Batman: Arkham City

Creating a successful continuation is never an easy matter, especially when the basis for further work is a product as complete, thought-out and playable as Batman: Arkham Asylum . This game is not without reason today to this day on various occasions is eagerly referred to as a role model. I waited for Batman's further adventures without much pressure, hoping for a typical continuation offering more of the same. How great was my surprise when it turned out that the second part is not just cutting off the coupons from the success of "one", but a completely separate work that will easily find its own place in the pantheon of the best video games.

Arkham Asylum has been well remembered, among others, due to the solid and addictive plot, so it should not be surprising that in Arkham City it is equally important, and in some aspects it performs even better than in the previous part of the series. The action of the new game focuses on two main threads. First of all - we have the title Arkham City, i.e. slums bought from the city of Gotham. Hugo Strange takes control of this area, allowing all prisoners who have lived in the Arkham Asylum center until now, and giving them a free hand, unless they decide to escape from this heavily guarded district. Of course, Hugo has his own interest in all of this, which he initially does not intend to initiate. The second important thread concerns Joker, who according to recent rumors is struggling with a serious illness and there is a risk that he will leave the earthly pit soon. Players who remember the end of the previous installment of the cycle probably know the reason for the disease that affected the eternal enemy of Batman. He, in turn, as befits a Joker, always seems to be one step ahead of Batman, cleverly manipulating the title character in order to implement his earlier plans.

Of course, the above two issues are only a tiny slice of what awaits players in the final product. We are effectively encouraged to explore the next nuances of the story in many other ways. I really liked the idea of raising Batman's "dark side" and wondering if he would be able to voluntarily kill someone if this were to contribute to the good of all. The presence of a whole bunch of well-known characters from the DC universe also contributes to following events. In addition to Joker, who inevitably scrolls through the entire game, our paths intersect, among others, with the Penguin, Mr. Freeze or Catwoman, with the first place in my personal ranking due to representatives of the League of Assassins. This thread seems to be the most interesting, but for obvious reasons I will keep the details to myself. A small flaw in the very positive image of the whole is the trace participation in the main events of Batman's allies, especially Robin, who only counts as a guest performance. However, you cannot fail to mention the great ending of Arkham City , which is now quite rare in games. Let's hope it won't be spoiled by some feature DLC.

The fight was probably the most important element of the first installment of the series and it is no different in the sequel. If anyone thought that the authors would go the easy way, you will be disappointed. What's more, virtually all of Batman's old skills and gadgets are available from the very beginning, giving enough space to show off new elements of the game. It is extremely pleasing that Arkham City has resisted the trend of gradual simplification of games, because the battles with the dark star types are at least as easy as before, forcing not only to launch more and more complex attacks, but also to respond appropriately to the actions of opponents. And they have learned many new tricks since visiting Arkham Asylum, and they can use shields resistant to standard attacks, for example. The Batman is not indebted to them in this matter, sending a swarm of bats on them, running into opponents and then trampling them or in a more sophisticated way attacking them from above. As in the previous part, aggressive solutions are not always desirable and occasionally we can (or even must) sneak a little. Here, the general assumptions are very similar to the previous ones, but you have to deal with many new difficulties. For example, opponents can now use devices that prevent them from being tracked in detective mode, set up treacherous traps, or use proximity mines to block surprise attacks. Their growing nervousness is manifested, manifesting itself in the form of blind shooting or the threat of killing hostages.

Moving on to the subject of fights, it would be a shameful mistake to skip duels with bosses, which are a very important element of the whole. I will tell you a secret that after the first two skirmishes I had some concerns whether the authors stood up to the task this time. Fortunately, the next ones proved to be incomparably better. The coolest thing is that virtually every boss battle has different assumptions. Once we should direct them to explosive objects, and at other times stop them from regenerating. I remembered the clash the most, during which the game forces a total change in tactics after each successful attack, thus eliminating the rolling patent known from other games to the fallen universal method of defeating the opponent.

