Customer Reviews

Batman: Arkham City Action Video Game - PC Game

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(18)

 

 

Please allow me to start by saying I typically feel bad for software vendors that produce PC games. There are so many different configurations that need to be tested and supported!

However, after having pushed my way thru hours of playing this game and seeing all the issues on the batmanarkhamcity.com forums, I can say this game was not properly tested by the software developer (Rocksteady) and is failing miserably. Numerous people are having major issues getting the game to play. It simply keeps crashing!

This comes as no surprise, as they delayed the PC release within 2 weeks of its delivery date. Having been part of software development, I can tell you delaying this close to delivery is not a good sign, and frankly, I expected there to be issues. However, the sheer volume of issues for numerous people is inexcusable.

For those of you with the latest and greatest PC configurations - you very well may experience issues, as are others who have well beyond the recommended configuration. On its second day of release Rocksteady (rightfully) confirmed issues using some of the basic features of the game (e.g. DirectX 11). They pretty much told everyone to turn it off in the game settings, until they release a patch.

Regarding support...
While I was able to speak with someone live to get support (a big "Well done" for Warner Brothers), the support engineer didn't seem to understand some of the basics of what could cause PC problems. In fact, I suggested that DirectX 11 may be causing issues and the engineer said it wouldn't (only to find out within a day that DirectX 11 *was* an issue for *everyone*). This being said, he was a nice, English-speaking lad and *did* help me change a couple things that improved things a bit.

In summary...
I'm sure Rocksteady will release a patch or two pretty quickly, because some of the basics are not working. However, the initial PC release is turning out to be a nightmare. If you want to be frustrated, get the game now. It's fun to play during the 6 minutes it runs before crashing. If you can bear to wait, I suggest you do so until Rocksteady gets a fix out.

I held off purchasing this game for PlayStation 3 so that I could enjoy the benefits of the PC version, which were quite numerous when Arkham Asylum was released. The gameplay is much smoother due to the higher framerates and it was the first PhysX game I was able to play, which definitely increased the immersion. I've started playing this title and to my dismay, all of the advanced features I had hoped for are broken. You cannot currently run this title with DirectX 11 features or PhysX enabled as of now, regardless of system setup. System specs below:

i7-950 @ 3.2 GHz
NVIDIA GTX 570 (Overclocked)
6GB DDR3 1600 MHz
OCZ Vertex 2 80 GB SSD

These problems affect both NVIDIA and AMD GPUs and so far as anyone can tell, these are not issues with the drivers but issues with the game itself. Hopefully these issues will be fixed soon in a title update, but seeing as the title was delayed an additional month and no extra work was done on it... all I can say is I expected much more after the stellar experience I had with Arkham Asylum.

tl;dr: Just don't buy this on PC until the game has been patched. The price will drop by then, or you can just grab the already cheaper PS3 or Xbox 360 release.

Edit: I've updated to recently released patch on Games for Windows Live, and can say that some of the DX11 frame rate problems have been alleviated. Frame rate drops are not as vast, however stuttering is still an issue. Still not the performance I expected after the delays or after patching. It is above playable in DX11 however, so I've bumped the rating to 3/5. Hopefully with future patches the stuttering is fixed.

If you're one of the people that waited an extra month for the PC release, you probably did so for the enhanced graphics, textures, DX11, and physX. Unfortunately Rocksteady clearly did not test this product before release. Running it in DX11 (necessary for all those enjoyable enhanced graphics) renders it completely unplayable. Your frame rates will jump from 1-60 and back again without reason or warning. The size or power of your machine won't help here. It's got nothing to do with the system.

Rocksteady has acknowledged the error. But the real problem here is not the DX11 issue. It's that it's still here after a month delay. The time was supposed to be used to improve the PC port. That is obviously not what happened. Even simple testing would reveal this problem, and Rocksteady's solution (telling players to run in DX9) shows a callous disregard for users. Was Rocksteady simply sitting on the PC release to boost console sales? Is this an obvious method to delay users so they can finish work that should have been done prior to shipping? Who knows.

What is clear is that the PC port is unacceptable in its release condition. Those of us who waited would have been much better off simply picking up a console version, as the graphics would have been the same without the wait. If/When Rocksteady fixes this issue, Arkham City may indeed be the best version of the game. But release in this condition, on a holiday weekend, is beyond unacceptable. I dare say I wish I had not spend money on this product, because Rocksteady has not released a playable game. Moreover, their delay in releasing the PC version has rendered no additional benefits. It only caused many die-hard fans to wait a month and miss out on being a part of the release date excitement a month ago.

This is a true disappointment. Thankfully many PC gamers have Skyrim to tide them over. But this is an egregious oversight on behalf of Rocksteady, leaving PC gamers with an unplayable version over the long holiday weekend.

1 star.

