The Freeflow fighting was perhaps one of the great highlights of Arkham Asylum, and it is back even better than ever in Arkham City. The game rewards, in equal parts, combat/brawling ability, detective work (as you would expect with Batman) and the Caped Crusader's legendary silent predator ability.Īll will be called on throughout the game, and there are few things more satisfying than taking down enemies in a spectacularly sneaky way while hanging upside down from a vantage point or by simply belting the crud out of them in a brawl. The ability to glide from a high point (and there are plenty of high points in Arkham City - this game is much more "vertical" than its predecessor), grapple to another building and launch into the air again is wonderful, with mechanics as smooth as silk. One positive is that Batman has his "toys" - Batclaw, Batgel, Batarangs, etc - from the start, meaning they can be used in fights pretty much straight away, as well as in helping you get around Arkham City. Truly this is a beautiful, beautiful game.įor those familiar with Arkham Asylum, the game play and fighting mechanics remain pretty much unaltered. Taking to the air and simply gliding around only adds to this joy. Standing atop the Ace Chemicals building after escaping in the opening sequence, it is just a sheer joy to gaze across the environment, watching the light snow fall and the blinking neon lights. Many times bigger than the original Asylum, Gotham has been lovingingly recreated in its full, gritty, grotty, grimy brilliance. Rocksteady have done a tremendous job on Arkham City's environs.
BATMAN ARKHAM CITY REVIEW XBOX 360 FULL
However, in a continuation of that opening sequence, Wayne breaks free, taking vengeance on his oppressors and donning on his Batsuit in order to get to the bottom of what is happening inside Arkham City.Īnd there is plenty happening - as well as Dr Strange's secret plans, there are gangs led by everyone from the Penguin to Two-Face, as well as independent characters like Mr Freeze who pose further threats to Batman.Īdd to that the fact the Caped Crusader's arch-nemesis The Joker remains alive and unwell (after the conclusion to Arkham Asylum) inside the City's walls, the Riddler has been up to his old puzzle-based tricks and that Selina Kyle (aka Catwoman) is prowling around, and you have a full board of characters to enjoy.Īnd there's plenty of space in which to enjoy them. The goings-on attract the attention of Bruce Wayne, Batman's alter ego, who, in a memorable opening sequence, speaks out publicly against Arkham City before his press conference is raided by storm-troopers and he himself is taken away to be interrogated by Dr Strange.ĭr Strange, knowing that Wayne is Batman, and knowing that Wayne/Batman is/are the only people with the power and ability to stop some secret plans he has in place, decides to lock him away in Arkham City as well. And whatever happens inside Arkham City, goes, including violent gang warfare led by a rogue's gallery of villians, and brutal punishments for those who transgress or get on Dr Strange's wrong side. In fact, there is only one rule - don't try to escape. Very quickly it becomes clear that Dr Strange is more than happy to run the prison as a quasi-gulag, imprisoning all sorts of people, including those who could oppose him.
To that end he walls off a section of the city to create Arkham City, and he puts mysterious, and seemingly sinister, Dr Hugo Strange in charge.
Quincy Sharp, Gotham City's new mayor, has used the events of the first game to convince the public that a high-security mega-prison in the centre of Gotham is a good idea.
The storyline is relatively simple, and carries on from the first game (though you don't have to have played the first game to be able to easily pick things up). Ever since word that a sequel to the acclaimed Batman: Arkham Asylum was in the works, fans of Batman - and the original game - have wondered exactly how Rocksteady Studios might be able to top the success, level of detail, playability and sheer brilliance of the original game.īatman: Arkham City is a worthy Game of the Year candidate and is one of the best games ever released on the Xbox 360.
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