Batman: Arkham City

 PC
User Score
8.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 3012 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2,637 out of 3012
  2. Mixed: 260 out of 3012
  3. Negative: 115 out of 3012
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  1. Buhadog
    Nov 25, 2013
    9
    If not for the Skyrim, this could have been a contender for the best game of 2011. Improving on the previous Batman game (Arkham Asylum) and adding new content to it, it's a must play if you're a fan of Batman (and even if you're not). The only bad thing I can say about it is the few bugs and glitches.
  2. markwhitton
    Nov 20, 2013
    9
    Arkham City brought back what we loved about Asylum and opened up the world a little bit more! I probably preferred Asylum because it was a completely new experience at the time; but getting the opportunity to play as Catwoman and Robin in Arkham City was a major benefit! Overall, the city looks great, the combat is still flawless and it’s really an all-round incredible game! I don’t careArkham City brought back what we loved about Asylum and opened up the world a little bit more! I probably preferred Asylum because it was a completely new experience at the time; but getting the opportunity to play as Catwoman and Robin in Arkham City was a major benefit! Overall, the city looks great, the combat is still flawless and it’s really an all-round incredible game! I don’t care for Batman, in any respect, outside of these video games because I just don’t like super hero comic based stuff; but I thoroughly enjoy these games and Arkham City was one of the most enjoyable titles I have ever played!… Expand
  3. Parthros
    Nov 6, 2013
    10
    Arkham City took everything that was great about Asylum and made it better. It's story is more involved, the game play is improved, and it's got tons of replay value. Arkham City is an all around great game!

    If you're a Batman fan, you HAVE to play this game!
  4. netto
    Nov 6, 2013
    9
    Great story with a great graphic and great control. The sequel from Arkham Asylum. The best game of super hero. I just loved it. The only cons is when DX 11 is activated, the game got a lot performance penalty.
  5. csabber
    Nov 5, 2013
    10
    Rocksteady, after reviving our hopes in superhero games with Arkham Asylum, have dreamt big: bringing the well established Dark Knight formula to open world. A task that first sounded too great even after everything the developer has given us in the first game. Fear not, they upped the ante.

    Our favorite detective is forced to Arkham City occupied by thugs, gangsters, super-villains and    Rocksteady, after reviving our hopes in superhero games with Arkham Asylum, have dreamt big: bringing the well established Dark Knight formula to open world. A task that first sounded too great even after everything the developer has given us in the first game. Fear not, they upped the ante.

    Our favorite detective is forced to Arkham City occupied by thugs, gangsters, super-villains and Dr. Strange's guards. Initially we only know that he is after Strange who is preparing an experiment, which he calls "Protocol 10". The main plot of the game isn't the strongest we have ever experienced, but diverse enough to keep our heads spinning in every half hour or so. Even if Strange isn't the typical main villain you'd expect from a game like this, the others keep the show running. Boy, and how well. Joker, Two-Face, Penguin are only the most famous ones to recognize. Even the minor villains give splendid performances that will make you feel you're in an action packed DC comic book. Only this time around you're the one who beats up the bad guys. The ending of the game will keep you scratching your head and maybe this time and this time only Rocksteady took on more that they could bear...

    The game has excellent graphical representation pushing the unreal engine to it's limits. The older engine sometimes shows it's limits with slowly loading textures and load screens in open areas. However, from artistic perspective it's breathtaking. The realization of Arkham City speaks for itself. Every character villain, hero or supporting cast is realized authentically with care and love that can be seen everywhere in the game. You can read stories about the city or it's unwanted "residents", listen to crazy interviews taped by Strange with the greatest villains that will uncover some of their background stories and let us see what has happened before the place was opened. It's exactly this where the game comes to full circle, not just being a super enjoyable action-superhero game, but a true part of the Batman legacy. The music and voice acting are top notch. Listening to an well composed orchestral piece before hearing Mark Hamill's voice behind The Joker is true joy and no fan could ask for more in that respect.

    The freeflow combat introduced in Arkham Asylum returns with an array of gadgets that can be deployed in combat. The combat is so well balanced that it will be easy for everybody to pick up, but very difficult to master as Batman has plenty of moves in his pocket. You can choose to hit or counter each enemy when you are attacked, but there will always be a second, third or eighth move to pull. It's a mechanic that will never get boring even after the 228th enemy. Of course the game will challenge you eventually with more powerful enemies that can't be put down with repeated hitting of one button.