If you want to know how great the game should be, by all means please check the reviews for the console versions of this game. Sadly, the PC version was not properly tested. And by that I mean that the developers did not bother inserting this game into a computer to see how it would actually play. It bugs instantaneously. At first, it's just a (major) lack of synch between the words being spoken and the lip movements in the initial cut-scene, but soon after (even before Bruce puts on the outfit), the game glitches and makes you unable to proceed. This is unacceptable.

If you are tech savy, there is a way of getting out of this by working with the settings but this messes with other visuals and eventually you will still be unable to continue since the game will not account for progress made. I had some fun till I got stuck again, but the fact that I cant complete this game and that it is defective in essence is a major bummer. I am returning this item and give it another chance once the real fixed version comes out. Till then, I don't recommend anyone to buy this version of the game.

Games for Windows Live is crap. The fact I have to spend so much of my free time getting it to work makes me give the game 1 star right off the "bat". I know, I am sure the game is great but fascist DRM is uncalled for. Requiring an internet connection to save your games is horrid.

The game is fun to play but the stuttering frame rate is horrible and I have a GTX580 with a fast CPU.

I really enjoyed Arkham Asylum on PC: it felt like the ultimate super-hero experience, wrapped in excellent story telling and mostly entertaining mini-puzzles involving the Riddler. That said, I was looking forward to playing Arkham City.

After waiting a few weeks for a price drop AND a DX11 patch, I finally got it for a really good price. It came with a full-size intro comic book (unlike the booklet sized mini comic in AA) which introduces some game themes and motives. Being an avid comic reader, I can't say this one is particularly good: the drawing style is very simplistic and my wife even found a spelling error. The coloring is well done, but the writing is somewhat cheesy. Then again I wasn't expecting DC to spend tons of money producing a free mini comic that, probably, many people will not even read. It was a nice touch to include one anyway, as Batman belongs first and foremost to the comic book world.

The game took a while to install though I didn't have any technical difficulties, beyond disgusting DRM being installed on my computer apart from a CD key AND date verification. Yes, this game works and installs "fine" but comes plagued with nasty DRM.

The game itself is an expanded Arkham Asylum, where everything somewhat repeats itself in a larger scale: a district instead of a prison, city buildings instead of prison-hospital facilities, and lots of streets with random thugs instead of, well, pathways with random thugs. However, the pace at which things occur makes this a richer experience, with people calling for help as you pass by and things coming up "unexpectedly" in the middle of the main mission.

*GAMEPLAY*

The game plays exactly like AA with some minimal key/button changes and a lot more movements and gadgets. Combat however feels more fluid and a lot more animations were included. Gadgets are also seamlessly integrated into combat which makes fighting more exciting than before.

Instead of a mini-map, a compass is included, as in other sandbox style games.

Riddles are back, only this time they are more contraption-based and less hidden-object style. They are rewarding though, as Riddler's trophies are the key to find the location of several trapped victims. The problem is there are way too many riddles, and searching for each and every one of them can be annoying and frustrating, unless you really have nothing better to do with your time.

While the main mission plays at a pace similar to that in AA, there are a variety of side-missions that will show up sooner or later, that you can pursue at any moment during or after the main story.

If the first game succeeded in making the player feel like Batman as he undergoes a psycho-trip with Arkham's most dangerous criminals (somewhat similar to Grant Morrison and Dave McKean's Arkham Asylum), this one succeeds in letting the player feel like Batman doing his job for day. Lots of criminals, lots of people to help, lots of problems to deal with, and no time to waste.

*STORY*

As mentioned before, the first game did a great job in telling a story worthy of a graphic novel (with an exaggerated final battle). This time, while still well executed and mostly enjoyable, it feels a little too cartoonish for my taste. Go here, go there, "oh no! criminal X has thing Y, GO GET IT!". While it has a few high points, I wouldn't consider this a remarkable job in writing or story telling. A couple of times it seemed the game took Batman too far from the dark detective territory and into fantastic action-hero arena.

A couple of the side-missions are very interesting and fun to play however, so all in all everything together compensates for the poorer main story.

The game also features some adventure elements, mostly in the form of very fun exploration.

*VISUALS AND SOUND*

As it was expected, the game boasts incredible visuals in both the technical and aesthetic dimensions. Tessellation is used modestly in only certain objects, but in general the DX11 features add a nice visual touch. PhysX works just like in the first game: it creates moving and destructible objects that have no interference whatsoever with the game world.

Some of the locations look and feel amazing, and are very exciting to explore. Coupled with the story behind them, they can be almost breath-taking if you like fantasy and sci-fi.

Textures aren't really high definition, which is a disappointment. Animations, however, are very impressive both in combat and cutscenes.

Sound is very good, with excellent voice-acting. The music score is surprisingly good, with some symphonic touches in the background of fights and action scenes.

*PERFORMANCE*

After Rocksteady patched *most* of the performance issues, the game is fully enjoyable using DirectX 11's features AND PhysX. No major slowdowns, except at a particularly PhysX-intensive scene where it drops to unplayable levels.

