Batman: Arkham City

This game is one of the last games me and my older brother played together before I lost him and after years I was able to afford the game on my own and relive the memories I had with him

I tell my girl goodnight before 8pm and she thinks I’m up to something. Truth is, I’ve got other priorities. Gotham isn’t going to protect itself. I’m out here doing what needs to be done.
I am vengeance! I am the night! I am Batman!
10/10 super hero game with 100% replayability. Easy Recommendation.

Arkham City > Arkham Knight
Even after all these years, Batman: Arkham City still feels like the moment superhero games figured out what they were supposed to be. It took the already solid foundation of Arkham Asylum and just expanded everything. Bigger world, better combat, more villains, and a story that actually feels like a full Batman graphic novel instead of just a game campaign.
I love that Arkham City's world is very small and compact, but very (content) dense, that to me is the best open world/level design. I hate vast, almost empty, no-level design open worlds that take forever to traverse and quests/missions/the story makes you go from one side of the giant map to the other. Instead of one location, you’re gliding across a quarantined chunk of Gotham controlled by different villains. Joker, Penguin, Two-Face, and others all have their own territory, and it gives the city a chaotic “anything can happen” vibe. Side missions pop up constantly, letting you deal with smaller villains and making the world feel packed with Batman lore.
The stealth sections are just as good. There are way more tools and takedowns, and enemies are smarter with things like jammers and mines. Dropping into a room full of armed thugs, silently picking them off from gargoyles one by one, never gets old.
The story is another big highlight. Instead of every villain teaming up, they’re all working against each other while Batman tries to survive in the middle of it. Joker’s storyline especially stands out, and the ending is still one of the most memorable moments in any superhero game.
And the bosses. After Arkham Asylum’s weak boss fights, Arkham City completely fixes that. The Mr. Freeze fight alone is legendary because you have to use different stealth tactics every time or he adapts. It’s one of the most creative boss fights in gaming.
Even today, the game still holds up incredibly well. The combat is addictive, the soundtrack is epic, and the atmosphere of Arkham City makes Gotham feel alive in a way very few games manage.

"We have positive ID on Batman. He is kicking all kinds of ass down there"

What a game! This is what a sequel should be: bigger, better, and more responsive and accessible in almost every department, from graphics to combat, stealth, and exploration. It still holds up after all these years, and let me tell you, it's not just nostalgia. Games like these truly come once a generation.

And on top of that, there are DLC stories with multiple characters, maps, and challenges. It's very hard to review this game in some text, as you need to experience this game. For me this is truly one of the few 10/10 games out there. And if you're Batman fans, this is a must-play.

