Batman: Arkham City

 Xbox 360
User Score
8.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 1926 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,704 out of 1926
  2. Mixed: 125 out of 1926
  3. Negative: 97 out of 1926
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  1. Filmaholic
    Oct 21, 2011
    8
    I really like the direction that they went with this game. I mean it looks and feels just like the original. The only problem with it is there really is nothing new here. The playing field just got larger, there are more weapons, more bosses, more Riddler trophies. The game just got bigger. That is really my only gripe with the game though
  2. faddish
    Oct 25, 2011
    10
    Sweet, improves on most everything from the first game. There is so much to do if you choose. Game play is smooth voice acting is great and the presentation is awesome.
  3. Sphynx
    Oct 21, 2011
    10
    Batman: Arkham City is easily the best game of 2011 thus far, and a contender for the greatest game of the generation. Unmissable for fans of Batman and essentially everyone else. Those who claim the open world is too small should consider that every square centimetre of Arkham City is memorable and packed with hundreds of mini-puzzles and a dozen deep side-missions. The attention toBatman: Arkham City is easily the best game of 2011 thus far, and a contender for the greatest game of the generation. Unmissable for fans of Batman and essentially everyone else. Those who claim the open world is too small should consider that every square centimetre of Arkham City is memorable and packed with hundreds of mini-puzzles and a dozen deep side-missions. The attention to detail is incredible, and each and every villain is effortlessly compelling despite their impressive numbers. Multiple playable characters, a tonne of combat and predator challenges (along with 400 Riddler puzzles hidden in the campaign), and a fantastic, thrilling story will keep me coming back to Arkham City for years.… Expand
  4. pyrocloud7
    Oct 20, 2011
    10
    This is the perfect game. You have classic beat em' up batman style with an "Open World" style game including side missions and minigames. To those complaining about the movement if you had taken the time to master the movement and do the AR trainings you would not be so disappointed.
  5. HaVoK308
    Oct 18, 2011
    9
    It's better than it's predecessor in every way. And if you played the first you k ow that is no easy task. Quite simply, Arkham City is one of the best games this generation. And I'm far from an avid Batman fan. I never read the comics and only enjoyed two of the movies. Sandbox style is similar to Assissans Creed and Infamous. Both those games are great, but Arkham City has even moreIt's better than it's predecessor in every way. And if you played the first you k ow that is no easy task. Quite simply, Arkham City is one of the best games this generation. And I'm far from an avid Batman fan. I never read the comics and only enjoyed two of the movies. Sandbox style is similar to Assissans Creed and Infamous. Both those games are great, but Arkham City has even more polish. Consider all that with an excellent story and top notch voice acting, you have one very special game.… Expand
  6. Sceptic
    Oct 18, 2011
    10
    Arkham City is a bigger and better game than its already excellent predecessor.The game is absolutely filled with things to do and the new open world nature of AC is a blessing.There are almost too many upgrades,gadgets and secrets in the game and trying to remember combos is a challenging,but welcome,exercise in hand-eye coordination at times.Adding to a decent length campaign areArkham City is a bigger and better game than its already excellent predecessor.The game is absolutely filled with things to do and the new open world nature of AC is a blessing.There are almost too many upgrades,gadgets and secrets in the game and trying to remember combos is a challenging,but welcome,exercise in hand-eye coordination at times.Adding to a decent length campaign are hundreds of Riddler challenges,numerous side missions,balloon popping,dive bombing,challenge maps and a short,fun stint as Catwoman.Amazing...… Expand
  7. throwback8
    Oct 18, 2011
    10
    An immediate GOTY contender and the best open world action game since Red Dead, Rocksteady game's Batman: Arkham City sees Arkham Asylum's already perfect mechanics and expands upon them while keeping the same polish seen in 2009's surprise hit. Don't listen the review on here saying the voice acting is bad. That rules out the fact he's played the game right there. The scripting and voiceAn immediate GOTY contender and the best open world action game since Red Dead, Rocksteady game's Batman: Arkham City sees Arkham Asylum's already perfect mechanics and expands upon them while keeping the same polish seen in 2009's surprise hit. Don't listen the review on here saying the voice acting is bad. That rules out the fact he's played the game right there. The scripting and voice acting is amongst the best the in the business and the freeflow combat system is better than ever. When you're gliding through Gotham, go ahead and watch the snow realistically hit Batmans suit. The city is lavishly detailed and the new gliding/ batclaw mechanics make for one of the best modes of transportation seen in a game ever. The score is pitch perfect and the amount of content stuffed into Arkham City it's staggering. GOTY contender? I think so. Where will Rocksteady go from here?… Expand
  8. InsaneSnowman
    Oct 18, 2011
    10
    The controls for this game are very good, the Graphics are very good, the Voice acting is VERY good, Mark Hamill and Kevin Conroy lead the voice acting on this game, and the other voice acting is very good as well, next of all the sound effects are very good, plus there is a ton of stuff to do in game, you got your main quests, side missions, and tons of Riddler trophies to collect, ifThe controls for this game are very good, the Graphics are very good, the Voice acting is VERY good, Mark Hamill and Kevin Conroy lead the voice acting on this game, and the other voice acting is very good as well, next of all the sound effects are very good, plus there is a ton of stuff to do in game, you got your main quests, side missions, and tons of Riddler trophies to collect, if anyone gives this game a score below an 8 they are obviously looking for attention or trolling.… Expand
  9. EliteF50
    Oct 18, 2011
    10
    One of the greatest games of all time. Rocksteady has not only one-upped Arkham Asylum, they obliterated it. The story is excellent and starts off with an extremely intense arrest. The voice acting is absolutely flawless for the most part. Kevin Conroy knocked it out of the park as Batman (as always), this is easily one of his best performances. Mark Hamill was fantastic as Joker, andOne of the greatest games of all time. Rocksteady has not only one-upped Arkham Asylum, they obliterated it. The story is excellent and starts off with an extremely intense arrest. The voice acting is absolutely flawless for the most part. Kevin Conroy knocked it out of the park as Batman (as always), this is easily one of his best performances. Mark Hamill was fantastic as Joker, and Corey Burton was amazing as Strange. Tara had some big shoes to fill by playing Harley Quinn, but she did it, and boy was she good. The weakest voice in the game is the Penguin's. It's not terrible, but it doesn't match the rest of the game's quality voices. Nolan North is very talented, but someone like Ray Winstone would have been better. The gameplay is amazing and extremely fine-tuned, the story is interesting and engaging, the dialogue is insanely awesome and there's just so much content in the game! A definite 10/10 from me.… Expand
  10. CouchFox
    Nov 12, 2011
    6
    I had a lot of fun with this game. The reason I am giving it a 6 out of 10 is because I am getting really tired of game developers charging money for DLC content that should have been a part of the original game. I'm not paying for the Nightwing Bundle Pack - that should have been part of the game. Same thing with the upcoming Robin Bundle Pack. ALL of these should have been part ofI had a lot of fun with this game. The reason I am giving it a 6 out of 10 is because I am getting really tired of game developers charging money for DLC content that should have been a part of the original game. I'm not paying for the Nightwing Bundle Pack - that should have been part of the game. Same thing with the upcoming Robin Bundle Pack. ALL of these should have been part of the game we're paying $60 for. Arkham City was a decent game - but the developers are getting way too greedy. Waaaay too greedy. People need to start pushing back against these developers who hold back content and then release it as DLC less than two weeks after the game comes out. Ridiculous.… Expand
  11. josh55
    Oct 19, 2011
    6
    This game is pretty much exactly like the last game but with crappy new gadgets, it's harder to get around and they rip you off before you even open the box. They cut out an important part of the game (all of catwoman's story) and put an online pass to download in the game, this was never mentioned in any of the trailers or magazine articles. they did so people would buy it new but theyThis game is pretty much exactly like the last game but with crappy new gadgets, it's harder to get around and they rip you off before you even open the box. They cut out an important part of the game (all of catwoman's story) and put an online pass to download in the game, this was never mentioned in any of the trailers or magazine articles. they did so people would buy it new but they didn't that not everyone has access to x-box live, and to top that off the pre-order bonus where you can play as robin is also dlc even though that was never mentioned, the videogame industry should not be aloud to gyp it's customers like this.… Expand
  12. RampantAndroid
    Oct 21, 2011
    3
    I don't quite understand all the 10/10 reviews. Asylum as a good combination of free roam and directed gameplay. Objectives were clear, as was the story. City is a sandbox game, with a story that is confusing from the get go, and I have no investment in. I've played 3 hours of the game, and I'm selling it off tomorrow. I don't see any point to playing this. It's just he Asylum gameplayI don't quite understand all the 10/10 reviews. Asylum as a good combination of free roam and directed gameplay. Objectives were clear, as was the story. City is a sandbox game, with a story that is confusing from the get go, and I have no investment in. I've played 3 hours of the game, and I'm selling it off tomorrow. I don't see any point to playing this. It's just he Asylum gameplay with a sandbox thrown on to it. Woo friggen hoo. You might as well go play Just Cause 2.… Expand
  13. StapledYeti
    Nov 1, 2011
    10
    Game of the year for me, as with all games a few problems occur but ill get to them. Overall this game is very linear and simple except for the riddler challenges but it is very simple to play. This is what makes it great. Amazing graphics and physics, brilliant story and pacing and the best combat in a game yet. It is a thouroughly enjoying game and is definatly worth getting. All youGame of the year for me, as with all games a few problems occur but ill get to them. Overall this game is very linear and simple except for the riddler challenges but it is very simple to play. This is what makes it great. Amazing graphics and physics, brilliant story and pacing and the best combat in a game yet. It is a thouroughly enjoying game and is definatly worth getting. All you have to do is defeat penguin and the fun really does begin.… Expand
  14. crazysammons
    Nov 17, 2011
    8
    I loved Batman Arkham Asylum, but my only problem with the game was the story was just to short, and I'm afraid to say that Arkham City is exactly the same. With the game being bigger the story is a little longer but not as long as I would of liked. Side Missions are great fun and are a welcome distraction to the main story, Catwoman's story blends nicely into the game making it seamless,I loved Batman Arkham Asylum, but my only problem with the game was the story was just to short, and I'm afraid to say that Arkham City is exactly the same. With the game being bigger the story is a little longer but not as long as I would of liked. Side Missions are great fun and are a welcome distraction to the main story, Catwoman's story blends nicely into the game making it seamless, sometimes DLC can be a little cut and paste and doesn't make much sense. I would highly recommend this game to anyone who loved Arkham Asylum and players new to the franchise.... Good work Rocksteady when's the next one :-)… Expand
  15. Redfordsto
    Nov 18, 2011
    10
    Without a doubt the most entertaining and rewarding game I have ever played. For a comicbook and videogame nerd, this game hit all the right marks and left me wanting more.
  16. emcoffey3
    Jan 22, 2012
    10
    I don't often dish out praise like this, but this game is phenomenal. Everything that was good about Arkham Asylum is back and, somehow, even better. Like it's predecessor, AC's core gameplay balances combat, stealth, exploration, and detective skills perfectly. In addition, Arkham City offers a lot of cool new gadgets, tougher enemies, and a way bigger sandbox to play in. I've beenI don't often dish out praise like this, but this game is phenomenal. Everything that was good about Arkham Asylum is back and, somehow, even better. Like it's predecessor, AC's core gameplay balances combat, stealth, exploration, and detective skills perfectly. In addition, Arkham City offers a lot of cool new gadgets, tougher enemies, and a way bigger sandbox to play in. I've been playing this game for over a month, and I'm still enjoying it (an extreme rarity, due in part to the lack of original ideas new games offer, and in part to my own short attention span). I'm actually finding it hard to find anything to complain about. The only thing that comes to mind is that Rocksteady may have gone a bit overboard on the Riddler challenges this time (440?!), as I'm still not done finding them all. I do wish that the refresh rate on the smoke pellet was a bit quicker, and that it had it's own quick-button combination (when under fire, you can simply hit Y, but when facing any other enemies you have to manually select it and hit LT+RB to drop it). Other reviews I've read have complained about the boss battles being too easy, but I actually had a tough time with both Mr. Freeze and Two-Face (for the latter, the endlessly spawning henchmen is a bit of a cop-out, Rocksteady). Other than that, it would have been nice to free-roam as Robin or Nightwing, but this is not a big deal.

