User Score
8.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 1926 Ratings

User score distribution:
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  1. Oct 4, 2012
    9
    Batman: Arkham City, is a masterpiece. A perfect example of not NEEDING multiplayer in a game to make it great. It has great gameplay, polished graphics, a rich and detailed story that makes any comic fanatic pleased, and you can spend well over 40+ hours playing it. The only thing holding this game back from being a perfect ten is sometimes the controls can get a little awkward and theBatman: Arkham City, is a masterpiece. A perfect example of not NEEDING multiplayer in a game to make it great. It has great gameplay, polished graphics, a rich and detailed story that makes any comic fanatic pleased, and you can spend well over 40+ hours playing it. The only thing holding this game back from being a perfect ten is sometimes the controls can get a little awkward and the camera angles can become frustrating. You need to own this game! Expand
  2. Oct 4, 2012
    10
    This was the biggest surprise of a game to me. When I first got it, I thought it would be another lame comic book game, but when I started playing I was astounded. It has a great story, great performances by the voice cast( particularly Mark Hamil), great graphics, a well crafted open world, a plethora of side missions for replay ability, and, most importantly, a fun, innovative, andThis was the biggest surprise of a game to me. When I first got it, I thought it would be another lame comic book game, but when I started playing I was astounded. It has a great story, great performances by the voice cast( particularly Mark Hamil), great graphics, a well crafted open world, a plethora of side missions for replay ability, and, most importantly, a fun, innovative, and genius combat system and an addicting stealth combat system. This is a perfect super hero game that makes you feel like you are Batman, get this game. Expand
  3. Oct 11, 2012
    9
    This game really did improve a lot on Arkham Asylum. I love you have a lot of gadgets right out the gate and you are instantly flying around Arkham City. The story was definitely a strong point for this game and really sucked you in once I got going. I thought the main storyline was superb in how it incorporated so many people and antagonists without feeling like "okay, on to the nextThis game really did improve a lot on Arkham Asylum. I love you have a lot of gadgets right out the gate and you are instantly flying around Arkham City. The story was definitely a strong point for this game and really sucked you in once I got going. I thought the main storyline was superb in how it incorporated so many people and antagonists without feeling like "okay, on to the next one". I didn't really play around with the side missions that much so I cannot really speak to the overall quality of those but I did find the few I did to fit in well with the story and the scenario without them feeling like a stray to-do list. I know everyone has mentioned this already, but the controls really are a huge improvement over the AA; combat felt tight and controllable. It seemed as though the gunmen were not as powerful this time around and the fist fighters were more powerful. In my opinion this leveled and prolonged the combat. Visually the game was a huge improvement over AA, and coupled with the 3D capabilities it was awesome. The depth of the 3D is perfect (although adjustable) and it definitely adds to the immersion without it feeling gimmicky in any way. The music was fantastic as well. I was really surprised how seamless the music was from flying around to being noticed by a helicopter and the pace picking up to it then calming down. It was extremely responsive and worked really well at invoking emotions in me that correlated with the scenario. The one thing that was bothersome at times was the open-world. I really enjoyed flying around but it got frustrating when I felt like I was going from one side of the city and then back again only to give off the impression that Arkham was a big place. I also a little annoyed with the cat woman sequences. They didn't really seem to serve a purpose to the overall story, and other than the combat I thought the sequences were rather boring. Nonetheless, these aspects did not take away that much from my experience and what I like was beyond memorable. I'll probably pick the game back up in the near future and play some of the extra content and side missions but for now I am satisfied with completing the main storyline. Expand
  4. May 5, 2016
    10
    I had no idea how Rocksteady could make Arkham City better than Arkham Asylum...but they did. The story, setting and list of characters is much bigger and NONE of it is wasted at all. Another great story filled with even more villains and even more memorable sequences, some which leave in you in awe. More secrets, more side quests, more gadgets, more gameplay mechanics - there's so much toI had no idea how Rocksteady could make Arkham City better than Arkham Asylum...but they did. The story, setting and list of characters is much bigger and NONE of it is wasted at all. Another great story filled with even more villains and even more memorable sequences, some which leave in you in awe. More secrets, more side quests, more gadgets, more gameplay mechanics - there's so much to see and do in Arkham City. It's one of the best comic book video games ever made! Expand
  5. Apr 13, 2020
    10
    Played on XBOX 360.
    Gameplay: AWESOME.
    Story: AWESOME.
    Graphic: GREAT.
    Music/Sound: GREAT.
    Dialogue/Voice Acting: AWESOME.
