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. Luke2758
    Oct 18, 2011
    9
    In the end, Rocksteady did it again with the release of Arkham City. The game is beautifully impressive and the shift to the open world gameplay really makes a big difference as players can now explore and enjoy the dark streets of Gotham City. Despite the easy boss fights, the game is still phenomenal and simply the greatest Batman adventure you can imagine.
  2. Eliut
    Oct 19, 2011
    10
    This game is without doubt the BEST GAME of any superhero that has come out in the story (leaving aside that most Batman games are brilliant) has it all and does not hurt anything.

    Excellent atmosphere, excellent graphics for "this" generation, incredible music and addictive gameplay. A game that you MUST HAVE!
  3. Veritas
    Oct 19, 2011
    10
    Let me reiterate what has been said many times in these reviews, this game gets it. The only reason someone might not like this game is if they are A. Not a Batman fan or B. Are contrarian by nature. The game has a flow unlike most games of the genre. There's a sense that the environment around you is alive. Chatter for enemies on multiple radio bands liven things and drop clues as to yourLet me reiterate what has been said many times in these reviews, this game gets it. The only reason someone might not like this game is if they are A. Not a Batman fan or B. Are contrarian by nature. The game has a flow unlike most games of the genre. There's a sense that the environment around you is alive. Chatter for enemies on multiple radio bands liven things and drop clues as to your best way of attacking the next objective. It reminds me a lot of Spiderman 2. There may be an issue with the combat being just a bit to easy, but you're effing Batman, and layin the smack down on thugs shouldn't be hard in the first place. Anyway, well worth your time and money, even amongst all of the stellar games coming out.… Expand
  4. blackopshatred
    Oct 23, 2011
    10
    I. love. batman! This game combines some of the best and in depth elements of all great action-adventure game and blends it into a gaming masterpiece. It filters out the crap and leaves the audience fufilled making the world a better place. Truly desreves a 10!
  5. sinder53
    Oct 27, 2011
    8
    Taking the Arkham Asylum formula and putting it in an open world setting works. The complex yet accessible combat is as good as ever, traveling around the city, especially as Batman, is a treat, and the ability to complete side missions to take a break from the main story is a nice touch. One of the biggest flaws though for me was that there was just too much stuff to do. Yes. This is aTaking the Arkham Asylum formula and putting it in an open world setting works. The complex yet accessible combat is as good as ever, traveling around the city, especially as Batman, is a treat, and the ability to complete side missions to take a break from the main story is a nice touch. One of the biggest flaws though for me was that there was just too much stuff to do. Yes. This is a positive negative but I was just overwhelmed with all the riddles, trophies, side missions, main story, and challenges to accomplish and it sometimes felt like a never ending chore. At one point I had to make a conscious decision to just stick with the story so I would feel like I was making some sort of progress. But really when I get to be a super badass Batman to do all these "chores" I can't complain too much. This game is great and a must buy. It might be a challenge to achieve 100% completion but I think Rocksteady had that in mind when creating it. It will be a challenge I will be happy to suit up for days to come.… Expand
  6. TheKingOfGames
    Oct 18, 2011
    10
    This game is the coolest looking game which I have ever seen!!!!! Everything which a good gamer wants in a video game it has it. I can proudly say that Rocksteady has done a great job. Definitely Action / Adventure Game of The Year.
  7. Daematune
    Oct 23, 2011
    10
    Arkham City's chaotic gates are open, and Batman's here to close them. From a start to finish amazing story, engaging side missions, free roam, an addictive combat system, an arsenal of meaningful high-tech gadgets and a whole gang of iconic villains waiting to be put to justice; Arkham City has it all. For a superhero game to truly be a superhero game though you need to know theArkham City's chaotic gates are open, and Batman's here to close them. From a start to finish amazing story, engaging side missions, free roam, an addictive combat system, an arsenal of meaningful high-tech gadgets and a whole gang of iconic villains waiting to be put to justice; Arkham City has it all. For a superhero game to truly be a superhero game though you need to know the character-- you need to be the character. In Batman: Arkham city, you are the Dark Knight.… Expand
  8. c0mmander
    Oct 24, 2011
    9
    Arkham City is simply STUNNING. Expectations were high for this follow up to the critically acclaimed arkham asylum. Rocksteady have gone above expectations with a fantastic campaign that is varied in it's elements, an amazing open world in which to explore and a fantastic free flowing battle system. The game builds on everything that made the 1st game successful and added more. Playing asArkham City is simply STUNNING. Expectations were high for this follow up to the critically acclaimed arkham asylum. Rocksteady have gone above expectations with a fantastic campaign that is varied in it's elements, an amazing open world in which to explore and a fantastic free flowing battle system. The game builds on everything that made the 1st game successful and added more. Playing as Catwoman for example is a fantastic change up from playing as the Dark knight as she has fantastic combat differences. I won't go on but here are my scores for the things I've taken into consideration.

    Graphics: 9
    Gameplay:9
    Longevity: 9
    Presentation:9

    Overall: 9    … Expand
  9. metabun
    Oct 23, 2011
    7
    It's a solid game, but don't expect anything groundbreaking compared to the first game. The game area is much bigger, and listening to the radio chatter is amusing and keeps the city feeling alive. Side missions are well done, but the Riddler section of the game is grossly overdone. I seriously wonder how much time they spent on literally dumping huge amounts of Riddler items all over theIt's a solid game, but don't expect anything groundbreaking compared to the first game. The game area is much bigger, and listening to the radio chatter is amusing and keeps the city feeling alive. Side missions are well done, but the Riddler section of the game is grossly overdone. I seriously wonder how much time they spent on literally dumping huge amounts of Riddler items all over the city, as opposed to spending it on more real game content. The voice acting needs no comment. The combat is still very fun and robust, but feels too similar to AA. Bosses remain disappointing.… Expand
  10. Henrycsi
    Nov 11, 2011
    5
    Remember when a sequel was supposed to innovate? I loved Arkham Asylum, and although the sandbox feel in City is nice, I don't feel, with the other games out there (Skyrim), that I need to play through this. A longer production time and more innovation would have been nice.
  11. SpunkyMonkey
    Apr 5, 2012
    6
    Arkham Asylum was a class game and a truely wonderful experience, however Arkham City, whilst good, just never hits those heights. The first bugbare is the rather hard to swallow plot and introduction - without adding spoilers lets just say you have to suspend your belief a fair bit to swallow it. Then there's the sandbox element of the game - it works to a certain degree, but you neverArkham Asylum was a class game and a truely wonderful experience, however Arkham City, whilst good, just never hits those heights. The first bugbare is the rather hard to swallow plot and introduction - without adding spoilers lets just say you have to suspend your belief a fair bit to swallow it. Then there's the sandbox element of the game - it works to a certain degree, but you never have to walk around the streets of AC and you can quite easily miss a lot of content by rushing through the game - which wouldn't be so bad if the game didn't make you want to progress far and fast so that you can obtain upgrades and complete the puzzles which are lying around. As an overall experience it just doesn't flow that well, and no sooner have you got into it than it;s ended. But it's still good, the combat flows well and moving around AC is a blast. However, another gripe is the DLC setup of the game - I'm looking at certain buildings and listening to various conversations they strongly hint at other villains which I should be encountering.....which I don't - again it pushes you on to get further and before you know it it's all over. Which wouldn't be so bad if the game hadn't thrown absolutely everything at you in terms of enemies and gadgets in the first 10 minutes. It really is a very oddly paced game and one that just doesn't work that well as a full package. Yes it's fun, yes it's worth playing, but no it's not a classic, no it's not as good as the original, and no it's not very memorable.… Expand
  12. smelvis
    Oct 25, 2011
    8
    Huge city with lots of guys whose asses you get to beat. Looks great, controls feel great. Def one of the better games I have played in awhile. That being said it is pretty similar to Arkham Asylum....but then again it is a sequel so I dont expect them to reinvent the wheel. All in all..worth buying. ITs pretty fun!
  13. MrShifty
    Oct 27, 2011
    7
    Arkham City is a fun game, undoubtedly, but they must have spread some serious love and $$ around to get all those 10/10 reviews. Read those reviews for what's good about it. Here's what's not:

    1) It's short, for one thing. Yes, there are a bunch of optional side-quests, but I've completed at least half of them plus the main story, and I can't possibly have put more than 10 hours in.    Arkham City is a fun game, undoubtedly, but they must have spread some serious love and $$ around to get all those 10/10 reviews. Read those reviews for what's good about it. Here's what's not:

    1) It's short, for one thing. Yes, there are a bunch of optional side-quests, but I've completed at least half of them plus the main story, and I can't possibly have put more than 10 hours in. (The advertised 25 hours just for the main story is totally laughable.) I would guess that it would take maybe another 5 hours at most to complete all of the side-quests. The rest of the supposed 40 hours of gameplay must be just hunting for Riddler trophies, which is sort of interesting, but isn't real content.

    2) It's small. The open world thing is cool and all, but the prison/city feels very small. You can easily get from one end to the other in 3 minutes. Part of that is that travelling by grappling-hook + glider wing is very fast, but part is that the area is just small. There are 5-6 large internal areas that you have to work your way through, but that's not any more than were in Arkham Asylum. The asylum actually felt bigger to me simply because it took longer to get around and seemed to have more secret nooks and crannies.

    3) The plot makes no sense. The ending, particularly, is full of head scratchers. There's a big 'reveal' with flashbacks and ominous music and everything, but I couldn't even figure out what the reveal meant. It really does make no sense. The first game had a very cohesive and interesting plot. This game seems to at first, but just doesn't pull it all together.

    4) It's misogynistic. As you swing around the city, you are constantly overhearing conversations of inmates. Every few minutes, you hear one that has rape fantasies about Catwoman and/or Harley Quinn. The word **** seems to be used with particular frequency. There's even a scene where Batman grabs Harley by the throat, grins maliciously, then throws her to the ground. I wouldn't have as much a problem with this except for two things: 1) this is a rated T game, from a comic book/cartoon franchise, guaranteed to appeal to 10 year olds. 2) There's no push-back by any of the good guys. Batman never condemns the misogyny. At the very least, you could have Catwoman say something like "I'm not a **** I'm a kitty" as she clocks some dude with her high-heels. Or Oracle could say something like "Those guys in there sound like real ladies-men." But that doesn't happen.