    I recommend Arkham City for anyone who likes action-adventure games, stealth-based combat games, or games based on comic books. If you enjoyed Arkham Asylum, you will absolutely love Arkham City. If you never played AA, you missed out on an awesome game, but AC is great place to jump back in. The only question now is where will Rocksteady take Batman next...?    … Expand
  17. Ixnatifual
    Oct 27, 2011
    10
    This is how you make a sequel to the best game of the decade. Everything that made Arkham Asylum great has made its way to Arkham City. Everything's been expanded upon: The combat system and the opponents are better and more varied than ever, as are the environments. The boss fights are top notch and have also seen considerable improvement over the original. Few games offer experiences asThis is how you make a sequel to the best game of the decade. Everything that made Arkham Asylum great has made its way to Arkham City. Everything's been expanded upon: The combat system and the opponents are better and more varied than ever, as are the environments. The boss fights are top notch and have also seen considerable improvement over the original. Few games offer experiences as satisfying as disassembling an opponent's machine gun, doing the knife dodge takedown or diving from a skyscraper and pulling up at the last minute. The Catwoman side character is well done, and I hope to see much more of that in the third installment of the series.… Expand
  18. DMB4SheZ
    Nov 10, 2011
    10
    Finally......I get to be batman! This is the game you have been waiting for ever since you saw your first batman movie. Great story, amazing game play, and you will never get bored.
  19. WalkingJ-Dog
    Feb 26, 2013
    10
    Their is no question arkham city is one of the best games of all time for me it was the game of the year in 2011 and the story is one of the best stories i have played in recent memory and the joker voiced by mark hamill is an incredible villian and he kept me entertained the entire game
  20. Iamthejuan
    May 8, 2013
    5
    I just downloaded this recently when it hit Xbox live market; I am already at 100% and working on the "harder" replay of the game you unlock. I can see already that this game has very little replay value other than occasionally trolling around beating up thugs and fantasizing that I am, in reality, capable of being like Batman. As a fan of the character, I expect better.

    This game isn't    I just downloaded this recently when it hit Xbox live market; I am already at 100% and working on the "harder" replay of the game you unlock. I can see already that this game has very little replay value other than occasionally trolling around beating up thugs and fantasizing that I am, in reality, capable of being like Batman. As a fan of the character, I expect better.

    This game isn't terrible, and I can tell a lot of work went into it. However, it seems like they couldn't decide whether they were making a game for adults or for children, and tried to split hairs. It's like like they went half "dark knight" and half cartoony Batman... The story-writing and clever humor throughout the game are pretty good, but the combat mechanics are often unresponsive or too impractical; the camera angles make precise control difficult no matter what setting you use; the enemies take unrealistic amounts of damage. The game uses high health enemies and sheer numbers to make it "hard", and it feels stupid to be fighting a large crowd of "common thugs" who can apparently take 20 or 30 Batman punches before going night-night. (I understand the game wants you to master combos, but seriously?) Sometimes the game forces a certain action or gadget use when other more obvious routes should have been available to batman (having to use a zipline or remote control batarang by being prevented from gliding, grappling, swimming, climbing, or any other action Batman is normally capable of).

    Everything is hidden, even stupid simple objectives like payphones are deliberately placed in hard to reach spots so as to run down any timers associated with a mission. The supporting characters play very minor roles- why does Catwoman make more of an appearance than Robin? Why is Nightwing nowhere in the campaign? Why are there 50 thousand ridler trophies; all I know is if I find them all the Riddler had best show up as a secret fight or I will be angry.

    The biggest killer is that there is little to do at endgame other than to fight and collect trophies. The challenge modes are ok, but I would rather play Special Ops in that case if anyone knows what I am saying. It is too late now to worry about any major expansions, but I hope the developers work on these things for the next Arkham game; it is too common to see developers getting comfortable with subpar output when they know the game has a dedicated fanbase that largely supports anything with the logo on it. This game is in no way a 10.    … Expand
  21. MichaelH
    Nov 11, 2011
    9
    In 2009, Rocksteady Studios released the critically acclaimed hit Batman: Arkham Asylum and in doing so set the gold standard by which all superhero games hence forth would be compared to.

    Now, just over two years later, the developer has released the next chapter in their Batman saga, Batman: Arkham City. After promising to improve an already impressive first effort, does Arkham City    In 2009, Rocksteady Studios released the critically acclaimed hit Batman: Arkham Asylum and in doing so set the gold standard by which all superhero games hence forth would be compared to.

    Now, just over two years later, the developer has released the next chapter in their Batman saga, Batman: Arkham City. After promising to improve an already impressive first effort, does Arkham City deliver high-flying thrills and a gripping tale, or would it fall victim to the dreaded sophomore slump syndrome?

    Taking place six months after the events which occurred in Arkham Asylum, Arkham City drops you in the middle of a city-turned-prison on the brink of total chaos. Donning the legendary cape and cowl, you, playing as Batman, are immediately thrown into the turmoil and tasked with getting to the bottom of whatâ    … Expand
  22. Sh0dan
    Nov 10, 2011
    9
    Just completed 100% the game and Riddler challenges and WOW.. Such a fantastic game! Easily as good as Arkham Asylum if not better. I kinda thought there was less stealth and gadget progression this time around, seemed to be a tad more fighting, but honestly the quotas between stealth, combat, exploration and puzzle solving were about the same. Wished the main story and side missions hadJust completed 100% the game and Riddler challenges and WOW.. Such a fantastic game! Easily as good as Arkham Asylum if not better. I kinda thought there was less stealth and gadget progression this time around, seemed to be a tad more fighting, but honestly the quotas between stealth, combat, exploration and puzzle solving were about the same. Wished the main story and side missions had been a bit longer too. Some of the side story villain missions seemed to cut a bit short. Also I have to say how unhappy I am with the Catwoman content unlock pass. I think that really wasn't necessary and it annoyed me a lot that I couldn't share the full content of this game with family members, or that in the future if my profile ever becomes compromised, I may not be able to access the Catwoman content at all. At the very least a PC style revoke tool should have been implemented so that we can move the content to different profiles and xboxs if we encounter problems. And don't believe it doesn't happen, my brother lost his profile to hackers and lost all of his GS and purchased DLC. But apart from that I thoroughly I enjoyed this game and would recommend it to any gamer, even if they aren't a Bats fan. Fantastic game. Congrats to the developers.… Expand
  23. andyking24
    Oct 30, 2011
    10
    There aren't too many words to say about this game apart from, BUY THIS GAME!!! THE GREATEST BATMAN GAME EVER MADE!!! Just you wait till next summer, we might just have the greatest Batman movie ever made, the way things are shaping up anyway!!!
  24. Nosradna
    Oct 31, 2011
    8
    This was a fun, single player game that retained all the best from Arkham Asylum and added a few new tricks!. This game sports a much bigger world to explore and a great environment that make the game seem endless. The riddler trophies are much harder to acquire and there are no riddler maps (you interrogate informants instead). If you are an achievement hunter, you will be in for theThis was a fun, single player game that retained all the best from Arkham Asylum and added a few new tricks!. This game sports a much bigger world to explore and a great environment that make the game seem endless. The riddler trophies are much harder to acquire and there are no riddler maps (you interrogate informants instead). If you are an achievement hunter, you will be in for the long haul!! There are 440 riddler trophies/challenges in the game to complete plus over 150 riddler challenges that stand alone outside the game. Further, to get 100% complete you must play through the game twice and complete all the side missions (some of which are incredibly annoying to find). For all casual gamers and fans of the batman comics this is a must play! Numerous villains, catwoman, and robin all make appearances in the game!… Expand
  25. DANIPSX
    Oct 28, 2011
    10
    This game is one or maybe the best game for this generation that I've played.

    Why? Easy answer, I can´t stop playing and playing and playing again. The most games that I've played on this generation, are worst or better, but I can play for more than 1 o 2 hours. I can´t leave my pad playing batman. The graphics, the voices, the sound, the story, the alternative    This game is one or maybe the best game for this generation that I've played.

    Why? Easy answer, I can´t stop playing and playing and playing again. The most games that I've played on this generation, are worst or better, but I can play for more than 1 o 2 hours.

    I can´t leave my pad playing batman. The graphics, the voices, the sound, the story, the alternative missions, all the entire game its really nice.

    You can´t get bored because all of the missions and alternative missions are spectacular, not like other games that are silly alternative missions.

    Playing this game, you are Batman, you can fell yourself as Batman!.    … Expand
  26. samjenko
    Oct 31, 2011
    8
    Like the Uncharted series, these games aren't just video games, they're almost interactive films, with fantastic voice acting, graphics and an engaging story. I find the direction they have gone with the depiction of Batman in these games to be even grittier and perhaps more mentally unstable than the Christopher Nolan films, which are well known for their dark approach to the dark knight.Like the Uncharted series, these games aren't just video games, they're almost interactive films, with fantastic voice acting, graphics and an engaging story. I find the direction they have gone with the depiction of Batman in these games to be even grittier and perhaps more mentally unstable than the Christopher Nolan films, which are well known for their dark approach to the dark knight. The single player campaign is well paced with the catwoman missions and interesting side missions and when the game comes to an end you will have also collected a number of collectibles and arena missions that can be attempted with batman and also catwoman and robin depending on what DLC you have. Which leads me to the negatives, apart from the short single player and the surprisingly small city, the catwoman and robin DLC not being included on the disc is just a huge annoyance and it is becoming ridiculous, although I know its not the fault of the developer. At the end of the game, a hardcore mode is unlocked, however i didn't particularly want to play it again, as the gameplay can become somewhat repetitive at the end and as the game is story driven and once all of the secrets have been told they don't have the same impact. The arena mode was a nice time waster, but overall i felt that i'd payed £40 for a very enjoyable but very short adventure. For this reason i just couldn't stretch to giving the game a 9 and i'll award it a very high 8/10… Expand
  27. BovinePiracy
    Nov 4, 2011
    10
    I love this game! I can't even begin to think of how much time I have put into Arkham City already, and there is plenty more to do! The open environment, great storyline, rich content. This game has it all, and is so much fun. The only gripe I have is that if I am downloading something and start this game, when the download is finished in the background, you will get bounced back to theI love this game! I can't even begin to think of how much time I have put into Arkham City already, and there is plenty more to do! The open environment, great storyline, rich content. This game has it all, and is so much fun. The only gripe I have is that if I am downloading something and start this game, when the download is finished in the background, you will get bounced back to the main menu. Other than that it rocks! Possibly Game of the Year in my book.… Expand
  28. ReviewerMan44
    Nov 24, 2011
    10
    Batman Arkham City doesn't just do Batman justice, it does him perfection. From the incredible story, to the fully realized open world of Arkham City, Batman has never looked nor played so well, and this game truly shows it. Rocksteady Studios has once again outdone themselves, best they move on to Superman now.
  29. Lucrious
    Nov 15, 2011
    10
    It's Batman. In Gotham City (At least a large part of it) And it has Mark Hamill's swan song (seemingly) of the Clown Prince of Crime. If you love video games, if you love comic video games, and most of all, if you love the goddam batman, than I don't need to explain why this game is so damn good, just see for yourself. BUY IT.
  30. korndawggg
    Oct 31, 2011
    10
    As a huge Batman fan, it's possible to say I am a little biased into liking this game more than I should, but it should help to know the only reason I am a Batman fan is Batman: Arkham Asylum. Before that game I had a lingering curiosity for Batman comics and like everyone else enjoyed the old movies as a kid and now greatly enjoy the Chris Nolan Batman movies.

