Batman Arkham City

by Warner Bros

Product Features

• Become the Dark Knight in a genuinely authentic Batman experience with advanced, compelling gameplay on every level, epic super-villain encounters and unexpected glimpses into Batman's tortured psychology
• Play as Catwoman with her own storyline in the main game which is seamlessly interwoven with Batman's story arc
• Experience advanced freeflow combat as Batman's melee abilities ratchet up to match that of AI enemies
• Put new gadgets, and new functionality for existing gadgets to work that expand the range of Batman's abilities
• Encounter numerous characters from the Batman universe, including Catwoman, Two-Face, Harley Quinn, Penguin, Hugo Strange, Victor Zsasz, Calendar Man, The Joker, The Riddler and others

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B002I0F5M8
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 5.3 x 0.5 inches ; 4 ounces
• Media: Video Game
• Release Date: October 18, 2011
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (293 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #146 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
  • #13 in Video Games > PlayStation 3 > Action
  • #23 in Video Games > PlayStation 3 > All Games

Product Description

Platform: PLAYSTATION 3 | Edition: Standard

Amazon.com Product Description

Batman: Arkham City is third-person Action-Adventure game that delivers an authentic Dark Knight experience rooted in an original and engrossing story as well as a combination of melee combat, stealth, investigative and speed-based challenge gameplay. A sequel to 2009's Batman: Arkham Asylum, Arkham City features the full range of classic enemies seen in the previous game, in addition to Catwoman, who is a playable character and has her own storyline in the new release. Additional features include: a range of new gadgets, an increased number of possible melee opponents and a range of movement options for Batman that include leaping, sliding, gliding and the grapple hook.

The Ultimate Experience of the Dark Knight

Developed by Rocksteady Studios, Batman: Arkham City builds upon the intense, atmospheric foundation of Batman: Arkham Asylum, sending players soaring into Arkham City, the new maximum security "home" for all of Gotham City's thugs, gangsters and insane criminal masterminds. The game features an unique combination of melee combat, stealth, investigative and speed-based challenge gameplay. Set inside the heavily fortified walls of a sprawling district in the heart of Gotham City, this highly anticipated sequel introduces a brand-new story that draws together a new all-star cast of classic characters and murderous villains from the Batman universe, as well as a vast range of new and enhanced gameplay features to deliver the ultimate experience as the Dark Knight.

An authentic Dark Knight video game adventure that picks up where Arkham Asylum left off.
View larger.

Key Game Features

• Become the Dark Knight - Batman: Arkham City delivers a genuinely authentic Batman experience with advanced, compelling gameplay on every level: high-impact street brawls, nail-biting stealth, multifaceted forensic investigation, epic super-villain encounters and unexpected glimpses into Batman's tortured psychology.
• Play as Catwoman - Catwoman is a fully playable character in Batman: Arkham City who has her own storyline in the main game which is seamlessly interwoven with Batman's story arc. Her navigation skills, combat moves and gadgetry have been specifically designed to deliver a fully featured and unique experience.
• Advanced FreeFlow Combat - Batman faces highly coordinated, simultaneous attacks from every direction as Arkham's gangs bring heavy weapons and all-new AI to the fight, but Batman steps it up with twice the number of combat animations and double the range of attacks, counters and takedowns.
• New Gadgets - Batman has access to new gadgets such as the Cryptographic Sequencer V2 and Smoke Pellets, as well as new functionality for existing gadgets that expand the range of Batman's abilities without adding extra weight to his Utility Belt.
• New Story - Five-time Emmy-Award-winner Paul Dini returns to pen a brand-new story for Batman: Arkham City, taking gamers deep inside the diseased heart of Gotham.
• Arkham Has Moved - Following the closure of Arkham Asylum and Blackgate prison, Gotham's new mayor, Quincy Sharp ordered the relocation of all inmates to Arkham City - a sprawling new super-prison five times bigger than Arkham Island, enclosing a wide variety of industrial districts, iconic locations and Gotham landmarks.
• Huge Cast of Characters - Players encounter numerous characters from the Batman universe, including Catwoman, Two-Face, Harley Quinn, Penguin, Hugo Strange, Victor Zsasz, Calendar Man, The Joker, The Riddler and other iconic characters yet to be revealed.
• Featured VO Talent - Mark Hamill and Kevin Conroy reprise their roles as The Joker and Batman respectively.

Additional Screenshots

New gadgets to utilize. View larger.

A playable Catwoman character. View larger.

Expanded melee combat play. View larger.

Signature Batman stealth. View larger.

