As I am a HUGE Batman fan, each game must fulfill Gotham City's Crusader justice. Though, Does that succeed in Rocksteady's sequel to Batman Arkham Asylum?
Story and Setting - 10/10
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| AAH! Batman, we meet again! |
Arkham City's story revolves around Gotham City becoming a prison and having several villians fighting each other within. Batman under the persona of Bruce Wayne, is thrown in there by the mysterious Dr. Strange and must discover who he is and what his goals are, etc. In Arkham, The Joker is obviously present however Penguin, Mr.Freeze, Two-Face, Catwoman and other suprises. All of these characters are significantly voiced by professionals who can actually voice the characters (Unlike Spiderman Web of Shadows) such as Mark Hamill brilliant voicing of the Joker. Speaking of the Villians of Arkham, each character has a decent if not engaging back story that reflects on the comics and tv shows of the past. For example, (SPOILER ALERT) when Batman goes to seek Raj Al Ghul and speaks to Talia, there is a hint of their chemistry and relationship from the comics. This nostalgia is pure excitement to any true Batman fan.
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| He's Baaack! And as ugly as ever! |
Graphics and Gameplay - 9/10
The graphics of Arkham City is basically having the comics in virtual life. Using the Unreal Engine 3, the game flows elegantly and with a traditional frame rate but with no frame drop at all. The characters each look like what they should and that goes with the minions. Each villian looks and moves like they would in real life. For Example, Penguin moves quite sluggish and relatively slow as Joker moves like a clown, dodging your attacks while taking a "stabba at'cha". On the other hand, Batman feels like a true hero. Whether he's gliding, walking or brawling he feels and acts like he should. For instance, If he is shoot he falls back and feels the pain as if he throws a punch, he falls slightly forward and staggers.
Speaking of the combat, Batman flows through battles as he would in the comics. Flying from one goon to the other, he uses gadgets such as a gel that explodes upon command to a grappling hook to "teleport" to and from his enemies.
Including Batman, players can also take upon the role of Catwoman. Catwoman provides a decent amount of gameplay contributing of stealth, seduction and secrecy. Like Batman, she uses her gadjets (Whip, caltrops and bolas) but unlike Batman, her gameplay mechanic revolves around sneaking behind enemies and knocking them out. What makes her so unique is that she seduces everyone of her enemies then breaks their bones. This is all put into place during her boss battle with Two-Face where she flings from the gargoyles (using her whip) to knock out Two-Face's thugs in order to interrogate them.
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| Best Boss Battle Ever! |
Overall
Batman Arkham City is a game for the fans, providing backstory, brilliant voice casting and boss battles for all villians. Rocksteady should be given the fullest attention towards their games as this has proven itself to be, in my opinion the best game of 2011 due to a perfected combat system, engaging characters explored throughout the immerse world that is Gotham City and a spectacular soundtrack. 19/10
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