It is a great game, but not perfect by any means. The combat is obviously the best part, with so much going on but always an absolute joy to play. The story and graphics are all good, as well as the detective elements. The only problems are, first the load times. Any time you retry or load a new area it can take up to 30 seconds just to load up. It can get frustrating when you play on hard and must redo some parts to have to wait so long to load up. The biggest and most notable problem is the platforming. So many times I would look at a ledge or something I had just grappled to it and would not let me for some reason and I would spam the R1 button, because that is your best bet of getting anywhere, and it would spin me around and grapple something not even on the screen. It can be very frustrating. Also I would be standing next to a wall or ledge and it would not let me hang on it or grab on to it for no reason. They could have done a better job with that but great with EVERYTHING else besides a few minor errors and one major one.....great job rocksteady… Expand

ok , well i have been playing since midnight eastern time and let me start off by saying WOW. i am feeling like i am in an open world interactive batman comic/cartoon. it is that good. the details are top notch, everything from catwoman's hips to the dive bombing/thrust kicking villains. the graphics are beautiful, and there has been very little frame rate issues whatsoever. the controls familiar to asylum's mechanics, but more precise counters and great takedown sequences. the game starts off in a way which was very creative, and the story has been steady since pressing start. playing as catwoman is not only a great addition but the way she is seamlessly running parallel to the story, while taking turns from batman to catwoman. the upgrade/skill point is based on combat combo's and tech which gain batman his exp, doing other actions also will give some xp but combat being points plentiful. then can upgrade armor, techniques etc, categories ranging from gadgets to combat, and even catwoman has a small "tree" to upgrade. the villains are not the smartest bunch but instead of feeling like the a.i is pathetic, i feel like there is no match for batman while im playing him. so they give me feelings of being a bad a** who's moves got moves rather than the feeling of just going through the motions. that wasnt/isnt a easy task. i am one w/ batman. and my weapons are not over powered, if anything they are designed for 2 primary reasons. # 1 stunning / confusing the villain or # 2 used to solve puzzles(riddles) , break through walls and create diversions etc. they do not kill. batman has use his muscle to put enemies on the ground. and my fav is the "DIVE BOMB" lol, coasting around finding villains and pressing the right trigger to dive into a mob never gets old. the campaign isnt long if you go from a to b. but solving all the riddles as well as side quests tacks on many hours, fun hours. and im not usually a big fan w/ a ton of side quests but there are exceptions and its usually when i dont want a game to end, batman is an exception. i dont want the game to finish, and thats what tells me that im playing something special. batman has alot to offer. and it offers them on a silver platter. the only faults ive found is the main villains, in my opinion they did not get enough screentime, they just seemed to be an after thought rather than challenging foes. dont get me wrong, the details and voice acting of the joker, penguin etc were top notch but i just wished their presence made a bigger impact , cameo's is a word that describes my feelings on certain villains. and not knowing how many more batmans are to come, just wished that i had more interaction w/ them in this game because this is the one which is truely as close to a superhero to video game translation ive seen to date, and ive been playing games since commodore 64,lol..
i took a break to share my thoughts as the game is paused in the background and its been about 13 hours of gaming so far and i cant wait to pick the controller back up.
i must be honest before i go. i had no true desire for this game. almost switched my pre-order to something else. i must say that i would have made a mistake if i did because this is everything i want in a game and more, this is by far oe of the best games i have played in a while. ive played just about everything, check my psn if you wish. this is one which i will replay and one which i wont want to let go of. i dont think a perfect 10 exists but i have to grade a game which is pretty close. i would rate a 9.5 but considering the games that get scores that high and falling way short in comparison well hey im giving it a 10. the music hits all the right notes , the graphics are sweet and the story is one to enjoy. ultimately this game hits all the right notes and is very worthy of goty contention.

if you a fan of batman or a fan of getting your monies worth in a game, then this is for you.
if only rocksteady could call clark kent and have him sign a contract to jump in a phone booth and fly to our consoles. that would be nice...… Expand

If you love Batman, you're gonna love this game. If you don't love Batman, then you'll enjoy the game too, as it doesn't go over the head of a casual fan's head with the story. Simply put BUY THIS GAME!

great game have a amazing history and a great open world to explore, batman have more moves, and a lot of side quests to spend time, a lot of time, dont miss the chance to play this game.

