Batman Arkham City
Batman: Arkham City is a 2011 action-adventure video game developed by Rocksteady Studios and released by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 video game consoles, and Microsoft Windows. Based on the DC Comics superhero Batman, it is the sequel to the 2009 video game Batman: Arkham Asylum and the second installment in the Batman: Arkham series. It was released worldwide for consoles, beginning in North America on October 18, 2011, with a Microsoft Windows version following on November 22.
Batman: Arkham City is a 2011 action-adventure video game developed by Rocksteady Studios and released by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 video game consoles, and Microsoft Windows. Based on the DC Comics superhero Batman, it is the sequel to the 2009 video game Batman: Arkham Asylum and the second installment in the Batman: Arkham series. It was released worldwide for consoles, beginning in North America on October 18, 2011, with a Microsoft Windows version following on November 22.
Gameplay
Arkham City is an open world action-adventure
game that incorporates elements of stealth game tactics. It is presented from
the third-person perspective, showing the playable character on screen and
allowing the camera to be freely rotated around them. The Arkham City facility
is open to the player from the beginning of the game, allowing them to freely
travel anywhere within its boundaries.The player can opt to move silently
throughout the game, using a combination of gadgets and stealth moves to sneak
up on enemies and incapacitate them. Batman can use his cape to glide around
the city, diving downward and swooping upwards to extend his flight, and he can
use the grapnel gun's retracting rope to attach to
out-of-reach ledge. As Batman, the player is able to use "Detective
Vision", a visual mode that highlights elements of interest on-screen,
such as character status, collectables, and clues; the mode is also used to
perform forensic activities such as tracking the source of a sniper rifle
round. The player has access to an in-game criminal database which includes
forensic puzzles, as well as a network for hacking communication frequencies.
Using an
improved version of the Freeflow combat system from Arkham Asylum, the
player can now counter multiple blows simultaneously, catch hurled projectiles,
attack aerially, and administer a succession of consecutive strikes. Many of
Batman's gadgets can now be used in combat. Enemies are armed with varying
levels of armor and weapons; attacks from basic weapons like baseball bats and
lead pipes inflict minor damage and can be countered, while guns deal
significant damage. Certain enemies must be disarmed in specific ways before
they can be neutralized in combat: enemies with stun batons can only be
attacked from behind; enemies with shields require aerial attacks to disarm;
and enemies wearing body armor must be stunned with rapid successive strikes
before they can be harmed. Larger enemies must be tackled with stuns and combo
attacks, and can be manipulated to take out their allies. Disputes between
gangs allied to rival villains often spark turf wars, which complicate the
player's ability to move about Arkham City. Combat, among other actions,
rewards the player with experience points that allow the player to periodically
level Batman up and purchase upgrades for his Batsuit, gadgets, and combat and
stealth skills. Each category contains approximately 15 different upgrades. For
instance, an upgraded grapnel gun can be used to remotely disarm enemies, while
a combat upgrade makes it easier to activate special attacks.
Some gadgets
obtained in Batman: Arkham Asylum are present at the start of Arkham
City, while others become available during play. Most of these have
improved or new capabilities; for example, the Cryptographic Sequencer, used
for hacking security consoles, can also monitor shortwave radio channels, while
the line launcher can now be deployed as a tightrope or alter direction during
flight. Other equipment returning from the first game include: a remote-controlled
batarang; Explosive Gel that can now be detonated to knock down enemies in
combat and the grapnel gun, which can now be used while gliding to facilitate
transportation. New equipment in Batman's arsenal include: smoke bombs that
disorient opponents and assist with stealth tactics; a Remote Electric Charge
(REC) gun that can stun enemies and temporarily power motors; Freeze Blast
grenades that encase targets in ice and can be used within water to create
makeshift platforms; and the Disruptor, which can remotely disable guns and
explosive mines.
The game has
approximately 40 hours of gameplay, with the main campaign lasting 25 hours and
side missions lasting 15 hours. The side missions, which can be attempted at
any time, feature prominent characters from the Batman universe. One such
character, the Riddler, provides 440 optional "Riddler challenges" to
solve. Most of these challenges consist of collecting trophies hidden
throughout the city through the cunning use of gadgets to disable traps and
barriers. The player can mark Riddler trophies on the in-game map once found if
they do not initially have the necessary equipment to complete the puzzle.
Additionally, the player can reveal the locations of Riddler trophies on the
map by identifying the Riddler's henchmen with "Detective Vision" and
interrogating them, which requires the player to save the henchmen for last in
combat among a wave of enemies. There are also environmental challenges which
require the player to solve riddles by locating a specific item or location
(which are rewarded with stories relating to the answer), and to locate
question marks painted around the city, some of which can only be viewed in
whole from certain vantage points. After completing a select number of
challenges, Batman must rescue a civilian hostage held in one of the Riddler's
death traps.
