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When Batman: Arkham Asylum launched two years ago, it came with a lower than expected price tag and a gaming experience that became a huge hit. Now, with Arkham City, Rocksteady Studios developed a game that takes all that was great about the original and adds so much more to make what is easily one of the best games of the year. The accolades are probably not that surprising with the hype that went into the game before it even hit shelves, but surpassing that hype is another thing altogether. What Arkham Asylum did so right was incorporating all the key elements that make Batman the fascinating and complex character he truly is. But it did this within the context of a great original story that wasn't stifled by movie tie-ins or subpar concepts. It had villains, gadgets, stealth, action, dialogue and a glimpse into the tortured past that made Bruce Wayne become the Dark Knight. Arkham City delves less into Bruce's past, though the very persona of Batman's alter ego figures prominently in the opening of the game. But it does bring in elements of weakness into Batman's character that add intrigue to the story. The story, of course, is the basis for the main campaign and it runs along smoothly, with only a few of the same villains from the previous game making appearances. Stalwarts from Arkham Asylum, like Scarecrow, Killer Croc and Poison Ivy aren't in Arkham City, but they're replaced with others in Batman's rogues gallery, plus the few who've returned from the previous one. The Joker is indeed in this one, but the main protagonist for much of the game is Dr. Hugo Strange. The great ending, however, ties in a lot of different elements together in a crafty way. Catwoman is also in the game, but her content isn't actually included on the game disc. You have to use the one-time download code that comes in the case to unlock that and play as her in a few solo missions. Her part of the story isn't crucial to the overall storyline, since you can beat the game without playing as her, but what she uncovers explains some of what was going on while you were busy as Batman. All that said, what will stand out to you here is the gameplay, and not just for one go round, either. Arkham City has an addictive quality to it that is really cool for a single-player game. This doesn't have the kind of replay value you would expect from a shooter with online multiplayer. Rocksteady designed the game in a way that makes it impossible to uncover all the secrets (especially Riddler Trophies) without having the gadgets necessary to get to them. You can finish the main story and still have a dozen side missions to go through, a few of which deal with villains that aren't really related to the main story anyway. And that's not even including the Riddler Challenges and other stuff you can do. You start the game with every gadget you earned in Arkham Asylum, and earn more as you go along in Arkham City. Enemies are tougher and more varied, carrying things like stun guns, broken bottles, riot shields, sniper rifles, armored suits and even Detective mode jammers. And since Arkham City is smack in the middle of Gotham City, the way in which you move around is different than it was before. You'll soar through the sky using Batman's grappling hook, hang enemies off ledges, land on enemies from above and find new and innovative ways to take them down. Not every building is accessible, but there is enough going on at ground level that you won't be brooding from a ledge for that long. Once you finish the game once, you can go through it again with Game Plus mode, which takes you back to the beginning, but with a few added twists. First, you get all the gadgets and challenges you earned from your first run-through, but in turn, enemies are better armed, smarter and reversal indicators are turned off. And since it's a separate save file, your progress on your original campaign isn't affected. Riddler Challenges are a similar mix of battles like they were in Arkham Asylum, split evenly between combat and invisible predator with about a dozen each. Riddler Campaigns take these a bit further by throwing in caveats like low health and time limits to up the ante. That pretty much sums it up - there is a lot to do in Arkham City, and there's a strong possibility that you'll be intrigued enough to try the main story a second time with all the gadgets in Batman's utility belt. In fact, since the game has been out for about a month, there's a likelihood you're already in the midst of doing that. If you're even a casual Batman fan, the price tag for this game is money well spent. Batman: Arkham City is unquestionably one of the best games of the year.   Batman: Arkham City Format: PS3 Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive Developer: Rocksteady Studios ESRB Rating: Teen Official Site: http://community.batmanarkhamcity.com/ Rating: 9.5 / 10

 

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