My PC (Phenom II X6 1090T - 3.7 GHz, 8 GB RAM, GTX 560 Ti OC'ed, Win 7 Pro 64-bit) plays the game using FXAA High, DX11 Tessellation Normal, Detail level Very High, PhysX Normal, at above 50 FPS.

*FINAL THOUGHTS*

A fun action game, with an entertaining but unremarkable storyline. Lots of things to do, and a whole district to explore. Not sure if it's better than Arkham Asylum, but it's the continuation so you may want to play it. Too bad it comes plagued with nasty DRM, so get it at a discounted price.

Now that Rocksteady released a patch it's better, but still not perfect. Why didn't they just wait until they had it right? So much potential, but a horrible launch.

Well, I pondered upgrading to an Nvidia DX11 card to get the full Phsyx and all. I guess now I am glad that I did not. It seems most complaints are related to DX11. I have not had a single issue playing this game with my machine.

My machine is as follows:
Windows 7 Professional 64 bit
Core i7 965 3.2 GHz (Quad Core)
ATI Radeon HD4870X2 (directx 10.1 card)
8 GB Ram

And I must say that this is an absolutely beautiful game. I was able to max all settings, except the lack of Physx and the 1920X1080 limitation of my monitor. It is a gorgeous game visually even without DX11 and Physx. The voice acting, just like on Arkham Asylum (which I also have on pc and never had a single issue with)is amazing.

The plot and story of the game also is incredible. I have finished all but Catwoman's last mission or 2. I thought that the story line was better than any Batman story I have read/watched/ or played in the past (not to imply I am a Batman junkie. I rarely read comics, but LOVE the Christopher Nolan movies, as well as the old Animated Series). So many twists and turns. Just amazing writing.

Anyways. If you have a DirectX 10.1 card, based on my experience, you should have no problems; go ahead and buy, and prepare to be amazed. DirectX 11, I cannot speak for and I would trust the other reviews on that. I have seen this complaint on the AC forums as well; and I do really hate it when I get stuck with issues like that and I do not doubt their frustrations. Sorry guys.

BTW: The Catwoman content is already present on the PC version. No need to download at all!

I will never, ever buy a Game for Windows Live product.

In fact this single product has made me question pretty much every single piece of software made by Microsoft all together. I used to own Microsoft stock. That changed about 2 days ago.

The reason is quite simple: a company that so blatantly disrespects its customers will simply not survive in the long term. The DRM requirements of this game are beyond unreasonable, they are simply ridiculous and idiotic.

Apparently, not a single executive in the company reaches the (obvious) conclusion that mistreating its gaming customer base with the sole purpose of "protecting its copyright" is a REALLY bad idea.

You are basically saying this: "You can either legally purchase this game and go through a lengthy process (mine took about 3 hours after download) to validate the product you ALREADY paid for or download it illegally and take 5 min to start using it"

Do you think your customers are morons? Do you think they are idiots? Well, you must be correct. After all I did buy this game, so I am obviously not very smart. Fortunately I learn from my mistakes and, boy, did I learn from this one.

Your Windows Live does NOTHING other than push for DLC content and preventing users from basically playing the game without an Internet connection.

And even all that would be fine and dandy if I did not have to download the Live client a mere 9 times.

And if it didn't update a mere 7 times before it actually started working

And if it didn't fail to update at the 7th time due to "server miscommunication" or whatever the error was and then had to redo EVERYTHING again.

I will never buy another GFWL again. I will stick with Steam or other way more robust DRM software. Don't you people understand you are alienating the same people you are supposed to court and attract. Do you think people don't pirate software because they are afraid of the legal repercussions? People buy games because they want to SUPPORT THE DEVELOPERS. But if you piss them off hard enough for long enough, many might change their mind or they just switch platforms.

A +$100 billion company and nobody sees this?

This company is dead. You had a good run.

This game is at least a worthy successor to the fantastic Arkham Asylum. The environment, story and gameplay are terrific, the graphics (using DX9, DX11 caused too much frame rate degradation on my high powered PC) are beautiful and rich. The voice acting is as wonderful as in Asylum. The Joker trophies are more challenging now, and the opportunity to play as Catwoman changes things up although I think they could have stepped into the 21st Century and made the female characters a little less T&A-centric.

Apparently this game shipped with a TON of dealbreaking bugs, but once I turned DX11 off and using the latest Nvidia drivers I had no problems. Various reviews claim that DX11 doesn't add much to justify all the hassle; certainly the game looks terrific without it.

What did annoy me and cost stars is the troika of DRM regimes. First you have to use Steam; okay, I like Steam. Then you have to use Windows Live which is completely redundant with Steam and a hell of a lot less useful. Finally, you are restricted to three installations. I put a new hard drive on my computer soon after I installed BM:AC, so I guess I'm down to three more for the rest of my gaming life.