Product Description

Arkham City is an open world action video game that incorporates elements of stealth and predator tactics. All of the gadgets previously obtained in the first game are present at the start of Arkham City (with the exception of the Ultra Batclaw, which is replaced with the regular Batclaw and Sonic Batarangs). Most of them have improved or new capabilities; for example, the Cryptographic Sequencer can also track signals, the line launcher now has a feature that allows Batman to flip over and launch another zipline perpendicularly across, switching directions, the remote control Batarang now has a built in brake and boost, and the grappling gun can now be used while gliding to boost Batman further up into the air. Four additional gadgets have been revealed: smoke pellets to confuse armed enemies when spotted by them, the Remote Electrical Charge which is a sniper-like taser gun used to power generators and shock enemies, ice grenades used to freeze enemies and make pathways through water, and a balled rope for tying up enemies. The game incorporates more puzzle elements; the use of Batman's "Detective Mode", which highlights elements such as enemy skeletons and clues on-screen, is used to perform forensic activities such as tracing the origin of a sniper round.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

82 of 96 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Conquests of the Caped Crusader, October 18, 2011

By 

Son of Tiamat - See all my reviews

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Batman: Arkham City (Video Game)

Anybody who has played Batman: Arkham Asylum and loved it knows precisely why it was such an amazing game. Take one part Matrix: Path of Neo for epic, super-human martial arts beat-em up; ad in another part Splinter Cell style sneaking around in dark environments for tense moments that test skill and patience; throw in some cool gadgetry to help you along the way like in Ape Escape; mix it in with amazing graphics, superb voice actors, and arguably the greatest super-hero ever and you had Batman: Arkahm Asylum.

So, how much more can such an already amazing game offer us if given a sequel? Apparently, a whole lot more.

If you can believe it, the intro to Arkham City is even better and more pulse-pounding than the intro to the first. You start off, not as Batman, but as Bruce Wayne, who is lobbying against Arkham City. I won't give anything away about what soon happens to our seemingly mild-mannered aristocrat, but I will say this...laying the beat down on some thugs as the boy-billionaire is one of coolest experiences I've had in gaming.

Soon afterwards, you suit up. Now you are Batman, but this isn't a self-contained island you're dealing with anymore. This is a no man's land. Pouncing on an unsuspecting group of baddies isn't as simple as it used to be; there are always more goons lurking around the corners, ready to jump into the fray like a vicious pack of wolves. More than once you'll find yourself overwhelmed and having to flee a fight while the stinging insults of said goons follow in your wake. Take my advice and just let it go. Survival is the name of the game.

If you've been watching Youtube then you've no doubt seen Batman's new flight mechanics. These are as fun in practice as they are to watch, although there is a learning curve to gliding effectively. There's also a pesky helicopter searching for you at all times. These guys are Tyger, Hugo Strange's own henchmen. Avoiding the helicopter can be tricky, but also fun.

As you'd expect, Arkham City plays almost exactly like the first one with a few tweaks and upgrades. Batman starts off with most of the same gadgets he had at the end of the first, including the grapple gun, the cryptographic sequencer and the remote batarang. He also has several new moves for melee situations. Batman must've been taking lessons from Chuck Norris because his martial arts are better and flashier than ever. He now has the ability to perform a counter-attack against two or more assailants at a time instead of just one. He has a new punch combo attack where he repeatedly thrusts with each press of the button. As Batman lays down an 18 punch combo on a single guy, or gigantic goon, I can't help but think of Kenshiro! "The one-hundred crack fist of the North Star! You're already dead!" Oh, but...this is Batman so minus the brutal killing of your foes. Let's just say he's more like Donkey Kong when beating up some Tikis.

The new combat moves make the game as fun as ever but also makes NOT using them an exercise in restraint. As stated before, enemies can show up when you least suspect and they sometimes pack heat. This will undoubtedly force all of us to use our brains even more when devising effective plans of attack. To aid in stealthy takedowns are a new set of "predator moves" where Batman can use far more takedowns from different hiding positions than he had previously. Again, a new set of moves and abilities to augment the ones we had before in Arkham Asylum. It's almost like the first game just laid the foundation and the sequel built onto it!

In addition to the main story mission are additional side missions that will pop up along the way. These may have you saving random inmates from other, worse inmates, to working with Bane to dispose of drums of Titan chemicals (Titan once more plays into the game's story) to solving mysteries planted by the Riddler. (By now we've all heard the "Riddler is Jigsaw!" equations made by everyone so I won't bore you with that. I don't even like Saw). You may want to hold off on the missions that involve Zaasz making you run across Arkham City to answer telephones until you've unlocked some flying upgrades. Certain henchmen will be highlighted in green. These are henchmen you can interrogate to acquire more info about the various crime lords they are working under. Taking them out last to initiate interrogation is a tough and not always fun exercise that we will nevertheless do in order to gain more precious XPs.