    I honestly think that Arkham Asylum was a far better game: more content, more interesting environments, better story.    … Expand
  14. David1991
    Jul 11, 2012
    5
    I bought this game when it first came out and i have to give warning to anyone wanting to buy it, its not a complete game. if you buy it second hand you don't get catwoman. if you don't pay extra for DLC ( Taken out content ) you get no robin and no costumes for batman, WHICH should be in the game as unlockables anyway. its ridiculous its just pure greed. im not a person that usuallyI bought this game when it first came out and i have to give warning to anyone wanting to buy it, its not a complete game. if you buy it second hand you don't get catwoman. if you don't pay extra for DLC ( Taken out content ) you get no robin and no costumes for batman, WHICH should be in the game as unlockables anyway. its ridiculous its just pure greed. im not a person that usually complains but when i buy a game i expect the full game. which is exactly why i returned my game months ago when it first came out and always said i would buy THE COMPLETE EDITION. no not game of the year edition THE COMPLETE EDITION which is what it is. on september 07. yep all this time for a complete copy of a game because i refuse to pay extra for content which should already be on disc, and unless you done the same your basically bending over and taken it up the ass while opening your wallet. great game - worst greed practices ever. this game probably deserves a 10 but ill give it a 5 since i only had half the content on disc.… Expand
  15. deacon
    Oct 28, 2011
    10
    There are few sequels that manage to make their predecessors irrelevant the way that Batman: Arkham City has done. Batman: Arkham City is to the comic console game what The Dark Knight was to the comic movie. I
  16. killiana1a
    Nov 10, 2011
    9
    A great sequel. By sequel I mean it in every sense of the word. Arkham City has not recreated the wheel as we know it when we drive. Arkham City is the same prison type setting for a game that has brought respect for comic book video games. New villains, a bigger prison, and more gadgets. The combat is the same with a few more enemies to make you mad when you don't get that 30+ hit combo.A great sequel. By sequel I mean it in every sense of the word. Arkham City has not recreated the wheel as we know it when we drive. Arkham City is the same prison type setting for a game that has brought respect for comic book video games. New villains, a bigger prison, and more gadgets. The combat is the same with a few more enemies to make you mad when you don't get that 30+ hit combo. The best part about Arkham City is moving from point A to point B. You feel like you are Batman and not just some Street Fighter type character.… Expand
  17. SpiderJedi
    Dec 19, 2011
    8
    This game is a solid 8. I got bored at first with the fighting mechanic, pretty much the same as was in the first one. What really makes the game great is the environment, the developers did a great job making a big world with tons of references to the Batman mythos. The story and voice acting really are stellar, and add in a big way to this game!
  18. Ishman
    Dec 20, 2011
    7
    It's definitely an awesome game, and I had a lot of fun with it, but i felt it was too short and mildly easy. Sure, new game plus makes things harder but It was really a case of been there done that, I'm not one for replaying games personally, there's too many other awesome games out there to be going over old ground again. Don't even get me started on the DLC, I payed nearly a $100.00It's definitely an awesome game, and I had a lot of fun with it, but i felt it was too short and mildly easy. Sure, new game plus makes things harder but It was really a case of been there done that, I'm not one for replaying games personally, there's too many other awesome games out there to be going over old ground again. Don't even get me started on the DLC, I payed nearly a $100.00 Australian for my copy and then I have to pay more for content that really should have been included initially, how much money do you need you greedy c*nts? I couldn't believe when i finished it, i thought i was maybe halfway through and then it ended on what I thought was a fairly unmemorable boss fight. I found the side quests to be a little bland as well. All in all its a rad game, I just don't feel the value for money is there for a single player game. Bang for Buck? Skyrim all the way.… Expand
  19. wasd0109
    Oct 20, 2011
    10
    Simple
    After another swallow gameplay
    Great combat system again The story is pretty good But the villains.. The story of them seems thin Guess just the beginning:) Is not as good as the last one However, it was because the last one was so GREAT! It's just like MW->MW2 Anyway, this is just a great game If I could, I would give Arkham Asylum a 12 And this one a 11! Final word Rocksteady    Simple
    After another swallow gameplay
    Great combat system again
    The story is pretty good
    But the villains..
    The story of them seems thin
    Guess just the beginning:)
    Is not as good as the last one However, it was because the last one was so GREAT!
    It's just like MW->MW2
    Anyway, this is just a great game
    If I could, I would give Arkham Asylum a 12
    And this one a 11!
    Final word
    Rocksteady ROCK!!!!!!!!!!    … Expand
  20. LetzTalkMoveez
    Dec 10, 2011
    6
    "Arkham Asylum" is as close to to a masterpiece as video-games get for me, and this isn't. The atmospheres are nearly identical, and there's not much new to do. Occasionally very fun (the flying sequence), but disappointing.
  21. anarin
    Nov 8, 2011
    5
    I believe the only reason I kept playing this game is because it is Batman. If this was a title other then the famous name, the ratings would be much lower. It is your typical x button mash game, has terrible camera angles and the story line lasted me one night. There is absolutely no punching someone in the face unless you want to alert the other 15 guys in the room that you are there.I believe the only reason I kept playing this game is because it is Batman. If this was a title other then the famous name, the ratings would be much lower. It is your typical x button mash game, has terrible camera angles and the story line lasted me one night. There is absolutely no punching someone in the face unless you want to alert the other 15 guys in the room that you are there. Apparently Batman packs grenade punches that awaken the dead, lets not even get into how you have to kill "the stun gun guy", "the riot shield guy" and "the knife guy" all completely different ways. I found myself saying "my god this game is ridiculous" about 25 times. On a positive note, if you can get by all the defects this game has, it is fairly deep and will keep you playing with side missions. Just don't expect the main storyline to wow you. Definitely a rental game.… Expand
  22. Tackett351
    Oct 30, 2013
    2
    Listen I'm a big gamer and I love a challenge, there's not a game I own that I don't crank it up to the highest difficulty, it was enjoyable until Y button and other associated buttons in conjunction made it annoying to play, I literally stopped playing it when the shield guys are introduced, I'm sure it may be fun for people on lower difficulties due to being able to get hit and stillListen I'm a big gamer and I love a challenge, there's not a game I own that I don't crank it up to the highest difficulty, it was enjoyable until Y button and other associated buttons in conjunction made it annoying to play, I literally stopped playing it when the shield guys are introduced, I'm sure it may be fun for people on lower difficulties due to being able to get hit and still stand a chance, I'm a huge batman fan and the developers attempt to make this game difficult is just plain (fart noise)+thumbsdown.… Expand
  23. Deusex
    Mar 3, 2014
    5
    While it has good ideas, it doesn't live up. Due to technical issues.

    Pros:
    Your batman enough said.
    Good graphics.
    Good fighting system.
    Puzzles are good also.

    Cons:
    Bad story, wasn't interesting.
    Small world.
    All characters look similar.
    Bad boss fights.
    Too easy.
    Stealth was mediocre. Wasn't fleshed out enough like a splinter cell game.
  24. TheMWall
    Nov 18, 2011
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I cannot, understand how this game has been rated so high. It is clearly a step backward from Asylum for variety of reasons. The storyline is poorly developed, at the game's onset you hear about Protocol 10, then promptly spend the next several hours doing nothing about it. When it all goes down, the end comes quickly and without much excitement. They cram as many villains as they can into the game, which I felt took away from the story. It felt forced, jumping from freeze to penguin to joker to Ras to twoface to mundy to Harly to ivy to clayface to the most annoying riddler to listen to in the history of the riddler. The City is maddening to go through. Did you play Spidermsn 2 with all of the swinging through New York? This was the exact same, except with a grappling hook. It was tedious, repetitive, choppy, and constantly interrupted by snipers, 'political prisoner assaults', phone calls from the Joker (which were sometimes entertaining), and so on. In my opinion, Batman was 'off' throughout the game. His actions, threats, demeanor, and total lack of emotion when two prominent characters die is maddening. He's stiff and inhuman. It's almost like they tried too hard to make Batman more tough and awesome...well, he's Batman and doesn't need the help. Playing as Catwoman is overrated. It's mostly repitition of tasks to find a Riddler trophy, which adds time to the game, but it's meaningless time. Inmates talking about 'getting with Catwoman' gets old, and it's constant. Combat takes a step backward too. There are countless gadgets that serve little purpose, and numerous new enemy types that frustrate and un-fun combat. The game has an excellent soundtrack and I was very impressed by the graphical design of the City. For me though, the terrible story, choppy travel and combat, and different demeanor Batman make this a game to pass on. There are out-of-story challenges and an interesting 'new game plus' option, but I was so frustrated by the game on my first play through I think I'll pass and send this straight to eBay. If you are a fan of the TV show 'Lost', the Joker does have a great reference kind of bashing the show that got me to laugh out loud...unfortunately, that's really the best thing I can say about the game.… Expand
  25. bogmire
    Nov 14, 2016
    0
    this gaem is so bad wow oh my gosh terrible i cant believe how bad it is its so broken and not fun at all. i would rather eat a brick tha play this game for one second.
  26. snowykangaroo
    Nov 24, 2011
    3
    At first this game was AMAZING through about the first 3rd of it was fun. And then it dropped. A lot. It became repetitive and annoying. After completing this game I was furious after playing Asylum and loving it this was the biggest disappointment of my gaming history there was nothing what made you feel like batman. I played most side mission and augmented reality's and they made theAt first this game was AMAZING through about the first 3rd of it was fun. And then it dropped. A lot. It became repetitive and annoying. After completing this game I was furious after playing Asylum and loving it this was the biggest disappointment of my gaming history there was nothing what made you feel like batman. I played most side mission and augmented reality's and they made the game worse they were stale and tedious. The only reason im not giving this a 0 is because of the combat what was the only thing done well. if they spent more time perfecting the story and length this would be a flawless 10.… Expand
  27. EyEmAtchOo
    Oct 27, 2011
    6
    First of all, this is an excellent game of the highest quality. There is tons to explore and do, a great many surprises, and all of it good fun. Playing as batman gives you all the best elements of being James Bond, a ninja, Sherlock Holmes, and a vampire. There is much to be praised, and yet by now most if not all of that has been covered elsewhere, so I'll just note that I agree withFirst of all, this is an excellent game of the highest quality. There is tons to explore and do, a great many surprises, and all of it good fun. Playing as batman gives you all the best elements of being James Bond, a ninja, Sherlock Holmes, and a vampire. There is much to be praised, and yet by now most if not all of that has been covered elsewhere, so I'll just note that I agree with pretty much all of the positive reviews.

