Platform | Release Date
PS3 | October 18, 2011
X360 | October 18, 2011
PC | November 15, 2011

Developed by Rocksteady
Published by WB Games

The Pitch:

Batman: Arkham City builds upon the intense, atmospheric foundation of Batman: Arkham Asylum, sending players soaring into Arkham City, the new maximum security “home” for all of Gotham City’s thugs, gangsters and insane criminal masterminds.

Set inside the heavily fortified walls of a sprawling district in the heart of Gotham City, this highly anticipated sequel introduces a brand-new story that draws together a new all-star cast of classic characters and murderous villains from the Batman universe, as well as a vast range of new and enhanced gameplay features to deliver the ultimate experience as the Dark Knight.

I had wondered if Batman: Arkham Asylum was going to be anomaly; a licensed title being worthy of several Game of the Year awards (including my own nomination at the time) seemed like the sort of magic that might not happen again. To temper my anticipation, I went on a bit of a media blackout for this sequel, Batman: Arkham City, or at least as much of a blackout as I could manage. You see, I love Batman, and like anybody who suffers an obsession, even the strongest of wills can be broken. So I watched a few trailers, and soon was able to see a future where this sequel was just as good as its predecessor. My skills as a clairvoyant must be limited though. It isn’t just as good, it’s several times better.

To start with, the Zelda-esque structure of the original has been abandoned in favour of a far more open world. Arkham City, a hellish corner of Gotham, has been given over as a maximum security prison for the city’s freakish criminals. That means that the restrictive island is now gone, and instead a sprawling cityscape welcomes Bruce Wayne with open arms.

Well, not exactly open arms. After entering the facility, jailed for speaking out against it, Wayne quickly dons his cape and cowl and goes in search of the man behind Arkham City, Hugo Strange. For those that don’t follow Batman’s lengthy history, Strange is a obsessed with the Dark Knight, and has even worked out his secret identity. Strange, and the search for a cure for the disease infested Joker, form the central structure of a story which involves an extensive collection of enemies from Batman’s past.

And what a brilliant story it is. It twists and turns, surprising and shocking the player while at the same time becoming more and more engaging with every additional rogue. Rather than just the bat versus the clown, this is a definitive Batman tale that deserves to be categorised among the best that have ever been told about the character. Somehow, in what must be the equivalent of game development alchemy, the genius and depth of this tale refuses to encroach on the brilliant gameplay, adding to the play experience rather than overshadowing it.

The open world structure is, without a shadow of a doubt, the most noticeable change but there are so many improvements across the game’s mechanics that it becomes difficult to list them. Puzzles are now more devious, rather than simply requiring the newest gadget in Batman’s arsenal. You’ll often have to use multiple tools along with platforming to overcome the gauntlet set out by Joker and friends. Trippy, hallucinogenic scenes return, although this time without Scarecrow, in a game that offers variety by the bucket load.

Variety might have been a touchy subject for the combat designers before now, as the hand-to-hand battles of the original were the most heavily criticised element. Yes, they were pretty to look at, but lacked depth. No longer is this an issue, with some subtle changes to animation timings blending with the expanded use of gadgets within combat.

Some of the most impressive moves are facilitated by the game’s new movement techniques. Batman can glide, as he has always been able to, but with the building tops open to exploration, the grapnel gun become a more important feature. You can zip up to rooftops, or vantage points within the interior levels, and can now divebomb before pulling up into lengthier glides. It’s possible to go from one side of Arkham to the other without ever touching the ground, and it’s thrilling. Even more exciting is dropping onto a criminal from an incredible height, and smashing his face into the ground.

As if this wasn’t enough, the developers throw in Catwoman missions that fit the character perfectly, with a totally different movement and fighting style that is equally enjoyable as when playing as the Dark Knight. On top of that you have an hugely expanded set of challenge rooms and, as just a side-thought in Rocksteady’s masterpiece, you have ‘Campaigns’ – multi-stage adventures with their own miniature plots staged across a mix of side-on brawling and the familiar challenge rooms. How do you set about making one of the most compelling single-player experience ever printed on a disk and still manage to create all this brilliant side content? It’s mind-blowing.

The open world adds so much to the Batman experience. While I was worried that it might leave the franchise feeling rudderless and without focus. It achieves the opposite, enabling an all-encompassing Batman experience with wonderful side missions, near-perfect central missions, all wrapped up in a pretty package. Remember when people would say “How come nobody can make a great Batman game?” Well, Rocksteady have now made two, and Arkham City is the Batman game of your dreams. Outstanding, and deserving of a top ten placement on any Greatest Games list you might ever compile.

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