By Aaron N
Batman: Arkham City is the highly touted sequel to what many called the game-of-the-year, Batman: Arkham Asylum. "Arkham Asylum" came off the heels of "The Dark Knight" which amazed movie-goers in the summer of 2008. It allowed you to become the caped crusader like never before. It's gameplay of sneaking around was both simplistic yet complex in nature. "Arkham City" boasted new characters and a grand landscape that players hoped would surpass its predecessor.
Graphics
Batman: Arkham City's graphics were phenomenal. One pet-peeve I have always had when it came to video games, and even movies for that matter, was the animation of lip movements. They always seemed off to me. But "Arkham City" perfected this. Plus, I loved every character's updated look for the game. Joker's decreasing health was displayed magnificently, and I still love how much detail is put into the game. My favorite part was how Batman's cape and uniform became more tattered and worn out as time progressed. I know this was in the first game, but that much detail needs to be mentioned again.
Story
"Arkham City" begins with the politician Bruce Wayne, yes he's running for office, being kidnapped by Hugo Strange and put into Arkham City. Arkham City is a huge city that has been transformed into a prison in the heart of Gotham City. Now why they thought this was a good idea is beyond me, but it happened and there's nothing we can do about it besides have Alfred ship us a Batsuit and suit up. There are so many sidequests that I am only going to talk about the main story which is unfortunately, surprisingly quick. As Batman you defeat Two-Face in a courtroom and have run-ins with Mr. Freeze, Clayface, and Ra's al Ghul among others, but there are two main storylines. One is with Hugo Strange and his bid to control everything. The other is a little bit more important and that is with the Joker. Batman's nemesis is dying and he infects Bruce with his poisoned blood. These two storylines co-mingle at times to give you a complex and at times confusing story. It concludes with a shocking ending that gamers are still questioning its legitimacy. Many die-hard Batfans and gamers alike will enjoy the story and will clamer for a sequel.
Gameplay
The gameplay was kept almost the same as "Arkham Asylum". You must sneak around the landscape and take out bad guys. Now each battle is different but that basically is it as fighting goes. You can upgrade your armor and weaponry so hand-to-hand combat is more possible, but sneaking is the best way to go. The gadgets are roughly the same, sans a few new ones. They keep the puzzles entertaining but you can get the rhythm down pretty easily. It is a formula that wasn't broken but I wish that it saw a few substantial upgrades.
Sound
This game begins and ends with Mark Hamill...that's it. He is the greatest Joker on the planet. He surpasses Jack Nicholson, Heath Ledger, and even Cesar Romero, the man is a legend. Look him up on youtube if you can. It is a treat to watch him perform his Joker. In a video, he was asked at a panel how his Joker would say "why so serious?", and his version was so spot-on and spur of the moment that you can't help but be in awe. The man is a genius, period. The other voice acting was steller as well. It seemed that many actors were brought back from the animated series which was brilliant. They gelled very nicely and it felt natural. The background music emphasized the eery, dark atmosphere. The sound in this game is a complete package and top-notch. It was flawless.
Overall
Batman: Arkham City is a great gaming experience. The storyline is amazing and the effort put into this game is remarkable. But the short main story and lack of substantial changes make it fall short of its predecessor. But with a game as good as "Arkham Asylum" was, that is not much of a insult. I enjoyed it and I am hopeful for a sequel.
Batman: Arkham City gets a 9/10
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