Batman: Arkham City

Pros:

• Great story and characters
• Great combat
• Excellent voice acting
• Fantastic boss fights
• Very good open world
• Ballsy ending

Cons:

• Some lacklustre side mission bosses

Verdict: The greatest Batman (and superhero) game to date, improving in pretty much all ways on the original.

10/10

Wow. Talk about a game completely living up to expectations. The twists at the end were so intense. I don't know, everything about the game was so perfect for me. The story could have been a little longer probably, but I'm sure it was at least ten hours which for a game like this is very impressive. Plus I didn't do any side stuff, which I'm sure will give me another five or so hours at least. The gameplay was brilliant, kept everything feeling fresh and exciting.

Even the basic combat with thugs never got repetitive (which it did quickly in Asylum), and unlike Asylum, instead of just button-mashing you actually have to use a lot of strategy in even the most basic combat. When surrounded by a group of thugs you have to employ Waynetech and prioritize who to go after, instead of just hopping around like in the first game. You also don't have the easy move of being able to use Detective Mode nonstop, which is a huge step up. There's a lot of thinking and strategy needed for many parts of the game and there were definitely a few moments where I had to stop for a few moments to figure out just what to do.

The detail was out of this world, from the dark and perfectly toned scenery to just the simple things like thugs talking about the villains while you fly overhead. I'm so surprised that a game of this nature was fused with such rich and diverse detail. A lot of people, myself included, were disappointed by the lackluster boss fights in Asylum and to say that they stepped up their game with this one would be to really under appreciate just how much they improved on that front. Every boss fight was fantastic (except for the last one, ironically) and challenging, keeping things fresh and utilizing all of the weapons in your arsenal. These aren't just ordinary boring fights like they were before.

With all of that being said, the highlight of the game is absolutely the story. From the brilliant opening to the haunting final shot, I've rarely been more immersed in a story in a game like this one. The emotions were very high, you felt like real things were at stake here and the twists and revelations in the final act were remarkable. Everything from the confrontation with Strange until the last shot had me on the edge of my seat and my mouth hung open. This story is up there with some of the greatest works to come out of this franchise, as far as I'm concerned. A case of a company truly listening to the complaints on a game and fixing every single thing about it. This is one of the closest encounters I've had to something I would call a perfect game.

The first time i played Batman Arkham Asylum i could not wait for the sequel. And after playing Batman Arkham City, i can safely say that it is the best superhero game ever. The plot is perfect, the scenery is perfect, the game play is perfect. You could tell that the creators improved on the detective aspect of the game massively. (Meaning that you don't have to spend as much time in detective mode.) The characters are well introduced and every character has a vital part to play in the plot. The voices for the characters were well suited (Mark Hamill giving another astounding performance as the joker.) But i have to say, the thing i loved most about the game was the additional things, the side missions were great and the Riddler trophies, though challenging, were fun to do. I recommend this game to anyone who either enjoys Batman or a quality game.

I'm just going to say it... This game is fantastic. We all know it but it needs to be said. It totally beats Arkham Asylum with it's graphics, gameplay and story. Firstly, this game is set in a much larger open world space, that being Arkham city, and it's so packed full of enemies, collectables and missions that there is never a dull moment while gliding around the city. All of the criminal inmates have conversations which sometimes hint at other things going off inside the city. The storyline has you on the edge of your seat as it takes you to all the corners of Arkham city. Along this road you'll meet tons of characters from the Batman universe including Two-face, Penguin, Mr.freeze and,of course,Joker. The ending was awesome and even when you finish the main story, you'll still have hours of gameplay left. And that's not even including the new game plus mode. Each side mission feels full and will add to the overall plot. No two side missions are alike and they don't feel tacked on. But still, there's more! The riddler trophies scattered around the city provide a challenge and there are also riddles to work out. Catwoman returns as a playable character and has her own mini campaign and trophies to collect. When you aren't in Arkham City, you're in Riddler's revenge. This is a series of challenges that test your combat skills or your stealth kills. There are DLC characters,maps and costumes that you can buy to play in this mode. Overall this game is not only the best superhero game i've ever played, it's also in my top 3 favourite games of all time. I can't recommend this game enough and you should go buy it as soon as possible.

This game is amazing. It has a VERY large atmosphere, and has tons of side missions and game play.

There is plenty to do and tons of new gadgets and gizmo's and lots of new take downs. Tons of new styles of enemy's and as many things to do as you can count.

Get this game, lots of game play. If you get it you will not be sorry you did, lots of riddles and a LOTTTTTT of challenge maps. Now stop looking at this review and go buy it. Please just play it, it has so many creative things. I don't know what else to say other the to have fun with this game and i hope you like it as much as i do