One of the best Action-adventure games ever! "Do you know why? Because It's BATMAN!!"
Story- 8.5: Arkham City's story is great but is also its weak area, only because everything else is so great. The story is very intriguing. All of Gotham's criminals having been thrown into a district of Gotham now turned into a super prison run by Hugo Strange. Hugo has something special planned for Arkham City. Along with that Joker has his own grand scheme. Throughout the story you will run across many villans including Penguin, Mr. Freeze, Ras' Al Gul, Bane, Deadshot, Solomon Grundy, and more! The story is great, but it isn't as good as Arkham Asylum's. Specifically, the climax and conclusion were disappointing, especially when compared to the previous game. It feels like their are two climaxes, one with Hugo and followed by one with Joker. The climax with Hugo was excellent! It was intense and with a expected but yet awesome surprise. I would have been satisfied if it ended then. But it is then followed by a climax with Joker. It was good, but not great. There is a fun boss fight and a strange twist, but having right after another climax. One climax is all a story needs. Don't forget that the story is still great!
Gameplay- 9.5: The gameplay is excellent!!! Combat is intense and varied, stealth requires skill and careful planning, and simply the ability to fly around a atmospheric, dark playground that is Arkham City! The entire gameplay requires skill and brains. Combat is difficult and you have to act fast. For stealth, you need to plan your attack carefully and die if you make a mistake. And their are plenty of Riddler challenges to test your mind. There are some really great boss fights! The most memorable for me were Mr. Freeze, the final boss, and Ras' Al Gul.
Graphics- 9.5: The city is visually stunning!! It is one of the most atmospheric worlds ever created! The animation is excellent! And there are almost no glitches! That is very rare!
Overall- 9.0: Batman Arkham City is one of the best action-adventure games ever made! This is a must play! "Do you know why? Because It's Batman!!"