Excellent game, great open world, 40 hours of great gameplay, addictive. Another masterpiece in the franchise to top an already fantastic first game. A masterpiece.

One of the greatest games of all time. Rocksteady has not only one-upped Arkham Asylum, they obliterated it. The story is excellent and starts off with an extremely intense arrest. The voice acting is absolutely flawless for the most part. Kevin Conroy knocked it out of the park as Batman (as always), this is easily one of his best performances. Mark Hamill was fantastic as Joker, and Corey Burton was amazing as Strange. Tara had some big shoes to fill by playing Harley Quinn, but she did it, and boy was she good. The weakest voice in the game is the Penguin's. It's not terrible, but it doesn't match the rest of the game's quality voices. Nolan North is very talented, but someone like Ray Winstone would have been better. The gameplay is amazing and extremely fine-tuned, the story is interesting and engaging, the dialogue is insanely awesome and there's just so much content in the game! A definite 10/10 from me.… Expand

This game has it ALL. You can't just play this game through...you have to play AT it in chunks and bits for WEEKS. Oh, and lookie lookie at this "big WEENIE's score of the game, mac7421" gave it a 4, and gave Gears III a "2" and Mass Effect a "3"...but guess what mac7421 gave a PERFECT 10 for ??? Duke Nukem Forever!! bwahahahahahah I'm crapin' my pants!! bwahahahahahaah His AVERAGE score he gives Triple A games is a "4.7" What a punk, it would have been lower but Duke and Dead Island really pulled it up! Batman is polished, fun, plenty to do, outstanding story, lots of drama...and I don't like superhero games. Pick one up today because they are not going to drop in price for awhile, like Black Ops took a while. And go punk mac7421 because he's a jerk.… Expand

Batman: Arkham City surprises me, I expected a very good and enjoyable games but instead I faced perfection. I love the game, by far the best game of the year yet.

As a huge fan of Batman I am just happy and proud to say that Batman: Arkham City is one of the if not the best best super hero and comic book game of all time. Arkham Asylum itself was a great game but Arkham City just almost surpasses it in every way. Instead of an island we have a whole large city to explore and there is so much stuff to do that once you get yourself into this amazing Batman universe you will not want to escape. This game just makes you feel like you are Batman. They also bring in alot of villians from the Batman universe all the classic villians like Two-face, Joker, Penguin among others are all here that is just pure nostalgia for long time Batman fans like myself. The main mission itself is very long and enthralling and will easily take you around 20 to 25 hours and it is just totally awesome with so many areas that you to stealth and even fight your way through in this game, some sections of the game where you have to put your fun gadgets to good use. And perhaps the biggest improvement in this game is the boss battles instead of mostly having thug battles, this game actually provides good, well designed and fun boss battles all of which are very unique and entertaining in their own. The Story despite being a little confusing and complex at times fits the batman universe and once you beat a mission you will just keep coming back for more as this game just sucks you in its universe. But thats not all there is to it, the game has even more and better challenges than its predecessor, the ability to play as Catwoman and Robin via DLCs, other side missions within the game and even the riddler challenges and trophies are funner to do this time around. The only drawback is that in order to understand the Catwoman's part of the story and get all the riddler's challenges done in the game you have to buy her DLC from the get go which may prevent some players from experiencing the whole game if they cannot afford it. Completing the game 100% will take you more than 40 hours which gives this game a very long lasting appeal along with its already high replay value. The music and voice acting are just excellent, the music always suites the environment and builds the feel of the game and all the actors provide excellent voice overs for all the characters with ofcourse Mark Hamill stealing the show as Joker. The graphics are also awesome, the characters models are well detailed and the environments are just excellent the game itself provides a really great comic book feel. In the end Batman Arkham City is a great achievement on the part of Rocksteady Studios and arguably the greatest superhero and comic book game of all time and a potential contender for the Game of the Year 2011. I am proud to be a Batman fan.… Expand