    After Arkham Asyulm I was    As a huge Batman fan, it's possible to say I am a little biased into liking this game more than I should, but it should help to know the only reason I am a Batman fan is Batman: Arkham Asylum. Before that game I had a lingering curiosity for Batman comics and like everyone else enjoyed the old movies as a kid and now greatly enjoy the Chris Nolan Batman movies.

    After Arkham Asyulm I was hooked. So when Arkham City was announced, there was very little to keep me from squealing like a school girl. The few weeks before it's release the sinking feeling crept into me, what if its not good? What if it contains a similar lack luster ending? Well now that it here and I have played it for a week I can safely say, This is single handedly the best game I have played all year and a glorious follow up to 2009's Arkham Asylum.

    Every aspect has been improved upon. Combat now flawlessly incorporates gadgets and new combo moves while feeling as fluid as ever. The player starts with just about every gadget from the first game and is able to upgrade them throughout. By the end, every gadget has multiple functions and juggling which way to tackle a new objective or puzzle is dependent on your knowledge of your equipment.

    Stealth action is back and can now be even more challenging than the extreme challenge maps from the first game without feeling frustrating. A player could get through the entire game relying on tactics from the first game, but new gadgets and moves make combat and stealth much more exciting and diverse.

    While the story missions are the primary draw and are given a great deal of effort and detail, its the side missions that really shine. Anyone who blows through the main game and skips the side missions are really missing out. They encompass everything from investigating a serial killer, to tracking an assassin, and working with former enemies. Fans of the comics will get the most out of these missions as they contain debuts of lesser known Batman villains. But non-comic readers will also enjoy these as they may also contain hints about possible sequels.

    On to the story. While the side missions tend to focus on one Bat-villain each, the story is packed so full of foes you would think they would be stepping on each others toes. But each villain has a purpose. Some might find these cameos not as fleshed out as they should be. A few well known villains are given very little screen time, But I think each character is handled expertly. Only being involved in the story in a natural way, never feeling jammed in or forced.

    What really pulls it all together is the voice acting. As usual Mark Hamill's Joker steals the show. But other voice actors from the Animated Series make their way in. Kevin Conroy continues to prove that he is the greatest actor to don the cape and cowl. Even the original Mr. Freeze voice actor returns adding a chilling calmness to my personal favorite villain in the game. The 5000 character limit isn't enough to go into detail about how great every character featured in the game is, but if there is one more worth mentioning it is the Riddler. After his defeat in Arkham Asylum Edward Nigma is back with a vendetta against the Bat. He now less resembles Jim Carrey's Riddler from the movies and is more reminiscent of Jigsaw.

    The first game contained Riddler trophies and riddles adding up to a whoping 240 collectibles. Well Rocksteady upped the ante with a staggering 460 trophies, riddles, and breakable objects. And each trophy is no easy snatch-and-grab affair. They are all part of some puzzle that needs to be solved before claiming your prize. Each trophy I came across felt like a portal puzzle only instead of only orange or blue, I had a utility belt full of possible solutions. Not to take into account that I may not have acquired the necessary gadget to solve the puzzle.

    The climax of the game is where words cease to be able to convey its quality. If the ending was the first games greatest shortcoming, then the ending is the sequel's crowning achievement. It would be unfair for me to try to explain, as words fall short of how to describe the final minutes before the credits roll. So I won't, but I urge every single person who calls themselves a gamer or a Batman fan to play this game.

    So far Batman: Arkham City is easily my top choice for game of the year. It encompasses the best aspects of every other GOTY contenders. Portal 2's puzzles, Uncharted 3's action adventure and great story telling, L.A. Noire's character detail and voice performance all while tying it up in a neat Batman bow. Don't mistake my meaning for this being some kind of Frankenstein monster of gaming. These are just the best aspects of the great games this year, just all done in one game.    … Expand
  31. Jarbas6
    Nov 11, 2011
    9
    Arkham City is big to explore, the side missions are awesome, main quests will take about 15 hours, and then there are Riddler Trophies, Challenge Maps and New Game+. The story is fantastic and surprising as it rolls, and many of Batman's comic books characters are at least mentioned. Graphics are good, not one of the bests around, but still stunning. Gameplay is not perfect, and youArkham City is big to explore, the side missions are awesome, main quests will take about 15 hours, and then there are Riddler Trophies, Challenge Maps and New Game+. The story is fantastic and surprising as it rolls, and many of Batman's comic books characters are at least mentioned. Graphics are good, not one of the bests around, but still stunning. Gameplay is not perfect, and you certainly will take time to know what you are supposed to do, but this is definetively a great game.
    Gameplay:7/10
    Graphics:9/10
    Story:10/10
    Lifetime: 10/10
    OVERALL: 9/10    … Expand
  32. Peajay80
    Oct 30, 2011
    9
    Batman AC is one of the best games I've played this year. Im about 50% of the way through the story and have loved every minute so far. There is tonnes to do in AC if you fancy a break from the main story. With over 400 collectibles numerous side missions and the Riddlers Revenge missions you get a lot of play for your money.
  33. Sachi
    Nov 25, 2011
    10
    "Batman: Arkham City" is an amazing game that is just flat-out fun and interesting, most definately one of the best games of 2011. Arkham City is bigger and better than Arkham Asylum. The graphics and voicework is amazing and top-notch, Arkham City feels alive and breathing, you have so much exploration and so much to do in Arkham City that you will be long entertained. The plot is pretty"Batman: Arkham City" is an amazing game that is just flat-out fun and interesting, most definately one of the best games of 2011. Arkham City is bigger and better than Arkham Asylum. The graphics and voicework is amazing and top-notch, Arkham City feels alive and breathing, you have so much exploration and so much to do in Arkham City that you will be long entertained. The plot is pretty awesome too as the plot is now much more than just trying to stop the Joker from escaping. The gameplay is perfect as always with the combat staying the same, I love Arkham City's combat controls as it makes combat intuitive and fun. There are many riddler challenges all accross the map and it is very addicting to do them. Arkham City is a mega-hit game that doesn't fail to entertain. The only flaw I see with Arkham City is that one too many villains were in the story and so some villains did not get as much spotlight as they should have but this is a tiny flaw compared to the rest of the game, nothing to damamge the experience. Overal, Arkham City is a great game that is absolutely worth playing, possibly the Game of 2011. If you like Arkham Asylum then you will definately love Arkham City. Breakdown for "Batman: Arkham City": Presentation: 9.8, Graphics: 10, Sound: 10, Playability: 10, Lasting Appeal: 9.7, Verdict: 9.8 out of 10 "Amazing"… Expand
  34. Verse
    Oct 28, 2011
    10
    Batman: Arkham City is an incredible gaming experience, and is undoubtedly one of the best games of this generation. Rocksteady Studios has took everything good about Batman: Arkham Asylum, and made it even better - an expanded combat system, larger environment, deeper plot and characters, new gadgets, and a lot more replay value. Additionally, there were some niggling factors in ArkhamBatman: Arkham City is an incredible gaming experience, and is undoubtedly one of the best games of this generation. Rocksteady Studios has took everything good about Batman: Arkham Asylum, and made it even better - an expanded combat system, larger environment, deeper plot and characters, new gadgets, and a lot more replay value. Additionally, there were some niggling factors in Arkham Asylum, such as repetitive boss battles and unchallenging Riddler Trophies, which have all been massively improve upon in the sequel. It's clear Rocksteady has made great strides to make each boss battle feel unique and interesting. From a technical perspective, Rocksteady is literally pushing Unreal Engine 3 to its limits with Arkham City, and the result is beautiful visuals, fluid animations, and high-detailed character models. I'll be honest, Batman: Arkham City features some of the most incredible art I've ever seen in a game, with Arkham City designed as a dense, macabre and unholy prison - roads and streets are filled with burnt-out cars and trucks, while bags of waste have formed in alleyways. I could go on about just how fantastic Batman: Arkham City, but it's a game that really does have to be experienced by anyone who plays games - not just a Batman fan. It is a monumental feat in game design, and could very well be the first game in a long-time that I can honestly is absolutely perfect.… Expand
  35. Daedalus333
    Nov 16, 2011
    8
    I won't go over all the thecnical aspects of the game or how fun it is cause it's all been said already. I will just say one thing tho : don't beleive all the hype, it's a good game, but not the best you've ever played
  36. Nightwing
    Oct 28, 2011
    10
    rkham City is a bigger and better game than its already excellent predecessor. game does not have disadvantages, though no one is THIS CARD! but all the other delights of the game covering all flaws! BEST GAME OF THE YEAR!
  37. GeoffDeGeoff
    Oct 30, 2011
    10
    Definitely a candidate for GOTY, adds to the amazing story and action from the first game, does justice to all the characters and has a great ending.

