14 DAY TRIAL // Batman: Arkham City was awaited by legions of gamers, especially after Rocksteady Studios already impressed many with the surprising yet extremely solid Arkham Asylum back in 2009.
Now, with the promise of an open world filled with a huge amount of enemies that needs to be explored by Batman, not to mention all sorts of side activities as well as playable portions with Catwoman, Arkham City is definitely looking like an even better title than the Asylum.
So, does Batman manage to delight on his second Arkham outing or does it need a quick Batarang to the head? Let's have a quick look.
Batman: Arkham City has a special Online Pass system, as most new copies of the game have a code that allows players to get the Catwoman DLC for free. Those that buy it used will need to pay $10 (10 Euros) to be able to enjoy her extra missions, besides the regular Batman ones.
We have a new copy, so the game kicks off straight with a Catwoman sequence that shows off the gorgeous character taking down a few thugs while trying to uncover some secrets of Harvey 'Two-Face' Dent. As you can see in the video below, things don't really go according to plan.
After that, the game jumps to Batman who, after some impressive scenes which we won't spoil, find himself caught in Arkham City by Dr. Hugo Strange, the warden of the facility, and must use his powers, gadgets and connections to take down the evil doctor before his mysterious plans unfold.
In terms of gameplay, things feel better than ever, with Rocksteady making a few improvements to the freeflow combat system, while allowing enemies to wield even more makeshift weapons, from the classic baseball bats or pipes to even chairs.
Both Catwoman and Batman are skilled fighters, so with careful movement, even big hordes of enemies can be swiftly taken down.
Visual and audio-wise, Arkham City impresses, as the wide open world features traditionally dark colors, but also bright neon signs and other things that break out the monotony, while famous voice actors like Kevin Conroy as Batman, or Mark Hamill as The Joker, reprise their roles.
Overall, Arkham City impresses right from the get go, and you can check out its first segments, without any big spoilers, in the video below to convince yourselves.
