Review: Batman, Arkham City (spoilers)
Jan. 2nd, 2012 05:56 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jeriendhalSummary: In the wake of Arkham Asylum's destruction after the Joker's attempted takeover, an aging section of Gotham City has been walled off for Arkham's former residents and the prisoners of Blackgate Prison. Now three gangs fight for control of the city under the direction of The Penguin, Two Face and a deathly ill Joker, who is suffering from the poisonous effects of the Titan overdose he experienced at the end of the last game.
Now, on a snowy night, Batman tries to discover what Arkham City's director, Dr. Hugo Strange is up to, while his sometimes love interest Cat Woman pursues an agenda of her own.
Review: After Rocksteady's brilliant Arkham Asylum, they had to have been faced with a tough choice. It was probably tempting to just do a repeat of AA, and put Batman in a small enclosed area to fight another villain. Instead they decided to make what could only be only described as Grand Theft Batman, creating an open world environment that owes more than a little to John Carpenter's classic Escape from New York.
This had some strengths and weaknesses. On the one hand, the realization of this nightmare vision of Gotham is utterly brilliant. It's ungodly fun to have Batman hopping along the rooftops, kneeling at the edge to look down at the criminals below and listen unnoticed to their conversations, then popping down to beat the crap out of them. On the other hand the plethora of side missions you're given to choose from can be distracting. Yeah, chasing after Zzazz before he can reach his victims is interesting, but it loses it's urgency when you realize that if you don't pick up the phone he'll be patiently waiting for you even after the game ends.
That and the story's logic is a bit loose, to put it mildly. Never mind the insanity of creating Arkham City itself, but the idea that the Mayor and Dr. Strange can just chuck political prisoners in without trial, including Bruce Wayne, doesn't exactly pass the smell test. Yes, Gotham is basically the self-contained cesspit of the DC Universe, but when Protocol 10 kicks in and the choppers start firing missiles at the inmates, it's hard to believe it takes place in the same country that has Metropolis and Central City.
Also, there's one seriously annoying bit of programming built into the game. The Catwoman side missions that are built in are basically optional. If you buy the game new, you can download them for free. But if you buy the game used from a second hand dealer, then you would have to pay $9.95 to unlock them. Apparently the second hand market is digging into video game profits enough that companies feel free now to engage in annoying tactics like this to maximize their profits.
Other Notes (SPOILERS)
1. Yes, this really, really, really is Mark Hamill's last outing as the voice of the Joker (unless the DCAU gets another show.) Killing him off is the major shocker of the game, though it begs the question of who the main villain could possibly be if a third game is green-lighted.
2. Talia's (rather pointless) death near the end is slightly less than dramatic, if you take into account the freaking Lazurus Pit in the middle of the city. If she and her dad are permanently dead, I've got some life insurance to sell you.
3. Actually that kinda answers the second part of Number One right there...
4. The decision to turn Penguin into a Cockney gangster was an interesting one, but more than a little jarring. I'm too used to him looking and talking like Uncle Moneybags from the Monopoly game.
5. The side mission with the Mad Hatter was very short, but nicely creepy.
6. Finally, whoever designed the new Riddler Challenges should have been hung up by their toenails...
Now, on a snowy night, Batman tries to discover what Arkham City's director, Dr. Hugo Strange is up to, while his sometimes love interest Cat Woman pursues an agenda of her own.
Review: After Rocksteady's brilliant Arkham Asylum, they had to have been faced with a tough choice. It was probably tempting to just do a repeat of AA, and put Batman in a small enclosed area to fight another villain. Instead they decided to make what could only be only described as Grand Theft Batman, creating an open world environment that owes more than a little to John Carpenter's classic Escape from New York.
This had some strengths and weaknesses. On the one hand, the realization of this nightmare vision of Gotham is utterly brilliant. It's ungodly fun to have Batman hopping along the rooftops, kneeling at the edge to look down at the criminals below and listen unnoticed to their conversations, then popping down to beat the crap out of them. On the other hand the plethora of side missions you're given to choose from can be distracting. Yeah, chasing after Zzazz before he can reach his victims is interesting, but it loses it's urgency when you realize that if you don't pick up the phone he'll be patiently waiting for you even after the game ends.
That and the story's logic is a bit loose, to put it mildly. Never mind the insanity of creating Arkham City itself, but the idea that the Mayor and Dr. Strange can just chuck political prisoners in without trial, including Bruce Wayne, doesn't exactly pass the smell test. Yes, Gotham is basically the self-contained cesspit of the DC Universe, but when Protocol 10 kicks in and the choppers start firing missiles at the inmates, it's hard to believe it takes place in the same country that has Metropolis and Central City.
Also, there's one seriously annoying bit of programming built into the game. The Catwoman side missions that are built in are basically optional. If you buy the game new, you can download them for free. But if you buy the game used from a second hand dealer, then you would have to pay $9.95 to unlock them. Apparently the second hand market is digging into video game profits enough that companies feel free now to engage in annoying tactics like this to maximize their profits.
Other Notes (SPOILERS)
1. Yes, this really, really, really is Mark Hamill's last outing as the voice of the Joker (unless the DCAU gets another show.) Killing him off is the major shocker of the game, though it begs the question of who the main villain could possibly be if a third game is green-lighted.
2. Talia's (rather pointless) death near the end is slightly less than dramatic, if you take into account the freaking Lazurus Pit in the middle of the city. If she and her dad are permanently dead, I've got some life insurance to sell you.
3. Actually that kinda answers the second part of Number One right there...
4. The decision to turn Penguin into a Cockney gangster was an interesting one, but more than a little jarring. I'm too used to him looking and talking like Uncle Moneybags from the Monopoly game.
5. The side mission with the Mad Hatter was very short, but nicely creepy.
6. Finally, whoever designed the new Riddler Challenges should have been hung up by their toenails...
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Date: 2012-01-02 11:43 pm (UTC)