Batman: Arkham City

Licensed games, as a general rule, aren't anything to write home about. But video games have been especially cruel to Batman in the past. "Batman: Vengeance" featured frustrating combat laden with clunky animations and vehicles that handled terribly. "Batman Begins" was an all-too linear stealth game that required Batman to take out enemies in the exact manner and order he was intended to,because his Kevlar armor wasn't enough to save him from being killed just by having a gun pointed at him. So, this was what it was like to be Batman?

Then, in 2009, against all odds,Rocksteady released "Arkham Asylum." Instead of being a tie-in to existing movies or comics, it took place in the developers' own unique version of Batman's universe. Turns out to make players feel more like they were in Batman's shoes, it just took a good combination of stealth game play and brute combat, with a healthy dollop of fan service thrown on for good measure. It was, without a doubt, the best Batman gaming experience there was. Until now.

"Batman: Arkham City", blows it completely out of the water. An improvement in every way imaginable, it picks up where the last game left off. A huge section of Gotham City has been walled off and is now patrolled by heavily armed security teams. The city's captured criminal element has been transferred in from the old asylum and Blackgate Prison. Batman, naturally suspicious, finds a way inside to investigate, and he finds a gang war being being waged by some of his most notable arch-enemies.

Those who have played "Arkham Asylum" will be familiar with the basic game play, divided between two main components: free-flow combat and stealth, or "predator", tactics, enabling Batman to take out throngs of thugs head-on and pick out armed enemies from the shadows with equal ease. Free-flow combat is mainly accomplished by alternating between an "attack" and "counter", combined with a direction, to move from on enemy to another, breaking necks and cashing checks (in for upgrades). Fighting also makes use of Batman's "wonderful toys", with different gadgets being mapped to simple button combos. New gadgets and upgrades are collected throughout, providing more variety and a heavier emphasis on Batman's weaponry than in the last game. There are also new types of enemies that must be "stunned" first using specific combos, which keeps fights from being identical button-mashers, but sadly also slows the pace a little.

Predator tactics come into play when Bats enters an area being guarded by armed foes. While Batman has ballistic armor that can be upgraded, for the most part running into the line of an armed baddie's fire leads to a quick death. But the game gives you enough freedom to feel like Batman, hiding in the shadows not out of fear, but in order to strike fear. There is an even larger variety of "takedowns" than in the last game, allowing Batman to take advantage of elements of his environment such as ventilation shafts, gargoyles, and plywood barriers to pick off stragglers and watch their allies grow progressively more terrified.

The biggest improvement between games is the massive open-world that provides the setting for the game. Although some building can only be accessed as the story and your inventory allows, for the most part, Arkham City is your oyster from the moment you get in. Using a combination of gliding, diving, and grappling, you can battle random clusters of thugs for XP, follow up on various side missions as you discover them, or just admire the scenery. Most of the key locations you'd expect in Gotham City can be found walled off in Arkham, and Batman fans will definitely be in awe. I spent the first few hours gliding around the city, listening in on inmate's conversations, and occasionally swooping down to put the fear of God into them. Now THIS is what it's like to be Batman.

While there were references to just about every character in Batman's universe in the previous game, here just about all of them appear. To provide a list is to spoil many of the surprises, but returning enemies include the Joker, voiced in a stand-out performance by Mark Hamill (yes, THAT Mark Hamill.) Since he's announced his retirement from the role, this will probably be your last chance to get goosebumps listening to his pitch-perfect interpretation. Harley Quinn also returns, with a new (and, in my opinion, improved) costume, and also a new voice, with the Batman: TAS "Batgirl" Tara Strong taking over the role. Kevin Conroy also fits nicely back into the role of the titular character, who he voiced in TAS and the previous game. Another great performance comes from Nolan North, who voices my all-time favorite Batman villain, the Penguin. Here reinvented as a racketeer with the hint of a London accent and a cigar and broken glass bottle to replace the old cigarette holder and monocle, respectively, is a character that's still Oswald Cobblepot but is not to be trifled with. Chances are, between the main story line, the Easter eggs scattered throughout the city, and side missions, if you've got favorite Batman characters, they're in this game, and they're done justice.

The storyline is from TAS writer Paul Dinni, and ranks alongside of some of my favorite Batman comics. Like in "Arkham Asylum", fantastic use is made of the characters in the "Game Over" screens, now with a larger cast of enemies to taunt you, your taunter usually being determined by whose henchman defeats you. Unlike "Arkham Asylum", a fantastic game up until its anti-climatic ending, "Arkham City" only ever gets better as you progress through it. The only way this game isn't for you is if you absolutely hate Batman, great game play, and stunning graphics.

Why are you still reading this when you should be playing right now?

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

Batman: Arkham City is one of the best open-world video games I've ever played and experienced. It's right up there with The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Grand Theft Auto III, IV & V, Red Dead Redemption and even The Mass Effect Trilogy.

Arkham City has so many sub-missions and side stories that it shows Batman and other comic characters are ideal for the world of video games, to explore their own lore and make experiences larger than life. This game was incredible: from the start where you have to fight your way out from the clutches Penguin's thugs as Bruce Wayne, this game just keeps building upon one of the most promising starts ever done in gaming. And it only improves from there on.

Great story, gorgeous gameplay, brilliant camera, theatrical cinematics and timeless characters make up an experience to remember.

I had gotten Arkham Asylum a couple years after it came out as part of a Cyber Monday deal on Amazon and it proceeded to stay on my shelf for about a a year or so. I had heard about it but felt no burning need to play it.

Now let me explain, I'm not much of a gamer. Sure I play some from time to time but on the whole it's not something that takes up most of my days. But I love just about all things Batman and figured even if I never played it it would be a nice thing to have.

So I pick it up one day and decide to see what it was all about and from the very start I was just hooked. The story was good. The voices were incredible, the fights and predator events made you feel like you were Batman. I finished the game and immediately went in search of the sequel Arkham City. I found it and immediately ran out to get it.

They had improved the game mechanics, added more abilities and just cranked it up to 11. Now instead of being limited to a small island, you had part of an entire city to explore. And the best part about it was you could literally take the time to play it in whatever order you wanted. There was no "right" way to play it.

The games that came afterwards weren't quite as good which is why I say this one was the best.