    After you are done with the main campaign, which takes about 10 hour to complete, there's literally a dozen thing to do in Arkham City. For one you can explore the story based side quests which are not only cleverly integrated in the game's main story but they are also highly addictive. Of course Riddler made his mark in this game too, so you can try to collect his collectibles of which there is more than 300. If you have done everything in Arkham City (takes around 20-30 hours) there is a game mode called Riddler's revenge which is essentially a task-based-clean-the-room mini-game. You are rewarded with medals based on your successes, but cleaning every room and hitting high score everywhere will take you at least that much as the main game. That adds up around 50+ hours of gameplay for 100% completion. Really the only thing worth of complain here is that when you do everything and I mean everything in Arkham City there isn't anything else to load your save game again. The streets are empty except for some thug groups always spawned in the same spots. Arkham City feels empty; a thing that can be noticed even in the heat of the first walkthrough.

    Rating: 94/100; Replay Value: 4/5; To Beat: 8-10 hours (main campaign), 22-25 hours (campaign with collectibles); Played on: normal.    … Expand
  6. ssmanniec1
    Nov 2, 2013
    10
    Very very great game i don't understand people saying it ruined the sequel! I recommend it to everyone interested in batman and who enjoyed arkham city.
  7. FruitCakeHD
    Oct 24, 2013
    9
    Batman: Arkham City Game of the Year Edition:

    A sequel to the highly-rated Batman: Arkam Asylum that was released about 2 years back Running on the same Unreal Engine 3.0, very little has changed.. Arkham City provides the player with a different UI, newer gadgets, abilities, better graphics (Duh..) and a more enriched storyline. I would say that it is a little cherry atop of a    Batman: Arkham City Game of the Year Edition:

    A sequel to the highly-rated Batman: Arkam Asylum that was released about 2 years back

    Running on the same Unreal Engine 3.0, very little has changed.. Arkham City provides the player with a different UI, newer gadgets, abilities, better graphics (Duh..) and a more enriched storyline.

    I would say that it is a little cherry atop of a nice and delicious fruit-cake, it could be an expansion instead of a full game. But of course, that is my own personal opinion.

    Recommendations/Tips:

    1) Play Arkham Asylum before Arkham City, i'll say that it is very important and crucial towards having the full experience of the series. Some of the past events that happened in Arkham Asylum and were mentioned in Arkham City.
    2) Most of the DLCs are just cosmetics and etc. But "Harley Quinn's Revenge" isnt, it is sort of a mini-story followed after the main game's storyline. Just make sure you'd play it after completing the campaign. (GOTY edition)

    Estimated Total Playtime:    … Expand
  8. KingShree
    Oct 20, 2013
    9
    Best superhero game ever. Now when its fully on Steam there is nothing to stop you from playing it right away. Fights will keep you entertained for the whole time, using gadgets is fun. Story is great and referring to all Batman films. You really feel like dark knight when playing this. Awesome!
  9. iliketurtles101
    Oct 19, 2013
    9
    This is easily the best dc hell even the best superhero game of all time the combat is smooth the graphics are stunning and if your an nvidia user you get great physx support.The controls are not that good but hooking up a controller will fix that problem also the game crashed a few times on me and you need games for windows live.The story is fantastic including some of the best batmanThis is easily the best dc hell even the best superhero game of all time the combat is smooth the graphics are stunning and if your an nvidia user you get great physx support.The controls are not that good but hooking up a controller will fix that problem also the game crashed a few times on me and you need games for windows live.The story is fantastic including some of the best batman villains like penguin joker deadshot ect main story last about 25 hours long and with 12 massive side missions and over 400 riddler trophies to collect by solving his puzzels its a must by for any fan of the dark knight.… Expand
  10. keefbaker
    Oct 16, 2013
    10
    How do you make Arkham Asylum even better? How about throw in an open world and even more progression and another, high grade captivating storyline. Just fantastic.
  11. TheChadMathews
    Oct 9, 2013
    10
    The game is amazing. A huge open world for a game of it's kind, great graphics (and the 3D is something special too), a beautifully put together combat system and some nice varied puzzles throughout the game too. There is plenty to see and do outside of the story, but it is not essential. The DRM up front is a HUGE pain, but once you get past it, you will not regret the effort!
  12. pwnage889
    Sep 21, 2013
    9
    I had a great time playing Arkham City. The combat is good and the story is engrossing. However, I did not find the open world elements of the game to be very well done, and a few things about the port could have been done better, namely a few of the menu controls and GFWL.

    The story of the game was very good and playing through it was very fun, but I was quite surprised when it came    I had a great time playing Arkham City. The combat is good and the story is engrossing. However, I did not find the open world elements of the game to be very well done, and a few things about the port could have been done better, namely a few of the menu controls and GFWL.