    I do have one rather huge objection to this game though. They somehow got it pushed through with a "teen" rating, and yet as a parent I feel strongly that it really should have been given a "Mature" rating. Particularly as when playing as the Catwoman, you find yourself constantly fending off gangs of thugs while they basically threaten to gang rape you. (They constantly taunt you along the lines of "I'm gonna make you purr for me kitten" and "let's see what's underneath that cat suit.") As she fights on through the story she begins to look bruised, filthy, cut up, and her cat suit has indeed become quite tattered. (Not in a clearly provocative way, but I still found it potentially disturbing for younger players given the context with the thugs.) I think every female character in the game gets called a **** more than once along the way, mostly by the various thugs who talk about putting them in their place. Overall I was surprised by how strong the tone of sexism was expressed. You also see cops get executed while begging for help. There is probably some other stuff too, as the game is nothing if not extremely violent, but Batman's "one rule" of not actually killing anybody (he just beats them all unconscious) keeps the bloodshed down. I'm not sure what sets the line between teen and mature, but it bothers me that many parents will buy this game for their 13 year old boys on the basis of the game's stellar ratings, without understanding what the ratings board is condoning for their children. And it bothers me that Rocksteady was not more responsible in the first place with either toning that mature content down a bit or not seeking a teen rating. And on that basis I have to give the game an 6.    … Expand
  28. RezzaDee
    Oct 27, 2011
    5
    That's why writing reviews on day one is pointless. People who give a 10 have barley played it so first impression is the review you will read. A bad review is either a troll (if instant review) or will get loads of "thumbs down" on his comment because he won't give a "green" coloured review. Truth is the game is OK not bad and by no means great! It's literally the same as AA (no I'm notThat's why writing reviews on day one is pointless. People who give a 10 have barley played it so first impression is the review you will read. A bad review is either a troll (if instant review) or will get loads of "thumbs down" on his comment because he won't give a "green" coloured review. Truth is the game is OK not bad and by no means great! It's literally the same as AA (no I'm not saying its an expansion pack "rip off") it's literally the same game but the Map is now bigger. Story was boring tbh as it didn't grab my attention like AA did. Yes there's lots of side missions but they also get boring and fast too. The story was an easy 7 hours without speed rushing. I do feel the release videos by the dev's were way over there head, I would be proud of making a bigger scale game too. But don't believe the hype. Good game but sadley not THAT much off an improvement. My opinion anyway.… Expand
  29. BillScurry
    Sep 9, 2012
    3
    There is so much to love about this game -- the damn shame is those things are rendered moot by the game's enormous flaws, namely the brutal combat system (unintuitive, user-unfriendly, Guitar Hero-type button-mashing nonsense) and the absolute lack of logic within tasks, which leaves you going to Google every six seconds to see where the hell you're supposed to look for something. This isThere is so much to love about this game -- the damn shame is those things are rendered moot by the game's enormous flaws, namely the brutal combat system (unintuitive, user-unfriendly, Guitar Hero-type button-mashing nonsense) and the absolute lack of logic within tasks, which leaves you going to Google every six seconds to see where the hell you're supposed to look for something. This is a game celebrated for the centerpiece combat engine, yet I was constantly getting my ass kicked on "easy." Once the story was over, this went into cold storage, never to be played again. Mark Hammill's voiceover work as the Joker, however, is almost worth the price of admission.… Expand
  30. Wendigo2064
    Oct 25, 2011
    4
    So, I loved "Batman: Arkham Asylum." I went into "Batman: Arkham Asylum" expecting a piece of overrated franchise nonsense, and I still loved it. It had a refreshing, if unoriginal, mix of Zelda, God of War, and the stealth of early Metal Gear Solid without any of the talking heads. But "Batman: Arkham Asylum" adds nothing new and plenty wrong. Quantity does not trump quality, and the citySo, I loved "Batman: Arkham Asylum." I went into "Batman: Arkham Asylum" expecting a piece of overrated franchise nonsense, and I still loved it. It had a refreshing, if unoriginal, mix of Zelda, God of War, and the stealth of early Metal Gear Solid without any of the talking heads. But "Batman: Arkham Asylum" adds nothing new and plenty wrong. Quantity does not trump quality, and the city of Hugo Strange seems to agree with me. There's too much nonsense and none of the intrigue. Instead of my expected "game of the year," I've got an overstuffed sandbox full of pointless side missions and two dimensional villains. Seriously, is there some rule in the batman universe that every sequel has to include twice as many villains and less character development for each? Unfulfilled story aside, the gameplay is solid, if you like this sort of thing. One button attack, another to counter, a few gadgets to flesh out the hordes of villains you'll be fighting on your way to the next actual challenge, and plenty of animations to make you at least feel like you're doing more than mashing buttons. The riddler challenges are less riddles and more fetch quests. The world is bigger, though not in actual "dungeons" (or "things not on the overworld map.") Let's face it - this is the assassin's creed of batman. I liked the second assassins creed, but "AC Brotherhood" made me feel how bloated the world really was. Is there more content in "Arkham City" than its predecessor? Not really. But there's more level grinding, empty sandbox environments, and character cut-outs. So it's bigger. It's certainly not better. If you wanted a bloated, dull version of Arkham Asylum, here you go. Good riddance.… Expand
  31. datoriprogram
    Oct 25, 2011
    0
    While Asylum was one of the best games I have played, Arkham City doesn't live up to it unfortunately. The sandbox element doesn't feel very good. The grapling hook doesn't work half the time, the fights are quite silly and not very challenging. The best part about the game is the voice acting and story. And that are the two aspects I care the least about in games. I want fun gameplay, andWhile Asylum was one of the best games I have played, Arkham City doesn't live up to it unfortunately. The sandbox element doesn't feel very good. The grapling hook doesn't work half the time, the fights are quite silly and not very challenging. The best part about the game is the voice acting and story. And that are the two aspects I care the least about in games. I want fun gameplay, and this one just doesn't cut it unfortunately.… Expand
  32. nayerr
    Oct 19, 2011
    4
    There are many reasons why I consider Arkham City to be a bad game. Reason number #1. It's too silly. I'm sure Rocksteady's version of Batman was trying to come across dark and gritty, but everything from the buildings to the henchmen and their conversations that you overhear as you make your way across the rooftops come across childish and just plain stupid. I have no problem suspendingThere are many reasons why I consider Arkham City to be a bad game. Reason number #1. It's too silly. I'm sure Rocksteady's version of Batman was trying to come across dark and gritty, but everything from the buildings to the henchmen and their conversations that you overhear as you make your way across the rooftops come across childish and just plain stupid. I have no problem suspending my disbelief, but come on, I'm an adult. Reason #2 The 2 and a half button combat stinks. It's a watered down version for the casual gamer attempt at Assassin's Creed style combat and it fails miserably. I don't find the combat fun at all, it feels like a chore. Reason #3 The story is a mess. I'm 5-6 hours in and I have no idea what's going on, nor do I care. Reason # 4. Catwoman? Do I seriously have to play as Catwoman? and if I do then please make her put her stupid goggles on instead of resting them on her forehead. Reason # 5 Horrible voice acting and one liners. I get it, it's Batman, there's some camp involved, but there's a limit to how much crap voice acting I can take. Reason #5 The worst enemy AI ever. Here I am swinging allover the place and the enemies don't see me? All they have to do is look up. I thought that they would improve on that, but they kept it just as stupid as it was in Arkham Asylum. I traded in Dark Sould for this crap and it was the worst decision I've made all year. This game is all flash and no substance. The fact that it's critically acclaimed further proves my point that good reviews can be bought and that reviewers all follow the trends of a good review. No company wants to be the only one scoring this game a 7.5-8 when every one else is scoring it 9 and above...I have no choice but to see this game through since I bought it, but out of all the games I've played this year, Batman Arkham City has made me roll my eyes and daydream while playing the most.… Expand
  33. Serious_Gamer
    Nov 23, 2011
    4
    This game is a joke, I can complete it within 10 minutes and the story line isn't even that good. If you want to play a game for BEGINNGERS and KIDS play this game, but for SERIOUS GAMERS this isn't even worth the time. Don't waste the time on it unless you're either a kid or a beginner to gaming.
  34. hellsaint111
    Dec 22, 2011
    0
    Honestly this game is far too overrated, if your a fan of batman then ok it's the game for you. But as I am not that, I am a gamer and as a gamer I think Batman Arkham City is not a good game, the story is far too simple and predictable. The combat is un-pollished button mashing and there is far to little content to be worth buying, along with them trying to charge you extra for skins.Honestly this game is far too overrated, if your a fan of batman then ok it's the game for you. But as I am not that, I am a gamer and as a gamer I think Batman Arkham City is not a good game, the story is far too simple and predictable. The combat is un-pollished button mashing and there is far to little content to be worth buying, along with them trying to charge you extra for skins. From Arkham asylum not much gameplay content has been added, and the free roam is doesn't really suit this genre. The characters in this game are all over the place, and what rocksteady should have done is expanded more on each of the villains rather than making batman jump from place to place with no real drive, this would have also helped with the fact that you can finnish the game in only a few hours. This game is repetitive, clunky and overrated. The lack of content, and horrible story are by far the greatest let downs.… Expand
  35. Tylerhan2000
    Oct 25, 2011
    0
    While Asylum was one of the best games I have played, Arkham City doesn't live up to it unfortunately. The sandbox element doesn't feel very good. The grapling hook doesn't work half the time, the fights are quite silly and not very challenging. The best part about the game is the voice acting and story. And that are the two aspects I care the least about in games. I want fun gameplay, andWhile Asylum was one of the best games I have played, Arkham City doesn't live up to it unfortunately. The sandbox element doesn't feel very good. The grapling hook doesn't work half the time, the fights are quite silly and not very challenging. The best part about the game is the voice acting and story. And that are the two aspects I care the least about in games. I want fun gameplay, and this one just doesn't cut it unfortunately… Expand
  36. asylumspadez
    Nov 17, 2011
    9
    Its bigger but not better. The game features a rather noticeable drop in frame rate in some areas, Boss fights are short and make poor uses of good characters, The campaign (including main and side missions) are rather short as well. It doesnt have the same addictive feel that the previous game had either. Its a good game but not as great as the previous one.
  37. aadms
    Oct 5, 2012
    8
    It's a short story, so it may not be worth the full $60 for you. But half that price and its worth your money. The story itself is only about 20% of the game while the rest makes up with a few side quests without any boss fights. Then the other 60% of the game is scavenger hunts for Riddler's question marks or racing from one phone booth to another. Now I'm not a plan of the precisionIt's a short story, so it may not be worth the full $60 for you. But half that price and its worth your money. The story itself is only about 20% of the game while the rest makes up with a few side quests without any boss fights. Then the other 60% of the game is scavenger hunts for Riddler's question marks or racing from one phone booth to another. Now I'm not a plan of the precision platforming games where there is only one way to move from one linear area to another, unless the developers find a way to not make this the main part of the game. With an Arkham city to roam in, it feels more like a sandbox game with only the precision platforming interruptions when you have to enter the buildings for your quest. The big plus in this game compared to the first is that your Batman can finally knock weapons out of the enemies hands. Thank you! Plus you don't have just one attack button to mash anymore, but more like two buttons to mash plus a couple of combo moves tossed in. It's a shame that the extra characters of Catwoman, Robin, and Nightwing are paid dlc because that would have made this a more awesome game and more than just an eight hour storyline.… Expand
  38. SpartanEdge
    May 26, 2012
    9
    Very good game this.After playing the excellent Arkham Asylum,I was expecting alot,& alot i got.While i enjoyed Arkham Asylum & think its a good game,i didnt like the relatively small & claustrophobic setting of Arkham itself.Arkham City however is in a much larger area & in proper urban enviroments,which is lets face it,Batmans bread & water.You can literally spread your wings & takeVery good game this.After playing the excellent Arkham Asylum,I was expecting alot,& alot i got.While i enjoyed Arkham Asylum & think its a good game,i didnt like the relatively small & claustrophobic setting of Arkham itself.Arkham City however is in a much larger area & in proper urban enviroments,which is lets face it,Batmans bread & water.You can literally spread your wings & take flight.The game still has a fixed narrative of course,but is properly free roaming now,& has a whole host of exra things to be doing alongside the main story.You start the game with ALL the skills available in Arkham Asylum,plus more to unlock in this game,so thats impresssive,plus theres the Catwoman bits.Personally i'm not interested in the Catwoman content,but even so i thought is was extremely naughty for Rocksteady to make it accessable only if you are online & have bought the game new,via a code.It doesnt bother me,as i had the option to not download it,& forgoe playing as Catwoman & play it as a pure batman experience,but on principle,i dont agree with it,as it denies the content to people that have the right no choose to not have an internet connection,but have paid for the full game.The game on the whole though is excellent.It still has that fantastic combat system,& much more enemies to use it on.It also has challenge maps,with more to unlock in game,plus the ability to re-play the game after completition in 'Plus' or normal mode,with all your unlocks & alternative choices of Batman costumes,which is great.The game is actually a massive technical achievment in my opinion.In the next game though,can we finally have Batman- 'Gotham' city,complete with Batmobile please,thanks.… Expand
  39. davenbettridge
    Dec 8, 2011
    7
    Arkham City is a fun and a worth while single player game but is not the masterpiece many claim. I enjoyed the open world of Arkham city and found gliding and fighting around at my own leisure fun for a time. The environmental graphics are good, batman also looks good with a great animating cape. The story has a few moments but did not surprise me at all and ends up being completelyArkham City is a fun and a worth while single player game but is not the masterpiece many claim. I enjoyed the open world of Arkham city and found gliding and fighting around at my own leisure fun for a time. The environmental graphics are good, batman also looks good with a great animating cape. The story has a few moments but did not surprise me at all and ends up being completely unbelievable even for a cartoon which is unacceptable for a claimed 'masterpiece'. The combat is good and feels unique (much improved from Arkham Asylum being more fluid and giving the player more options in combat). Most of the Batman franchise is over used in the game with too many villains that are just there for the sake of it without much use or need. unfortunately as its a franchise Batman will never really learn any real lessons about crime or criminals and there never will be an end to Batman's troubles, batman is never going to die which destroys any suspense of danger, he will never totally defeat his enemies either, Joker will always come back again and again and again which does water down the any story's significance. Recommened.… Expand
  40. Bolter
    Nov 10, 2011
    9
    Amazing as the first. You finally get to use most of the abilities and move sets which weren't really designed for Arkham Ayslum. Great story with sometimes even better sidequests like the riddlers. Well worth the money.
  41. Iconindy
    Nov 8, 2011
    7
    Great game due to the massive landscape and free-roaming capability. Extremely intriguing characters and a well-developed plot-line. As good as button-mashers come.
  42. KaeBlade
    Nov 10, 2011
    9
    Batman: Arkham City is, without a doubt, the best Batman game produced so far. I'm a bit undecided on the combat gameplay as I found it a bit too simple. I can't think of a better system that would incorporate Batman's gadgets as well as the current system did though. The combat can get a little repetitive 3/4ths through the game but there are a ton of other elements in the game that makeBatman: Arkham City is, without a doubt, the best Batman game produced so far. I'm a bit undecided on the combat gameplay as I found it a bit too simple. I can't think of a better system that would incorporate Batman's gadgets as well as the current system did though. The combat can get a little repetitive 3/4ths through the game but there are a ton of other elements in the game that make up for it. If you don't feel like following the storyline, there are a lot of side missions to cover. Discovering and solving all the Riddler challenges alone will take quite a bit of time. If you're a Batman fan, you will drown in all the details developer Rocksteady has crammed into Arkham City. This is a must-buy for 2011.… Expand
  43. KillerIri5h
    Nov 15, 2011
    10
    It can be hard to top a previous game that became such a mega hit, especially on a franchise that has never produced a "good game." But dear God they did it! At first I was unsure if this game could survive in a sandbox world, but everything felt just as motivated as Arkham Asylum. The story, the voice acting (*insert slow clap here for Mark Hamil*), the combat, it all feels perfect. IIt can be hard to top a previous game that became such a mega hit, especially on a franchise that has never produced a "good game." But dear God they did it! At first I was unsure if this game could survive in a sandbox world, but everything felt just as motivated as Arkham Asylum. The story, the voice acting (*insert slow clap here for Mark Hamil*), the combat, it all feels perfect. I will warn you, just like Assassin's Creed, this game does suffer from "collect-too-many-ingame-items-itus" (to the point that it wants you to collect over 400 trophies to continue an optional story line). But if you're into that kind of game mechanic to lengthen your gameplay, then by all means, play on! Overall; a great title, a great story, and I look forward to anymore story driven DLC that comes out!… Expand
  44. NazTfox
    Nov 21, 2011
    7
    This game was great. Was a step up from Arkham Asylum. Wonderfully written story and plenty of the Batman universe to go around. I would recommend renting it unless your a Die Hard Batman fan.