This game has a dark look and feel that pulls you in. Jumping across rooftops as the Batman is a whole `nother experience from doing it as Spiderman. The dingy, grungy look of the city, the background music and ambience. All of these together invade your subconscious until you feel alive with primal, survival instincts. I can't even describe it, really. You feel like a predator, but also like the prey. You're always walking a narrow line between seeming invincibility, and utter helplessness. This game puts you in a place all of us have been our whole lives without always realizing. When we dreamed we were running from danger, or dreamed we were conquering obstacles to achieve glory. This is just a personal opinion, of course, but I'd swear I've seen this in my dreams. Maybe I was just dreaming of being the Batman. This is as close as any of us will likely get.

The villains look fantastic. Mr. Freeze, interestingly enough, has a huge suit that reminds me of the Mr. Freeze suit from Batman and Robin. I apologize for even bringing THAT movie up, but the suit in that movie was still cool looking. Mr. Freeze looks menacing and sounds awesome with the voice talents of Maurice LaMarche (the guy who was Brain in Pinky and the Brain and about a million different voices in Futurama!) Penguin looks viscious and cruel and is twice as ruthless, no doubt to overcome his own size. Twoface looks somewhere between The Animated Series version and the Dark Knight version. Then there's the unexpected appearance of Solomon Grundy who looks like a nightmarish Frankenstein's monster and who is even bigger than Killer Croc!

In summation, Arkahm City is anther step forward for an already revolutionary game franchise. There are the usual shortcomings, however. You may find yourself wandering around, not knowing what to do until you trigger the right event to move the game forward. Figuring out some of the new controls may be a chore even to veteran players. And the boss fights still feel like, well, boss fights. Run around, dodge attacks and wait for the inevitable weak point to expose itself. Standard video game stuff, really. Of course, that's just all part of the experience. If it was too easy we wouldn't enjoy it as much, would we?

There's no reason for anyone who liked Arkahm Asylum to not like this one. If you didn't like the first one then I don't know how I could recommend this to you. It's the same game, just much bigger. If you don't like sandbox sandbox games and prefer something linear you can still focues on just the main mission. On the whole it's the same game, just with more stuff. That may be good news to some and bad news for others. For fans of the first, it definitely delivers. We finally got the new Batman Game, now just three more weeks til Skyrim!

**Update**
Some people may compare this game's story, not unjustly, to Escape from NewYork. Maybe they're just nitpicking, though. Even if that's the case, there are still plenty of twists and turns to keep players genuinely surprised right up until they get to of the end main mission.
I'm afraid I can't comment much on DLC since they have it in such a way that different people get different things. I've heard after a certain point, though, we'll all be able to download the same content...for a price.

29 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Holy smokes Batman!, October 22, 2011

By 

LA (USA) - See all my reviews

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Batman: Arkham City (Video Game)

To simply put it, this game is way beyond awesome!

This game is very easy to pick up and play even for the most casual of gamers. I like that in a game. Don't get me wrong, I certainly love a challenge, and Batman: Arkham City is definitely a challenging game, but it's not a frustrating kind of challenging. It's more of a "hmm, okay, well, that didn't work, and a I died, so what else should I try?" kind of challenge. I love that about this game. It really forces you to learn from the mistakes that you make and think about what you're doing.

The graphics in this game are just superb. The environments are imaginative, and so beautifully rendered as are the character models. While the thug character models that you'll find scattered throughout the game do get repetitive, the actual environments do not. Buildings vary in size, shape, and look, lending to the authenticity of looking like a real city. The main bad guys are just as stunning as the Caped Crusader himself. The animations as you swing through Arkham City, run through buildings, and in combat are incredibly fluid. I've had no problems whatsoever with either laggy movements, or the camera getting stuck in an awkward position.

The voice acting and sound is just as top notch as the graphics. None of the lines seemed forced, nor are they some cheesy lines thrown in there just for the sake of speaking. Each line spoken by any of the characters found throughout the game serves a purpose to advance the story and isn't just some throwaway line. The music in the background is soft and very appropriate for setting the tone of the game. Environmental sounds, such as a batarang clinking off some metal, are also well done.

In terms of controls, yes, it is true that you only have to hit one button to strike opponents. However, if you want more of a challenge, try using the directional buttons too to select weapons such as your batarangs in the middle of combat to help take down enemies. Also, your takedowns aren't one button, and cape stun is a completely separate button from the strike button. Really, I've seen some complaining that this is a button masher since you only press one button to strike, but, if you get creative, this is no button masher. The controls in this game are also very responsive. I've played some game before where there appears to be a slight delay in the reaction of the on-screen character following a button press, or the character just doesn't do what you want, despite pressing the appropriate button. This does not occur in Batman: Arkham City. If you want to punch someone, you will, and you will do it just as soon as you press the button.