    The story of the game was very good and playing through it was very fun, but I was quite surprised when it came to an end when I only had about 30% completion. There is really no incentive to go anywhere but the main objective, and the theme of the game makes it feel as though the city isn't really somewhere you want to be exploring, but somewhere you should be skulking in the shadows, getting ready for your next move. Because of this, I did not do very many of the side objectives, even the ones that were a part of the story, because they just didn't seem as interesting as actually continuing the story. Also, the storyline makes it seem like you're very short on time, so it is a little immersion breaking to go off on an adventure.

    I ended up with about half of the upgrades possible, and I assume that you are meant to have most or all of them by the time the story is done. I think that this is a flaw of the game's design. The open world was not interesting to explore, the main method of travelling through the city is on the rooftops, very disconnected from what is going on below, so there was really no reason to do anything but the story nothing else garnered my interest.

    I have had no problems with the PC port, performance has been great on maxed out settings, graphics are amazing, and most of the controls are great. The places where I think controls could have improved are in the key bindings to switch between gadgets. It was hard to try to remember which gadget was on which key, and scrolling through them was a bit inconvenient with there being so many. The other controls that I didn't like were the map controls, especially for things like changing the objective. The ke bindings should always be focused around the standard way of playing games WASD, space, and mouse, as well as the surrounding keys. Enter and backspace really shouldn't be used much if at all.

    The only other complaints I have are GFWL and the loading screen. GFWL is just annoying DRM that the game doesn't benefit from, and I think that everyone would be happier without it. The last thing is that when you start up the game, you have several unskippable credits for the developers and such. On every other game that I play, these are skippable. It's a bit annoying that they aren't on Arkham City when I want to play the game, I don't want to also have to watch the credits for the umpteenth time.

    Overall, I loved the game. It had a few things wrong with it, but nothing that actually detracted from the experience of playing it. From my playthrough of the game, I would give it a 10/10, but with the problems outside of what I experienced, mainly the fact that I didn't experience them, and because of the other small annoyances, I give it a 9/10 overall.    … Expand
  13. Erdrick27
    Sep 19, 2013
    7
    While this is a solid game with an interesting world to explore and the return of many memorable villains from the Batman universe I can't help but feel it missed the mark when compared to Arkham Asylum. It feels like the developer overextended themselves and the 'open world' can feel a bit too open, forcing the player to slog through previously visited areas while searching for the nextWhile this is a solid game with an interesting world to explore and the return of many memorable villains from the Batman universe I can't help but feel it missed the mark when compared to Arkham Asylum. It feels like the developer overextended themselves and the 'open world' can feel a bit too open, forcing the player to slog through previously visited areas while searching for the next goal marker. The riddler aspect is also stretched too thin with too many trophies (both for batman and catwoman) to find. The visual riddler puzzles also fall short as they don't work well in such a huge environment.… Expand
  14. gannicus
    Sep 16, 2013
    9
    Looking at the reviews of this game its easy to see and i know from personal experience that DX11 doesnt work on the game in its original form. but once you get a patch for it the game is a beauty. One of the best games ever made.
  15. Sboriky
    Sep 11, 2013
    8
    Batman Arkham City is way better than his predecessor. The gameplay mechanics has been improved, the combat system has been refined, and it's pretty hard if you play it on the max difficulty.

    The villains are very characterized, and the story is great (I loved the gothic atmosphere). The world is not huge, but you're free to explore it between the main missions. From a technical    Batman Arkham City is way better than his predecessor. The gameplay mechanics has been improved, the combat system has been refined, and it's pretty hard if you play it on the max difficulty.

    The villains are very characterized, and the story is great (I loved the gothic atmosphere). The world is not huge, but you're free to explore it between the main missions.