    Recommened for all, but get and play Arkham Asylum first!
  38. FleshgodMafia
    Oct 30, 2011
    10
    Didn't really see what the big deal was with Arkham Asylum. Great game, but overrated IMO. Arkham City came along and BLEW my expectations away. Don't listen to the haters, this game is just flat-out awesome.
  39. Bwoobs
    Nov 3, 2011
    10
    My anticipation for this game was through the roof and when the first cutscene rolled and I beat people up as catwoman I knew this game was great. Playing as batman, it's not like being batman at all, you are batman. That's what makes this game worth a 10.
  40. LoveGaming
    Nov 4, 2011
    10
    This game is too good. This is potentially the best game of the year so far. There is no reason not to get it. The only flaw this game has is that it ends.
  41. ronswanson
    Nov 7, 2011
    9
    From the get go, the action starts off very quickly. Within the first hour, you encounter many fan favorite villains and missions send you around the very gothic looking streets (and rooftops) of Arkham City. The main campaign lacks the race against time feel of the first game, but thats only because there is so much to do and get distracted by. The upgrades and gadgets make you feel moreFrom the get go, the action starts off very quickly. Within the first hour, you encounter many fan favorite villains and missions send you around the very gothic looking streets (and rooftops) of Arkham City. The main campaign lacks the race against time feel of the first game, but thats only because there is so much to do and get distracted by. The upgrades and gadgets make you feel more powerful than ever. The catwoman section play very well and are a welcome break from playing as Bats. What really sets this appart from its predeccessor are the side missions, which feel much more like side stories, as they have you hunting down gotham criminals in episodic installments. Visuals and combat haven't changed much, but the map size and the amount of on screen enemies are very impressive. With improved boss battles, more villains and a longer campaign, this is a fantastic sequel that should not be missed.… Expand
  42. Joker517
    Nov 7, 2011
    10
    Surpassing it's predecessor (Batman: Arkham Asylum) in every way, Arkham City is not only the best comic book-based video game ever made, but it is one of the best games of this console generation. Yes, that is a hefty statement to make, considering this puts it in the league of juggernauts such as Grand Theft Auto IV, Red Dead Redemption, and Fallout 3, but this praise is more than wellSurpassing it's predecessor (Batman: Arkham Asylum) in every way, Arkham City is not only the best comic book-based video game ever made, but it is one of the best games of this console generation. Yes, that is a hefty statement to make, considering this puts it in the league of juggernauts such as Grand Theft Auto IV, Red Dead Redemption, and Fallout 3, but this praise is more than well deserved. From a visual aspect, the recreation of a gritty, dark, and depressing section of Gotham is a dream finally realized in amazing fashion. The quality of the environment, the detail of your surroundings, and the ability to finally take Batman out into a more open world than ever before all come to fruition. While the gameplay is not truly innovative, and does nothing radical that Asylum before hadn't already done, the controls feel polished, the mechanics solid, and the execution of the controls in game is very satisfying. Leaping from enemy to enemy, brawling your way through endless waves of varied enemy types, and delivering bone-crushing finishing blows is yet another satisfying part of the game's overall perfection.

    The story and voice acting, not to be overshadowed by the visual and gameplay aspects, are really what sells the game for me. Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill ARE the voice of Batman and Joker, respectively. They embody the characters and bring them to life in a story that is full of suspense, a few surprise twists, and an ending that will leave you feeling as if you had watched a dramatic tale come to it's close, all while playing a video game. One issue I would like to address is one that has been brought up in several of the negative reviews. Concerning Catwoman and her inclusion/absence from the game. YES she is included as a downloadable content add-on, but NO she is not a crucial part of the games story. If you buy the game new, you will get her, free of charge. If you buy the game used, and which to play as her, you will have to pay $10 to download her. Her part in the game is short, with 4 very quick chapters to play through. Only one of the chapters significantly adds to the story, but that addition comes in the form of a "choice" that is presented to the players that has to be made the right way in order for the story to proceed, so it's not a choice at all. The story can be played without her, as all of the depth to the story she brings come in the form of the cut-scenes she is in, which are not a part of her DLC.

    Overall, visually, gameplay-wise, and story-wise, Arkham City stands out as the best game released so far this year, and one of the best released in the last decade. A clear contender for Game of the Year, and well deserving of all it's accolades, it has surpassed all other licensed games before it, and will stand as a testament to what a truly perfect game can be.    … Expand
  43. DevoutestDoor
    Nov 9, 2011
    10
    This game is worth retail price. Story is amazing. The only problem with this game is that it has too many gadgets and upgrades. A minor defect is learning the combos but you can not blame the game if you can't handle awesomeness that is way above average.
  44. BloodVenom
    Nov 10, 2011
    10
    Wow, Game of the Year? I sure hope so. Batman: Arkham City has literally changed my view on the superhero genre of videogames. I know EXPECT games to be this good, not only superhero ones, but all games should strive for a narration this well written with seamless gameplay.
  45. BiologyMadman
    Nov 10, 2011
    10
    This game is, as a whole, better than Arkham Asylum in every way. More gadgets, more combat options, more characters, crazy challenges, and a navigation system that is as much fun as Ultimate Spider-Man. The basic combat challenges seem easier to max, but this seems to be a way to balance the new Campaign mode for challenges. The game's pacing suffers a bit from the open worldThis game is, as a whole, better than Arkham Asylum in every way. More gadgets, more combat options, more characters, crazy challenges, and a navigation system that is as much fun as Ultimate Spider-Man. The basic combat challenges seem easier to max, but this seems to be a way to balance the new Campaign mode for challenges. The game's pacing suffers a bit from the open world structure, but if you get all the trophies on your first playthrough you can self-pace a bit on New Game +, and it's substantially better that way. Overall, it's absolutely worth the money, buy it now.… Expand
  46. Reiko20
    Nov 10, 2011
    10
    I don't know what to say about Batman: Arkham City except holy crap this is awesome.. If it can be done well I think a co-op sanbox mode with a "mini - campaign" would make a fantastic addition to everything this game offers for Batman 3..
  47. maxcub
    Nov 10, 2011
    10
    Awesome game. Just can't quit playing it. Only criticism is I would have liked a longer story and less Riddler trophies. They get kind of tedious after a while although I like the fact that the city is still populated with bad guys once the story is finished and you're going back to find all the Riddler trophies and riddles. In Asylum it got boring running around just trying to get theAwesome game. Just can't quit playing it. Only criticism is I would have liked a longer story and less Riddler trophies. They get kind of tedious after a while although I like the fact that the city is still populated with bad guys once the story is finished and you're going back to find all the Riddler trophies and riddles. In Asylum it got boring running around just trying to get the trophies with no action in between.… Expand
  48. masterkeep3r
    Nov 10, 2011
    10
    Game of the year. Improves upon Arkham Asylum in exery aspect. Great main story and effectively developed side missions. The unlockable rewards like character trophies, concept art, interview tapes, bios all adds to the game's epic feel and it feels like a homogenous well conceived product. Getting all the Riddler trohies and challenges is fun and makes you use all your gadgets and your brains :)
  49. Daghostofsparta
    Nov 10, 2011
    9
    This game was pretty solid. It continued the awesomeness that Arkham Asylum started. This game brought in a few new characters (familiar faces) to the series, like cat woman, robin etc. The fighting is epic as you just punish multiple enemies at once and the counter button is pressed a million times. The story is great, specially if your a fan and follow the series on tv, movies or comics.This game was pretty solid. It continued the awesomeness that Arkham Asylum started. This game brought in a few new characters (familiar faces) to the series, like cat woman, robin etc. The fighting is epic as you just punish multiple enemies at once and the counter button is pressed a million times. The story is great, specially if your a fan and follow the series on tv, movies or comics. The graphics are impressive , specifically the charter models and scenery. I love the grappling hook and soaring throughout the city looking for trouble. This is a great buy and I recommend it to any one thats looking for a great plat former slash kick ass game.… Expand
  50. NoahB
    Nov 14, 2011
    10
    This game simply is a fantastic and flawless follow up to Arkham Asylum. We as gamers sometimes take for granted how difficult it is to follow up one of the best games produced for any platform. In Batman: Arkham City, Rocksteady has done an incredible job. A few new features have been added. New gadgets give you an array of choices when fending off enemies. If you played the previousThis game simply is a fantastic and flawless follow up to Arkham Asylum. We as gamers sometimes take for granted how difficult it is to follow up one of the best games produced for any platform. In Batman: Arkham City, Rocksteady has done an incredible job. A few new features have been added. New gadgets give you an array of choices when fending off enemies. If you played the previous game, gliding and grappling has a similar feel but features a new way to attack foes and to navigate the immense city. The combat "free flow" system is once again near perfection and crushing foes to senseless piles of meat never gets old. The voice acting is superb as was the first. I certainly am going to miss Mark Hamill (aka Luke Skywalker) as he said that this is his last voice act for The Joker. Here is a pretty cool vid I found on youtube on his Joker voice acting. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gBWpWwIBKw. He's phenomenal as are Quinn, Strange, Catwoman and the others. The story is engrossing, addictive and keeps your interest with worthwhile side missions that gently divert you from the main story. It is extremely easy however to refocus to the main story at any time. Boss fights are challenging but somewhat predictable at any difficulty and the new "game plus" mode will challenge the most experienced gamers skills. The online "challenge modes" are a little repetitive as you fight waves of enemies. It is good however to hone in your hand to hand combat skills. This game has a monster amount of Riddler trophies that make you use your noggin, some of them are extremely difficult to solve but are extremely rewarding once you solve them. In conclusion this game will immerse you with it's genius storytelling, voice acting, free flow combat system, graphics and game mechanics. A genuine GOTY contender and a must play!… Expand
  51. organicpeach
    Nov 14, 2011
    9
    A truly stunning game that is a completely worthy sequel to the amazing Arkham Asylum. What the story lacks in focus is made up for with a huge amount of content and detail within the city itself. This game also contains the best sub-quests of any game because they feel like whole plots within themselves. A massive lifespan and stunning looks makes this game a must buy.
  52. GridironCJ
    Nov 15, 2011
    8
    Batman Arkham City is a well-executed game that doesn't diverge from it's predecessor too much. I'll start off with the good, as there is plenty of it. The game's overall concept is innovative and created relatively high expectations. For the most part, these expectations were met. The award-winning combat system is back and the addition of new gadgets, combos, and new characters isBatman Arkham City is a well-executed game that doesn't diverge from it's predecessor too much. I'll start off with the good, as there is plenty of it. The game's overall concept is innovative and created relatively high expectations. For the most part, these expectations were met. The award-winning combat system is back and the addition of new gadgets, combos, and new characters is enough to evolve this feature. There are plenty of characters in this game, which some pop out of nowhere as a surprise, which keeps the excitement rolling. There is plenty of gameplay, with the addition of side-missions, Riddler's Revenge, other characters' campaigns, etcs. The game's drawbacks are quite noticable to a veteran gamer. The story is sloppy and will make you question Batman's decision-making abilities. The overall experience may be fun, but you'll soon realize that Arkham City is quite small, and it becomes extremely formulaic beyond the main story. While there are more things to do than in Arkham Asylum, it's not too far off from being AA 1.5, which means this game cannot be considered revolutionary. That title belongs to AA. The graphics are sub-par and nothing to be excited about. If you've been gaming on this gen since the start (back in 2005), then you're probably begging for a new generation to pop up already. Perhaps some sort of innovative multiplayer may have boosted the score to a 9. Assassin's Creed did this, which ended up being a huge success. In sum, if you enjoyed AA, you'll enjoy this game too. Luckily, Rocksteady will most likely put off Batman 3 until next gen, which will hopefully feature all of Gotham City.… Expand
  53. Xboxgamer421
    Nov 21, 2011
    9
    Great game the story was good and i found it easier to follow doing the side missions after the main story. the combat was smooth but i never found myself using any quickfire gadgets except for the batclaw. some of the riddler challenges were challenging until you thought of it like a detective. a lot of the Super-criminals received the short end of the stick but others were perfect. theGreat game the story was good and i found it easier to follow doing the side missions after the main story. the combat was smooth but i never found myself using any quickfire gadgets except for the batclaw. some of the riddler challenges were challenging until you thought of it like a detective. a lot of the Super-criminals received the short end of the stick but others were perfect. the beginning and the ending were fantastic and moving around the city was great once I got gliding down and it fit in perfectly for Batman and if i got tired of it i would zip-line around. I felt like i actually had a boss battle something that hasn't worked for me in along time. The riddler was probably the most satisfying enemy because i really felt like i had to work for it. if you don't like collecting things don't but i thought it worked greatly. I am a bit of an achievement hunter and was looking forward to collecting all of them when i noticed that one you have to have Robin which i didnt preorder and you have to buy Nightwing which doesn't seem fair those achievements should have been downloaded after you downloaded the characters. Just a minor setback for a fantastic game definitely one of the need to buy games of the year even if you don't like Batman because i didn't really care for it until I played Arkham Asylum and i have learned that Batman is the best super hero because he doesn't have superpower. Amazing follow up to an amazing original Rocksteady keep up the great work… Expand
  54. Kenmei
    Dec 31, 2011
    8
    Easily one of the best games of 2011, the voice acting and characters alone set this apart from most of everything else from 2011. I personally felt that Arkham Asylum got a bit too repetitive and this one was no better. However the story and everything that revolved around that really makes this a great game, if for nothing else than to hear Mark Hamill perform his final performance ofEasily one of the best games of 2011, the voice acting and characters alone set this apart from most of everything else from 2011. I personally felt that Arkham Asylum got a bit too repetitive and this one was no better. However the story and everything that revolved around that really makes this a great game, if for nothing else than to hear Mark Hamill perform his final performance of the Joker. The ending is great and I feel that everyone should play this if just to see how things turn out for our favorite bat. A couple of issues I saw were that Catwoman's story, a major part of the game, is not available from the start. You need to download it and good luck if you buy this used. Playing her story will cost you 10 more bucks, which means you should just buy it new until the price goes down if you want to experience the full story. Another thing I didn't like was the fact that pretty much 90% of the available side missions in the game were just to collect Riddler trophies. I expected something more when they said there would be hours of side missions to do. I did not want to waste around 8-9 hours of my life on a glorified fetch quest. Other than those things, this is a must play. Whether you want to experience the catwoman part of the story is completely up to you as it's not totally necessary to enjoy this game but you will miss out on alot if you don't play it.… Expand
  55. SteamOwner
    Sep 23, 2012
    10
    This is probably the best story mode in a video game! Only problem. I can't play the story over again! Oh, wait... I can with new game plus! Just about the greatest adventure game of all time. Graphics are amazing, and the amount of easter eggs can keep the most hardcore hunters entertained for hours! I found every Riddler Trophy and solved every Riddle! All the easter eggs make your jawThis is probably the best story mode in a video game! Only problem. I can't play the story over again! Oh, wait... I can with new game plus! Just about the greatest adventure game of all time. Graphics are amazing, and the amount of easter eggs can keep the most hardcore hunters entertained for hours! I found every Riddler Trophy and solved every Riddle! All the easter eggs make your jaw drop with awesomeness. One of the best games i played in MY LIFE. A MUST BUY! The map you can explore freely is huge, and the story is nice and has a perfect length with enough twists and turns to keep any Batman fan in awe for DAYS!… Expand
  56. ikenyon1
    Mar 4, 2013
    10
    Simply put this is the greatest comic book video game of all time. The atmosphere was brooding and dark, the story fast paced and interesting, and the graphics and the voice acting were both superb. I was extremely excited when I first got this game on launch day and I still pick it up and play it to this day. From the cinematic opening to the shocking ending the storytelling is as good asSimply put this is the greatest comic book video game of all time. The atmosphere was brooding and dark, the story fast paced and interesting, and the graphics and the voice acting were both superb. I was extremely excited when I first got this game on launch day and I still pick it up and play it to this day. From the cinematic opening to the shocking ending the storytelling is as good as it gets. The gameplay is excellent, Rocksteady took the combat system from Arkham Asylum and managed to improve it. The pairing of Batman and the open-world form was an excellent choice and Rocksteady excels at making Arkham City feel alive. The side missions are fun and entertaining and the Riddler trophies are always a challenge. This is probably my favorite game this generation and I am eagerly awaiting the next Rocksteady game.… Expand
  57. Lucious808
    Nov 13, 2012
    9
    One of the best games made of all time. Huge Batman fan so it's awesome that it pleases me in the dark knight chronicles aspect as well as just being a down-right-fun game to play. Soo many side mission make this game exciting without ever fizzing out, the graphics, hit detection, awesome those programmers know whats up. Its like I am playing Loeb and Sale graphic novel. Just beautiful, BUY IT!
  58. bruixots
    Jan 16, 2013
    7
    It's a good game but far not better than the first one. It's "superior" in lots of aspects but not in the game experience. After 3-4 hours playing it's all the time the same mechanism all the time the same ( reminds me Assessins creed 1 in this aspect). The story it's not really interesting as well.
  59. EddieHokie
    Aug 7, 2013
    9
    This game is fantastic but there are two flaws