    My first review was reset to 10 when I wanted to give this an 8.
  45. brutalsam
    Nov 28, 2011
    5
    Reason:
    Like Everyone says game is nothing but a free roam sandbox, well i understand this

    but why is Assassins Creed Revelations is rated 79 if games are all the same with previous series ?
  46. Jivot
    Jan 3, 2012
    7
    Ð
  47. HellzAssassin
    Nov 29, 2014
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Batman: Arkham City is the sequel to Batman: Arkham Asylum. While Batman: Arkham City adds in tons of new gameplay and content the first game didn't have, Arkham Asylum was a lot more enjoyable if you ask me.

    Arkham City's graphics were polished, story was excellent, and gameplay was phenomenal. However, I didn't like the vibe I got from the game compared to the first one. The entire game just felt like just one big DLC. The game offers a huge area to explore with a bunch of secrets and goodies scattered everywhere, but, it just left a bad taste in my mouth. Another problem with it, at least for me, was that the game is very forgettable. While I remember big ordeals such as Joker dying, I forgot all about Hugo Strange being in the game; let alone being the main villain.

    Another problem, is all of the DLC nonsense. Catwoman's story, which is a BIG part of the actual story, is DLC. There's also useless DLC such as the Nightwing and Robin DLCs. I'm pretty sure I even remember a DLC that's all about what Harley Quinn did after the Joker died. All of this should've been in the game in the first place.

