Arkham Asylum is proof that source material will not limit your game design choices...Just because it's a movie game or an adaptation of a comic hero does not give it the right to suck. From the fluid rhythmic combat, to the
creative use of Batman's gadgets. This game was made with equal part Batman and video game. It's only real limit was it's narrow scope to place it on an island. That's where Arkham City comes in.
Everything good about the first game is built upon and improved. Tons more options for combat, some interesting new gadgets. There is also a bat signal this time round as your map marker. The game went sandbox this time but without destroying the core story to do so...It's more akin to Assassins Creed II or Infamous than it is to something like GTAIV. I won't lie though..Arkham City feels pretty small when compared to the above but it does not really detract from the experience. It's just tons of fun to swoop from building to building as the caped crusader.
Detective mode feels far better paced this time. In Arkham Asylum you feel like you need to check every nook and cranny but this time you just use it as a quick flash to help an objective. If you force me to pick a fault with the game then i'd say it's the lack of options to take out guards silently...It's a mission to get by without alerting the guards to your location...My impression is that Batman would not be such a screw up...Maybe it's just me.
The story is well put together too. It's made in such a way that you are not required to play Asylum to understand the plot, but I'd do it anyway as it has tons more screen time for the Joker. You get to see pretty much all the famous bad guys from the Batman universe and even some of the smaller ones. Every character feels like they are strong enough to the plot to justify being there. I would've liked to see more Tim Drake as Robin in the game and Nightwing would not have gone amiss during the main story but Catwoman is awesome to see and plays differently enough.
On that note..Catwoman is the kind of DLC i'm more keen to try out. Her DLC has actual point in the plot and is not some short few minute ordeal...It is a little bit few and far between that you get to use her but it's great considering it's free. Next time though, I'd rather play as Robin or Nightwing.
So I guess in closing...Best comic book game so far? Yeah most likely so. The flaws in this game are so minor that even someone who is not a fan of Batman should play this game...Hell play this if you don't even really like comic books. Let us just hope that in future we see less post release DLC and more core game...I dont feel like missing out on playing Nightwing just because I've decided to buy it near launch and finish up with it before it comes out.
This game deserves all the Praise it gets. 9/10
Thanks for the post, I enjoyed it!
ReplyDelete@Anxietydecending. I must agree with you. I did not bother collecting everything...Any trophy I saw I could do at first glance I collected. Though probably the good thing is that if you're not the type to do everything in a game (like I with most sandbox games) There is still enough to do to keep your busy I think. I had 52% at the end out of everything in the game. It's a shame the story was not as narrow paced as Asylum though.
ReplyDelete