    1) It's Arkham Asylum but bigger which feels kind of like a cash cow. If it ain't broke, don't fix it mantra 2) Your never getting a 10 out of me by deliberately holding game play (catwoman story) for more money Still, I can't hate on this game. The graphics are glorious, but more than that, its the atmosphere of the whole city that's    This game is fantastic but there are two flaws

    1) It's Arkham Asylum but bigger which feels kind of like a cash cow. If it ain't broke, don't fix it mantra
    2) Your never getting a 10 out of me by deliberately holding game play (catwoman story) for more money

    Still, I can't hate on this game. The graphics are glorious, but more than that, its the atmosphere of the whole city that's captivating and so accurate to the Batman Universe.

    It is crazy fun so if you don't mind what feels like an extension to Arkham Asylum, Play it    … Expand
  60. Pc40
    Jul 24, 2013
    10
    This game is one of the best games out there. It is full of content that continues after you complete the main
    story. And if you want more there is still New Game Plus which is hard, and even after that there is Harley Quinn's Revenge which is only about 2 hours long if you want to look around the map some more. Some people say that the controls are JUST button mashing but there is more    This game is one of the best games out there. It is full of content that continues after you complete the main
    story. And if you want more there is still New Game Plus which is hard, and even after that there is Harley Quinn's Revenge which is only about 2 hours long if you want to look around the map some more. Some people say that the controls are JUST button mashing but there is more to it than that, especially when you add in counters and combos which just add even more fun to the game. This game is a masterpiece and it should go in the gaming Hall Of Fame (if there is one).    … Expand
  61. cryosleep
    May 27, 2013
    9
    Best... Batman game... Ever!
    Sorry, I realize my pop culture reference is antiquated, but it is the best Batman game ever. It's actually one of the best games of this gen in my opinion.
  62. Dimitrigouv
    Jul 2, 2015
    9
    In 2009 arkham asylum was released and easily took the crown as best comic based video game of all time. No one thought it could be outdone. Then, in 2011 arkham knight was released to the public. It improves on every feature from its predecessor and has a story with more twists and turns than I ever expected. A lot of the gadgets that are new are very cool and useful while in combat. TheIn 2009 arkham asylum was released and easily took the crown as best comic based video game of all time. No one thought it could be outdone. Then, in 2011 arkham knight was released to the public. It improves on every feature from its predecessor and has a story with more twists and turns than I ever expected. A lot of the gadgets that are new are very cool and useful while in combat. The new map is amazing and has many side quests for you complete. Also, they really capture how it feels to be the batman, especially while gliding. This is a great game for anyone to play, I strongly recommend to any player. The only reason this does not get a 10 out of 10 is because the difficulty has become easier from the original.… Expand
  63. missael
    Jul 27, 2016
    10
    Por mucho el mejor juego de superheroes de la historia, el mejor sistema de combate, una ciudad para explorar a tu libre albedrío, gráficamente de lo mejor que he visto, una buena historia y sobre todo la pelea con Mr. Freeze de los mejores jefes a los que me he enfrentado quisiera que todos los desarrolladores lo hicieran tan bien como Rocksteady.
  64. AJY84
    Oct 28, 2021
    1
    It's like the development team at Rocksteady said, "Okay, now everything that made Asylum fun, let's scrap that and go w/ garbage this time around!"

    It starts off w/ a plot that had me rewatch the intro 3x because I thought maybe I hit a button and skipped something by accident. The Riddler challenges are changed to time-based and Simon Says memory games. And the flow of the gameplay    It's like the development team at Rocksteady said, "Okay, now everything that made Asylum fun, let's scrap that and go w/ garbage this time around!"