Batman would not be himself without his toys, and in this area should be noted a lot of progress. The game has all the equipment elements from "one", but most of them have been significantly improved. For example, hook links can now be used as a catapult, and a sequential decryptor, among others, to break into security systems, which is illustrated in the form of a cool minigame. Even more interesting are the completely new devices that absolutely do not seem to be added by force. By far the most universal of them is the electric impulse, used both to stun rivals and to temporarily activate industrial engines. Objects designed by Mr. Freeze are also brilliant, thanks to which you can freeze opponents, for example. Getting more gadgets and upgrades to existing ones has been well balanced, which is why we are successively given new equipment to the very end of the game.

The definitely right decision in the case of Arkham City turned out to be a very noticeable step towards a greater opening of the game world, especially when we remember the first part, in which freedom of action was often clearly limited. What's more, the whole is filled to the brim with content. The main plot itself is a matter of at least 10-15 hours of fun and I didn't feel tired during the walk. In addition to the basic campaign, there are mainly side missions available in the game, and while some of them are typical "zapchajdziury" (eg monotonous rescue of subsequent political prisoners), there are also real gems. I just liked the quests related to releasing people held by the Riddle Man and tracking down Deadshot, the most recognizable killer commissioned by this universe. Of course, you cannot miss the Catwoman's bonus missions, which not only has its own distinct range of skills and gadgets, but also can get rid of enemies in a more spectacular way than Batman. And finally, a whole bunch of secrets and challenges, of which the first part has already become famous. Interestingly, finding hidden objects is now even more difficult, because in order to get to know where to place them, you have to overcome and interrogate specially marked informants. In addition, it requires us to skillfully use our equipment more often than before. All this means that the time needed for gardening the whole can be counted in tens of hours.

Arkham Asylum resort offered a number of really nice spots, but now it must give way to the beautiful panorama of Arkham City. The surroundings are full of details and have their own specific, slightly depressing atmosphere. The chill of the screen is not only the result of the harsh winter prevailing in the game, but also the specifics of the areas traversed, which in the past were shabby slums. Let me complain a little about the size of the game world here. Arkham City is indeed much wider than Arkham Asylum, but in a production offering great freedom of movement, you would like an even larger area of operation. It would not be so noticeable, if not for the fact that due to the huge number of secrets it is impossible to cover several dozen meters without bumping into a new puzzle. Fortunately, the limited size of the main map is more than compensated by the large variety of locations studied, including a museum, an abandoned police station, a steel mill, and an extensive network of metro tunnels. Their architecture should also be praised, which is especially noticeable in stealth missions. Fans of "crazy" stages should also be satisfied, because in the sequel something like the Scarecrow levels from the previous installment of the cycle has been prepared. From other achievements in the field of graphics I feel obliged to mention the brilliant mimicry of the main characters of the story (here again Joker excels), new attack animations that did not turn out to be words thrown into the wind, and finally great optimization of the game engine. The reviewed version for Xbox 360 has never happened to crop, even with dozens of active opponents on the screen.

The sound layer is again a spectacle of one actor. Mark Hamill's joking voice once again fulfilled this task, making me look forward to the next scenes involving the eternal enemy Batman. The rest of the characters did not fare at all and it is worth mentioning the frequent talks of bandits roaming the streets of Arkham City, who regularly and sometimes comment on events in the city in a very funny and explicit way. Speaking of vocals, it is also worth adding that for the first time in the history of the series Batman offers Polish subtitles, also on consoles.

Batman: Arkham City is an excellent position and undoubtedly one of the stone candidates for the title of the game of the year. The second part is even more refined than the original, not allowing you to tear yourself away from the screen due to addictive gameplay solutions, a very interesting plot and extremely rich content. I assure you that this is not a title that after one or two evenings we will let him dust on the shelf. Fans of the previous installment of Batman's adventures of the new production probably do not need to specifically recommend, and freshly baked lovers of virtual entertainment I advise you to familiarize yourself with the entire series as soon as possible. May more such games.

