Its the year of the Bat
Things have changed after the events of Arkham Asylum. All the inmates have been transported to a section within gotham city that has been cordoned off from the local public. And they are free to roam around there causing all sorts of mayhem possible. The idea behind it kind of feels a bit stupid but once I got my hands on the game all those thoughts were shunned aside. Right from the very first moment the game will hook you in and literally put you in the shoes of Batman (I know, this game gets that a lot).
Rocksteady made the right move in making this a sandbox game at its heart. You are free to roam around arkham city from the get go. There is no place you cant access. some story related locations are only accessible by the use of certain gadgets which will be available as you progress like AA. The city is not huge but makes up for that by creating a denser, more polished environment. Frankly speaking you never feel as if you need more space. The glide and grapple moves complement each other so perfectly and allow you to smoothly traverse around the city and look good doing it too. Now you are able to grapple mid air and you are not stuck at the spot when you fire the grapple gun (very smart move Rocksteady).
Gameplay is impeccable as before and needs no introductions. Batman has a more impressive arsenal of takedowns and character specific counter moves. The free flow combat really shines and as the name suggests, you are able to weave in and out of combat and back to grappling if you want to fall back mid combat. I have rarely seen such smooth movements in a video game as most have you targetting an enemy and then unleashing attacks on them while others give you cheap shots from behind which you can do nothing about. My only single problem with the entire game is that you cannot find time mid combat to perform a ground takedown on an enemy. 80% of the time you will get hit and the action is not cancellable. But those are just negligible little ramblings in front of a game that has achieved near perfection in all other departments. Even the attention to detail given on catwomans moves make you feel so much in character. Her combat and locomotion abilties are worlds apart from batman's.
The city plays host to a multitude of batmans arch enemies. Each having their own hideout and set of goons. Their uniqueness is visible in the way they have decorated their taverns. Penguin's Iceberg Lounge gives sleazy vibes of the underworld and Jokers Steel Mill give you an insight into his maniacal methods and the pandemonium he thrives on. There is a strong sense of character here which I admire as it is very difficult to pull off.
The Riddler also makes an imposing appearance. With over 400 riddles to solve, he has gone all out in an attempt to best batman. There are riddler trophies scattered all around the city. Infact you wont travel 10 metres without seeing one(a bit insane as most of them are in plain view and dont make you work hard to acquire). But even finding collectibles is a pure fun experience as they unlock various background stories which tie Arkham City to the mainstream franchise and of course prove you are superior to Riddler. Other than that there are side missions in which you have to track down the less conspicuous baddies and faintly touch the detective side of batman. Many may complain that the boss fights are too easy. But isnt that how it is supposed to be for batman? You do beat down a lot of bad guys but by far the icing on the cake would be the showdown with Mr Freeze and The league of assassins.
The graphics system has been overhauled this time around. The pc version works superbly after an update for direct x 11 cards. Id say this is far superior to the console versions as you will see the detail which the developers intended to show you. Be it the faint snow falling off batman's cape or the burning flesh on Two Face's scarred half. Those add to the amazing experience. The pc version also has a slight mod in the works where you can roam around the city as Nightwing or Robin (provided you got the dlc).
It really is a shame if you havent played this game and call yourself a gamer. Words dont do justice to the fantastic game that Arkham City is. The love and passion that went behind the game is evident in every inch of the city. I salute you Rocksteady Studios. Now Im waiting for Batman: Gotham City.
Pros: mind blowing gameplay experience, impressive array of characters, incredibly smooth animations, endless fun, the list goes on.
Cons: N/A
Final Word: What are you waiting for? Go get it NOW! Screw Multiplayer.
Note to game developers: This is how it has to be done.