    Overall, however, Arkham City is a fantastic Batman game that any Batman will fall in love with. Personally, I enjoyed the game, but my expectations were not met.    … Expand
  48. charlius2
    May 24, 2012
    8
    This game has a wonderful counter attacking combat system which can be truly satisfying on the hardest setting. The graphics are superb and you know the people who created the game really cared about their final product..
    The game has some weak annoyances though connected with gay gadgets and just general battyman silliness. Theres also some weak level designs too. No replay value once    This game has a wonderful counter attacking combat system which can be truly satisfying on the hardest setting. The graphics are superb and you know the people who created the game really cared about their final product..
    The game has some weak annoyances though connected with gay gadgets and just general battyman silliness. Theres also some weak level designs too. No replay value once completed on the hardest setting... This however is a rather good game..    … Expand
  49. AlchemistDon
    Apr 9, 2012
    2
    Pathetic played this game for over 16 hours and this morning when i went to play the game my game save has been wiped this is a well known problem, total raged right now avoid this game for save reasons alone developers can go and suck one
  50. PatrykG
    Aug 18, 2014
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Well everybody loved Arkham Asylum back when it came out it, it was considered the best superhero game of all time, then it was announced that a sequel, Batman: Arkham City was gonna come out. I was just as excited as everyone else. And when I heard everyone say it was better than Asylum, it didn't suprise me because unlike in movies, in video games sequels 99% of the time are better than the first. So I ignored it all and bought this game and - I was really underwhelmed by it, I was actually kind of shocked. Im sorry but Arkham City is overrated. Whether you agree or not here it goes......first of all this game is obviously and open world game, so you can go over the city and do side missions, collect riddler trophies and go on the main story but when you complete everything which doesn't take long, you are left nothing to do except for fighting the same thugs over and over again. Then you have the story which for the most part is good but then there is that needless filler like when you have to go to Mr Freeze to get the cure but all of a sudden you have to take down penguin but then before you can you have to disable 3 jamming devices all over the city just to open a door, then when you finally go to stop penguin, you have to rescue some guards and then get a gadget from Freeze that stops his weapons so then Batman goes to stop Penguin but has to fight Solomon Grundy which is again another problem, all the villains in the game aren't focused, Hugo Strange the supposedly main villain is not much in the game, Two Face is in the game for a short time and so is Joker and Penguin and Clayface etc. Which begs the question who is the main villain in this game, Strange ? No he was just a puppet for the most underwhelming plan, it turns out Ra's Al Ghul was the main villain and is quickly killed off, then Joker shows up again and tries to kill Batman's girlfriend but it turns out he was actually Clayface and I can't believe despite all the obvious clues nobody saw it coming except for me. The whole Protocol Ten is the plan to kill the criminals in the City it was just as silly as in Batman Begins but whatever, then there are parts in this game where you dont even know where to go. The boss battles haven't improved much except for the Mr Freeze boss battle. Also all that mystery that was in Arkham Asylum is lacking in Arkham City sure there is some but there isn't much. The side missions are disappointing because half of them are just set ups for Arkham Knight. Oh and Catwoman being a DLC is a middle finger to all those who don't have Xbox Live. So by now you probably think I hate the game but I actually think its decent. The combat is great, the ending is really good and so is the voice acting, and the gameplay is great. So I think Arkham City is the worst of the Arkham games, even worse than Origins. 4/10… Expand
  51. EDJET787
    Oct 20, 2012
    9
    Batman has definitely had trouble in the gaming world. Luckily Rocksteady came to solve this issue, and solved it they did. Everything that was great about Arkham Asylum was brought back into Arkham City with tons of new gadgets, side missions and villains. Arkham Asylums amazing and legendary combat system is back and even better in Arkham City, you can do multiple takedowns and throwBatman has definitely had trouble in the gaming world. Luckily Rocksteady came to solve this issue, and solved it they did. Everything that was great about Arkham Asylum was brought back into Arkham City with tons of new gadgets, side missions and villains. Arkham Asylums amazing and legendary combat system is back and even better in Arkham City, you can do multiple takedowns and throw smoke pellets to confuse your enemies and many more. The only problem that I had with Batman Arkham City is that the story had too many stories going on at once, which really confused me on my first play through, but that is all forgivable when you can look at everything else. This is definitely one of the best superhero games out there and will be quite tough to beat. If your a Batman fan this is a must own, if your into action and adventure games, this will make you feel right at home.… Expand
  52. XboxGamerGuy
    Nov 14, 2012
    9
    Great game with amazing graphics and locations. This game was great improvement on the Arkham Asylum and shows other game designers how to make a sequel!
  53. Enforcer122
    Apr 16, 2013
    9
    I'm gonna keep this review short and snappy. If you have money, buy this game. I hate superhero games, and dislike batman in general (except for the riddler) but this game is on another level, very very good.
  54. Jamison12
    Jun 6, 2013
    10
    Arkham City is the sequel to the 2009 hit Arkham Asylum. As we've seen in the past, most notably the Ultimate Alliance series, Superhero sequels have bright spots, but fall short of the predecessor. Arkham City laugh at that though. With a great voice cast, great expanded side missions, and of course, great characters and story, Arkham City set the bar for superhero games. It will be aArkham City is the sequel to the 2009 hit Arkham Asylum. As we've seen in the past, most notably the Ultimate Alliance series, Superhero sequels have bright spots, but fall short of the predecessor. Arkham City laugh at that though. With a great voice cast, great expanded side missions, and of course, great characters and story, Arkham City set the bar for superhero games. It will be a while before we see a game as good as this. Or at least, until Arkham Origins comes out.… Expand
  55. Chowda
    Feb 2, 2015
    10
    Absolutely love this game. Characters are dark and the atmosphere is gritty. One of the greatest superhero games I have ever played. Sometimes I find myself just walking around and looking at stuff.........
  56. Broyax
    Apr 17, 2017
    2
    Le premier Batmou ne m'avait pas emballé outre-mesure et cette suite qui tente de copier avec maladresse la formule gagnante des meilleurs Assassin's Creed (AC2, ACB, ACR) m'a beaucoup déçu. Ce gros Batmou adepte de la gonflette stéroïdée occupe la moitié de l'écran sauf quand on le fait courir, ce qui occasionne un changement de caméra incessant dès qu'on ralentit alors qu'il suffisaitLe premier Batmou ne m'avait pas emballé outre-mesure et cette suite qui tente de copier avec maladresse la formule gagnante des meilleurs Assassin's Creed (AC2, ACB, ACR) m'a beaucoup déçu. Ce gros Batmou adepte de la gonflette stéroïdée occupe la moitié de l'écran sauf quand on le fait courir, ce qui occasionne un changement de caméra incessant dès qu'on ralentit alors qu'il suffisait d'avoir par défaut une vue plus éloignée comme dans un AC quoi qu'il arrive.

    Beaucoup de combats, lesquels quand on regarde d'un peu plus près ne sont que successions bien orchestrées de mini-QTE déguisés (appuie sur Y quand tu vois le petit symbole, appuie sur X, appuie sur Y quand tu vois le petit symbole...) avec quelques ralentis lolilol. Quant à l'infiltration, elle a été réduite à la portion congrue. Pour combler le vide, le développeur a rempli son néant d'un tas d'énigmes pathétiques et de contre-la-montre entre deux cabines téléphoniques.

    La maniabilité générale est également très en retrait d'un AC ou même d'un Infamous, la ville ne se prêtant pas à une exploration fluide de toit en toit, tout est bien trop hâché avec ce grappin trop rapide, le manque de points d'accroche et le gros Batmou tout mou et lent (qui a peur de l'eau de surcroît).

    L'univers de la bande dessinée est cela dit bien respecté si l'on considère l'intrigue basse du front et les caricatures ridicules que sont l'ensemble des personnages impliqués dans cette farce à l'insu de leur ignorance pour adolescents américains forcément très limités. Tim Burton avait su en sortir autre chose en son temps mais malheureusement, Batman Arkham City c'est la BD à la lettre et rien d'autre.

