Although Batman: Arkham City takes place over the course of just one of the most intense and eventful nights in Gotham’s storied history, there is an astounding amount of content packed in that demands the player’s attention. Its side quests break the mold of stale, yawn-inducing ancillary missions found in other open world titles. Any who answer the call of the Bat Signal will be absorbed in the game’s stellar main quest and will be driven to remain ensconced in the game’s world long after the credits roll.
As such, the hour is now late and you have no doubt already heard the news that Rocksteady’s sequel has been all but officially crowned as the pinnacle of superhero video games by the mainstream games press. It is an assertion that it is essentially impossible to challenge after having taken the whole experience in. But the only thing that statement successfully conveys is that Bats’ latest outing is, unsurprisingly, superior to its direct predecessor.
Aspiring to find out for myself, I donned the famous cowl, ascended to the highest point of one of the game’s striking gothic structures, and descended on my prey as the Bat himself. Rocksteady has not delivered a game in which players pretend to be the ominous Dark Knight; they have instead crafted one that lets gamers become this fascinating individual. At least, that’s how everyone will feel after interrupting a group of henchmen boasting about how they’ll be the one to bag Batman by emerging from the shadows to kick the ever-living-crap out of them.
Time and time again those of you who endeavor to rid the Arkham City streets of the criminal scum that inhabit them will feel the exhilaration of becoming the hero the city needs. Combat will be extremely familiar to anyone who played through the first game in the series, but the developers added in slight refinements to a system that was already phenomenal. Beating up gangs of anyone foolish enough to get in Batman’s way – or even just unfortunate enough to be standing around somewhere he happens by – will soon find themselves sprawled unconscious on the ground with a plethora of broken bones to show for their troubles.
Arkham City has an incredible atmosphere that is only partly due to the roomier setting that is far more impressive than the already-enjoyable setting of the last game. This isn’t exactly the sprawling cityscape of a sandbox game or the ludicrous overworld of a western RPG; its size fits the adventure as tightly as spandex does the game’s other playable character, Catwoman. The masterful blend of art deco and gothic styles makes the entire hub world feel like a glorious recreation of the ’90s cartoon that inspired both games.
The sensation of patrolling the streets of Gotham from the rooftops and shadows is made whole by the wonderful writing and voice work for nearly every character (the departure of Harley Quinn’s original voice actor stings big time) in the game. Mark Hamill and Kevin Conroy again deliver the greatest Joker and Wayne/Batman performances, respectively, in the long history of the IP. It doesn’t end there, though; even random street toughs are brought to life by performances that constantly portray their feelings of sheer terror (“It’s the freakin’ Bat!”) when the Caped Crusader creeps onto the scene and begins systematically picking off individuals or dive bombs right into the fray to fearlessly pummel a large group of foes.
Those who have yet to experience Rocksteady’s imagining of the iconic series may find it hard to believe that an action game can make them care about this colorful and often campy assortment of rogues and heroes. They’re about to be educated. The vast array of comic book characters is juggled with aplomb. It’s clear that the developers knew exactly how prominent of a role to give to each of Bats’ nemeses.
Encountering them feels exactly as it should, too. There’s nothing as absurdly ridiculous as the final battle from Arkham Asylum. I’ll avoid the spoilers and just say that those who belong in a fistfight with the Dark Knight get into one. Conversely, the less physical adversaries do their best to outwit the Bat and throw ingenious obstacles and waves of henchman at him.