  6. Nov 13, 2012
    9
    Amazing game better then aslyum in every way bigger place to be batman in the story is awesome joker is more crazier then ever in this one. Combat as fun and fluent as ever. Plus with all the gadgets u can play with just fun as hell graphics are gorgeous batman has never looked so badass in a game before or handled so well. The cast of characters that was in this game is amazing and theAmazing game better then aslyum in every way bigger place to be batman in the story is awesome joker is more crazier then ever in this one. Combat as fun and fluent as ever. Plus with all the gadgets u can play with just fun as hell graphics are gorgeous batman has never looked so badass in a game before or handled so well. The cast of characters that was in this game is amazing and the boss fights are fun I especially loved the last boss fight. Not much bad can be said about this game 9.5/10 only thing bad was the dlc. I think that should be in the game from the start. Expand
  7. Nov 22, 2012
    10
    the real game there this year. Beautiful graphics, side missions and main rock. Take away the idea of ​​linear games, giving several possibilities in a rich universe of Batman. Several mecânias and choices can change the course in Arkham City, with the most varied types of mission
  8. Mar 9, 2013
    10
    Following the masterpiece that Arkham Asylum was, could Arkham City deliver on it's promises? Did it improve the core mechanics of the game?

    It did. In fact, it surpassed my very high expectations. Arkham City is huge, gorgeous, and offers one of the greatest video game endings in the past few years.
  9. Apr 8, 2014
    10
    Sequels to a game can be a challenge for some but when your a company as bold as Rocksteady Studios it comes natural to them. Its predecessor is labelled one of the best superhero games of our time from its combat system to its sheer scope and setting of the Asylum. Well what if I told you Arkham City is a far more diverse game from a stunning roster including Bane, Penguin and of courseSequels to a game can be a challenge for some but when your a company as bold as Rocksteady Studios it comes natural to them. Its predecessor is labelled one of the best superhero games of our time from its combat system to its sheer scope and setting of the Asylum. Well what if I told you Arkham City is a far more diverse game from a stunning roster including Bane, Penguin and of course The Joker. Gliding through skyscrapers is a fun feature and you honestly feel as if you are the caped crusader. Arkham City has over 400 Riddler challenges and more power ups than ever before. So many distractions from side missions and helping civilians cornered by thugs make the experience as long as ever. If you haven't played Arkham Asylum I advise you play that before this. Recommend it to all ages. Fly safe [10/10] Expand
  10. Dec 3, 2012
    10
    When i first picked up Arkham City i knew it was worth the 60 bucks my friend spent. The story is phenomenal, spotlighting infamous villains like Mr. Freeze, Penguin, Two-face, and of course the Joker, sending batman on a knightfall-like quest to save Gotham. from the mysterious Hugo Strange. The combat is spot on, bringing back the old fighting system and making it one of the nest combatWhen i first picked up Arkham City i knew it was worth the 60 bucks my friend spent. The story is phenomenal, spotlighting infamous villains like Mr. Freeze, Penguin, Two-face, and of course the Joker, sending batman on a knightfall-like quest to save Gotham. from the mysterious Hugo Strange. The combat is spot on, bringing back the old fighting system and making it one of the nest combat systems the industry. The developers at Rocksteady outdid themselves yet again and have obtained a game that will be known forever. Expand
  11. Feb 18, 2013
    9
    Graphics:10/Gameplay:9/Story:7/Music:9
    ---------9/awesome----------------
    one of the best game for a console,particularly the graphics...arkham city roooocks.the gameplay is like assassin's creed in a darky way.love the way batman cracks codes with gadgets.music is also very good to listen to. few negatives:the fights is boring ,lots of x smashing (hand hurts),lots of unnecessary
    Graphics:10/Gameplay:9/Story:7/Music:9
    ---------9/awesome----------------
    one of the best game for a console,particularly the graphics...arkham city roooocks.the gameplay is like assassin's creed in a darky way.love the way batman cracks codes with gadgets.music is also very good to listen to.
    few negatives:the fights is boring ,lots of x smashing (hand hurts),lots of unnecessary combos,witch you cannot even understand how they works,gadgets is also unusable in fights(at least for me).unable to understand how to get around to rich misson .lake of tutorials, frustrating ogmented trainning.short story if you did not download the separated catwoman dlc ,she should have been nativly included!!
