PlayStation 3
Batman: Arkham City - Game of the Year Edition
| Graphics: Sound: Gameplay: Overall: |
8.40 8.60 8.69 8.60 |
| Votes: | 84 |
| Reviews: | 1 |
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| Reviewer: Wayfer | Date: Mar 12, 2024 |
| Batman: Arkham City was one of the most played games of my childhood which got me into the titular character and his rogues more than ever. Since then I've played hundreds more games and I will not be giving this game cookie points for nostalgia. I will be reviewing based on if it holds up nearly 13 years later.
Graphics: 9 The graphics were pretty cutting edge for the time and even now I don't feel offput by anything except maybe some facial animations. The way Batman's cape folds and even rips throughout the story looks fantastic. I cannot overstate how well lighting and textures were used in this game, so much so that it beats its' eventual remaster for the PS4. The art direction and and aesthetic of the City feels perfect in some areas but possibly a bit boring in others, something Asylum did better in my opinion. Sound: 10 I can't give the sound design of this game any less than perfect. Some stand outs to me are the sound of the wind against your cape as you glide, the sound of bones breaking as you take down enemies, the sound of batman lurking in the vents and oh yeah... the flawless voice cast. Every voice actor in this title are masters of their art and the best voices for these characters, especially Conroy's Batman and Hamill's Joker. Gameplay: 8 The gameplay of Arkham City, first and foremost is a complete upgrade of Asylum's. Batman feels smoother in every aspect of his gameplay from combat to movement, the upgrades for these attributes being much better as well. That being said it's hard to call the combat or movement flawless even if it has a confident structure. Occasionally engagements won't pan out how you'd believe them to regardless if they worked before. For example, the enemy auto-targeting will not hit who you anticipated it to hit in a big clump of enemies or sometimes alerting a guard while trying to execute a takedown in stealth areas due to a bug. These complaints are by no means incredibly common and it still feels satisfying to take down a room of enemies with your fists. I will say I have an issue with some enemy designs, such as enemies with stun sticks or guns slowing down the typically fast pace of combat. The stealth is a decent aspect of the game but I feel it's awfully repetitive and the safest way of playing the segments can get boring after awhile. It's much more fun to speed through these while utilizing your gadgets to decimate the enemies. As much as it probably sounds like I hate the gameplay of Arkham City, I believe it to be well structured and fun even if a bit repetitive. The combat and stealth feels perfect for the Riddler Challenge Maps when your goal is a high score rather than clearing an area. The boss fights while simple are very effective and really encapsulate how these Batman villains would realistically confront the seasoned caped crusader. Mr. Freeze and Ra's Al Ghul are standouts but don't expect these villains to ever give you a challenge in death. Aside from that the side missions are all great and feel natural within the setting, never forced. I think the Catwoman parts of this game are out of place and feel worse than Batman's in every way but I can't hate that they're here and Rocksteady definitely delivered some quality extras with them. My last thought regarding gameplay would be that it just feels cool to be Batman in this game, this game masterfully adapts the stalking and striking attitude of the Dark Knight. Overall: 9 Overall this game is a PS3 must play and a worthy successor to Asylum. The story is intense and exciting in all the right places. The game gives you a great chunk of content and a damn near perfect map to house it all in. Combat and stealth could be improved but I do believe Arkham City is the peak of the series and a highly replay-able game that is sure to turn you into a Batman fan. I may see more flaws with it today than I did as a wide-eyed kid but it still takes me back to feeling like a badass vigilante as it did from the start. R.I.P Kevin Conroy, you are mine and several other people's Batman. You are greatly missed. |
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