BATMAN: ARKHAM CITY Second Opinion Review

The disclaimer for this article is that this reviewer is a Bat-Obsessive. Whether it's all the Arkham City's Riddler trophies, 1000 point gamerscore in 'Arkham Asylum' or owning all the tie in fiction (as well as few hundred other Bat-stories to boot) the point is clear: there is anticipation behind 'Arkham City'. Let us begin then with criticisms, before a sycophantic eulogy materialises from the fan boy ether: This is more Batman, it looks like Asylum and plays like it. Don't be fooled by the moniker €œCity€, this is Arkham village, large town or at best, industrial estate plus grimy suburb. There are no sky scrapers here, you'll see them over the prison camp walls and there's one tower of note but really the scale of the game has not drastically increased. Moreover the game functions very similarly to it's predecessor in that the exterior environ is largely a playground and zone for travel between interior locations which serve the game's story. There's more to do in the City, more riddler hijinks, more side quests and a greater volume of sights to see, but fundamentally if Asylum's M.O. didn't turn you on City is not likely to sway you. Similarly the gameplay is largely the same. The free flow combat is back, expanded, tweaked and polished but if it's not for you, again you'll find little change. That said with both stealth and combat the two are unique enough to the bat-verse and Arkham games that they don't feel old or stale. Stealth is a largely similar and repetitive affair but you never tire of it due to it's expert execution. In many ways Bats has a similar gameplay formulae to the 'Assassin's Creed' franchise. Travel, stealth, combat. - rinse, deviate, repeat.That said the mechanics here are so much more interesting and engaging that you won't find yourself circumnavigating a fight, tired of the repetitive block-counter-counter lark, instead you'll want to achieve a perfect combo and take the thugs down time and time again. Where this game succeeds over it's rival is that it rewards you for good gameplay. As Ezio you get no feedback after a mission. Stealth or combat ,the only thing the game is interested in is player death or survival. Did you finish an encounter? Great €“ move on. Arkham City urges you to finish a fight in speed and style, giving you more tools as you go and making you feel like a killer on the way. Batman obviously never actually kills mind and his animations aren't as gory or visually satisfying as some of Ezio's, but he's infinitely more skilled as combatant and you feel more of a badass as you play him. Similarly in stealth you feel like a predator, the mechanics tight enough to overshadow the clumsy 'run and shank' of Bat's white clad rival. And this is where the game really shines €“ it makes you feel like Batman. Okay The Riddler challenges have been seriously diluted this time around, quality being shunned in lieu of quantity and as such you feel somewhat less than 'The World's Greatest Detective' but otherwise you genuinely engage with the gameplay in ways Assassin's fans may find shockingly revolutionary. As you glide from rooftop to rooftop praying on punks from above it's hard not to feel like Batman, the execution of every mechanic being pitch perfect but also just right for the narrative and locale. Diving into a cluster of thugs, sitting about cracking wise on how they're spoiling for a fight, you can't help but smile as they recoil at your sudden ferocious entrance. Don't be surprised if at moment's like this, or after a fight in which you seamlessly lay waste to 20+ perps without a scratch, you find yourself muttering €œI'm Batman . . . Bitch.€ The game's final strength is it's narrative. Paul Dini's employment of the mythos wraps perfectly into this Bat-Sim, at times it's a murder mystery at other's a block buster. Every aspect of Batman's character is touched upon employing every inch of the universe, the criminal, the supernatural, the whole grit drenched lot. In short the plot is accessible enough to join first time around but original enough to give fans a run for their money. And if you're still not convinced Mark Hamill's Joker and Kevin Conroy's Bats will. Both are on top form from start to finish and the supporting cast are just as colourful (see Nolan North's tenuous cockney accent as The Penguin). And as a final note €“ if you're wondering if Catwoman is worth the purchase for second time buyers don't waste your cash. She's a nice addition if you get her but for all intents and purposes she's nothing more than a 'Bats-Lite' diversion. The story doesn't change drastically in her absence and her gameplay just makes you want to get back to 'The World's Most Dangerous Man' once again. For more Bat-coverage stay glued to WhatCulture! You can read Simon's review of Batman: Arkham City HERE.