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  12. Mar 14, 2013
    8
    As good as the first game. I could even say it is better at times, but the only reason I don't rate it higher than the first game is because it handle more or less the same and adds very little new to the gameplay. Think about it, aside from the Catwoman sections, Batman more or less can do everything he did in the first game with a few small additions. There are more villains in thisAs good as the first game. I could even say it is better at times, but the only reason I don't rate it higher than the first game is because it handle more or less the same and adds very little new to the gameplay. Think about it, aside from the Catwoman sections, Batman more or less can do everything he did in the first game with a few small additions. There are more villains in this game, but also they feel not as well flushed out as they were in the first game. Overall: A fantastic game that improves upon the first game but doesn't add too much new. Expand
  13. Dec 11, 2012
    10
    This game was the best batman game i have ever played and wouldnt trade it for another superhero game ever. Deff should make a sequel and i think their should be a add-on to play from jokers side of the story in city and island
  14. Apr 7, 2014
    9
    My favourite of the Batman Arkham Series. Wonderful, dark, gritty places to explore. Stealth and beat-em-up combat remains similarly the same, if not improved a bit. And I can play it with enjoyment while playing the story, or just roaming.
  15. Dec 2, 2013
    8
    This game wasn't really my style, but I figured I'd try something different. It was alright and enjoyed playing it, but after finishing the major plots it got repetitive in the fighting, and boring trying to get all the Riddler's Trophies and solve his riddles so I didn't bother to finish it before trading it in.
    I also try Arkham Asylum and Arkham City was much better. At least Batman
    This game wasn't really my style, but I figured I'd try something different. It was alright and enjoyed playing it, but after finishing the major plots it got repetitive in the fighting, and boring trying to get all the Riddler's Trophies and solve his riddles so I didn't bother to finish it before trading it in.
    I also try Arkham Asylum and Arkham City was much better. At least Batman responded to my controller inputs where-as in arkham asylum he would sometimes just sit there and get beat up.
    One thing I did notice was when Batman ran away from the Thugs, they would catch up to him. Why is that?
    You would like Batman appearing to be in much better shape would be able to out run them.
    Graphics and sound effects were good. I turned off the music so I don't know how it sounded.
    IMO I don't really think this game is a 10, but isn't as bad as some of those low, 5 or less, scores
    I would recommend someone trying this game, but for a 'Keep it to Play it again' type game, no.
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  16. Mar 13, 2013
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Not being a huge fan of Batman, but having watched all movies many times it is difficult not expect something from a game in Batman universe. "Arkham Asylum" provides us with an introduction that amazes right from the first minutes till the credits. "Asylum" was solid game and perfect in many ways, but it is "City" that may have a title of masterpiece.
    The game starts with gang's riot in Gotham and Bruce Wayne, without mask, wearing business costume and not regular Batman suit, being carried by Penguin's gang members.
    You won't wait long till the first fight starts and protagonist puts his mask on to explore Gotham. There is main storyline that includes conflicts with Joker, Harley, Riddler, Two-Face, Penguin, Freeze and many others. Commissar Gordon, Oracle, Catwoman and Robin will be on our side during the game. Basically, all characters whom I remember in Batman universe appear in "Arkham City", and I couldn't be any happier about the cast.
    Gameplay introduces some new features that you will get used to very quickly. There is much to do and explore in Gotham and Riddler puzzles return to add some headache :)
    Playing as Catwoman gives much satisfaction as it gives a feeling, that Catwoman herself would made a good character in her personal game (not a movie though).
    Good music, perfect level design, hilarious acting, addictive gameplay just won't disappoint anyone.
    Game marker gave me pain in "Asylum", in "City" I remember puzzlement when having explored one tower I could not figure out how to get in. It does not make the game worse, but in inevitable sequel I wish there will be some work done on it.
    My favourite game moment while placing a gel on a wall to explode, the wall gets broken by Bane from the other side, I'm sure that any gamer would jump in surprise.
    Talking about sequel I just can't imagine how a game in Batman's universe can be any better than "Arkham City", I hope I am wrong
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  17. Jan 20, 2013
    10
    It's by far one of my favorite games... It blows Arkham Asylum out of the water(and that was also a great game), the characters and story are so in-depth and perfect to the 'T'. Plenty of side missions and easter eggs to complete/uncover. The challenges are fun, the dlc is equally as fun, and the gameplay is rich. As I said before, this is one of my favorite games, don't think I'm biased,It's by far one of my favorite games... It blows Arkham Asylum out of the water(and that was also a great game), the characters and story are so in-depth and perfect to the 'T'. Plenty of side missions and easter eggs to complete/uncover. The challenges are fun, the dlc is equally as fun, and the gameplay is rich. As I said before, this is one of my favorite games, don't think I'm biased, it's really just that good. Expand
  18. Feb 8, 2013
    10
    What else is there to say about Arkham city? Story is awesome, fighting is great, etc. I thought Batman Arkham Asylum was the best Batman game back in 2009. When the news broke that Arkham city was announced I was spectacle at first because I didn't think the game wasn't going to be as good as the first. When I got the game, I was pleasantly surprised how great it was. It is so much betterWhat else is there to say about Arkham city? Story is awesome, fighting is great, etc. I thought Batman Arkham Asylum was the best Batman game back in 2009. When the news broke that Arkham city was announced I was spectacle at first because I didn't think the game wasn't going to be as good as the first. When I got the game, I was pleasantly surprised how great it was. It is so much better than Arkham Asylum. All the things that were lacking in the first game, Rocksteady Studios improved significantly and all the things that made the first game great made slight changes here and there, but kept the same concept. Batman Arkham City is definitely the best Batman game of all time, and one of the best games of 2011. Expand
  19. Feb 5, 2013
    9
    Arkham City is so much better than Arkham Asylum. It's gameplay is so much better, and there is more to do. However, the riddler trophies and riddles were in too big of a quantity, and too hard to get to. This is the only flaw in an otherwise perfect game.
