The Dark Knight's dark night

Batman’s appeal lies in the layers to this night prowler. Drawing on themes of the uncompromising, self-made man with a burning desire to dole out harsh justice, Batman combines strength, power and genius-level problem solving. He embodies the darkness to those who fear him and the moral light for those who know him. And now that journey can be yours.

Batman: Arkham City is the follow up to 2009’s Batman: Arkham Asylum. With a compelling story teeming with twists and turns, with more characters and RPG elements seamlessly sprinkled throughout the storyline, and with an entire city of side-quests to explore, Arkham City is not just bigger, it’s better.

Having been infused with the poisoned blood of a fading Joker (played impeccably again by Mark Hamill), Batman is in a race against time to track down an ever-elusive cure. True to his modus operandi, the Joker seems always one step ahead of the Dark Knight. But the story doesn’t stop there.

The layers of deception by Gotham’s supervillians, and the twists and turns in the plot, leave you constantly wondering what will spring up next. Even when the credits roll, you’ll wonder if it’s really over. The unexpected and unpredictable story reveals one of the game’s many innovations.

The side quests sprinkled throughout the city are numerous and vast, never feeling tacked on and lending a certain realism to Arkham City. It becomes a city that truly needs its Dark Knight, as you’re often trying to track down or undo much of the evil that has consumed the area.

The addition of side quests increases your experience and adds a role-playing element. The number of quests are also limited, meaning it doesn’t stretch the narrative thin. And with a map and objective system that is smooth and dynamic, everything is easily accessible.

Movement and attacks are smoother and faster than in the first game, and there’s a welcomed flexibility in the combat. This can be a button-masher if you so choose. But the real fun lies in using the tools at your disposal. Take out a few enemies from a vantage point above, then swing down with a glide kick. Or toss out a couple of freeze grenades to immobilize some enemies while pummelling others with wicked combos. The more you use your gadgets, the more you become Batman. It’s just plain good ol’ fashioned video game fun.

Visually, settings are impeccably executed. Though Batman sometimes looks a little hokey, reminding me a bit of George Clooney in costume, the various villains vying for vengeance look incredible. There are the classic villains of Joker, Dr. Strange, Penguin and Mr. Freeze, but also a plethora of different characters that further the unique plot, from Solomon Grundy to Clayface. The spot-on voice characterization and movement makes them even more menacing, drawing you further into Batman lore than Asylum ever did.

Detective vision returns to complement and enhance the problem-solving elements. Things are diversified this time as you’ll also have the option of solving various murders around Arkham City. While the detective work is engaging and lends a hand in ensuring the game doesn’t deteriorate into a punch-fest, tracking blood signatures or changes in temperature across the city did slow things down somewhat.

The game itself is massive, reaching far beyond Arkham Asylum in length, complexity and flexibility. And even when you finish you have only scratched the surface of what Arkham City has to offer.

The addition of Catwoman as a playable character, and the release of the Nightwing expansion pack this week, means Arkham City has even more angles to play from, and tons of replay value.

When he’s not teaching junior high school, St. Albert Catholic High School alumnus Derek Mitchell can be found attached to a video game console.