Batman: Arkham City – A Love Letter to the Dark Knight
There’s a very specific kind of nostalgia that hits me when I think about Batman: Arkham City. It takes me right back to those humid afternoons after school, rushing over to my friend's house, dropping my bag, and fighting over the keyboard like it was the most important mission on Earth. We weren't just playing a game, we were living in Gotham. We were the Batman. And even now, years later, booting it up feels like coming home to a city that is, quite frankly, a beautiful, neon-soaked disaster.
The Ultimate Power Fantasy
Let’s get one thing straight, Arkham City didn't just set the bar for superhero games, it practically built the stadium. The "FreeFlow" combat system is still the gold standard. There is a primal, rhythmic satisfaction to it, a ballet of knuckle-sandwiches and cape-stuns. When you’re in the middle of a brawl, timing a counter-attack perfectly while a goon is swinging a lead pipe at your head, you feel like a ultimate powerhouse.
And then there’s the traversal. Gliding off the top of the GCR Tower, hearing the wind rush past you, and diving into a perfect grapple boost? It’s addictive. It’s the kind of movement that makes you forget about the objective entirely because you're having too much fun just existing in the space. It’s a city designed for a predator, and you are the apex.
A Gotham That Breathes (and Screams)
The atmosphere in this game is thick enough to cut with a Batarang. Transforming a massive chunk of Gotham into an open-air prison for the city's worst villains was a stroke of genius. The contrast between the cold, industrial decay and the garish, chaotic "decorations" of the Joker’s goons gives the world so much personality.
And the characters! Mark Hamill’s Joker isn't just a performance, it’s a terrifying, hilarious force of nature. Every time he crackles over the radio to mock you, you don't just want to finish the mission, you want to find him and make him stop talking. The story is high-stakes, deeply personal, and surprisingly tragic. It treats the source material with the kind of reverence that makes you feel like you’re playing through the greatest graphic novel ever written.
The "Arkham Knight" Base
There’s a special place in my heart for this game because it was a shared experience. Playing it on my friend’s PC back in the day, figuring out the Riddler trophies together, and laughing at the absurdity of some of the henchmen's conversations, that’s the stuff that makes gaming special. It’s a game that demands to be shared. Even if you're playing alone now, there’s an energy to Arkham City that feels like it was meant for a room full of people cheering every time you land a perfect silent takedown. This game absolutely became to core for the next installment which was "Batman Arkham Knight" an Absolute Masterpiece of a game that was.
Pros:
Combat Perfection: The FreeFlow system remains unparalleled. It’s fluid, punchy, and makes you feel like a martial arts master.
Stellar Voice Acting: Kevin Conroy (rest in peace) and Mark Hamill delivered the definitive versions of these characters. It's a masterclass in performance.
The Atmosphere: Gotham City as an open prison is a playground of dark, moody, and highly detailed perfection.
The Gadgets: Having a full utility belt at your disposal makes you feel like a genius every time you solve a puzzle.
Cons:
The Riddler's Obsession: Look, I love a good puzzle, but there are so many Riddler trophies that it eventually stops feeling like a challenge and starts feeling like a chore.
Boss Fight Limitations: While the story is great, some of the boss encounters (I'm looking at you, Mr. Freeze, despite being a great fight) can feel a bit restrictive compared to the freedom of the open world.
The Aging UI: The menu navigation and map interface definitely show their age, reminding you that this is a classic from a different era.
Conclusion:
Batman: Arkham City is the pinnacle of the Dark Knight's digital history. It’s not just a game, it’s a memory. It captured a moment in time where superhero media felt like it was finally growing up, embracing the grit and the grandeur of the comics. It’s a flawless blend of action, detective work, and pure, unadulterated Batman-ing. If you haven't played it, or if, like me, you just haven't visited the city in a while, put on the cowl. Gotham needs its hero, and honestly, you deserve the rush.