    D'un point de vue technique, le jeu excelle par contre : il est beau et fluide en toutes circonstances, les temps de chargements sont réduits et la VF est parfaite. Mais malgré tout cela, Batmou le mou du genou restera un tocard, lui et sa ville de branques.    … Expand
  57. zotune
    Nov 10, 2011
    9
    What a great game, everything has been improved upon since the original. I was quite amazed of what seemed like an endless stream of combos and gadgets. And the Combat System is the best of its class, the animations and work gone into it are truly breathtaking - even on Secondary Characters such as Catwoman. I thoroughly enjoyed this game from beginning to end, and although they were notWhat a great game, everything has been improved upon since the original. I was quite amazed of what seemed like an endless stream of combos and gadgets. And the Combat System is the best of its class, the animations and work gone into it are truly breathtaking - even on Secondary Characters such as Catwoman. I thoroughly enjoyed this game from beginning to end, and although they were not up to par with the likes of Assassin's Creed, I still found the Side Missions quite entertaining.… Expand
  58. niconline
    Nov 5, 2012
    9
    Batman: Arkham City is an outstanding sequel in every department, with stunning gameplay, an immersive world to explore and fantastically well-realised characterisation. The music and voice-acting is exemplary and the visuals are gorgeous. Batman: Arkham City is an incredibly well-crafted, labour of love and no mistake. In short, it's genius.
  59. JDConspirator
    Apr 30, 2012
    10
    Rocksteady's second rendition of the Dark Knight is just about as brilliant as anybody has any right to expect. Everything has been expanded and improved upon from the extremely fast and frenetic combat to the tactically satisfying combat. The wow moments are also significant and the cast of characters is extensive and varied. It doesn't completely eclipse the Arkham Asylum with theRocksteady's second rendition of the Dark Knight is just about as brilliant as anybody has any right to expect. Everything has been expanded and improved upon from the extremely fast and frenetic combat to the tactically satisfying combat. The wow moments are also significant and the cast of characters is extensive and varied. It doesn't completely eclipse the Arkham Asylum with the absence of truly wonderous sections like that of scarecrow's in the first game. But it does everything a brilliant sequel would do and that in itself is astounding. The only downside would be if this had a sequel, it's extremely unlikely to find anything that would make Bats this good, and would disappoint. But counting Rocksteady out is a fool's game. This is exceptional.… Expand
  60. Susano
    Dec 30, 2011
    10
    Arkham City has a lot of pressure to deliver, as Batman: Arkham Asylum was one of the best games of the generation. And in almost every way, Arkham City delivers. Pretty much every villain ever, lots of wonderful new toys, genius Predator maps. In fact, once you really get into Arkham City, there's no returning to Arkham Asylum. You get so good with these new tools, AA's Batman feelsArkham City has a lot of pressure to deliver, as Batman: Arkham Asylum was one of the best games of the generation. And in almost every way, Arkham City delivers. Pretty much every villain ever, lots of wonderful new toys, genius Predator maps. In fact, once you really get into Arkham City, there's no returning to Arkham Asylum. You get so good with these new tools, AA's Batman feels ill-suited to the job. The story isn't quite as tight as Asylum's however, with villains in their many not fulfilling their potential. The ending is also fairly weak besides the very last gasp: a shocker that changes Batman himself. But, overall Arkham City is a super sequel, and improves on the previous game in almost every way.… Expand
  61. Salk
    Sep 8, 2023
    6
    I played this game several years after Batman: Arkham Horror. The latter was a good game with a few things I really didn't like. In this sequel, I have every little part I didn't like plus a heap more while at the same time what was good has gone.
  62. PP7Silenced
    Mar 9, 2012
    9
    Presentation: 10/10 How do you make a sequel to the game that did everything right, setting the bar for what a comic book game could be? Add more. More challenges, more villains, more gadgets, more options, more places to go, more things to do. This is Arkham Asylum x10! A true Batman sim and the greatest game I've played in a long time. Gameplay: 9/10 Once you get used to the controls,Presentation: 10/10 How do you make a sequel to the game that did everything right, setting the bar for what a comic book game could be? Add more. More challenges, more villains, more gadgets, more options, more places to go, more things to do. This is Arkham Asylum x10! A true Batman sim and the greatest game I've played in a long time. Gameplay: 9/10 Once you get used to the controls, gliding through the city, performing silent takedowns and taking on a dozen thugs at once is second nature and tons of fun. As for the environment, it's Gotham City. A piece of it anyway. As you have seen is in the comics, movies, and animation. It's Batman's play ground and every alleyway, overpass, and roof top feels the way it's supposed to. You are Batman. Graphics: 9/10 Beautiful and dark in a dirty way. The city looks and feels like it's seen better days and that's a good thing. It rains and snows in places as spotlights scan the night sky and it all looks so saturated in the Unreal Engine sheen. Texture pop-in is rare but present but when everything looks as it should it's easy to forget. Sound: 10/10 Countering a thug with his own baseball bat makes an expected crack, that's just one example that comes to mind. Sounds are never recycled and there a hundreds of them. Voice acting is some of the best in any video game and the music is moody and appropriate for Batman with obvious nods to Tim Burtons 1989 score and Hans Zimmer's latest from the Nolan films. Value: 10/10 The side missions alone feel like there own game. If the developer was greedy they could have cut this game into 3rds. They could have sold the main story for $60 and the others as DLC and you would still be getting your moneys worth just the base game with it's collectables and challenge maps. The new game plus, upgrades, and achievements make sure that the game isn't over just because you finished the main story line. You could sink a good 15 hours in your first play through without collecting a single Riddler trophy or trying your skills in a challenge map.… Expand
  63. BoG
    Nov 11, 2011
    7
    Still fun, but it feels like the devs made a city, threw a bunch of villains in it and plopped Batman in the middle of it all. The environment and the characters who inhabit it lack cohesion. I don't feel nearly as emotionally or intellectually engaged because of it. Also there's an overwhelming amount of **** to do.
  64. Karma_police
    Sep 11, 2012
    10
    There is just one word to describe this game and that word is perfect, from graphics to game play, everything in this game is so detailed that you actually feel that those 60 dollars you paid for it were nothing in change of what you get.
  65. KON
    Nov 17, 2011
    9
    The game is all good and has free roam optional. Besides the intense graphics and the higher video requirements, I daresay this game is indeed an upgrade from the previous Batman-Arkham Asylum.
    High end PC gamers can take huge advantage of this game from CUDA and Phys-X as well. Although
    Campaign seems to be a lot longer than the previous game and the intensity of the game brings you    The game is all good and has free roam optional. Besides the intense graphics and the higher video requirements, I daresay this game is indeed an upgrade from the previous Batman-Arkham Asylum.
    High end PC gamers can take huge advantage of this game from CUDA and Phys-X as well. Although
    Campaign seems to be a lot longer than the previous game and the intensity of the game brings you
    straight into the story.    … Expand
  66. ImUnavailable
    Feb 17, 2012
    10
    Arkham City is the essential Batman game, incorporating perfectly the characters, themes and style of the comics and films. It expands on its predecessor in every way. The story is more exciting and fast paced, with plenty of characters but never feeling overstuffed. Voice acting and great writing bring these characters to life and give them their own unique spin. The combat is similar butArkham City is the essential Batman game, incorporating perfectly the characters, themes and style of the comics and films. It expands on its predecessor in every way. The story is more exciting and fast paced, with plenty of characters but never feeling overstuffed. Voice acting and great writing bring these characters to life and give them their own unique spin. The combat is similar but improved and more varied. Its greatest achievement is making you feel like you really are Batman. The stealth is excellent and the gadgets lead to creative ways of remaining hidden. The game has an insane amount of replay value thanks to the challenge maps and Riddler trophies. Definitely one of the best games of 2011.… Expand
  67. danhalen74
    Nov 10, 2011
    10
    absolutely superb campaign. great game lovingly made, not quite the 30 hour marathon some would have you believe though. i got through the campaign and side missions in about 10 hours or so. not much replay value and not interested in the challenge maps (basically fighting a ton of enemies in areas that you already fought a ton of enemies in-game) if you like Batman youll love this! myabsolutely superb campaign. great game lovingly made, not quite the 30 hour marathon some would have you believe though. i got through the campaign and side missions in about 10 hours or so. not much replay value and not interested in the challenge maps (basically fighting a ton of enemies in areas that you already fought a ton of enemies in-game) if you like Batman youll love this! my biggest criticism would only be the guy who does the Penguin voice, where did you learn your english accent? watching Dick Van Dyke? awful and insulting.… Expand
  68. lionalio
    Jun 20, 2012
    10
    Wanna be a superhero, beat the villain's face, rescue the innocent citizens as your favorite comic character? Here's the one you shouldn't miss. If you love Batman series from the very beginning, you should grab Arkham City as well. There's almost no negative point to complain about the game, everything is almost perfect. Hate this game? You must be anti-fans of Batman, for sure.
  69. Ushae
    Mar 28, 2012
    10
    Arkham City is an utterly brilliant game that captures the essence of the Batman franchise almost flawlessley. The characters you encounter are very well scripted and have the depth they need to potray the comic book characters complimented by the magnificent voice acting of Hamil and Conroy. The main storyline has depth and character many games today lack, and the side quests are variedArkham City is an utterly brilliant game that captures the essence of the Batman franchise almost flawlessley. The characters you encounter are very well scripted and have the depth they need to potray the comic book characters complimented by the magnificent voice acting of Hamil and Conroy. The main storyline has depth and character many games today lack, and the side quests are varied and alluring, even when those are done you have a tonne of content to occupy yourself including riddler trophies and the various challenge maps (extended by DLC, which is OPTIONAL). Don't listen to the low scores here, as they're simply trolls or people with no interest in this genre of videogame anyway. Batman AA is one of the best games I've played in quite a while and its clear it was a labor of love and the developers have really given it their all, which is indeed a very rare thing in todays day and age. If you have even a vague interest in action games or the superhero genre, get this.… Expand
  70. drlowdon
    Jun 10, 2013
    8
    Picking up a few months after the original title former Arkham Asylum warden Hugo Strange now reigns over a territory within Gotham known as Arkham City. Unfortunately criminals and super villains have been allowed to run free and so it is up to Batman to step in and take control. Arkham Asylum took many people by surprise and fans of the first game will be immediately at home here.Picking up a few months after the original title former Arkham Asylum warden Hugo Strange now reigns over a territory within Gotham known as Arkham City. Unfortunately criminals and super villains have been allowed to run free and so it is up to Batman to step in and take control. Arkham Asylum took many people by surprise and fans of the first game will be immediately at home here. Rocksteady have retained the core gameplay that was so successful. Combat remains fast and fluid and with a wealth of new counters, some of which allow you to take on multiple enemies at once, as well greater variety of enemy types there is now far more diversity between different bouts.

    The much hyped 'open world' acts more like a hub between different locations than a true open world like Liberty City but is for the most part a welcome addition. Side missions pop-up and can be accessed at any time and while the main campaign can be completed in well under eight hours these will keep you going for a far while longer. One minor criticism of the more open world is that the game does not always make it clear exactly how you are supposed to access certain areas which can lead to some frustrating back tracking at times.

    Outside the main game the challenge maps also return offering the chance to earn medals and a place on the Xbox Live leaderboards and this all makes Arkham City a thoroughly enjoyable return to the world of Batman even if it is not the revolution that the original was.    … Expand
  71. PlasmaPrestige
    Nov 13, 2011
    8
    Arkham City takes many aspects of Asylum, and improves them substantially. The combat has been refined ever so slightly to make the free flow even better, and there are more gadgets to play with this time around. the setting of Arkham City is reasonable immersing and the visuals are very nice. Voice acting is phenomenal with the Joker stealing the show. However, the story this time throughArkham City takes many aspects of Asylum, and improves them substantially. The combat has been refined ever so slightly to make the free flow even better, and there are more gadgets to play with this time around. the setting of Arkham City is reasonable immersing and the visuals are very nice. Voice acting is phenomenal with the Joker stealing the show. However, the story this time through doesn't feel as engrossing. Much of the time while playing it, I felt like the devs were giving me objectives to do just to fill up gameplay time without any actual substantive meaning. In fact, the majority of the game had to do with the same mission and inconveniences that kept hampering Batman's progress which the player has to play an hour more to overcome. On the contrary, Arkham Asylum had a brilliant sense of pacing and discovery, and nothing felt repetitive.