Jacek "Stranger" Noise

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It reads like the "who's who" of the super villains: Two-Face, Joker, Mr. Freeze, the Penguin, Poison Ivy, Bane, Riddler. They are all stuck in Arkham City, a mega-prison that the city administration stomped out of a remote part of Gotham City after the Arkham Asylum Asylum was closed, and then walled in all the bad guys the Batman universe had to offer. And in the middle of them the Dark Knight flutters himself. But not voluntarily, because at the beginning of Batman: Arkham City , the bat man is kidnapped by Hugo Strange, head of the institution, and thrown to the lions. Not without ulterior motives, as we can quickly find out. The scientist has dark plans in which ... well, we don't want to reveal any more at this point. Because the story, which is extremely exciting to the end, is one of the highlights of the action game. One of many more.

The game world: An open-air jail to feel good

No, Arkham City is not a nice place. Masked racquet types patrol the streets bathed in ghostly light, burned-out car wrecks block the lanes. A gray veil of snowflakes and smog hangs over everything, repeatedly broken through by red and green neon signs.

Part of the city is flooded, collapsed highway bridges and meter-high gurgling sea water often make it impossible to get through on foot. One might almost think that you are in a post-apocalyptic world, but the joker, who is not exactly known for his subtle streak, quickly nullifies this impression. In the east we clearly see the area of the Scherzbold. No other gangster would be so crazy to decorate his headquarters with festival lighting and gigantic clown heads. These and many other details make the already impressive Arkham establishment of the predecessor from 2009 look pale and make the Arkham City game world a very special place. A place where we quickly lose ourselves thanks to its eerily beautiful atmosphere and where we discover something new, bizarre or exciting on every corner. Simply exploring the city is a lot of fun, especially since we are swinging so elegantly and quickly from one house facade to the next with the grab hook known from Arkham Asylum that even Assassin's Creed climbing maxim Ezio Auditore should be pale with envy.

The orders: there is so much to do

In order not to lose orientation in Arkham City, Batman uses a practical map that lists all current main and side missions. Anyone who interrogates green shining Riddler followers will see from now on all the secrets of the crazy puzzle-maker hidden in the respective district.

However, the card could have used a little more fine-tuning. So we see all the objects, quest targets and people we are looking for, but not whether they are located above or below ground. Especially in the steelworks and in the winding sewers, the search for the right place is often a test of patience. A small drawback, because exploring the city is a lot of fun, especially thanks to the numerous side orders that are perfectly integrated into the game. We search crime scenes for evidence to arrest a murdering sniper, track radio signals from Victor Zsasz or hunt down a killer who pretends to be Batman's alter ego Bruce Wayne. Occasionally, the multi-level orders are even linked to the main story. For example, we should look for Mr. Freeze, whom we had just released from the penguin's claws, to find his missing wife Nora. If we show him this kindness, he will give us a practical tool - it motivates.

The figures: it couldn't be more crazy

Arkham City generally draws much of its fascination from the characters. Batman author Paul Dini was allowed to let off steam and consistently continues the gloomy gait pursued in the first part: the joker has never been so evil and understated, the penguin has never been experienced as such a cold-blooded gangster boss. Here the comic-like, ridiculous dwarf with a top hat, pointed nose and monocle suddenly becomes a dirty, frightening villain, over whose scarred left eye sits the splintered bottom of a glass bottle. And then there is Batman, who not only has to grapple with jokers and companions, but also with his tragic past, which always catches up with him in the course of the plot. For example, Arkham City stages a powerful hero, but a tangible and vulnerable one, one with whom we struggle, sympathize and suffer - that's great art of storytelling.

The level design: coherent and clever

But the main and side quests not only tell exciting stories, they are also outstandingly designed. The principle here: If Batman gets a new gadget, he is guaranteed to have to use it in the future.