"Look around you. This horrible bunch of psychopaths are all begging to join up with me, but unfortunately for them, I only take the best. And today, best means whoever can kill you. Come on out lads. It's initiation time."
Batman: Arkham City is an action-adventure game developed by Rocksteady Studios and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment.
Story
I suggest playing through Arkham Asylum first, as events from that game are used as a setup to setting of this one.
Arkham City takes place 18 months after Arkham Asylum events. Taking credit for stopping Joker's siege, director Sharp becomes a Mayor of Gotham City. Declaring Asylum no longer suitable, he creates immense prison enclosure known as Arkham City inside Gotham's slums, taken care of by mysterious Hugo Strange while monitored by private military firm TYGER Security. Our protagonist, Bruce Wayne, opposes that idea and ends up in a titular prison himself. Here as Batman he wants to find out more about mysterious Protocol 10 and real intentions behind the prison.
Gameplay
If you played Arkham Asylum, you already know what to expect as City builds up upon gameplay from previous game, providing third person open world venture where you will investigate, explore, stealth and brawl through the prison as our favourite Caped Crusader, searching for truth (and few faces to soak your fists in).
First thing you will experience is the main dish of the game- combat. Punch, kick, smack thugs before they smack you to avoid a dreadful fate of watching villians laugh in your face as you lose and reload a checkpoint. Counter or dodge incoming attacks, chain up combinations to gain speed and power, utilize plenty of gadgets to surprise your opponents. Game provides improved version of the "Freeflow" combat system, meaning you can now perform more moves, such as option to counter multiple attacks at once or being able to chain combinations for long enough to unleash deadly special attacks. Enemies can be armed with different armor and weapons, forcing you to adjust your moves accordingly.
Sometimes you get a chance to resolve encounters silently. Similar scenario as with first game, utilize vantage points, environment, detective vision and your gadgets to eliminate enemies without them noticing you. Watch as fear strikes their minds and heartpulse keeps rising with each performed takedown on their buddies, but just like in combat, thugs are a bit more Bat-proof this time so they come with more firearms, jammers and extra tools that will make your life harder, as tides can quickly shift back and forth. Know when to strike and when to wait for opportunity, or just create your own!
Arkham City opens up the area, providing way more space to explore. Glide, grapple and sprint around looking for collectibles that expand the narrative and lore, side activities, or just seek out local thugs waiting for a fight! (Or to be knocked out silently by a sneaky Bat.) Fans favourite Riddler returns with his trophies and riddles, while other villians make an appearance in side quests spread all over the prison, unlockable as you progress through the story. Same applies to gadgets, so you might have to wait a bit to obtain a tool or two before you can enter certain buildings or collect specific trophies. No pressure, you can always return to every area you visited.
Combat and exploration grant you experience points, earn enough to level Batman up and unlock new skills, moves, or improve gadgets.
Playtime, other modes
It took me roughly 13 hours to complete everything in Arkham City. After beating the story you unlock New Game Plus where you can utilize everything you have unlocked with increased overall difficulty to balance it out. Additionally there is "Riddler's Revenge" mode, where you tackle on different challenge maps and campaigns for medals! Fair to say you can spend a bit more time in City than you might think at first glance, if interested. Especially as this version comes with extra DLC, Catwoman content, and extra characters in RR mode.
Impressions
Out of the gate I will go out with a very bold claim- Arkham City is probably the best sequel I ever had a pleasure to play. A textbook definition of how they should be made. It's not a revolution, but an evolution. If you played Asylum you feel right at home almost instantly as game keeps same great controls and fantastic core gameplay allowing you to quickly get into action, increasing and opening up the location where game takes place, addition of side quests and expanded lore make it feel like an entirely new experience. Already great combat is now reaching superb levels, it's smooth, it's intuitive, with very tight controls and top notch precision when it comes to inputs as if game knows which thug you want to hit before you even do. Some annoying moments from Asylum where Batman in the middle of combination would decide to punch ghosts are gone, combined with new moves and gadgets it practically makes you beg for as many enemies on screen as possible to go wild.
But game knows when to slow down, when to give you a stealth section to showcase pretty solid enemy AI, allowing you to fully lean into Batman's strategic side with various gadgets, careful planning and utilization of environment to his advantage. Quite frankly it's a shame that because game is no longer as linear as first title, plus complete change of area where game takes place so it's almost impossible to just give you a stealth section in the middle of the city, it doesn't actually have that many of those section. But when you get them, it's an absolute treat to play.
Asylum no doubt had it's own unique atmosphere, but City is no slouch in that department either. Prison filled with crime in the middle of gang wars, with secrets on top of secrets, the mash of destroyed slums with iconic locations, freedom you get to explore it and encounter many more and lesser known villians across short yet satisfying side quests, it hits right. Fortunately game never feels too long, it doesn't drag on, even if you decide to dive into the madness that is collecting those forsaken trophies.
Fantastic audiovisual side, strong art direction, top of the game performance from voice actors and animators, game even today looks fairly impressive. Forgot to even mention expanded extra side mode of the game in which you can spend plenty hours, if running around Arkham City gets boring for you.
If there something...mixed, I can say about this game, it would probably be about the story. In my book the main villian in this one was a bit..disappointing? Especially as he was pretty much a "main face" when it came to promoting the game. I expected a better conclusion of certain arcs and felt like it could have focus on just one story, instead of jumping around and trying to have two main storylines branching out and at least for me, that never really worked. So yeah, story is enjoyable but I would like it to go into a different direction.
Nonetheless, Arkham City is simply superb. Easy recommendation. Combat feels great, explorating feels enjoyable, still holds up visually and it's a treat for fans of DC/Batman.
Final words and conclusion
Said it before, gonna say it again, GOTY Edition comes with everything released so you get all the fun stuff- alternative costumes, post-main game DLC and extra characters- in one pack!
Batman: Arkham City improves pretty much everything from first game while still focusing on core strenghts- fantastic combat, great audiovisuals and intriguing exploration. Buy it, play it, enjoy it.
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One of the best games I've ever played. I used to play it on the xbox360 but I never get to finish it. Now, I can say that I 100% it.
100% recommended