    It starts off w/ a plot that had me rewatch the intro 3x because I thought maybe I hit a button and skipped something by accident. The Riddler challenges are changed to time-based and Simon Says memory games. And the flow of the gameplay has been replaced w/ an open-world feel, complete w/ side missions. Some of them which are no more than gliding thru rings, something that made Superman 64 one of the most hated games of all time, but is seen as such innovation here, lol.    … Expand
  65. B4tm4n39
    Nov 14, 2017
    10
    This game is one of the biggest reasons I am a gamer. It's also the reason I'm glad I grew up playing this instead of Batman Dark Tomorrow. This game pretty much perfectly blends Batman's unique gallery of villains from the Joker, Penguin,Two Face and many more. The combat in this game is the best in the Arkham trilogy. Even though they have pretty much have the same combat system thisThis game is one of the biggest reasons I am a gamer. It's also the reason I'm glad I grew up playing this instead of Batman Dark Tomorrow. This game pretty much perfectly blends Batman's unique gallery of villains from the Joker, Penguin,Two Face and many more. The combat in this game is the best in the Arkham trilogy. Even though they have pretty much have the same combat system this game seems to do it the most justice though. Then we get to Batman, the man the game is based on. He is done perfectly from the voice of the fantastic Kevin Conroy who never misses a beat. He is wonderful, he's menacing and threatening when he needs the great thing about Conroy. Is that he doesn't sound like he wants to break everybody's bones 24/7 he just did a fantastic job all around. The Riddler's challenges are very plentiful and although they do get pretty annoying sometimes I still liked them. I always loved it when I solved one that was hard to me and feeling a sense of accomplishment. The side missions are very well done as well, from the mission where you are tracking down the sniper to hunting down the identity thief. This game just was all around amazing, it's easily the best superhero I've ever played and also might be the best video game I've ever played… Expand
  66. Comicfiimnerd
    Aug 16, 2019
    9
    This game had started out as a fanboy choice due to the game's protagonist being the Caped Crusader, but had ended up as a fascination and objective to complete the entire Batman: Arkham series. The game's got the story line, the characters and the secrets that make up a great superhero game. The involvement from the range of villains and the main antagonist, The Joker, make the gameThis game had started out as a fanboy choice due to the game's protagonist being the Caped Crusader, but had ended up as a fascination and objective to complete the entire Batman: Arkham series. The game's got the story line, the characters and the secrets that make up a great superhero game. The involvement from the range of villains and the main antagonist, The Joker, make the game better and build the protagonist to the top tier of gaming characters. I gave it a 9/10 due to the quick ending and details such as involving Mr. Freeze and Clay-face at the time when Batman is on the island.… Expand
  67. EdgeJr360
    Jun 14, 2021
    10
    10 years later and this game still remains as probably the best superhero video game ever made
  68. sg1fan75
    Oct 28, 2011
    10
    I love this game it's,so well done it should be the blueprint for all superhero games. The graphics are amazing, and using all the Bat-gadgets rocks!
  69. Psyce
    Oct 26, 2011
    10
    It is really sad to see people bringing down a meta rating just out of spite. This game is extremely well done. I would give it a 9.5 but that isn't an option so I am going with 10 to try to make up for some of the unreasonable ratings it has received. A zero, really? One poster mentioned that it wasn't a challenge, that isn't a fair statement, there are a few tough side missions butIt is really sad to see people bringing down a meta rating just out of spite. This game is extremely well done. I would give it a 9.5 but that isn't an option so I am going with 10 to try to make up for some of the unreasonable ratings it has received. A zero, really? One poster mentioned that it wasn't a challenge, that isn't a fair statement, there are a few tough side missions but this game isn't about difficulty. I beat Dark Souls in a couple days because I love "a challenge" with Arkham City I love the masterfully crafted world which you transverse. I have never been a huge comic book fan but this game makes Batman a living character in a living world. He navigates around the environment as you imagine he might if he were real. The villains, although not a challenge, are still fun mini puzzles that are a blast to see in action. They actually have the personalities like you would expect from the characters you have heard about since childhood. That isn't even to touch on the sheer amount of recorded voice content the player can overhear while traversing the area. These conversations let the player see how the various villians are interacting with each other. Rocksteady studios actually makes you feel like Batman in a living city and they do it with flair and subtle, clever invention. On top of all that the game is huge; especially if you take into account all the side missions, Riddler trophies and of course the challenge arenas. I have never written a review on this site before but I would like to start so that companies that put blood, sweat, and tears into extremely polished content such as this game, can get the lip service they truly deserve.… Expand
  70. Ali1247
    Oct 25, 2011
    10
    As a huge fan of Batman I am just happy and proud to say that Batman: Arkham City is one of the if not the best best super hero and comic book game of all time. Arkham Asylum itself was a great game but Arkham City just almost surpasses it in every way. Instead of an island we have a whole large city to explore and there is so much stuff to do that once you get yourself into this amazingAs a huge fan of Batman I am just happy and proud to say that Batman: Arkham City is one of the if not the best best super hero and comic book game of all time. Arkham Asylum itself was a great game but Arkham City just almost surpasses it in every way. Instead of an island we have a whole large city to explore and there is so much stuff to do that once you get yourself into this amazing Batman universe you will not want to escape. This game just makes you feel like you are Batman. They also bring in alot of villians from the Batman universe all the classic villians like Two-face, Joker, Penguin among others are all here that is just pure nostalgia for long time Batman fans like myself. The main mission itself is very long and enthralling and will easily take you around 20 to 25 hours and it is just totally awesome with so many areas that you to stealth and even fight your way through in this game, some sections of the game where you have to put your fun gadgets to good use. And perhaps the biggest improvement in this game is the boss battles instead of mostly having thug battles, this game actually provides good, well designed and fun boss battles all of which are very unique and entertaining in their own. The Story despite being a little confusing and complex at times fits the batman universe and once you beat a mission you will just keep coming back for more as this game just sucks you in its universe. But thats not all there is to it, the game has even more and better challenges than its predecessor, the ability to play as Catwoman and Robin via DLCs, other side missions within the game and even the riddler challenges and trophies are funner to do this time around. The only drawback is that in order to understand the Catwoman's part of the story and get all the riddler's challenges done in the game you have to buy her DLC from the get go which may prevent some players from experiencing the whole game if they cannot afford it. Completing the game 100% will take you more than 40 hours which gives this game a very long lasting appeal along with its already high replay value. The music and voice acting are just excellent, the music always suites the environment and builds the feel of the game and all the actors provide excellent voice overs for all the characters with ofcourse Mark Hamill stealing the show as Joker. The graphics are also awesome, the characters models are well detailed and the environments are just excellent the game itself provides a really great comic book feel. In the end Batman Arkham City is a great achievement on the part of Rocksteady Studios and arguably the greatest superhero and comic book game of all time and a potential contender for the Game of the Year 2011. I am proud to be a Batman fan.… Expand
  71. TheFallofMan
    Oct 26, 2011
    10
    If you like Batman, or have even heard of him, prepare yourself for an epic adventure. Right off the bat (no pun intended) you'll be scrambling around the vast world that rocksteady has created. One of your first undertakings should be to immediately do the first 3 AR training. This will unlock the grapple boost which makes traveling the city 200% easier and much more enjoyable. With thisIf you like Batman, or have even heard of him, prepare yourself for an epic adventure. Right off the bat (no pun intended) you'll be scrambling around the vast world that rocksteady has created. One of your first undertakings should be to immediately do the first 3 AR training. This will unlock the grapple boost which makes traveling the city 200% easier and much more enjoyable. With this new ability the world opens up to exploration, my advice would be to become acquainted with the controls and world, grab a couple trophies, swoop down on unsuspecting thugs and try out those new finishing move. After doing so you'll find yourself becoming the Batman you always wanted to be. Next step dive head first into the story which will keep you on the edge of the seat for the entire ride. If you spine doesn't begin to shiver at the end credits then your soul must have left your body a long time ago. Thank you Rocksteady for the GOTY… Expand
  72. badgersounds
    Oct 27, 2011
    10
    What a game!! The main storyline will keep you occupied for a good while and is very entertaining + all the side missions, riddler trophies etc will keep you playing for a long time. Graphics a great and so is the game play (most important) 10 out of 10!!!!
  73. Usurper137
    Oct 20, 2011
    10
    Batman: Arkham City does an amazing job of letting the player feel like they are the Dark Knight himself. The world is expansive, the combat mechanics are sublime and the sheer amount of content is mind boggling. All packaged in with one of the best sound design and score I've heard in any entertainment genre and you have a fully realized game of the year contender. Rocksteady has made aBatman: Arkham City does an amazing job of letting the player feel like they are the Dark Knight himself. The world is expansive, the combat mechanics are sublime and the sheer amount of content is mind boggling. All packaged in with one of the best sound design and score I've heard in any entertainment genre and you have a fully realized game of the year contender. Rocksteady has made a brilliantly satisfying game and I can't wait to see what they do next.… Expand
  74. Huey_Freeman
    Oct 20, 2011
    10
    A stunning achievement. The Dark Knight has already Risen with the release of Arkham City. Gonna be hard for Christopher Nolan to top this....seriously. Rocksteady Games has delivered on all the promise of things to come in Arkham Asylum and released a stellar game stocked full of hours upon hours of gameplay, secrets, unlockables, and godlike awesomeness. If you loved Batman: The AnimatedA stunning achievement. The Dark Knight has already Risen with the release of Arkham City. Gonna be hard for Christopher Nolan to top this....seriously. Rocksteady Games has delivered on all the promise of things to come in Arkham Asylum and released a stellar game stocked full of hours upon hours of gameplay, secrets, unlockables, and godlike awesomeness. If you loved Batman: The Animated Series like I did, then welcome to gaming nirvana. A beautifully rendered world created specifically for Batman (ahem, and *Catwoman*) to prowl and terrorize the weak and evil criminals of Gotham (err Arkham?). Batman is a walking Weapon of Mass Destruction in this game, it's utterly insane how awesome it is to kick ass with the Bat. And Catwoman is rendered PERFECTLY. Playing with her with put a smile on your face EVERY SINGLE TIME. It's heavenly. While the game has a few flaws, the lack of Two-Face who disappears after an awesome intro until the end of the game, NO BATMOBILE (this disappointed me the most because the open world set up literally invites this idea to be in the game, come on Rocksteady add the Batmobile PLEASE!!!), and some minor hiccups along the way that I won't spoil. But the game is still gorgeous, remarkable, brilliant, stunning, and glorious. Every gamer owes it to themselves to play it.… Expand
  75. Rhodesy
    Oct 26, 2011
    10
    I had a lot of time on my hands when Arkham Asylum came out, so I nailed it with 1000 gamer points and was in the top 100 on the leaderboards for all combat challenges. So I think over-exposure dulled the anticipation for Arkham City, though tit would just be an extension/upgrade
    Dead wrong. Everyfacet is improved. The craft, care and creativity that have gone into it make it shine on    I had a lot of time on my hands when Arkham Asylum came out, so I nailed it with 1000 gamer points and was in the top 100 on the leaderboards for all combat challenges. So I think over-exposure dulled the anticipation for Arkham City, though tit would just be an extension/upgrade
    Dead wrong. Everyfacet is improved. The craft, care and creativity that have gone into it make it shine on every level. Combat is better (even the thuds of impact are more satisfying), the swooping and gliding add new aspects, story is great, stealth improved and there's loads of bonus content to keep you going for weeks. A triumph    … Expand
  76. aqurban
    Oct 22, 2011
    10
    Rocksteady, yet again gives you another chance to put yourself in the boots of an unforgiving anti-criminal detective in a world so terrorising and vast, it will leave you overwhelmed and speachless. Be the goddamn Batman.
  77. marv316
    Oct 23, 2011
    9
    So, where do i start...? i confuse now. because there are no any negative thing in this game.. simply just PERFECT.. :) Rock studio did a very amazing job in this Arkham Asylum's sequel. The Storyline really straightly taken from the comics so not only it would satisfy all Batman die hard fans but it also could make non-comic fans interested to follow the story because of the easy toSo, where do i start...? i confuse now. because there are no any negative thing in this game.. simply just PERFECT.. :) Rock studio did a very amazing job in this Arkham Asylum's sequel. The Storyline really straightly taken from the comics so not only it would satisfy all Batman die hard fans but it also could make non-comic fans interested to follow the story because of the easy to understand story -telling style and the AWESOME yeah i say it once again AWESOME acting voice from all the cast (esp: Mark Hamil as Joker and Kevin Conroy as Batman). a lot of improvements are here and there in this game such as more famous Batman villain like Two-Face, Penguin, Mr. Freeze, etc. and for the first time since Arkham Asylum, two former Bruce Wayne's love interest make debut their debut in this game: Selena Kyle (Catwoman) and Vicky Vale. besides the main mission, u also can play a ton of side mission which available during the game (by meeting someone, a police call or a civilian who needs help). the environment and the view of Gotham City in this game are much.. much bigger, badder, better (oops i borrowed the WWE 12 tagline LOL... :D) the only minor negative thing in this game is the fighting system.. is not that bad but, it can make your hand a little stiff after the fight is over.. o yeah one more the graphic is so detail so it would make you feel that you're a Batman and you're really in Gotham City.. Overall this is the must-play-game for this Holiday season.. :)… Expand
  78. SkullSnax
    Oct 24, 2011
    10
    This is one of those games where the developer took a big risk that could have gone horribly wrong and ended up going almost perfectly. Its not easy to expand what was a fairly linear start to the series and open it out into a huge open world, but Arkham City's upgrade into the big city from the confined space of the Asylum couldn't have gone better. The entire landscape feels detailedThis is one of those games where the developer took a big risk that could have gone horribly wrong and ended up going almost perfectly. Its not easy to expand what was a fairly linear start to the series and open it out into a huge open world, but Arkham City's upgrade into the big city from the confined space of the Asylum couldn't have gone better. The entire landscape feels detailed from the rooftops to the floor, and the end result is that you feel like your Batman as he should be, not locked up on an island but swinging and gliding through a whole city.