Rocksteady has set an amazing example to all other Developers out there, and has shown how sequels SHOULD be made. Unlike other game sequels, Rocksteady has made a huge brand new game with a VAST variety of improvements and things to do. This is the first game that I've paid 60 dollars for, and actually felt like I was getting 60 dollars worth of gameplay. I've been so tired of all these other sequels that the developers put no love into, as they are just trying to get your money by adding in a few small tweaks and one or two new features. and thankfully this is NOT the case with Arkham City. If you look at the people who've put low ratings on the game, you can tell they didn't know what they were talking about (or they just didn't know how to play, and sadly, those people just don't like to read tutorials). Arkham City not only improves the combat and makes it even more amazing, it also adds in a good deal of side stories as well as a huge amount of Collectables to grab (and somehow, it manages to stay fun and not get dull). And of course, the main storyline takes awhile to beat and it has a pretty decent story with it. There's just a lot more to do with Arkham City than Arkham Asylum.. and while Asylum was a great game, this still somehow manages to be even better. So if you haven't played it, then trust me.. go buy it and you will thank me later.… Expand

This game is absolutely incredible. It is better than the best. The detail and level of immersion is beyond any game I've seen in years and the story is fantastic, voice acting is the best I've ever seen, character detail, map detail and placement of items and quests, it is all 125% perfect.

I have put Rocksteady on my A list. I never heard of them before, but they are the best of the best.

I just cannot express how much fun this game is, and that is something that is lacking in so many other games. It isn't just about the graphics (which are superb) or the attention to detail... this game is FUN!

Thank you for bringing this game to market. I will willingly hand over my money if you continue to make games like this, great story, NOT dumbed down to the Lowest Common Denominator, plenty of game time, original ideas and fight mechanics, it is just a freaking joy to experience this game.

Thank You!

Playing this game feels like there is at least one company (besides Valve) that gives a crap what the fans think.

I'm gushing, gushing, but this game... you just have to play it to believe how good it is.… Expand

A short review. This is my Game of the year. Compared to Arkham Asylum they've managed to make a great game better. And I'm not even a Batman fan (I enjoy the movies, that's about it). Here Rocksteady have managed to capture a dark, comic book style video game in exceptional style. I think I ran in to ONE single annoying part, where at one place in the game you're supposed to break "something" (not going to spoil anything) and you have to hit it three times instead of just one which in that case is just stupid. Then I once ran in to something of an invisible wall (fell down a roof in a stupid manner). And that's pretty much it when it comes to flaws. Maybe there are a bit too many Riddler challenges and that the ones where you just pick up a trophy feel a bit unessecary but those are quite few (and the challenges based on movement isn't really that fun). Instead Riddler trophies are aquired in really various ways, some harder than other. Oh, and not to forget one thing I acctually hate about the game: throwing a certain something with the short commando is R2+L2 but it almost never works. But you need to do it if you want every Riddler challenge. Only 3 times though, so once you've done it you won't do it ever again. Anyway, terrific games. Great story, great characters, superb side missions that are more like mini stories rather than just time consuming side quests that add nothing or little to the game itself. Instead all the side quests adds a wonderful depth to game and the Batman universe in large. This is soon getting a third replay.… Expand

A stunning achievement. The Dark Knight has already Risen with the release of Arkham City. Gonna be hard for Christopher Nolan to top this....seriously. Rocksteady Games has delivered on all the promise of to come in Arkham Asylum and released a stellar game stocked full of hours upon hours of gameplay, secrets, unlockables, and godlike awesomeness. If you loved Batman: The Animated Series like I did, then welcome to gaming nirvana. A beautifully rendered world created specifically for Batman (ahem, and *Catwoman*) to prowl and terrorize the weak and evil criminals of Gotham (err Arkham?). Batman is a walking Weapon of Mass Destruction in this game, it's utterly insane how awesome it is to kick ass with the Bat. And Catwoman is rendered PERFECTLY. Playing with her with put a smile on your face EVERY SINGLE TIME. It's heavenly. While the game has a few flaws, the lack of Two-Face who disappears after an awesome intro until the end of the game, NO BATMOBILE (this disappointed me the most because the open world set up literally invites this idea to be in the game, come on Rocksteady add the Batmobile PLEASE!!!), and some minor hiccups along the way that I won't spoil. But the game is still gorgeous, remarkable, brilliant, stunning, and glorious. Every gamer owes it to themselves to play it.… Expand

