Batman: Arkham City (PS3)
Also available on Xbox 360, PC
Rocksteady
9/10
Release October 21st 2011
A long awaited sequel to the acclaimed Batman: Arkham Asylum, finds Batman thrown into a prison five times bigger than before.
The game starts out as a mirror to the original, having Batman become trapped inside a high security prison designed for the worst and craziest of Gothams criminals.
This time though, rather than a dedicated island, a large part of the Gotham City has been walled off to become the new home of the inmates of Arkham and Blackgate.
The slow walking opening is reminiscent of the original when Batman escorted Joker into Arkham Asylum, only this time, Bruce Wayne has been captured by the mysterious Hugo Strange and imprisoned in order to stop him protesting the use of the city.
Wayne hears rumours of a plan that Strange is forming and immediately sets about performing his detective duties with the help of Alfred, who takes on Oracles role as outside contact, as well as a number of unlikely allies.
It’s not long before Bruce Wayne comes face to face with a number of his past foes including the Penguin, Two-Face, Catwoman and the Joker, thrusting you straight into the action and getting the story of to a rolling start.
As before, taking your time before rushing into situations rewards you with the chance to overhear goons talking. This often provides you hints on how to progress that you may otherwise miss. One for instance clues you in to the location of Calendar Man who at this early stage of release in October mentions something about upcoming Halloween.
New to this game are side missions. Batman/ Bruce Wayne can opt to follow the story straight through, but in this much wider more open space, he can free roam much more easily. Doing so might allow you to stumble upon other characters and open up opportunities to deepen the story. You may meet Bane, who seeming more intelligent than the last time they met, agrees to assist Batman with some important tasks. Or you may answer a ringing telephone to be greeted by another old acquaintance.
The game is also packed with new gadgets and moves for Batman, widening his repertoire immensely. Some of the old gadgets and moves are there as soon as Bruce gets his Batsuit, but as the game progresses, he can acquire new gizmos and learn new exciting moves and takedowns, including one which summons bats to disorient groups of foes.
Gliding, which was useful but limited in Arkham Asylum has received a huge overhaul. Batman can, by using various techniques, remain airborne indefinitely if he wishes to, depending on whether he has the skill and timing to do so.
Augmented Reality Training missions allow you to practice the art form of gliding, offering challenges to complete and upgrade rewards on completion. These however are challenging and can be quite frustrating, requiring precise skill and expertise to pull off.
It’s not only the Bat who is equipped with a new arsenal however. The bad guys have got wise to Batmans tricks and come prepared with more powerful weapons and some of their own gadgets.
As well as all the new stuff, we see a return of the Riddlers Riddles. As before these come in the shape of hidden trophies, perspective puzzles and clues to follow to an object. This time though, the Riddler has upped his game too. Rather than simply leave trophies laying in hidden corners, he has booby trapped most of them giving Batman more to think about when trying to retrieve them. He has also kidnapped a number of police officers, whose whereabouts he will only reveal when you have completed a certain amount of his challenges. You will then be faced with yet another elaborate puzzle to solve in order to save their lives.
For those who enjoyed Scarecrows nightmares in Arkham Asylum, there are more hallucinations to enjoy this time round provided by different mind altering experts.
As before the plot of the game is exciting and dramatic and the conclusion may leave you stunned, though I will not say more so that I do not ruin the surprise. I will say though, when the credits roll do not be quick to skip them and you will be rewarded with something quite special.
Once you have perfected your talents with Batman, you may try your hand at playing the role of Catwoman, who comes with her own exciting moves, gadgets and challenges. The future DLC will let you get your hands on a playable Robin (Tim Drake) and Nightwing (Dick Grayson) to even further mix up the experience.
All in all, with new moves, new gadgets, a greater cast of villains including new faces like Mr Hammer and a larger playground this shapes up to be a bigger version of its predecessor. As the creators have said, you can look at it this way: Arkham Asylum was only a test run. This could well be the ultimate Batman experience.
