Will the darkknight be able to pull it off again?
In Batman: AC you play the role of Batman/Bruce Wayne its your job to find out what is going on in Arkham City as all is not as it first seems. But before i get into the plot i feel i will batclaw my way over to the gameplay and throw down a few smoke pellets to cover my tracks...
Batman: AC is an open world action video game that incorporates elements of stealth and predator tactics. All of the gadgets previously obtained in the first game are present at the start of Arkham City with the exception of the Line Launcher and the Ultra Batclaw, which is replaced with the regular Batclaw and Sonic Batarangs. To be honest i miss the Ultra Batclaw from the first game but still you can not win them all. Most of them have improved or new capabilities; for example, the Cryptographic Sequencer can also track signals, the line launcher now can be deployed as a tightrope and has a feature that allows Batman to flip over and launch another zipline, switching directions. The remote control Batarang now has a built in brake and boost, and the grappling gun can now be used while gliding to boost Batman further up into the air. Four additional gadgets have been revealed, the smoke pellets to confuse armed enemies when spotted by them, the Remote Electrical Charge which is a sniper-like taser gun used to power generators and shock enemies, ice grenades used to freeze enemies and make pathways through water, and a balled rope for tying up enemies. The game incorporates more puzzle elements; the use of Batman's Detective Mode, which highlights elements such as enemy skeletons and clues on-screen, is used to perform forensic activities such as tracing the origin of a sniper round.
Optional challenges from the Riddler to collect hidden trophies placed around the city are also present, but require additional effort to locate, such as interrogation of men loyal to the Riddler, and the use of nearly all of Batman's gadgets to disable "traps" and barriers placed around them. After a certain number of trophies are found, Batman must go rescue a hostage that the Riddler has captured, which requires him to disable death traps set by the Riddler. Which to be fair to the game is alot of fun to do, having to work your way around the riddlers room and not make any mistakes.
You make your way around the City of Arkham to complete mission objectives. In addition to the primary mission, the game introduces secondary missions featuring a number of key characters and their stories. The player can opt to move silently, avoiding inmates and other enemies using a combination of gadgets to sneak up on enemies to incapacitate them. Batman's gliding ability has also been upgraded, allowing players to dive downward and pull themselves back up, making it much faster to move through the air. Having said that to make the most of what you have you have to gain exp to unlock some new toys and moves so the choice is yours.
When you are fighting as Batman you now have an improved version of the Freeflow combat system from Arkham Asylum, allowing for multiple simultaneous counters, the ability to counter thrown objects, jump attacks, powerful multi-strike beat-downs, upgraded Batarang and Batclaw attacks, and the ability to use gadgets such as the Explosive Gel and line launcher in Freeflow. At the start it is hard to see how it all controls but once you get into it and you master the gadgets in combat you will be beating up thugs like never before.
Not only do you get to play as Batman in Batman: AC you also get to play as Catwoman. She has her own heist-focused storyline at specific points in the game. Her combat is more acrobatics-oriented and features her claws, whip, and bolas. She has her own version of Detective Mode called "Thief Vision" to locate items for stealing. The game also contains 436 Riddler challenges, which make up one of the multiple side missions that players can embark on at any given point in the game. Rather than rely on maps, the player can mark riddler puzzles as they are found, if the player does not have the necessary equipment to complete them. A portion of the puzzles are also specific to Catwoman, and can only be completed by her.
With the gameplay out of the way i swing into action and to down a thug to get the lowdown on the plot. After the event of the last game Quincy Sharp, former warden of Arkham Asylum, has taken credit for stopping the Joker's Asylum takeover, and used the notoriety to become mayor of Gotham City. Deeming Arkham and Blackgate Penitentiary no longer suitable to contain the city's criminals and insane, Sharp has both facilities closed and buys out a large section of Gotham's slums, converting them into an immense open-air prison named Arkham City. Gotham City becomes a police state where those with the slightest trace of a criminal record, and opponents of Sharp's policies, including reporters, are sent to Arkham City. The facility is placed in the care of genius psychiatrist Hugo Strange who is secretly manipulating Sharp and guarded by a squad of heavily-armed mercenaries hired from a rogue private military firm, Tyger Security. The inmates are given free rein as long as they do not attempt to escape. Batman maintains a vigil over the detention city, concerned that the chaotic situation there will get out of hand. Meanwhile, the Joker is stricken with a potentially fatal disease, mutated by his consumption of, and subsequent transformation by, the Titan formula an unstable steroid serum which has the ability to turn men into powerful monsters. To say more would ruin for the people who have yet to play it.
Batman: AC came out for the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360 in australia on October 17, 2011 in north america on October 18, 2011 in europe on October 21, 2011 and in japan on November 23, 2011. It is also ment to be coming out for Microsoft Windows in north america on November 22, 2011 and in europe on November 25, 2011. Also it is ment to be coming out on the Wii U sometime in 2012.
The system Requirements are:
Minimum:
Operating system:
Windows XP, Windows Vista, or Windows 7.
CPU:
Intel Core 2 Duo 2.4 GHz or AMD Athlon X2 4800+.
Memory:
2 GB RAM.
Hard drive space:
17 GB hard drive space.
Graphics hardware:
NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT 512 MB or ATi Radeon HD 3850 512 MB.
Sound hardware:
DirectX compliant Sound card.
Network:
Online play requires login to Games for Windows Live.
Recommended:
Operating system:
Windows 7.
CPU:
Intel or AMD dual-core 2.5 GHz.
Memory:
4 GB RAM.
Hard drive space:
17 GB hard drive space.
Graphics hardware:
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 768 MB or AMD Radeon HD 6850.
Sound hardware:
DirectX compliant Sound card.
Network:
Online play requires login to Games for Windows Live.
So if you have a feeling to head off into the night and beatdown some thugs then this my friends is the game for you. As not only is this game as good as the first one it is better. I wonder...will they try there luck and make a third?