14 DAY TRIAL // I already played and finished Batman: Arkham City on the PlayStation 3 but, thanks to Nvidia’s stunning demonstration of the PhysX and enhanced effects of the game’s PC version, I was more than looking forward to seeing how The Dark Knight handled on this platform.
Now, thanks to some components from Nvidia, like a 570 GTX video card, an Nvidia 3D Vision kit complete with 3D Vision 2 glasses, plus a 3D-ready LCD screen, I was able to enjoy Arkham City to its full technical potential, even if the game isn’t that ready to shine on the PC.
Want to hear more? Then join me in a quick look at Batman: Arkham City on the PC with Nvidia 3D and PhysX effects.
I was amazed with Arkham City and its great visuals on the PlayStation 3 but, knowing what sort of extra effects were possible on the PC, it did put a damper on my console experience. Thankfully, after a pretty lengthy wait, Rocksteady Studios was able to deliver the game onto this platform.
I was able to enjoy its full graphical power thanks to the components I highlighted above but, sadly, the game isn’t quite ready to take full advantage of these items.
We already reported on how Rocksteady, at least for now, has advised PC gamers to run Arkham City without its DirectX 11 functionality. When turned on, these extra effects crippled the regular framerate and, if you turned on some extra features, resulted in some peculiar bugs.
As such, we were forced to run the game only with DirectX 9 effects, but it still looked quite impressive, especially when you walk around the streets of Arkham City that are filled with flying newspapers and posters, or try out some of your more spectacular weapons, like the explosive gel.
PhysX effects are numerous but you also need some capable hardware, from Nvidia’s newest 500 series, in order to properly enjoy it. What’s more, if you want ‘High’ PhysX effects, the game recommends you have a 570 GTX as you main graphics board, as well as at least a 460 GTX, which will handle just the particle effects. That’s already a large investment that not a lot of gamers might be able to commit to.
Still, if you truly want to augment your Arkham City experience, however, we whole-heartedly recommend the 3D Vision. On a large 3D screen and with the enhanced 3D Vision 2 glasses, Arkham City feels like a different world that the standard game.
Exploration feels seamless, while combat is even more gratifying, provided you manage to properly chain up your combo moves. The dark and gritty gothic visuals look even more impressive when viewed in 3D and will most certainly make you waste dozens of hours moving around Arkham City.
Batman: Arkham City still needs a few patches before it can truly show its glory on the PC. Still, thanks to some Nvidia technology, especially the 3D, you can still enjoy a stunning experience.
Check out a video below of Arkham City opening segments (without any spoilers) on the PC.
