4.5/5 ★ – MegaBlastoise's review of Batman: Arkham City.

Platform Played: Xbox 360 Date Reviewed: Sept. 21, 2022 Rating: 9.5/10 When I had first played Arkham Asylum back in 2009, I not only had a blast with the game, but I also waited in anticipation for a sequel. And Rocksteady delivered said sequel in 2011. Batman: Arkham City not only received rave reviews at launch, but it even won Game Of The Year (back when that award actually MEANT something). And I'm not going to beat around the bush on this one: this is a game I love coming back to. Like Asylum, Arkham City is a 3D beat-em-up. But unlike previously, where combat was ever so slightly clunky, City refined the combat to make it 100% smooth. Other than that, the controls were left untouched. While I had felt that Detective Mode in Asylum was broken, City nerfed it to high hell, and I personally find it a welcome change since constantly playing with it on tended to hurt my eyes. The game also ramps up the open-world elements, but not to the same degree as Batman & Robin PS1. The boss fights are also much better, as opposed to Asylum where it was just the Bane fight with a different coat of paint. The story is some of the best I've experienced from not just a Batman game, but from the entire franchise. The same goes for the voice acting, though I'm not the biggest fan of Tara Strong as Harley Quinn (who took over the role from Arleen Sorkin who stopped voicing Harley after Asylum). The overall world-building and atmosphere is fantastic. The graphics have aged arguably better than Asylum. While I felt the music took a very small hit, it's still great stuff to listen to. Like with Asylum, the lore is integrated well into the game, but now there are more villains to deal with rather than just Joker and Harley. Overall, Batman: Arkham City is one of the best, if not THE best superhero games ever made. This is a must play for any Batman fan and I cannot recommend it enough.