Addictive gameplay, amazing story, and a beautiful city makes Arkham City the best comic book game ever made
PROS (+)
+ Outstanding voice acting by both Kevin Costner and Mark Hamill makes the story oh so more enjoyable.
+ More villains this time around that have been fleshed out perfectly by the main plot and side missions.
+ 400 Riddles to solve
+ Intense gameplay is fun, addictive and smooth.
+ Rocksteady has created a beautiful Arkham City that is fun to fly around in
+ The story is phenomenal
+ Catwoman is a playable character with her own story that is actually needed for the main campaign.
CONS (-)
- None
When Arkham Asylum first came out a couple of years ago, I was immediately in love with it. The story has unique and amazing. Mark Hamill replaying his role as my favorite comic book villain The Joker was like a dream come true and he truly delivered. But what I really loved about the game was it's intention to detail. The asylum was a artist's masterpiece. The game looked awesome even if a couple of fade ins here and there. The gameplay was great as well. It was easy to do and fun to do. It was safe to say that Arkham Asylum was the best comic book game ever made. Then Arkham City came and took that title away. Arkham City is not only the best comic book game ever made to date but it is one of the best games of the year.
The story starts off brilliantly. Bruce Wayne is outside the gates of Arkham City protesting that this new prison-city should be removed as it is unsafe for the people of Gotham. Before long, Bruce Wayne is taken prisoner into Arkham City and then escapes into his Caped Crusader uniform. The opening is tremendous. It is one of the best openings in gaming. By the time the title of the game came on screen, I knew that this was going to be a fantastic game.
As Batman, you are mainly trying to find out what Dr. Strange, the head of Arkham City, and what his plans are. Through this storyline you see that that villains have claimed territory of Arkham City. Two-Face, while teased in Arkham Asylum, is flashed out this time around; Penguin is in this time taking control of Museum, and the Joker holds an Oil Mill. But through trickery, you meet the Joker and poisons you with TITAN, a dangerous poison that is in Joker's bloodstream and forces you to get the cure. So yes, the story line is full of many villains but they are fit perfectly where "Spider-man 3" failed to do. Each villain is completely fleshed out through the main story missions to the side missions. The Riddler has some new tricks us his sleeve this time around. He has a bigger part in this game than the previous game. While he has hidden 400 riddler trophies around Arkham City, he also has his own side story that makes the game more fun after you complete the main story.
Now if you buy the new version of the game, you can play as Catwoman. As her, you can swing through the city just like Batman and beat up bad guys whenever you want. While that is great, Catwoman also has her own storyline that intertwines with Batman's story. In some sequences you will switch from character to character and it is a good break since when you leave Batman, something shocking just happened. She can also be upgraded as well from health to gadgets. While it isn't nearly as great as Batman's storyline, Catwoman's story is pretty cool with her battle with Two-Face and Poison Ivy.
Arkham City will keep you busy for a while. The main story is about 10-12 hours long. That's not even counting the riddler trophies and other side missions that can even be in depth themselves.
The gameplay is amazing. Batman feels as great as ever. The combat system is back, more smoother this time around with a couple new gadgets to use. One of my favorites is the disruptor and when you upgrade it you can completely disable an enemies weapon. I must say, it is pretty fun to stand right next to an enemy while they try to fix their gun and then you knock them out. There is an upgrade system as well. While you can learn new tricks and increase your health, you can upgrade gadgets to next new abilities. When you aren't beating guys to a pulp or doing missions, you'll be within the huge city of Arkham City. Rocksteady has done a fantastic job with this city. It looks tremendous. It truly feels like a sandbox game. Though you can glide and swing from building to building, it would've been awesome to use Batman's plane in the city but that is a dream that doesn't come true . . . . oh well. The game also has its fair share of boss battles as well. They are pretty cool themselves and can be a little tricky to beat. It's almost like a Zelda boss battle where it's a puzzle that you have to solve to beat the boss. And it truly works. When you have completed the campaign, you can start a New Game + mode where you keep all your upgrades but the enemies have gotten tougher right from the start.
It is safe to say that Rocksteady has created a masterpiece. Batman: Arkham Asylum is fun, addictive, long and entertaining. The story is amazing. The awesome beginning and the fantastic ending is reason enough to play this game. I completely loved the campaign although I find it kind of hard to make another game after this one. The boss battles are fun and challenging and the city itself is so much fun to fly around in. I could go on and on about how good this game is. But if you have never played Arkham Asylum, I suggest you pick that up and this game at once. Once you beat Arkham Asylum, you will want to play more. I have waited a couple of years of this sequel and I can say without a doubt, that it is a masterpiece.
Batman: Arkham City is the best comic book game ever made and one of the best games of 2011. Go buy this game and enjoy this incredible experience.