Batman: Arkham City
2011
Audio: English
- hack and slash/beat 'em up
- adventure
- action
- stealth
- open world
- single player
The story
Batman: Arkham City builds upon the intense, atmospheric foundation of Batman: Arkham Asylum, sending players soaring into Arkham City, the new maximum security "home" for all of Gotham City's thugs, gangsters and insane criminal masterminds. Set inside the heavily fortified walls of a sprawling district in the heart of Gotham City, this highly anticipated sequel introduces a brand-new story that draws together a new all-star cast of classic characters and murderous villains from the Batman universe, as well as a vast range of new and enhanced gameplay features to deliver the ultimate experience as the Dark Knight.
What it’s like
Night-soaked and grimy, with a cold blue-grey palette broken by sickly green gas glow, jagged gothic silhouettes and the amber smear of street lamps over wet stone. The city is a walled, decaying district of crumbling tenements, neon-lit back alleys and rooftops you glide across with a cape's long drift, so the camera spends much of its time high above the streets, swooping low for the fights. Combat is a rhythmic, dancing flow of counters and takedowns, scored by brooding strings and pulsing low-end synth that swell during set-piece brawls and drop to tense near-silence while you stalk gargoyle perches. The vibe is brooding, grandiose and a little manic, a comic-book gothic opera that rewards patience and hard-won fist-work. Violence is constant but stylised: frequent punches, takedowns and gunfire, blood sparingly shown, with some menacing, unsettling villain moments and psychological creepiness rather than gore. It suits a late evening alone with headphones or a long stretch of uninterrupted play, and it's best for players who enjoy detective puzzles, sprawling open-world exploration and a power fantasy that asks for skill.
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