  20. Feb 14, 2013
    10
    Alright, I loved the Arkham Asylum great game. Then they come out will Arkham City. The franchise is starting to build up if they can make another one just like these two they will have a successful game and franchise.
  21. Jun 27, 2013
    9
    Arkham City is a very good game that builds upon the foundation of the first game. The open world elements are all nicely implemented and the combat is smoother. Really, if you like Batman or action games, you can't go wrong with this game.
  22. Mar 20, 2013
    9
    game graphics great moves great flying great fights great and you will see that your costume start to get busted i like that joker is joker i like this game one of the best games in my opinion
  23. Mar 26, 2013
    10
    Best game I have ever played. I liked every aspect of this game from the amazing fight sequences to the twists and turns as you go after Joker. The only negative I can think of is the length of the main story line. While it is challenging, it is rather short. A large portion of the game is side missions and finding hundreds of little green questions marks. I got bored of findingBest game I have ever played. I liked every aspect of this game from the amazing fight sequences to the twists and turns as you go after Joker. The only negative I can think of is the length of the main story line. While it is challenging, it is rather short. A large portion of the game is side missions and finding hundreds of little green questions marks. I got bored of finding question marks and restarted the game to play the main story line again. One of the only games that I have played twice without a allowing a few years to go by. Expand
  24. Rem
    Dec 3, 2013
    8
    Batman Arkham City has one notable strength: it's stuffed with content. It also has one notable weakness: it's stuffed with content. Now don't get me wrong, I love a filled game as much as anyone else, but much of the content in here distracts me from the storyline or any storyline and when I do return to it, it becomes hard to remember why I was fighting Penguin. The combat this timeBatman Arkham City has one notable strength: it's stuffed with content. It also has one notable weakness: it's stuffed with content. Now don't get me wrong, I love a filled game as much as anyone else, but much of the content in here distracts me from the storyline or any storyline and when I do return to it, it becomes hard to remember why I was fighting Penguin. The combat this time around is much more diverse allowing me to use gadgets even in the heat of combat. I am not a huge Batman fan, so I may not appreciate the game as much as I would have liked. Despite this, this game stands as one of 2011's best and one of Batman's best games. Expand
  25. May 10, 2013
    10
    It is amazing how everything in this game vetch, the combat mode, the beautiful graphics, the campaign mode which has a perfect story and the epic finale, the charismatic characters and challenge modes of Rindle.
