The GameOn Magazine - Free Special Editions Batman: Arkham Special Edition | Page 32

BATMAN ARKHAM: CITY - A RETROSPECTIVE
Back in October 2011, Batman: Arkham City
was released to overwhelming critical acclaim,
with many citing it as the best title of the year
and a plethora of awards being thrown in
its direction. Regarded as one of the greatest
third-person action games of all time, it’s easy
to assume that the title still holds up almost
two years later, but with other such acclaimed
releases in the same genre having appeared
since then is Arkham City still worthy of the
perfect score this reviewer gave it back in 2011?
For those who are unaware, Arkham City is
the second in the ‘Arkham’ series of Batman
titles from Warner Bros. Interactive, being the
successor to Arkham Asylum in 2009 and to be
followed by Arkham Origins in October 2013.
It follows the story of the Caped Crusader as
he uncovers a conspiracy in a cordoned off
area of Gotham City that has been transformed
into a makeshift, mass-scale prison where
the most devious villains ever encountered
by Batman are h oused, such as Two-Face,
Poison Ivy, Bane and, of course, the Joker.
32 • GameOn Magazine

Without entering the dark areas of
Spoilersville, one of Arkham City’s most
praised features, alongside its visuals and
gameplay was its storyline, a plot that
was not afraid to take the characters to
places few pieces have done before. By
simply ‘offing’ one of the franchises most
prominent players, the series is immediately
catapulted into previously uncharted
territory as players are left to wonder in
what direction the next game will take as it
continues the storyline now its key character,
a presence so many critics and fans have
commended, is wiped out? As the final
seconds of Arkham City play out, it’s simply
impossible not to have chills ripple down
the back of everyone’s necks and, in some
cases, a single tear may make itself known.
But the title works mainly because of the
multi-faceted, multi-layered gameplay that is
its very beating heart, yet two years later, is
it still as great as it was back in 2011? Recent
titles like Remember Me have tried to take
Batman Arkham Special Edition