VIDEO GAME REVIEW: ‘Batman: Arkham City’

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“Batman: Arkham Asylum” benefited from the element of surprise when it was released in 2009.

Many people weren’t expecting the game to be overwhelmingly good as it was.

“Batman: Arkham City” has the task of trying to top the high expectations set by its predecessor. Fortunately the game does a superb job of accomplishing that task.

“Arkham City” will feel instantly familiar to anyone who has played through the first game. Many of the systems present in the first game, such as the combat, gadgets and detective vision have been brought over to “Arkham City,” but with added features and depth.

The combat is still incredibly satisfying. Dropping into a group of 20 enemies and systematically beating them all into unconsciousness feels awesome. The combat is easy to learn, but very difficult to master, providing plenty of fun challenges.

The game rewards players who resist button-mashing and approach fights in a more rhythmic and thoughtful manner. New enemies and combat moves like double-counters have also been added, so it feels fresh when compared to the last game.

There are still plenty of stealth sections in “Arkham City” as well, and like the combat, they are still fun and have added depth compared to “Arkham Asylum.” Once again, these sections consist of swinging around the ceiling and sneaking around while using Batman’s gadgets to outwit a group of well-armed thugs.

Watching enemies slowly become more terrified as Batman takes down their teammates one-by-one is yet another satisfying element to the game play. Sometimes it’s fun to just toy with the one or two remaining enemies instead taking them down right away.

New gadgets like a freeze grenade and several others have been added to Batman’s arsenal, offering many different options for tackling any given situation.

“Arkham City” also has a great main story, with some genuinely surprising twists and turns. The side quests, while optional, also have the same high-quality story arcs present in the main storyline. It seems crazy that some people may play through the whole game without engaging in some of the great content waiting to be played.

The Riddler’s trophies and puzzles are back, along with the challenge rooms where players try to get the highest score on the leaderboard. There is no multiplayer, but it isn’t necessary. There is a monumental amount of worthwhile single-player content to experience, with beautiful graphics and animation to top it off.

Overall, “Arkham City” proves with little doubt that when it comes to superhero games, the Dark Knight is king.

Platforms: Xbox 360, Playstation 3, PC

Genre: Action-Adventure, Stealth

ESRB Rating: T (Teen)

Score: 5 out of 5