    Anyone who has played Arkham Asylum will be familiar with the gameplay, you have your quick paced hand to hand combat to take down unarmed guards, your slower stealth parts to take down armed guards, platforming to get around the landscape and a bit of puzzle solving. All strung together with beautiful pacing that keeps you from getting bored or feeling like your sick of any one part of the game. Add on the incredible boss fights that pit Batman with nothing but his mobility, his gadgets and his wits, against opponents who are bigger/stronger/more well equipped than you are. But as should be expected, Rocksteady updated the gameplay with new gadgets, new abilities and new enemies to renew the gameplay and once again make you feel like the Batman. Not just because your playing as Batman and swinging down from pillars to string up bad guys, but because the entire time your being made aware of the fact that you are the one enemy everyone is united against, and everyone everywhere is learning and developing to try and get the better of you.

    In terms of presentation the game hasn't missed a beat since the last. The voice acting is superb, the city is expansive and detailed, the graphics are brilliant.. Its a lesson in how to present your game to the player and make them feel immersed in the experience.

    As for the story, once again Rocksteady is proving what separates its Batman series from every other super hero game out there, and to be honest most other games out there. Anyone with a vague knowledge of the Batman universe will instantly click with what is going on but even if you haven't there is plenty of information given as to the situation you find yourself in. You start out having been arrested as Bruce Wayne by the current man in charge of Arkham City, Hugo Strange, the man who has discovered that Bruce Wayne is Batman. From there you desperately try to figure out what Strange has planned, the mysterious "Protocol 10". Soon enough however Batman is put onto a search with much more on the line.

    Not only the best licensed game ever made, one of the best sequels ever made too. An epic story, a detailed city, well paced gameplay that constantly makes you feel like you are the Dark Knight himself. Not just a game for Batman fans but a must buy for any gamer.    … Expand
  79. Billyheel
    Oct 19, 2011
    10
    Arkham City is better than its predecessor in every way, and that says a lot. How is it better you ask? In Arkham City, there is more to do. Instead of just main story missions there are also side missions, collectibles, and Riddler Challenges that expand upon the Arkham Asylum's Riddler Trophies. The game also adds about twice as many of Batman's foes as the original did. EachArkham City is better than its predecessor in every way, and that says a lot. How is it better you ask? In Arkham City, there is more to do. Instead of just main story missions there are also side missions, collectibles, and Riddler Challenges that expand upon the Arkham Asylum's Riddler Trophies. The game also adds about twice as many of Batman's foes as the original did. Each character, also has their own unique storyline and are woven into the overarching storyline seamlessly. The story is also improved over the original's by staying more true to the comics, and less true to the freelance writing that was in Asylum. The gameplay has also had minor tweaks added that improve gameplay. A couple of those improvements are: the dive bomb (used to gain speed while gliding), using the grapnel in combat and in flight, and having more quick-use commands to use in the game. There are more gadgets that have made it into the game, and that is a welcome surprise. The game is better than the original in every way, and their are few games on the market that are better. Batman: Arkham City is one of the best games of all-time and it is the best Batman game ever made. A game for the ages!!… Expand
  80. ChuckDee33
    Oct 22, 2011
    10
    Long story short, Batman is the perfect universe for a video game. In the hands of the right developer, in this case Rocksteady, that universe becomes a wholly engrossing experience in which you truly feel like you've become the protagonist. Very few games can pull that off. Not just a game for Batman or comic fans but for anyone. A self-respecting gamer would be unwise to not pickLong story short, Batman is the perfect universe for a video game. In the hands of the right developer, in this case Rocksteady, that universe becomes a wholly engrossing experience in which you truly feel like you've become the protagonist. Very few games can pull that off. Not just a game for Batman or comic fans but for anyone. A self-respecting gamer would be unwise to not pick this game up.… Expand
  81. misery1990
    Oct 22, 2011
    9
    Batman: Arkham City is definitely one of the best video games of all time even after many years will not be forgotten because the company has created this game with much love and passion.Thumbs up Rocksteady!!!!
  82. mckookey
    Oct 25, 2011
    9
    One of the best games of the year. The environment is completely immersive - you get lost in the city. The story is worth watching (one of VERY few games that I feel this way about) and the boss battles are fun. Add to this the challenge maps, and you have a game that you really want to play.
  83. Benny-Boy
    Oct 21, 2011
    10
    If i could give this game more than ten i would. First let me state the positives of the game......everything. That is the cold hard truth, i can't find a problem with the game. Great graphics, fun and easy combat, some of the best voice acting ever, and the simple feeling that you are the Batman. This is simply one of my favorite games i have ever played and it already has a special placeIf i could give this game more than ten i would. First let me state the positives of the game......everything. That is the cold hard truth, i can't find a problem with the game. Great graphics, fun and easy combat, some of the best voice acting ever, and the simple feeling that you are the Batman. This is simply one of my favorite games i have ever played and it already has a special place in my heart. BUY IT!… Expand
  84. Bladerade
    Oct 22, 2011
    10
    To rate this as a "game" would be an injustice to both Batman and Rocksteady, rather, I must rate this as an experience. I'm afraid most of this article will be just a bunch of redundancy and repeats of what has already been said but I'm going to say it all anyways. To start off, Arkham City has a beautiful control set that anyone already familiar with Arkham Asylum will immediately sinkTo rate this as a "game" would be an injustice to both Batman and Rocksteady, rather, I must rate this as an experience. I'm afraid most of this article will be just a bunch of redundancy and repeats of what has already been said but I'm going to say it all anyways. To start off, Arkham City has a beautiful control set that anyone already familiar with Arkham Asylum will immediately sink into. Yes, some of you may say "its only two buttons!" well..its not. Yes, you punch with X and you counter with Y but a player of skill can make this game as complicated as he wants to by implementing gadgets. If you prefer to keep it simple, then please, enjoy the two button attack set. Now, the gadgets I did find a little annoying at times when I needed to use them RIGHT AWAY, but hotkeys are provided when the gadgets are most crucial to make this possible. There are some other common complaints that I want to address: a) "This game is too easy!", I found the game a trifle challenging actually, especially when I was expected to take upwards of 8-15 men armed with assault rifles down stealthily in a tiny room. If you feel the game is too easy, then turn up the difficulty. If its still to easy then go buy a batsuit and become Batman, perhaps that will be a challenge for you. b) "Rocksteady screwed us over! You have to buy the game to play as catwoman!" So what? I think if I were a game developer I would do this too. You have no rights to bonuses supplied by the developer if you didn't purchase this from the developer. I am all for buying games secondhand but I think that game developers have every right to combat this in any way possible. As for those of you that are without xbox live I am terribly sorry but what is Rocksteady to do? c) "Navigating in the game is too hard!" See the big bat symbol in the sky? Yeah, follow it...

    Now to get to the part where I just get down on my knees and praise this game for what it is. OH MY MERCIFUL GOD the voice acting is -amazing-. For any one who has loved Batman since 90s, you will find yourself full of nostalgia as you hear the age-old voices of Mark Hamill and Kevin Conroy. There are some new voices as well for other characters but they are done incredibly well. The story is also incredible. At first it felt a little bit under-developed in comparison to that of Arkham Asylum but once I got towards the second half everything started to really dramatize and then I allowed myself to be completely swept away into it. PAY ATTENTION, because I did not and I found I was kicking myself when it all wrapped up. Treat this game more like an M. Night Shyamalan film (one of his good ones) and expect the unexpected. I think another paragraph has to be devoted to just the fan-service this game has to offer. Although the main storyline only includes around 5 or so villains, the side stories and challenges offer plenty of nostalgia for anyone who wants to see some old faces. I do truly enjoy how they changed some of the characters to fit this realistic tone. Two-Face took on a very Dark Knight-like visual, and Mr. Freeze got an update too, to name a couple. To sum up, this game is absolutely incredible. And any small gripe I have with it is easily smashed by its incredibleness (is that a word?). The graphics are amazing, especially for such a large game. The voice acting is top-notch, the combat is engaging, the story is ZOMFG...the game just plain ranks with the best of the best.

    Why are you still reading this? Go out and buy this game. And if you can, get the collector's edition, its definitely worth the extra 30 bucks.    … Expand
  85. nineafterten
    Oct 26, 2011
    10
    Batman: Arkham City is exactly what a sequel should be; it expands on the fantastic story and formula that the original game created. You start off with nearly all of your gadgets from Arkham Asylum; none of the cliche "oops you lost all of your gear you already earned" that was popularized in games like the first two Metroid Prime games (not implying that those we bad games, it's just asBatman: Arkham City is exactly what a sequel should be; it expands on the fantastic story and formula that the original game created. You start off with nearly all of your gadgets from Arkham Asylum; none of the cliche "oops you lost all of your gear you already earned" that was popularized in games like the first two Metroid Prime games (not implying that those we bad games, it's just as an example here). No Batman:AC only builds on the foundation that was set before it. More great bat-gear, more bad guys, more riddles, more free flow combat moves, more challenges, basically more of everything that made the first game great and memorable. The voice acting is top notch (though I can say the dialogue itself is a little bit generic superhero speak, we get it Batman "today is a bad day to mess with you"), the visuals stand out more (just watch the details like how snowflakes fall on the dark knight's cape), and the map of Arkham City is much larger and dense to explore than back on Arkham Island.