The level design is bursting with inventiveness. In order to track down the assassin's guild of Ra's al Ghul (the villain from Batman Begins), Batman has to shoot his way through narrow street canyons with his recently acquired rope thrower. Elsewhere, in flooded channels, the ice floes shot into the water with the Freeze grenade must be carefully maneuvered past rotating drills. Most of the 400 Riddler puzzles can only be solved by cleverly using his toys - if he already has them at the moment. How often we stood brooding in front of a locked gate, at a loss as to how we would open it, only to return triumphantly later, because thanks to our new electric charge we can now unlock it.

Practical: If you get stuck despite the well-placed information, you can use the detective view mode known from Arkham Asylum to help you. It not only highlights fragile areas in walls or gargoyles where Batman can pull himself up, but also enemies and armaments even through the thickest walls. In addition, Batman automatically announces when we are currently on the wrong track in the current order.

The struggles: one against all

In addition to puzzles and dexterity, Batman also has to deal with all sorts of nasty socks that he has to eliminate in brawls. As in Arkham Asylum, the program uses the so-called »Free Flow« combat system, thanks to which we use the few buttons to jump back and forth between the opponents and knock them unconscious through all kinds of elaborately animated combo maneuvers.

Tactics are required. Bats equipped with shields, for example, are completely unimpressed by frontal attacks. So we first jump over the head of the boys with an elegant somersault and then fall into their unprotected back. In turn, we either smoke armed enemies with smoke bombs or steal the gun from a targeted Batarang throw. This works very well with the mouse and keyboard, but we still recommend a gamepad.

Even if Batman - if you have enough dexterity - tidies up the ranks of the opponents, the direct confrontation is usually a bad idea. Especially in the main missions, it often happens that Batman shouldn't be noticed, because otherwise hostages would be shot. So it is important to operate in the covert, swing from head to head, analyze the paths of the opponents and strike as silently as possible at the right moment. At moments like this, Arkham City creates pure excitement: How do I best move through the arena so as not to get caught? Which objects can I use to my advantage? Which opponent do I take out first? If the plan works and the section is finally mastered, we often feel like the Dark Knight himself.

The AI: almost human

The very good enemy AI also contributes to this gripping atmosphere. Because if you show up too often or use the same trick over and over again, you have to watch how the boys reorganize, Batman face more closed from now on and it becomes so tricky to switch them off.

As in the predecessor, the gangsters quickly lose sight of the bat man when he makes off. Nevertheless, the game manages to make the henchmen of Obermotze appear very human through gestures and behavior. Batman's directional microphone also contributes to this, with which he listens to the conversations of the loitering hangers, as it were. The topics of conversation are different: sometimes the heavy boys talk about current events in the main story, sometimes they whisper about super villains who are said to have been seen in the city. The only crux: the randomly generated conversations repeat themselves quickly.

The all around: 30 hours of fun

Arkham City's main story spans approximately eight to ten hours. If you also want to solve all side quests and Riddler puzzles, you can easily add three times that. It is never boring.

This is not only due to the harmonious game world, but also sometimes due to the experience points that Batman continuously receives through successful campaigns and which we use to level up the expansion of his combos and equipment. The extensive portfolio ranges from a reinforced batsuit to special flight attacks to a swarm of bats that briefly distracts opposing groups. As if that weren't enough, there are still numerous combat challenges that can be selected from the main menu. In the entertaining mini-operations, uncoupled from the main action, we have to fight back on rushing enemy waves or eliminate a certain number of opponents without being discovered - great fun.

The technology: flexes your muscles

Batman: Arkham City is a feast for the eyes. Above all, the extensive game world scores with enormous foresight, countless details and an outstanding lighting mood. Compared to the console versions, the stricter surrounding textures are particularly striking. Rocksteady also adds additional particle and glare effects to the PC version.

However, Arkham City is suffering from various teething problems. At the moment, the DirectX 11 graphics interface is still causing arbitrary drops in performance or even complete program crashes. The developers want to submit a patch shortly to fix the problem - we will keep you up to date. However, even with DirectX 9, the game is already one of the prettiest action titles at the moment.