GAME REVIEW
the bad guys it’s as much about timing
your punches and counters to build up
the combo as it is about being aware of
what weapon and bloke is coming at you
next. If you punch
too often then your
attacks will be wasted
and enemies will get
inside your defence –
but if you do nothing
but counter then the
attacks will not come
fast enough to allow
you to build up the
combo count. This
means that your really
deadly attacks will
never get used – it’s a
fine balance.
Takedowns outside in the city are also
fantastic – my personal favourite move
is jumping from the tallest building into a
grunt’s face, fists first. You can also
shoot the BatClaw to the edge
of a building, rappel up at speed
and grab a grunt as you go by, quite literally
pulling them into the sky before a painfully
fast descent back to earth and a satisfying
crunch.
As you progress Batman starts to show
the wear and tear of taking on these
criminals. His cloak slowly gets shredded
and holes and gashes appear in his armour.
This is a beautiful touch that makes the
fight to survive feel like a real struggle
and makes completing the game all the
sweeter.
Of course, if you are going for 100 per
cent completion you will need to face off
with The Riddler. He has decided to place
hundreds of little question marks around
the city that you need to collect. I got to
about 80 before I gave up and continued
with the story, and was around 40 per cent
done with the Riddler side quest. While
I know they continued this from the first
game I found it
annoying to stand
and look at the city,
and no matter where
I looked all I would
see were bright
green marks leading
me to the next one
to collect. It drew
me out of the game
and I regularly left
some poor soul at
the thugs’ mercy
because I was too
busy trying to work
out some stupid little puzzle.
So I’m not Batman. I can live with that.
Until I beef up and get slightly better at the
kung fu I guess I’d better stick with this
game. Batman: Arkham City gives you all
the crime fighting goodness that you want
and expect from the series, with a decent
storyline and some great twists to boot. It
looks good, plays great, and most definitely
deserves a place on your shelf. ■
“Much like in the first game
they have drawn on the darker
side of the Batman stories
for inspiration. This isn’t a
cartoon, nor is it a kids’ game”
Though not epic the city looks amazing,
with plenty of little details bringing the dark
and decrepit streets to life. As in the first
game they have drawn on the darker
side of the Batman stories. This isn’t
a cartoon, nor is it a kids’ game.
BATMAN: ARKHAM CITY
Developed by:
Rocksteady Studios
Produced by:
Warner Bros
Out now on Xbox
360 Playstation 3
and PC
Price: From around
£30 depending on
platform
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