    From a technical point of view the game is just amazing. I'd definitely recommend to buy this game.    … Expand
  16. DudeManGuy
    Sep 3, 2013
    10
    One of my favorite games of all time is even better on PC. The Dx11 stuff is kinda of a bummer, although you can still get good FPS if you get the settings right. Luckily, Nvidia's geforce experience will set the optimal settings for you now, so download that if you haven't.
  17. MacMorris
    Sep 1, 2013
    10
    The game's great.The controls are easy to master.The gameplay's amazing.The fightsyles are superb. The scenery's great so do the gadgets...I am stunned Looking forward to Batman Arkham Origins.Actually it is really easy though to install the windows live..which is at first u must install the game files then copy all the xlive files from sysWow64 folder and paste it to system 32 Then copyThe game's great.The controls are easy to master.The gameplay's amazing.The fightsyles are superb. The scenery's great so do the gadgets...I am stunned Looking forward to Batman Arkham Origins.Actually it is really easy though to install the windows live..which is at first u must install the game files then copy all the xlive files from sysWow64 folder and paste it to system 32 Then copy only xlive.dll to system folder.Then launch the game.If u can play it but can't save it close the game. Then install windows live marketplace(Note:never save the setup run it and then u are free to play the game to the core.… Expand
  18. JesperNykvist
    Aug 15, 2013
    10
    Never have I felt like such a complete bad ass as when I play this game! The great story, deep characters, beautiful environment and fluid combat mechanics all blend together for a perfect game! Any fan of Batman would must play this game!
  19. merired
    Jul 26, 2013
    1
    Terrible performance, slow loading, clunky steering. The riddles involving a specific frequency on the sequencer are impossibly frustrating with a mouse. Not a fun experience. Add to that the GFWL...
  20. Losty
    Jul 17, 2013
    10
    Great game. Very enjoyable story and I loved all the characters they used even though some seemed to be randomly thrown in. Side quests were pretty entertaining as well.
  21. Andresitooo
    Jul 11, 2013
    8
    Cool story cool gameplay mechanics (very well done) good interface great seeing batman's enemies how they were meant to be scene altogether was a very good game. The main story line could've been longer and could've had more side missions (aside from Riddler's which seems to have more than the main story itself but isn't rewarding enough having to do so many puzzles and stuff just to goCool story cool gameplay mechanics (very well done) good interface great seeing batman's enemies how they were meant to be scene altogether was a very good game. The main story line could've been longer and could've had more side missions (aside from Riddler's which seems to have more than the main story itself but isn't rewarding enough having to do so many puzzles and stuff just to go save the next captive. Graphics and sound was great and again gameplay mechanics were done VERY well.… Expand
  22. UntoldAv3nGer
    Jul 11, 2013
    9
    Batman Arkham City is a spectacular game with serious difficulty issues. Tons of villains (Poison Ivy, Joker, Catwoman, Two-Face, Mr. Freeze, etc.) are in the game. The setting is great, and I can tell the developers really thought it through. The weather is constant, the snow looks and seems cool. There is a lot to do on the side, such as collecting trophies and finding hostages, etc. TheBatman Arkham City is a spectacular game with serious difficulty issues. Tons of villains (Poison Ivy, Joker, Catwoman, Two-Face, Mr. Freeze, etc.) are in the game. The setting is great, and I can tell the developers really thought it through. The weather is constant, the snow looks and seems cool. There is a lot to do on the side, such as collecting trophies and finding hostages, etc. The plot is very well done too! The difficulty issues are that sometimes the game is very easy, and sometimes it is VERY hard. Batman doesn't kill, so if you do a "drop attack" and afterwards have to run, the enemy will get right back up again, good as new. The game tries to work far too many key combinations into the game. Evading a electric-baton wielder means that you have to press right-click and two space bar presses. I can't think or act that fast in the midst of fighting, Rocksteady! Arkham City really emphasizes the power of guns. I rarely went fists-blazing with gunman around. You really feel like you ARE Batman in this game. 9/10, well done!… Expand
  23. aseemtiwari
    Jul 8, 2013
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. the best game till date....all in one stealth,action,trick,suspense...all in one package...only dissapointment was the riddle trophy which was perhaps to much and sometime boring.but overall the game set a class for all game lovers.action on the other hand was superb.music was awsome too.and the best part was the checkpoint were at evry incident.so even if your game is over you don't have to start the game from very ago.
    the suspense were also kept so gr8 that you will not even escape any cutscene.    … Expand
  24. Basem101
    Jun 17, 2013
    10
    the first game was really good but this one is perfect it is one of my favourite games of all time this game is so damn good in every aspect and you'll finally see an end to the long battle between Batman and joker i highly recommend this game
  25. DragonforceKin
    May 8, 2013
    8
    I first heard about this game through a friend who highly recommended it to me and after five minutes I was hooked.

    This game brought everything I wanted and more to the table. The action was fantastic, combat was unique to say the least and the stealth (whilst playing on a high difficulty) was very challenging. Arkham City had a great balance between stealth and combat and didn't let    I first heard about this game through a friend who highly recommended it to me and after five minutes I was hooked.

    This game brought everything I wanted and more to the table. The action was fantastic, combat was unique to say the least and the stealth (whilst playing on a high difficulty) was very challenging. Arkham City had a great balance between stealth and combat and didn't let up when it came to boss fights.

