Review: Batman Arkham City

Batman: Arkham Asylum had the honor of not only being the only decent Batman game but one of the best superhero video games of all time. Built on a rich, detailed story and containing some of the most satisfying stealth gameplay in recent memory, Arkham Asylum rightly deserved the praise it received. 

Two years later, Rocksteady Studios continues the story with Batman: Arkham City, one of the few video game sequels actually better than the original game it was based on. 

The Story

Two years after the first game, Arkham Asylum has overfilled to the point that an entire section of Gotham City is designated as a prison zone under the authoritarian warden, Hugo Strange. Bruce Wayne is abducted while giving a speech criticizing the new Arkham City, leaving Batman locked inside the prison with his greatest enemies and their armies of gangs. Along the way, the player tangles with classic Batman villains such as Two-Face, Penguin, Mr. Freeze and the Joker as they attempt to thwart Strange's takeover of Gotham. 

The Gameplay

The core of the game consists of fast paced, visceral hand to hand combat. Players control the Dark Knight as he dispatches gang members with everything from Batarangs to grappling hooks to his bare fists. Players can opt to sneak around rooms full of guards, silently dispatching them one by one before leaping from the rafters to silence the last remaining guard personally. Combat flows beautifully, effortlessly switching from blocking to striking to countering with intuitive ease. Gang fights are punctuated with puzzles that make use of Batman's wide array of gadgets and platforming sections that allow the player to glide through the air and swing from ledges effortlessly. 

Overall

Arkham City is the rare sequel that surpasses its original. The plot is intriguing and engaging, the game play is fast and intuitive. Not simply one of the best superhero games of all time, Arkham City is one of the best games ever made. Period

Score

Plot: 5/5

Gameplay: 5/5

Replay Value: 5/5

Overall: 15/15