Batman: Arkham City

Batman: Arkham City is the newest in a long line of super hero video games; the sequel to the highly acclaimed Batman: Arkham Asylum has gone above and beyond my expectations. My experience with Batman is a very limited range. I was never a fan of DC comics growing up always preferring Marvel and the X-men, so I limited to knowing the history of Batman through the movies. These games are changing my mind regarding the awesomeness that is Batman. The game starts off with Bruce Wayne getting thrown into the prison city that is Arkham city by Doctor Hugo Strange. The first mission of the game you are trying to figure out what is going on and you start by finding Catwomen and then Joker and Harley Quinn. A few hours into the game and I am already coming across many characters that I have seen in movies that I have grown the love. The game has a very dark and gritty feel that makes you really start feeling that the city if falling apart around you. Dilapidated buildings and abandoned factories are the games favorite locations for Batman to visit.  The game play is smooth and fluid from the very beginning and allows characters to skip through dialog windows quickly. The game is well designed in a way that by turning the hints on anyone is able to pick up this game and be able to play quickly.

The art, style, and dialog make this game much more then could be asked for. The voice work by Mark Hamill is forever going to be the most chilling laugh I have ever heard. Kevin Conroy came back to reprise one of his most popular roles as Batman. Rocksteady Studios has done their research in creating the world of Gotham, they have been known to reference things like Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker as inspiration. Writer Paul Dini, who has written various Batman animated series, was able to create a new darker world In Arkham city that has surpassed anything that I could have ever imagined possible.

Batman: Arkham City has made a DC fan out of me. I give the game a solid 10 with no part of the game letting me down. I believe that any fan of Batman or gaming would be crazy to miss out on such a great addition to the comic book video game line up. After many disappointments from comic book games its good to see that a company is striving to create a game that not only represents what I love about Batman but to stand out on its own.

Reviewed by: April Ray

This Ain't No Place for a Hero

Official Gameplay Trailer - Batman: Arkham City