    Overall, City is a good sequel to Asylum in terms of gameplay, visuals, and voice acting, but lacks the great pacing and intrigue of the first game's story.    … Expand
  72. slsoccer7
    Nov 10, 2011
    7
    Okay so this is what I think about this game. It is very good, HOWEVER, I do not personally believe that it deserves all these amazing reviews by the critics. While there are some features that are great in this game, it feels too much like the old one. It is still the same combat system other than maybe a couple changes. And all of the side missions feel so distant from the rest ofOkay so this is what I think about this game. It is very good, HOWEVER, I do not personally believe that it deserves all these amazing reviews by the critics. While there are some features that are great in this game, it feels too much like the old one. It is still the same combat system other than maybe a couple changes. And all of the side missions feel so distant from the rest of the game. I recommend it, but I would suggest just a rental for this.… Expand
  73. alexis_gomez
    Nov 8, 2011
    10
    Arkham CIty se siente como un concepto nuevo y viejo a la vez. De buenas a primeras la historia impresiona mas que cualquier otro cómic que haya salido, los gadgets de batman siguen siendo el fuerte de este y arkham city es gigante y llena de secretos. Pequeños detalles y referencias a personajes de la saga de batman hace que los fieles seguidores del caballeroArkham CIty se siente como un concepto nuevo y viejo a la vez. De buenas a primeras la historia impresiona mas que cualquier otro cómic que haya salido, los gadgets de batman siguen siendo el fuerte de este y arkham city es gigante y llena de secretos. Pequeños detalles y referencias a personajes de la saga de batman hace que los fieles seguidores del caballero de la noche se sientan complacidos. De cualquier forma, el modo de juego no ha cambiado mucho, los controles no se sienten forzados y los graficos son grandiosos. La historia esta ligada con cliches clasicos de heroe, pero siempre sientes que son buenos. Los modos de investigacion suben bien, pero no lo puedo comparar con algo como Condemned 2, ya que en arkham city se trata de apuntar y descifrar.La historia es lo suficientemente larga y llena de historias secundarias, retos, logros, trofeos, como para hacer de este juego una digna compra.… Expand
  74. SensibleGamer
    Dec 13, 2011
    10
    A Stellar sequel to an already stellar game , Batman : Arkham City once again captivates and mesmerizes with its ever-faithful portrayal of the titular character and cements itself as one of the most entertaining adventures of 2011 .
  75. Alexcritic24
    Nov 9, 2011
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. this game is for sure, the best game that i have ever come across. when i played it at the beginning, i was thinking wow this game should get 100 out of 10!. with the great boss fights of ras al ghul , solomon grundy and mister freeze it was looking fantastic. the side missions are great as well. my 2 favorites were deadshot and mad hatter. and at this point i was thinking it is the game of the lifetime. BUT THEN, appeared the final boss in CLAYFACE. for the game this good, CLAYFACE to be the final boss, it really just ruins it. altogether the game is deffinately the best i have ever played but the finish surely isnt.… Expand
  76. rafael14
    Apr 14, 2012
    9
    it's one of the best game I ever play, because the image is wonderful, and is the best game of the year so far. And is not so difficult to play this game
  77. cub317
    Sep 6, 2012
    10
    This is one of the best superhero video games I've ever played. It really makes me feel like Batman, and gives me exactly what I want from a superhero game. Batman can roam in an open world, fight crime, and do several side missions. This solves one of my main problems with Batman Arkham Asylum, as there was basically nothing to do at the end of the game. The graphics are excellent,This is one of the best superhero video games I've ever played. It really makes me feel like Batman, and gives me exactly what I want from a superhero game. Batman can roam in an open world, fight crime, and do several side missions. This solves one of my main problems with Batman Arkham Asylum, as there was basically nothing to do at the end of the game. The graphics are excellent, and perfectly replicate the dark feel of Batman. The story is also excellent, I would tell you about it, but that would attract the spoiler police! Overall, my only real problem with the game is that Batman may have finally gotten his free-roaming game, but he kind of got it a little late. After all, Spider-Man got his 7 years earlier (see my review of Spider-Man 2 the game for more details). Still, that doesn't change the fact that this game is excellent!… Expand
  78. Rammsoldat
    Nov 8, 2011
    8
    This game picks up where arkham asylum left off, the game feels bigger and there are a few new gadgets to make use of. The best addition to the game is the side quests that you can choose to participate in, one even setting up events for another game later on. Boss fights are much improved.

    The biggest draw for me was the batman characters, the way they are portrayed in these 2 games is    This game picks up where arkham asylum left off, the game feels bigger and there are a few new gadgets to make use of. The best addition to the game is the side quests that you can choose to participate in, one even setting up events for another game later on. Boss fights are much improved.

    The biggest draw for me was the batman characters, the way they are portrayed in these 2 games is excellent and really got me interested, the voice acting is top notch also. Theres plenty to do, see and take in here wether you're flying about the city or spending time pitching your wits against a much more involved riddler.

    A well reccomended game.    … Expand
  79. thejanxxmaster
    Oct 29, 2011
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Batman Arkham City is everything it needed to be! It had an epic and well written story and the combat and stealth gameplay feels even better. The side missions are a cool add-on to the game and the open world environment is truly amazing. the riddles are harder to get so you feel more accomplished after getting all 400 of them. The Boss battles are good. i would say Mister Freeze's was the best out of the 4. The ending was alright but it made me feel like they killed off to many villains and I wasn't sure where they could go from there with Joker, Strange, Ra's, and Talia all likely dead! The challenge mode adds to replay value and really shows your Batman skills. I can't wait for future DLC cause this game is my favorite of the year so far and possible my favorite game of all time!… Expand
  80. dimon94xx
    Jan 2, 2012
    8
    I love every bit of this game, I didn't run into any bugs or anything, but the playtime is just too small. I mean the main storyline. Of course there are challenges and stuff, but that's just a filler already rather than another game mode. Very dissapointed with the gameplay time.
  81. Logan2418
    Nov 12, 2011
    10
    Now this is a game you should be spending your money on.
    You know what? I am just so sick, just so sick of publishers pumping out games that are the same game every year just to make money and not caring of how fun it is, and yet everybody just keeps buying it, again and again,and year after year.
    But once so often a game comes along that is quite the opposite. The latest to fot this    Now this is a game you should be spending your money on.
    You know what? I am just so sick, just so sick of publishers pumping out games that are the same game every year just to make money and not caring of how fun it is, and yet everybody just keeps buying it, again and again,and year after year.
    But once so often a game comes along that is quite the opposite. The latest to fot this title is Batman Arkham City. This game has it all, fun and varied game-play: Check, a amazing story and unforgettable ending: check, and most importantly, different from its predecessor!
    This game builds on everything that worked in the first game and builds upon it to make more fun and varied, also even though there wasn't much wrong with Arkham Asylum, it fixes the things that you didn't even notice that were bad to make a unforgettable experience. Not only is it the best super hero game ever, but its one the best games EVER!
    But sadly it will never sell as high as COD :(
    I really think the gaming industry needs to grow up.    … Expand
  82. GNOMUX
    Nov 4, 2011
    10
    Subject to the games that are coming in the remainder of 2011, for me, Batman Arkham City is the game of the year, the quality of its graphics, the intelligence of its history, polished personalities of each character, the challenges well structured and perfect recreation of the mega-city prison, they do certainly a delight for gamers who follow the dark knight's adventures.Rocksteady hasSubject to the games that are coming in the remainder of 2011, for me, Batman Arkham City is the game of the year, the quality of its graphics, the intelligence of its history, polished personalities of each character, the challenges well structured and perfect recreation of the mega-city prison, they do certainly a delight for gamers who follow the dark knight's adventures.Rocksteady has created a monster!… Expand
  83. 360gamer8302
    Feb 20, 2012
    10
    By, far the best superhero game ever created. Rocksteady clearly knows the trick, and my only advice for them is to run with it. This game perfects the ideas introduced by Arkham Asylum and at the same time it introduces bigger and even more ambitious ideas. A truly fantastic game from start to finish.
  84. timmccracken
    Nov 7, 2011
    10
    Greetings,

    Batman Arkham City is by far one of the best games that has been put out in the past years. I am giving it 10 out of 10. (Mainly, to counteract people say giving a 0/0, 3/10 etc. come on. If you don't like a game give a reasonable review, don't bomb a game)

    Is it a perfect game, no. Well no game is. But I am in love with it.
  85. sargent
    Nov 24, 2011
    10
    batman arkham ciry is full game in story/sound /gameplay/design and ...if you love batman this game has it all. all kinds of famous batman characters are here you name it joker, two face, catwoman, bane, penguin, even less popular characters like dead shot are in it. the world you explore is HUGE and theres tons of content. there were times when i just couldn't stay on the main pathbatman arkham ciry is full game in story/sound /gameplay/design and ...if you love batman this game has it all. all kinds of famous batman characters are here you name it joker, two face, catwoman, bane, penguin, even less popular characters like dead shot are in it. the world you explore is HUGE and theres tons of content. there were times when i just couldn't stay on the main path because there were so many side quests. one involved helping bane, another involved tracking down a killer through phone signals. all the gadgets form the last game are here and there are new ones too. the story is great there is tons of fan service. my only small complaint is that the stealth sections can be really frustrating. on hard mode guns kill you in like 3 hits and i know the game is just trying to be challenging but i cant help but feel its a bit ridiculous that batman( wearing high tech armor) can be killed with a few bullets...and trust me this will lead to extreme frustrations every now and then… Expand
  86. FatMikeNJ
    Nov 8, 2011
    10
    Simply amazing! I can't say i am surprised that this game was going for greatness, but it I am surprised it exceed my expectations! Can't stop playing! Now on to game plus mode :)
  87. Brynad
    Nov 8, 2011
    10
    The amount of polish, attention to detail, and respect of the Batman canon is inspired. A beautiful button-masher that teaches you to mash conservatively and in a timed fashion. The amount of content available out of the box is seemingly infinite, and somehow they even made Robin a total badass. The villains are plentiful, the leveling system is a blast, the gadgets are varied andThe amount of polish, attention to detail, and respect of the Batman canon is inspired. A beautiful button-masher that teaches you to mash conservatively and in a timed fashion. The amount of content available out of the box is seemingly infinite, and somehow they even made Robin a total badass. The villains are plentiful, the leveling system is a blast, the gadgets are varied and abundant You owe it to yourself to check this out.… Expand
  88. Edge27
    Nov 8, 2011
    10
    Simply amazing. Improves upon Asylum in every way possible. The open world feeling is great, you never feel confined to the small areas as in AA. You truly feel as badass as you should feel when you are Batman.
  89. presbutan
    Nov 8, 2011
    8
    I struggled to believe that 'City would be able to improve upon the formula of the previous game. However, upon playing the game these concerns were laid to rest relatively early, while I don't believe the opening moments had as much impact as it's predecessor, the moment the game opens up and allows you to glide around the converted center of Gotham makes this forgiveable. The combatI struggled to believe that 'City would be able to improve upon the formula of the previous game. However, upon playing the game these concerns were laid to rest relatively early, while I don't believe the opening moments had as much impact as it's predecessor, the moment the game opens up and allows you to glide around the converted center of Gotham makes this forgiveable. The combat engine has been improved, allowing for multiple counters, and much more variety of combat choices through quick-fire gadgets, alongside this the levelling system was streamlined quite well, only gaining a high enough level to attain all upgrades a little after completing the main story-line. Detective mode has also been slightly altered, switching off in combat situations, and if activated in combat, static will blank vision of the player for a brief moment, enough to make it counter-productive when it is not intended for use.

