Batman: Arkham City PC Game Preview

The Story

Batman: Arkham City begins 18 months after the events of Batman: Arkham Asylum.  Quincy Sharp, the former warden of Arkham Asylum, was elected the Mayor of Gotham City. He clamped down on crime and overhauled Gotham City’s prison system, closing the Asylum. Mayor Sharp ordered that a derelict district of Gotham City be totally walled off  from the rest of the city and heavily fortified. He ordered all of the city’s criminals and madmen to be transferred into this new, urban mega-prison – Arkham City.

Batman believes that this is a terrible idea and that Arkham City is about to explode out onto the streets of Gotham.  He is right and you have a new massive challenge to undertake.

The Gameplay

Batman is not super-human and he cannot take on armed NPCs directly. Even with his custom armor, multiple gunshot wounds will quickly end his crime-fighting career.  As Batman, the player will need to adopt tactics depending on which enemies they are facing.

As in the original game, it is always wise to survey your surroundings and plan out your attack beforehand. Use the rooftops and vantage points to move around silently.  As in the Asylum, Batman can drop down behind a thug and perform Takedowns including performing a Knockout Smash as an instant finishing move to clear rooms quickly.

Sometimes it is easier to use the environment to perform the many varieties of takedowns. This can include smashing through floor grates or weak wooden walls and grabbing enemies.  You will earn XP bonuses for using a variety of takedowns and you can earn multiple bonuses for taking out enemies in different manners.

Probably one of the most satisfying elements of the game is the ability to chain ten combo attacks together for a devastating way to clean out an entire room.

SURVEILLANCE

Batman’s cowl has an advanced communications system built-into it which allows him to communicate with Alfred or other allies, eavesdrop on phone calls, or enter Detective Mode. One of the most useful features of the cowl is called Local Surveillance.

The cowl automatically scans the surrounding area for relevant noises or trouble spots. Upon identifying an important conversation, the audio is delivered directly to Batman and displayed on the HUD.  Surveillance can be followed up by initiating Detective mode with a further pop-up.  Local Surveillance is useful to locate thugs or political prisoners and to stay up on gossip and tips.

Batman’s entire costume is a mobile arsenal of high-tech gadgets and forensic equipment. A benefit of being fabulously wealthy is that Batman can also upgrade his skills and gadgets after acquiring enough XP.

Side Missions

There are 12 main side missions in Batman: Arkham City. Some side missions are available early in the campaign, but more unlock as you progress.  There are also a variety of Riddler challenges that will prove once and for all who is smarter.  There are also political prisoners to save and Challenge Rooms to clear that were also created by the Riddler.

Playing as Catwoman

An orphan, Catwoman turned to thievery to survive. She learned martial arts and trained in gymnastics to perfect her skills. She maintains a complicated and competitive relationship with Batman that borders on romantic.

Catwoman was recently incarcerated inside Arkham City where she may be hunting down Two-Face for her own reasons.  Her style is markedly different than Batman’s. While Batman uses expensive gadgets and ziplines to get around Arkham City, Catwoman uses her whip to swing from point to point, in addition to using the claws in her gloves for the grip needed to scale buildings.

Catwoman is also a master of stealth and can fix onto any mesh ceiling which gives her the ability to travel above the heads of her foes. Catwoman can even drop down on foes from above and take them out with a Takedown before returning to the ceiling to escape.  Every surface may provide a tactical advantage for her and a player can become quite creative.