There have been complaints from some people that you play too much as Catwoman. I really don't think that is the case at all. Honestly, I was hoping to play as Catwoman even more than what was allotted. Seriously, don't let those saying there's a ton of Catwoman play deter you from buying this game. You really only play as Catwoman for maybe like 1 or 2% of the game if that. 98-99% of the time, you're Batman. And, if you don't like Catwoman, don't use the DLC code, and avoid the little bit of gameplay with her entirely. It doesn't affect the story at all.

All in all, I love this game. It is probably as close to a perfect game as you're ever going to find.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This game lives up to the hype in every way, December 28, 2011

By 

J. Lethal - See all my reviews

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Batman: Arkham City (Video Game)

I really enjoyed Batman: Arkham Asylum so I expected big things here. Thankfully, Arkham City keeps all the good elements of the first game, makes some improvements, and adds enough new elements that the experience still feels fresh.

The one major downside to Arkham Asylum to me was the need to almost constantly use the X-ray vision mode to see where thugs were lurking around corners in order to plan stealth attacks in relatively small spaces. This time around, the city environment allows for much greater movement, and the lighting makes it easy to see enemies without going to X-ray mode, while still keeping a dark atmosphere. Strategy is still needed since some of the bad guys carry guns, but I no longer feel like I'm playing the role of a ninja, taking out one guy and scurrying back into the shadows. It's very cool to look to the sky and see the bat-signal indicating the direction of your current primary objective.

The number of melee attacks you can unlock is so extensive it felt overwhelming at first. Fortunately you have the option to have a prompt come up at the bottom of the screen when your combo meter is high enough to use advanced attacks. The more sophisticated and varied your fighting style, the more XP points you get to unlock more abilities and upgrade your armor.

Then there are the hundreds of Riddler trophies to obtain. Some are merely hidden from sight, while others are in plain view but require solving a puzzle to free them for collection. There is even a device that involves chaining letters together to form words to solve some of the riddles. There are also various challenges like gliding a certain distance, performing certain attacks successfully, and destroying Joker teeth, each of which awards a Riddler trophy. Just collecting all the trophies is like a game in itself, and is a nice way to break up the action. Also, you can hold down the L2 button to mark a Riddler trophy on your map if you can't currently retrieve it. Tip: If there is no evident way to get to a trophy, mark it and move on. Many require gadgets that you may not have yet, and the red ones can only be obtained by Catwoman.

Catwoman has really nice martial arts attacks, can use her whip and other weapons, and can make repeated jumps to scale a building in place of Batman's grappling hook. She definitely feels fully developed and in no way tacked on as a promotional gimmick.

Batman's gliding ability combined with being able to grapple from midair makes it easy to get around the city. It's fun, the physics are well done, and it is practically useful.

The graphics in this game are some of the best I've ever seen. I never have that sensation like in some sandbox games where the buildings look painted into the background and unrealistic. It really feels like a living, breathing world, especially since there are always optional side missions popping up and bad guys lurking and chatting about what's going on. The voice acting is very good, especially Mark Hamill's portrayal of The Joker.

AI in this game is impressive. If I take out one in a gang with stealth and the others find him, they go on alert and actively search. This means altering their patrol patterns, staying closer together, and turning around much more often to watch their backs. It's a refreshing change from games where guys go on alert for a minute, then return to mindlessly walking the exact same path and begging to be picked off. The game is challenging but never cheap, and if you have trouble with certain elements of fighting you can upgrade accordingly. The ability to throw down a smoke pellet when coming under gunfire is a great addition.

I don't have a bad thing to say about this game. I'm not one to go overboard with praise and ignore flaws, but there are no issues here. No bugs, no collision detection problems, no slowdown despite the huge scale of the city, no painful logic gaps in the story or motivation. You can tell Rocksteady had a great engine to start with, and spent their time fixing issues and expanding gameplay in creative ways. Too often I get frustrated during a game and wonder "didn't the developers care if this is actually fun to play?". During the many hours I've spent in Arkham City, I have only asked that once, which was when I was first learning how to glide. There is no tutorial and I had to go online to figure out how to dive and pull up. That temporary problem aside, the game is nonstop fun, with enough challenge that I've died numerous times in ways that left me saying "I need to plan better next time". This is the sort of game where you're saying goodbye to months of your life when you pick it up, which you should do right now.

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