects are well done. There's a ton of content in this game, ranging from the main story, a host of side missions, Riddler challenges, and just plain exploring every inch of the city. The main story alone can take close to 20 hours to complete, and you can spend many more hours hunting down all of Riddler's trophies and besting the challenge maps. If you loved the first game, this one is a no-brainer as far as purchasing. As incredible as this game is, it's not quite perfect- the camera can be a tad troublesome if you get backed into a corner, and the gadgets can require a bit of finagling with the direction buttons to access them. But these are minor quibbles (Gamefly doesn't allow for point scores, so I rounded up from the 9.5 I would actually rate it). This is a definite must play and easily a contender for GOTY. The voice acting is stellar, Paul Dini's story is fantastic, and the gameplay will have you feeling like Batman. Don't miss this one!