    The story is also what you'd expect from DC, with Batman being the object of the story, it revolves around his absolute willingness to do whatever it takes to let justice prevail and shows what it truly means to be the Batman. I found the plot twist confusing at first but then after a second play through it was inspired.

    I would highly recommend this game to anyone who is a fan of Batman on screen or on paper, as it plays to the comic book canon very well.

    Batman: Arkham City was easily the best game I played in 2012.
    8/10    … Expand
  26. nitai007
    May 3, 2013
    9
    this is a really fun and great game. it feels really unique. the story is great. the story has a lot of vilans from the comics and movies and they are done really great. the voice acting is especially good. the gameplay is unique and different from other games. the only big problem is that the world is too little. you should definetly buy it because its really good!!!!!
  27. Schantzee
    May 2, 2013
    8
    This game tries to go beast mode but comes up short many times. There are many cheesy moments with villain cutscenes and multiple instances where you just know that batman would never be in this situation (being trapped in a hole by Penguin without being able to grapple gun out???). The fighting is cool and the stealth fighting is even cooler, making the combat a mixture of buttonThis game tries to go beast mode but comes up short many times. There are many cheesy moments with villain cutscenes and multiple instances where you just know that batman would never be in this situation (being trapped in a hole by Penguin without being able to grapple gun out???). The fighting is cool and the stealth fighting is even cooler, making the combat a mixture of button mashing and strategy. However, this game can be VERY FRUSTRATING if you don't have a controller on PC. There are so many combos and special moves that are almost impossible to perform correctly (average gamer) with a keyboard/mouse setup. I found myself failing to use good moves or knowing how to execute them properly, forcing me to use basic attacks which gets old fast. I would suggest getting your hands on a Xbox 360 controller before buying this game. I would give it a 7 because of how cheesy and frustrating this game can be but come on...ITS BATMAN so he gets an 8. Make sure to pick this up on Steam (i got it for 7.50 on special) to avoid issues found in older copies, etc. It's a good fighter and even better once you figure out how to play effectively.… Expand
  28. doomgamer
    Apr 30, 2013
    5
    Mediocre at best. Dialogue is plain cheesy and lame, world is small and bland, story is as predictable as that of an average badly done superhero comic and they still left Batman with a frozen mouth whenever he talks in-game. plus the fighting is just plain boring to watch as compared to even a game like Amazing Spiderman that has more spectacular fighting styles.
    If you're a huge Batman    Mediocre at best. Dialogue is plain cheesy and lame, world is small and bland, story is as predictable as that of an average badly done superhero comic and they still left Batman with a frozen mouth whenever he talks in-game. plus the fighting is just plain boring to watch as compared to even a game like Amazing Spiderman that has more spectacular fighting styles.
    If you're a huge Batman fan, you'll enjoy this wonderful lackluster game that is at least still better than most other superhero games. If not, stay clear.    … Expand
  29. tmgius
    Apr 28, 2013
    5
    Technically excellent and with a very rich and entertaining game play, Batman: Arkham City has a weak and predictable plot with poor character development (could say misogynist...). I expected an epic tale for this legend, and not the recurring Batman-Captures-Joker-Joker-Escapes-PIM-PAM-PUM thing...
  30. voiders
    Apr 26, 2013
    9
    Who dont like this game? That game is work of art. The producers had a perfectionist job.
    the atmosphere is perfect, the face of how the environment should be batman.
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Awards & Rankings

4
#4 Best PC Game of 2011
15
#15 Most Discussed PC Game of 2011
3
#3 Most Shared PC Game of 2011

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
91

Universal acclaim - based on 27 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 27 out of 27
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 27
  3. Negative: 0 out of 27
  1. Computer Games Online RO
    Mar 5, 2012
    92
    Though the ending is surprising, in a way, the story isn't the main focus of Batman: Arkham City. Exploring and adventuring come first, you have so much to do that you that the hours just slip by you. Yes, the boss fights are probably too easy, the narrative too short, the framerate goes down on occasion and not all the players will appreciate searching through every nook and cranny to find trophies. But it's all up to you and Arkham City offers a variety that not a lot of new games have nowadays.
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  2. PC Master (Greece)
    Mar 1, 2012
    92
    The developers should be proud for Arkham City and its precise portrayal of Gotham's mood- at least accordingly to recent films and comic books. A gothic atmosphere is undoubtedly dominant, as the majestic architecture of neoclassical buildings shadows the industrialization and the bright lights of a contemporary metropolis.
    Read full review
  3. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Jan 20, 2012
    90
    It's hard to create an extraordinary game but to recognize it is quite simple. Arkham City with its cinematic appearance towers high above the rest with its production values. [Dec 2011]
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