Following the in the footsteps of Arkham Asylum was going to be a tall order as nobody expected Batman's PS3 debut to turn out as amazing as it ended up yet somehow Rocksteady have managed to improve on the original and deliver another awesome outing as The Dark Knight. The story takes place 18 months since the events of Arkham Asylum and wow has there been changes in Gotham City. In the heart of Batman's home lies Arkham City a mega-prison which has built to serve as a home to violent thugs and ofcourse infamous supervillains. And on the topic of villains, you'll find yourself coming across quite a few along the way. Right from the very off infact, and the beginning of Arkahm City is fantastic and draws you in straight away. You begin as Bruce Wayne you are are captured and taken to Dr. Hugo Strange who aware of Bats' dual identity and has assumed control of Arkham City and intends to unveil new plands for Arkham City before the night is done... and the game unfolds from their, formidable foe Joker returns and once more is integral to the story as he is apparently carrying a potentially fatal disease. Along the way the you encounter villains such as Two-Face, Catwoman, the Penguin, Mr. Freeze, Ra's al Ghul, Talia Al Ghul and some more surprises along the way. It's bigger, braver and better! In terms of gameplay the games system returns with some minor tweaks including now being able to fight two people at the same time as well as being capable of countering two also. Some will complain about it being reptitive and they may have a point but its great fun and highly satisfying wooping some ass! And, following suit like the previous outing there is an upgrade system which enables you to enhance your moves as well as unlock new combo's and weapons along the way that will come in handy in your quest throughout the story, the boss bottles were the only slight disappointment I had with Arkham Asylum but i'm pleased to say that there has been a general improvement on that front, its hardly hardcore and it 's far from the most challenging although i'm sure on harder difficulties the game will provide more difficult advisories however the bosses do deliver some tremendous thrills in what is just an all round stunning package. A new addition is the side missions which adds more game time. Its straighforward in the sense that if once you conclude a mission in a particular part of a campaign the chances are whatever villain's area you happen to find yourself in there will be a side missions of some sort setting you an assignment, its a clever idea and a great addition. The setting is where this game comes alive. Arkham Asylum feels limited compared to Arkham City its so open and there are many area's to explore, it really does blow you away how much Rocksteady have bettered the original in terms of how bigger they have made Batman. Visually its awesome, not the best but nonetheless its still one of the finest looking console games particuarly when you take the environment into consideration it helps generate a dark, gloomy atmopshere as you swing throughout Arkham City. The voice overs are once again sensational. Mark Hamill is outstanding oncemore as The Joker although Corey Burton delivers a brilliant portrayal as Hugo Strange while Kevin Smith is ever dependable as the Dark Knight himself and Castle's very own Stana Katic voices Talia al Ghul. With DLC on the way allowing you to play as the boy wonder, Robin and Catwoman, it only enhances the all round package on offer here and I can assure you that this game is unmissable! On top of that you will find yourself coming back to play the campaign. While Arkham City doesn't quite bring the shocks that its predacessor did the replay value doesn't deminish and to round it off there's the Riddlers trophy's for you to find as well as those sidemissions and the DLC in the coming months. Taking everything Arkham City offers into consideration you really do have to take your hat off to Rocksteady as they deliver not only deliver one of the best games relased this year but also one of the best games ever to grace the PS3, it takes everything that was good about Arkham Asylum and makes it great, pure and simple, the only frustration I had with the game was how quickly I was able to finish the campaign, i'd probably say it ranged from somewhere between 6-8 hours however the frustration is from the fact I just want to keep playing, which is testimony to Rocksteady. For me this game had everything, it just thrives on the anticipation and blows you away with what it brings to the table. You owe it to yourself to sample being Batman because its rather awesome from a superb start to a shock ending which leaves things wide open in terms of where Rocksteady decides to take the series and one things for sure based on Arkham City, the Dark Knight's future is in great hands. An essential purchase and a game you simply must buy!… Expand

this game is a testament to batman fans from all around the world with great voice acting,excellent graphics capturing the look and feel of batman and with great gameplay.

