- "The Combat (Meat & Potatoes)", I saw some reviews here claiming that the combat wasn't that good, or was unsatisfying. I simply cannot understand how anyone would come to that conclusion. The combat is slick, fast, and responsive, and the sound really makes if feel like you are punching with your incredible momentum. Once you learn how to keep a combo going, that's when you achieve the flow that makes it so enjoyable. The combat isn't simply about punching people, it's about punching people to a sort of rhythm without breaking your combo. It's the best of the genre. There's a reason people describe many games as having "Arkham Combat." It's the foundation that many other games are derivatives of, which speaks to its strengths. - "The Visuals", I am not someone who judges games entirely on visuals, but damn, this game is honestly still gorgeous even 7+ years after release. In fact, I'd argue that the mix of graphical fidelity and phenomenal art direction, makes it the best looking game ever made, in my humble opinion, of course. - "The Story", okay, this is one of the main points of contention, and I have to say that even after years of analyzing the plot and observing the plot holes and flaws, I thoroughly enjoyed the story, how it ties up loose ends from previous games, and how beautifully executed its final part of the main campaign is. - "The Big Batmobile in the Room"—well, everyone knew I'd bring it up at some point. The Batmobile absolutely squanders a lot of the otherwise pretty decent pacing. Since the combat and stealth are so good, whenever you are forced to use the Batmobile, it will probably make you feel like a toddler being force fed their vegetables. Just know that while not great, the Batmobile is still really not as bad as many people make it out to be. The Batmobile shows up very frequently, but I really don't view it as game-ruining. - "The End" with Sefton Hill leaving, I think this is the last true Rocksteady title, $8 is a steal.
- "The Combat (Meat & Potatoes)", I saw some reviews here claiming that the combat wasn't that good, or was unsatisfying. I simply cannot understand how anyone would come to that conclusion. The combat is slick, fast, and responsive, and the sound really makes if feel like you are punching with your incredible momentum. Once you learn how to keep a combo going, that's when you achieve the flow that makes it so enjoyable. The combat isn't simply about punching people, it's about punching people to a sort of rhythm without breaking your combo. It's the best of the genre. There's a reason people describe many games as having "Arkham Combat." It's the foundation that many other games are derivatives of, which speaks to its strengths. - "The Visuals", I am not someone who judges games entirely on visuals, but damn, this game is honestly still gorgeous even 7+ years after release. In fact, I'd argue that the mix of graphical fidelity and phenomenal art direction, makes it the best looking game ever made, in my humble opinion, of course. - "The Story", okay, this is one of the main points of contention, and I have to say that even after years of analyzing the plot and observing the plot holes and flaws, I thoroughly enjoyed the story, how it ties up loose ends from previous games, and how beautifully executed its final part of the main campaign is. - "The Big Batmobile in the Room"—well, everyone knew I'd bring it up at some point. The Batmobile absolutely squanders a lot of the otherwise pretty decent pacing. Since the combat and stealth are so good, whenever you are forced to use the Batmobile, it will probably make you feel like a toddler being force fed their vegetables. Just know that while not great, the Batmobile is still really not as bad as many people make it out to be. The Batmobile shows up very frequently, but I really don't view it as game-ruining. - "The End" Rocksteady made a great game, and now with Sefton Hill leaving, I think this is their swansong.
This game has had me clamoring for more, even 10+ years after its launch. Whereas Arkham Asylum was great, but somewhat a slow burn; slowly introducing yourself to its world. Arkham City flings you right into the fun part, while also refining it too. Despite this game being a relatively short single player campaign, I must've spent 120+ hours replaying it. Arguably, what makes this game so special is the presentation, the art direction is gritty; fitting for a super prison, with tons of variation, along with unique atmospheres to each environment. the soundtrack composed by Nick Arundel has a powerful orchestra and a hauntingly beautiful choir in some pieces, it genuinely is one of my favorite game OSTs of all time. Some of the writing can be cheesy, but I have found that the good lines make up for it, I have probably memorized half of the lines in the game by now. The stealth has simplistic mechanics, and leaves a ton of room for creativity through its many gadgets and tools available. The combat is incredibly fluid, while many call it too easy, if you actively engage with it and challenge yourself to build up big combos, you'll be exhilarated, it is a complete and utter joy. The only actual flaw is that the Catwoman DLC missions tend to interject at critical story moments, so you'll be pretty engaged in Batman's story, and then have to play as Catwoman doing an entirely separate thing for a while, before getting to go back and play/continue Batman's story line. Despite that, Arkham City has so many strengths that it is truly nothing short of a Masterpiece; one of my favorite games off all time, and I can't recommend it enough.
