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Release Date: October 18th, 2011 Movie Release Year: 2011

Batman: Arkham City

Overview -

There are very few characters in fiction as enduring as Batman. There’s something about him, the tortured soul who lives in the shadows to fight for justice, that is more compelling than the more one-dimensional Superman. And since he’s not super powered, he’s more relatable than Spider-Man. While the chances of a regular person being like Batman are low, they’re still way better than being bitten by a radioactive spider and gaining super powers. So, for a character this popular, that so many people want to be, you’d think making video games based on him would be a cinch. But that’s not the case. Most Batman games have been terrible. And then Arkham Asylum came along. Featuring an original story and most of the voice cast of the seminal Batman animated series, Arkham Asylum was the Batman game that everyone wanted. It hit every note just right. It was such a big hit that a sequel was inevitable. And now we have Arkham City, a game that ups the ante in almost every way.

OVERALL:
Rating Breakdown
VIDEO
AUDIO
Tech Specs & Release Details
Technical Specs:
DVD
Video Resolution/Codec:
1080p
Audio Formats:
Dolby Digital
Release Date:
October 18th, 2011

Video Review

Ranking:

Arkham Asylum was pretty much at the cutting edge of console game graphics when it came out. In that respect, Arkham City isn’t a huge leap from its predecessor. All the characters are finely detailed. Batman’s costume is resolved in so much clarity that at least one ardent fan has already made a fully useable suit based on its design. The big difference is in the world itself, as Arkham City is a much more expansive place than the Asylum was. The last game had a few big open areas, but 95% of Arkham City is a big open area. It’s easy to travel around and simply marvel at the sights, whether it be ads, or building design, or to see how the presence of different super villains have affected different areas.

This isn’t Gotham City as you’ve known it before, either. It’s dark and dirty and often made me feel like I was playing as Batman in Escape From New York. There are plenty of easter eggs tucked away for the eagle-eyed bat-fan to spot. Everything is polished to a fine sheen. I can’t think of any technical issues I had while playing through the game twice. And just to keep things from getting boring, the developers have shown a set of replaceable skins for Batman, including such favorites as Batman Beyond, Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight, the animated series Batman, and more. Those skins should eventually be available as DLC.

Audio Review

Ranking:

If Arkham City offers breathtaking visuals, it really comes to life through its sounds. As you progress through the game you eavesdrop on dozens of conversations between convicts, political prisoners, the game’s major villains, and other ancillary characters. There’s a great variety of dialogue, some of it quite funny. The main characters are all voiced by the same actors who played them in the last game (with the exception of Harley Quinn), and this is reported to be Mark Hamill’s last performance as The Joker. The environment also offers up a bevy of noises that help sell the world.

Final Thoughts

There’s hardly a poor word I can say about Arkham City. It takes everything that made Arkham Asylum great, expands upon it, and gives you a whole new gaming experience. The story, aided by pitch perfect voice performances, is strong and surprising. The gameplay itself is thoroughly satisfying, The visuals are about as good as you can get on a console, and the audio seals the deal. While some people may be slightly put off by the open world elements of the game, there’s no denying that Arkham City is one of the best games of the year and certainly one of the best games ever to feature the Batman.