  26. Apr 28, 2013
    10
    This game has it all, it expands from arkham asylum on every level. When I heard they where expanding the world I got a little worried, being that I was afraid that they would not fill the city enough and you would be going through a very dull world as you do in many open world titles. Will luckly that is not the case and they even got the final boss fight right. Which I will say was theThis game has it all, it expands from arkham asylum on every level. When I heard they where expanding the world I got a little worried, being that I was afraid that they would not fill the city enough and you would be going through a very dull world as you do in many open world titles. Will luckly that is not the case and they even got the final boss fight right. Which I will say was the only let down to asylum. But this game is by far the superior in every way. Expand
  27. May 4, 2013
    10
    Without a doubt my favourite game of all time, and definitely the best superhero game ever. a big improvement to arkham Asylum, it has awesome graphics, a big city to roam around, lots of side missions, cool storyline, well voice acted and presented characters, a riveting combat system and super cool gadgets to use. this game includes really cool combos that you can use and the boss fightsWithout a doubt my favourite game of all time, and definitely the best superhero game ever. a big improvement to arkham Asylum, it has awesome graphics, a big city to roam around, lots of side missions, cool storyline, well voice acted and presented characters, a riveting combat system and super cool gadgets to use. this game includes really cool combos that you can use and the boss fights are challenging in a way that won't make you rage but you still feel you've achieved something when you have completed them. Also, it gives you the oppurtunity to solve crimes around Gotham and catch many famous Batman villains. I can't think of any flaws with this game. Overall a gaming epic. A definite 10/10! Expand
  28. Jul 1, 2013
    8
    I went into this game completely blind because I never planned to buy it. But, one day, for 14$ it was hard to resist, and that is how I bought this amazing game. It's with no doubt the best superhero video game, and for good reasons! The combat is excelent and it flows unbelievably well. The graphics are alright, and the story is kinda predictable and generic but the gameplay compensatesI went into this game completely blind because I never planned to buy it. But, one day, for 14$ it was hard to resist, and that is how I bought this amazing game. It's with no doubt the best superhero video game, and for good reasons! The combat is excelent and it flows unbelievably well. The graphics are alright, and the story is kinda predictable and generic but the gameplay compensates for all the problems the game has. The gadgets are great, the stealth is very satisfying...There is so much good stuff about this game! I was quite disappointed with the open-world because there was not a lot to explore. you just fly around from mission to mission and don't really mind the city because there are really not many reasons for you to explore...But the game is still very entertaining and certainly the best of its kind! 8/10! Expand
  29. May 29, 2013
    10
    When I look at Batman Arkham City, I can't really find anything to criticize it for. Sure there are minor things to pick at like how unlikely this scenario would be in the first place, but this is also a universe about a man dressing up as a bat. Beyond that I can't really think of anything else I don't like. Beating up baddies was once again very fun, stealth missions were improved andWhen I look at Batman Arkham City, I can't really find anything to criticize it for. Sure there are minor things to pick at like how unlikely this scenario would be in the first place, but this is also a universe about a man dressing up as a bat. Beyond that I can't really think of anything else I don't like. Beating up baddies was once again very fun, stealth missions were improved and the boss fights were really good. They were more than just side stepping a steroid abused guerrilla and required a bit of thinking. They added much more replay value by converting it into a sandbox and adding more side quests and just stuff to do in general. So, overall, this gets a 9.9. out of 10 from me. Expand
  30. Jun 3, 2013
    8
    positives: lots of gadgets, awesome upgrade system, everything looks and feels great!, arkham city is fun just to glide and batgrapple around, theres lots to do even if you don't do the main mission, puzzles/riddles can be pretty challenging and inventive with the use of your gadgets, controlling the RC batarang is extremely fun and great for scouting, web swinging,,ahem sorry i mean usingpositives: lots of gadgets, awesome upgrade system, everything looks and feels great!, arkham city is fun just to glide and batgrapple around, theres lots to do even if you don't do the main mission, puzzles/riddles can be pretty challenging and inventive with the use of your gadgets, controlling the RC batarang is extremely fun and great for scouting, web swinging,,ahem sorry i mean using the batgrapple is great and using them feels fast enough, the story is pretty awesome and cool, everything about the graphics of the game is awesome(sept for one of the extra batsuits but thats an extra and i want to talk about the game itself),the game actually gets the emphasis on being sneaky correct for the most part(try treating this game as a beat em up the enemy WILL get you), battle system is great, controls are easy to remember and use(this game uses 2 button combo controls for which im glad as i never buy a game with school test level fighter controls that require memorizing 500 button combinations to use one attack)and just almost everything about this game is awesome!.there are tonnes of extras and easter eggs! its an awesome game and almost everything is awesome..well almost everything.

    negatives:is it just me or is something...off with the controls? it feels like im not controlling batman at all, rather that hes controlling himself. half the time the controls feel somehow..slow? in batman you are not the batman,the batman is the batman it seems..
    the riddler challenges are FAR too challenging, they are very,very hard.
    the basic enemy can sometimes be far too observant and overpowered
    some of the enemys such as the mad hatter are represented very badly where others are represented well.
    line launcher can be hard to use as batman moves far too fast on it.

    REVIEWER IDIOCY
    complaining the bat vehicles are not in the game. the streets are not big enough for the batcar and a lot of the streets are blocked off anyway, theres not really enough water for the batboat and the batplane drops stuff off and would make navigation far too simple. so theres reasons why these are not in the game. robins motercycle maybe inputtable..but if theres no batcar why put the motercycle in the game?so they didn't. still i would have enjoyed a batcar unlock of the cars greatest game, batman for the mega cd.

    despite the negatives, you should defiantly play this game! the positives far outweigh the negatives!
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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. 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.
  2. games(TM)
    Dec 1, 2011
    90
    Arkham City handles its side-stories gloriously. [Christmas 2011, p.102]
  3. 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.