    All that being said, I did feel that the main story line was a little shorter than I expected, if only by an hour or two. Maybe it's just because I ran through it so fast knowing that was a new game plus mode waiting on me. Or maybe it was because the story line was just something I had to continue despite all the enticing distractions like the character side quests or Riddler trophies. Or maybe even it was that the learning curve is much smaller than it was in Arkham Asylum since I've already saved the day (night) with Batman once before. Whatever the reason, the result of this story line left me a bit taken back and certainly wanting to find out more of what happens after this long long night. Hopefully there will some expanding on the story line in the future with DLC or even a third game in the years to come. Regardless, what matters most is this: if you enjoyed Arkham Asylum, or if you've ever wanted to know what it would be like to be Batman, this is the best interpretation you will ever get. Do yourself a favor and pick up this game, you won't regret it.    … Expand
  86. edboxin
    Oct 26, 2011
    10
    I cant understand how rocksteady did this perfect jewels, graphics (details), animation, storyLine, enigma's (perfect bonus)... why this guys haven't more games... I become fanatic for movies and games of batman thanks to Arkham asylum and city.. full.
  87. LivinLife
    Oct 19, 2011
    10
    Don't listen to the negativity that has taken over the userboard, this game is better than its predecessor and more. Moving away from the repetitive nature of the Asylum, we are now brought into a full blown 100% open world that endulges the senses upon starting the game. The game is at beautiful as it sounds, controls are smooth and follow the same formula as it did originally. In fact,Don't listen to the negativity that has taken over the userboard, this game is better than its predecessor and more. Moving away from the repetitive nature of the Asylum, we are now brought into a full blown 100% open world that endulges the senses upon starting the game. The game is at beautiful as it sounds, controls are smooth and follow the same formula as it did originally. In fact, linking combos and stunning enemies is easier than before. I see that user reviews contain the same thing over and over " It is repetitive and the voice acting is bad.." Blah blah we get the point. however what they are failing to see is that the game itself is gorgeous, voice acting is astounding beyond words, and the story is better compared to what other video games have tried to offer. I also see a lot of reviewers saying that They have to play as Catwoman. First off, it is downloadable. Secondly she is in the story of Batman, and goes way back to the origins. I think we as gamers, should take the time and collectively give Rock Steady a round of applause for an absolutely great game!… Expand
  88. Comrade_Critic
    Oct 28, 2011
    10
    What's not to love about this game? It's Batman meets Assassin's Creed. A huge improvement over the last game, and the last game was pretty good. My only complaint is that I wish they let you explore the sandbox environment a little more before pushing certain elements of the main storyline. If you like Batman, video games and fun, buy this game.
  89. chicken015
    Oct 24, 2011
    10
    Pretty much a huge step up from what they've done in Arkham Asylum. Not to say that the previous wasn't good, but they've pretty much taken the weaknesses in Arkham Asylum and made it a heck of a lot better. Combat is the same, but they've added a couple of new gadgets and abilities here and there. Graphics are stunning for a console game, and the story picks up right where it left off. SoPretty much a huge step up from what they've done in Arkham Asylum. Not to say that the previous wasn't good, but they've pretty much taken the weaknesses in Arkham Asylum and made it a heck of a lot better. Combat is the same, but they've added a couple of new gadgets and abilities here and there. Graphics are stunning for a console game, and the story picks up right where it left off. So many things to do in this game. With all the Riddler goodies, side missions, and whatnot, there's a ton of replay value in this game. Definitely recommend buying.… Expand
  90. MrMayge
    Oct 20, 2011
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Gather 'round, children, and I'll tell you a story. A story of Best Buy, a stroke of luck, and a caped crusader. It was a dark and stormy night. A young MrMayge awaited his parents ruling on the content of a certain Battlefield game. As lightning crashed, his father emerged from the next room, shaking his head. It was at this time that MrMayge started on his quest for a game to satisfy him until the newest Halo or Alan Wake episode.
    As he was browsing through GameStop, he happened to glance at a demo of Batman: Arkham City. He looked through his old Official Xbox Magazines and GameInformers and consumed all of the information he could about this odd game. Then, two weeks before it's release, MrMayge was the proud holder of a pre-order receipt for Batman.

    I got home and started playing Batman, and was at first overwhelmed by the freedom and scope usually only seen in games like Grand Theft Auto.
    I was also intrigued by the game's unique story. Involving the main villains Joker, Mister Freeze, Poison Ivy, and The Riddler. Basically, the Joker tricks Batman into helping him survive the TITAN toxin he injected himself with in the first game.
    There are also side missions, like a mysterious hooded man who you sometimes find watching you, and when you approach him he says random things like, "Are you the one the prophets foretold of?" and dissapears. Another side mission involves a deranged serial killer who calls you whenever he's about to take a victim.
    The combat is also superb. Attacking is as easy as pressing "X" and pointing Batman (or Catwoman, Nightwing, or Robin) in the right direction. Doing cool counter-attacks is as easy as hitting "Y" when prompted. You'd think such a simplistic combat system would seem repetitive, but after seeing my 10,000th kick in the teeth, I'm still not bored of the face-bashing.
    I would've waited until I finished the game to do this review, but after seeing not one, but DOZENS of people give it less than what it deserves (a 10), I had to even the score.    … Expand
  91. Ygendron
    Oct 22, 2011
    10
    Un gros 10/10. un jeux complet. tous est a point: les graphique, la jouabilité,la durée de vie...ect. Un achat pour tout les gamer qui se respecte.
  92. KyleJ
    Oct 22, 2011
    10
    Batman: Arkham City is everything I hoped it would be. The combat is fast and fun, navigating what used to be the heart of Gotham is a breeze, the story is interesting, but best of all, you feel like batman. The satisfaction of silently taking out a group of six or seven armed thugs one by one is unrivaled by any other game i've played. Perhaps my favorite part of the game is theBatman: Arkham City is everything I hoped it would be. The combat is fast and fun, navigating what used to be the heart of Gotham is a breeze, the story is interesting, but best of all, you feel like batman. The satisfaction of silently taking out a group of six or seven armed thugs one by one is unrivaled by any other game i've played. Perhaps my favorite part of the game is the incredible number of side missions and collectibles. Do you want to help Bane destroy the TITAN containers scattered across the city? Do you want to investigate the assassinations of seemingly random prisoners? Or do you want to finish the main story and put a stop to Joker's plans? The choice is yours, because you're Batman. And Batman can do whatever he wants… Expand
  93. TheKingZombie
    Oct 19, 2011
    10
    After reading every negative review for this game I realized there was really one one problem with this game... It has everything. (Not a problem for most) People complain "Oh the maps are too big" or "Its 3rd person I can't see half the screen.) And the worst comment I read was the voice acting is bad! Really!! Really!!! This has some of the best artwork, voice acting and game playAfter reading every negative review for this game I realized there was really one one problem with this game... It has everything. (Not a problem for most) People complain "Oh the maps are too big" or "Its 3rd person I can't see half the screen.) And the worst comment I read was the voice acting is bad! Really!! Really!!! This has some of the best artwork, voice acting and game play around. I know haters are going to hate but if you want a great Batman game that is on par or better than Arkham City...CHECK THIS GAME OUT!… Expand
  94. David_wayne
    Oct 24, 2011
    9
    Batman Arkham city is a very good game and has alot of great side missions and collectibles that will keep you busy for day's.my only complaint has to be the games end which like the first batman game was kinda lame and didn't make me feel like there was enough thought put into the closing of a great story.but this is a great game none the less.
  95. Dajuanandonly
    Oct 18, 2011
    10
    Worth every penny. Some guys are going to give this game a low review just because they don't want to see the score too high, DON"T BELIEVE THEIR GARBAGE! This game is a 10 and then some. If you loved Arkham Asylum this is a must play, PERIOD!
  96. vogler1604
    Oct 19, 2011
    10
    This game is a serious contender for game of the year, its combination of AMAZING graphics, voice acting, gameplay and story is enough to captivate anybody for its 20 -25 hour campaign. Mark Hamill as always delivers a performance worthy of an award, as does Nolan North as the penguin. I particularly found myself addicted to the Riddler challenges, Rocksteady has outdone themeselves withThis game is a serious contender for game of the year, its combination of AMAZING graphics, voice acting, gameplay and story is enough to captivate anybody for its 20 -25 hour campaign. Mark Hamill as always delivers a performance worthy of an award, as does Nolan North as the penguin. I particularly found myself addicted to the Riddler challenges, Rocksteady has outdone themeselves with the creation of best licensed game of all time, here's hoping that they may top it in the future.… Expand
  97. ttocs
    Oct 28, 2011
    10
    Take everything that was great about the first game and make it even better by adding either more of it or a more polished version of it. This is not a game only for Batman fans, it's a game for video game fans plain and simple.
  98. Nikola8
    Nov 2, 2011
    10
    I find the negative reviews of this game amusing. The game is absolutely excellent. The voice acting is on par with the first game. The gadgets are better than the first. The story is quite intriguing (which was the big thing I was worried about going in - Batman:AA had a great story and I was worried about "sequel story syndrome" of making a cheesy story just to sell a new game).I find the negative reviews of this game amusing. The game is absolutely excellent. The voice acting is on par with the first game. The gadgets are better than the first. The story is quite intriguing (which was the big thing I was worried about going in - Batman:AA had a great story and I was worried about "sequel story syndrome" of making a cheesy story just to sell a new game). There are definite 'holy crap' moments in the plot (no spoilers here) where you are left asking- "did that just happen?' The story is great because it appeals to a wide audience while at the same time including many easter eggs for comic junkies like myself. I keep reading the description that this game is now a "sandbox" game. That isn't any more true than the first game- sandbox games (like GTA for example) have a 'go anywhere, do anything' mantra. While the open world of Batman:AC is much larger than the Asylum, you still are bound by definitely rules- you can't swim, you can't kill the cops, etc - therefore, NOT A SANDBOX GAME. I've read that the transportation in the game is tedious, which couldn't be further from the truth- I can get across the map in about a minute (those who can't just don't know the tools available to them). Ok, now that I've defended the game against the negative reviews, here are a list of positives-

    -Story on par with the first game (arguably better)
    -Great gadgets and fighting gameplay
    -Pretty graphics with great ambiance and light contrast to create the proper dark Gotham city feel
    -Enjoyable side missions
    -Unlike the first game, there is a reason to solve all of the Riddler puzzles (doing so advances your pursuit of one of the major side missions)
    -Aside from the story mode, the addictive challenge mode is back - and even more fun with Catwoman, Nightwing, and Robin, each of whom have unique fighting abilities and styles (they're not just 'skins' over the Batman fighting model)

    All I can say is- buy this game- for what it is, there is really nothing better in the genre, period.    … Expand
  99. zenmechanic
    Oct 25, 2011
    8
    This would have made a great expansion to the first game. Not much new in the mechanics, but a lot of great content. After completing the main story line, I find that I am only 48% finished the game. There are many, many side missions to keep you busy.

    The voice acting is phenomenal, Joker especially. The rendering looks good and game play only stuttered a few times. All combines for an    This would have made a great expansion to the first game. Not much new in the mechanics, but a lot of great content. After completing the main story line, I find that I am only 48% finished the game. There are many, many side missions to keep you busy.

    The voice acting is phenomenal, Joker especially. The rendering looks good and game play only stuttered a few times.

    All combines for an immersive and enjoyable 30 or so hours..    … Expand
  100. B1C_BO1
    Nov 23, 2011
    10
    I have just played a complete playthrough of this game, it took 6 minutes for me, a serious gamer to complete. If you want a game that is for BEGINNERS and KIDS, then waste your momney on this, if however, you are a serious gamer like me buy a game like big rigs otrr, bf3 or skyrim
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Awards & Rankings

3
#3 Best Xbox 360 Game of 2011
6
#6 Most Discussed Xbox 360 Game of 2011
6
#6 Most Shared Xbox 360 Game of 2011

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
94

Universal acclaim - based on 87 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 87 out of 87
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 87
  3. Negative: 0 out of 87
  1. Planet Xbox 360
    Dec 22, 2011
    95
    Improved gameplay, new mechanics, and an even stronger story denote whether you care about Batman or not, it's still a game worthy of your time. With some easter eggs possibly hinting at plots for a third game, let's hope Rocksteady isn't quite done with the Dark Knight.
    Read full review
  2. games(TM)
    Dec 1, 2011
    90
    Arkham City handles its side-stories gloriously. [Christmas 2011, p.102]
  3. Gamer Limit
    Nov 29, 2011
    95
    All in all, outside of a few minor issues, I couldn't ask for a better Batman experience. If Arkham City was a graphic novel, it would be considered a classic.
    Read full review
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