    As for the story itself, parts of it feel a little disjointed, with multiple objectives comprising of the main over-arcing story, parts felts shoehorned in a little, or cut down to fit constraints (project 10). The characters are all voiced, and animated well (shout outs to the two-face scene in the courthouse) with all characters feeling how they would be expected to, some even delivering a few pleasant surprises. In all it feels very comic book-esque, which may not be to everybody's tastes.

    The challenge maps provide a nice little bit of post game fun, letting the player refine and experiment with combat or stealth prowess, using various locations from the story as stages within which to play the challenges, while I can't honestly say it will provide countless hours of post story game play, it does provide a nice little way to play with the game without having to load up your story save and go searching for a huge group to fight or take down with stealth.

    Overall I really enjoyed the game, the Riddler challenges within story mode could have been a little less saturated, but things to do isn't really a big thing to complain about, while there is room for improvement, I don't believe it could have been achieved easily in this generation of consoles, and while Arkham City is a great, fun game, it is at the end of the day a sequel, therefore will never have the impact of the original without major design overhauls.    … Expand
  90. dmanhuh
    Nov 8, 2011
    10
    Batman was one of the best possible super hero games out there. It brings action, "detective mode", thriller, and a new perspective of Batman. In my opinion, there could have been more changes such as expanding the map and adding more gadgets. However, unlike MOW 3, it had a lot of new differences and brought some more villians from the comic series.
  91. Kaiokhen
    Nov 8, 2011
    9
    Yet again Rocksteady has made this game one of the most amazing and memorable super villain game. A must buy for Batman fans, gameplay is splendid although there were quite too many riddles. But hey, that keep me busy for a while. Game is roughly ~20 Hrs including side mission. Really lots to do, challenge mode and Nightwing and Robin. However, you cannot free roam with any DLC charactersYet again Rocksteady has made this game one of the most amazing and memorable super villain game. A must buy for Batman fans, gameplay is splendid although there were quite too many riddles. But hey, that keep me busy for a while. Game is roughly ~20 Hrs including side mission. Really lots to do, challenge mode and Nightwing and Robin. However, you cannot free roam with any DLC characters such as Nightwing and Robin which is really unfortunate.… Expand
  92. rschnetzler
    Nov 8, 2011
    9
    This game is beautifully done and exceeds all of my expectation for replay value. I find myself coming back, time and time again, to spend an hour or two searching for Riddler trophies or tackling challenge maps. This game has had my interest from the minute that I opened the case, and I don't see that changing any time soon.
  93. Ztarscream
    Jul 23, 2012
    10
    Best game of the year 2011.
    Skyrim was game of the year for everyone else but sorry.....I cannot allow a game filled with nothing but bugs become a game of the year. Batman on the other hand had NOT ONE BUG. Can you believe that? In a world where game developers drop games like they are turds with the intention of releasing unfinished games and fixing them later with patches and    Best game of the year 2011.
    Skyrim was game of the year for everyone else but sorry.....I cannot allow a game filled with nothing but bugs become a game of the year. Batman on the other hand had NOT ONE BUG. Can you believe that? In a world where game developers drop games like they are turds with the intention of releasing unfinished games and fixing them later with patches and dlc......Batman Arkham City stands above all these bug ridden crap fest games and says ....NO. NO I shall not be filled with one bug. NO my game will not suck either. In fact this game did the opposite of sucking. At the time of being made it is possibly the greatest super hero video game ever created.    … Expand
  94. duluthdude
    Nov 9, 2011
    9
    Very fun and entertaining, I loved the first one , and I was happily suprised hey were able to add features and not just put out another game on the name of the old one. Nice job, my son and I love it!
  95. PhiAlpha44
    Nov 9, 2011
    9
    If you liked Arkham Asylum, you'll like Arkham City. This Batman series of games is simply the best (only) superhero game franchise worth looking at. It's really amazing how many moves, gadgets and abilities they've given Batman and how simple they've made the controls to be able to pull those moves off. The graphics are beautiful, the stories of both games are great, and the audio isIf you liked Arkham Asylum, you'll like Arkham City. This Batman series of games is simply the best (only) superhero game franchise worth looking at. It's really amazing how many moves, gadgets and abilities they've given Batman and how simple they've made the controls to be able to pull those moves off. The graphics are beautiful, the stories of both games are great, and the audio is fantastic. The voice acting in the game are the same voice actors that made "Batman The Animated Series" back in the 90's. It's fantastic. Be sure to play Arkham Island first. The stories connect, and they're both highly worth it.… Expand
  96. Fickelbra
    Nov 9, 2011
    8
    Fans of Arkham Asylum will find that this game is a great mixture of what was really good in the old series, in addition to adding enough content that you will feel like you actually own a new game (I'm looking at you MW3 *glare*). Gameplay - The fighting and predator gameplay have not changed in any substantial way from Asylum, but there also wasn't a need for it. The gameplay in thisFans of Arkham Asylum will find that this game is a great mixture of what was really good in the old series, in addition to adding enough content that you will feel like you actually own a new game (I'm looking at you MW3 *glare*). Gameplay - The fighting and predator gameplay have not changed in any substantial way from Asylum, but there also wasn't a need for it. The gameplay in this title still holds up very well and is very visually appealing. Chances are the people in the room will cheer just as much as you will after you pull off that 50x combo. Not to mention that, but with the addition of new characters that actually feel different from Batman, I feel a satisfactory update was made to gameplay. I noticed while using Catwoman that her counters and attacks seem a touch quicker than Batman's, coming at the price of gadget quantity.

    Story - It's good. Some may say it is short but I think given the scope of the game and what is happening, it doesn't waste any time and gets you the details you need and leaves. There is also a slew of side missions to be had, although some are great and some not so great.

    Sound - The voiceovers for the most part are very, very well done. You feel very immersed into the Batman universe. The only thing that can become repetitive is the thug banter as you swing around Arkham, but it is a small complaint.

    Replay Value? - Yes and no. It depends on how much you enjoy the game overall. I got a good majority through New Game Plus mode, which is a harder version of the game, but with my limited gaming time I didn't have the heart to finish it as of yet. The challenge modes however are quite fun and place you into the parts of the game that are arguably most fun; combat.

    In summary, get this game. Get it new, get it used if need be. If you like Batman in any way, you will get a kick out of this game. If you don't like him, you might be surprised.    … Expand
  97. TheRedZombie
    Nov 22, 2011
    9
    What can I say that hasn't already been said? The storyline is awesome. The graphics and gameplay are impressive. The game is worth every penny. I will be playing this game over and over for quite some time.
  98. T4GARRETT
    Nov 10, 2011
    10
    This is a 10 for me despite not being perfect it is such a great game.
    More gadgets
    bigger area to explore Even the collectable which can be a major grind in a lot of games are fun as some you need some special remote batarang skills to collect. The game is fair and challenging in parts but never so hard you want to give up. I'm still playing it now to get 100% I intend to start another    This is a 10 for me despite not being perfect it is such a great game.
    More gadgets
    bigger area to explore
    Even the collectable which can be a major grind in a lot of games are fun as some you need some special remote batarang skills to collect. The game is fair and challenging in parts but never so hard you want to give up. I'm still playing it now to get 100% I intend to start another game plus once I have solved all the riddler puzzles. If your a fan of the previous game you will love this. GOTY so far for me.    … Expand
  99. PeredusMaximus
    Nov 10, 2011
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Amazing game, with a terrific story and varied, compelling gameplay. Much more freedom than Arkham Asylum, allowing Batman to sail over the city and go pretty much anywhere. The open-world feel suits Batman's ethos to a tee, and you get the feeling you are the caped crusader himself doing his nightly rounds as you come across a poor helpless hobo being beaten up by a thug, knowing that only you can take him down.

    The combat is exhilarating and you have many more options than in the previous game as to how you nail your opponents. New gadgets such as the freeze grenade and the shock gun add spice to combat, while new enemies like the armoured thugs and the shielded thugs mean you have to approach each encounter in a new way. Some of the ways in which familiar enemies were realised was refreshing and thrilling, particularly the Penguin with his 'monocle', and (to me) new characters like the Mad Hatter and Deadshot added to the richness of the backstory. After finishing the main quest and the various side quests, there are still the 400 Riddler challenges to cope with, some of which are infuriating but many of which are a pleasure to take a few minutes to take stock until you work out the solution. It's this constant change of pace and tack that makes BAC such a great game, eschewing the monotony than can so often be the problem with any game, particularly button-mashing combat game, of which it would be easy to discard BAC as one. Don't be fooled: this is a mixture of combat, stealth, detective work, puzzle solving and some lite RPG elements. Something for everyone. My only two gripes would be that (1) the main story felt as if it could have been longer, and too many crucial moments (e.g. defeating major characters) are handled by cutscene, which is no-one's idea of fun, and (2) some of the villains don't get enough screen time--Two Face in particular is mishandled (apart from a brief encounter if you play as Catwoman). I hope some DLC is released which expands the adventure and allows us to wear Batman's cape once more and kick the snot out of some bad guys.    … Expand
  100. CharlieM1496
    Nov 20, 2011
    10
    This is an amazing game from start to finish. It is packed with tons of content from the main story, to 440 riddles to solve, along with many exciting side missions, that will leave you wanting for more. Once you beat the game, you can play it again on the new game plus, which makes it much more exciting. The combat challenges are a blast! You can play as Batman, Catwoman, Nightwing, andThis is an amazing game from start to finish. It is packed with tons of content from the main story, to 440 riddles to solve, along with many exciting side missions, that will leave you wanting for more. Once you beat the game, you can play it again on the new game plus, which makes it much more exciting. The combat challenges are a blast! You can play as Batman, Catwoman, Nightwing, and Robin. If you are looking for a game that has lasting appeal, and fun action-packed content, Batman Arkham City is the game for you. Rocksteady created yet another amazing game. THIS IS A MUST PLAY GAME.… Expand
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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

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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. 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.
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  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.
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