i just bought the game today played it for over 2 hours its so much fun. the graphics look amazing. they look fantastic. real awesome job, the cast does well with the voice overs, as for the story i didn't swell on it alot. i just began but it looks interesting, also there are many cool add-ons, upgrades for the batsuit, action moves, the riddler mazes and stuff. its just a huge blockbuster game that will keep me busy for a long time. i am also looking forward to playing as robin, catwoman and i can't wait to get the many different batsuits. MUST BUY! 10/10… Expand

The best superhero game ever. One of the best games of all time. This title excels it's predecessor and pushes the boundaries even further for the genre. The story has been slightly improved, with several stories tied at once, making the game feel huge, the combat is even better than Arkham Asylum and has the best combat system ever. The stealth is still very solid, with occasional twists making it harder and more interesting. All the supervillians tied in the game and the game's events fit in perfectly with the story. A flawless masterpiece.… Expand

This game just stole my vote for GOTY. From its suspenseful storytelling, to its GORGEOUS open-world, to the many secrets and easter eggs (not to mention disturbing inmates) within this city, this game has astounding replay value. The gameplay and voice acting are particularly noteworthy. Rocksteady has set such a high bar for themselves. This is one game you shouldnt miss out on!

As a huge fan of Batman, what can I say?This game is INCREDIBLE! Being the Dark Knight and doing some pretty awesome detective work is always fun. I wouldnâ

They say "Don't believe the hype" ... well... you better believe the hype! Sometimes you feel the love people put in something they craft. Uncharted, Mass Effect and also Batman. These developers know there stuff and that shows. This game is a showcase for a lot of developers out there.. This is what a good is all about! Great graphics, good gameplay, a lot of content, puzzles, story, action, and YOU are the batman.… Expand

This is a very good game. If you liked Arkham Asylum you will like Arkham City. It has a lot of the features Arkham Asylum had, but has a lot of extra features as well. If you did not like Arkham Asylum then you might not like Arkham City because it does not change enough of the formula to have completely different game mechanics. I loved it though. Graphics are great and so is the Gameplay.

I have always loved Batman and this game was the bomb. The combat system amazing, the detective mode also amazing, and theres a lot of side quests so if you get tired of the campaign you can just start playing that. I also loved the new gagets in this game but I'm not going to name any though for spoilers. Over all this game deserves a 10/10 review. Peace out y'all and stop haten and trollen.

Batman: Arkham City? The game of the year! Everything is just right because of the atmosphere, extent and variety forth. My fear that Arkham City could part the fate of the typical sequels , have been smashed at the begin very fast and runs even more after the end, because the side missions are providing to more fun.

Going into to playing Batman: Arkham City, I thought there was no way it could top Rocksteadyâ

Just an amazing game. Rocksteady took what already worked well in Arkham Asylum and just immensely improved on it. Arkham City contains a perfect ammount of stealth, combat, and free roam to make it an amazing game. GOTY for me.

Amazing game! One of the best games I've ever played. I love it and I'm not even a big comic book series fan. If you like the new Dark Knight movies then you'll love this.

Pre-orders have fallen by the wayside this year, cancelled due to one thing or another. BAC remained. Please be good, please be good. The is possibly the best game I have played, bar none. Such an improvement on the original in every way. This is how sequels should be done. It's got everything about the original that was great and then some.

Detective mode has been improved to the degree that you cannot play the whole game with it switched on. This is due to the lack of compass in the open areas in DM along with the fact that you do not want to miss a moment of this fantastic looking city. I cannot remember seeing detail such as what is displayed in BAC.

This must have been a labour of love. To produce a game of this standard is incredible.… Expand

Put simply, this game is FREAKING AMAZING! I loved Arkham Asylum and this game definitely did not disappointed. In my opinion this game is basically flawless for two reasons: 1. They did not try to fix something that wasn't broken when transferring the gameplay from Arkham Asylum to Arkham City. 2. There is SO much depth to it, when you are not gliding around Arkham city grappling from building to building, you are engaging in insanely satisfying hand to hand combat, or even solving the hundreds of Riddler challenges that are available. That is assuming you don't spend your time reading all the character bios that the team at Rocksteady have written from scratch! I have only just begun to scratch the surface of this amazing game but I will leave with these words. DO YOURSELF A FAVOUR AND BUY THIS GAME!… Expand