Batman: Arkham City is Batass

I don’t usually play games.  My dad always said they’d fry my brain.  Now that I let alcohol and weed fry my brain, I figured it was time I got a PS3, and one of the first games I got was Batman: Arkham City.  In a word…it’s Batass.

As a lifelong Batman fan, it was important that Arkham City embody everything I thought Batman should be.  And no, George Clooney, Batman is not gay.  He’s a dark, mysterious detective with mad strength, mad money, and mad gadgets.  Arkham City nailed this aspect of the game, as you must utilize a ton of Batman’s gadgets to solve mysteries, save hostages, and beat bad guys.  For instance, using “Detective Mode” gives you thermal imaging technology, seeing bad guys before they see you.  Upgrades allow you to use more gadgets and upgrade your Batsuit.

The story is engaging, challenging, and virtually endless.  You must take down various arch enemies like Joker, Mr. Freeze, and Riddler, but your main objective is to stop Dr. Strange from killing all the prisoners in Arkham City, a new facility that houses all the criminals of Gotham.  Even after beating story mode, you can search the map for Riddler trophies and solve riddles he leaves for Batman, find Mr. Freeze’s wife, Nora, and solve various side missions.  You can even up the difficulty and replay the story with all your current upgrades.

What’s impressed me the most about this game is the fluid fighting and awesome finishing moves.  It reminds me a lot of Assassin’s Creed, and it should.  You can knock out armed enemies with silent takedowns, come from above and string them up, or you can disarm them and kick the crap out of them.  The number of moves you can do once you’re fully upgraded is incredible, and all of them are cool.  Plus, you can download and play as other characters like Robin and Catwoman.

The bottom line is Batman: Arkham City is really cool.  I recommend it to any Batman fan who still thinks Batman would whoop Superman’s ass.  I mean, who else could actually afford Kryptonite besides Bruce Wayne?

THE VERDICT (84/100): A great game with a long afterlife.  Would make a great Christmas gift for your favorite Batman fan.  Also, sign up for Ebates and receive a $5 credit towards your purchase and cash back after your purchase!