Batman: Arkham City
Batman Arkham Asylum is easily one of the best games ever made. It combines the grit of the recent movies with a vast and deep respect and knowledge of the comics books. Arkham City broadens the game’s scope by letting Batman glide and swoop in a large Gotham City playground. It seems a madman named Hugo Strange has turned several neighborhoods into a prison and it’s Batman’s job to tame it.
Title: Batman Arkham Asylum
Xbox 360 and PS3 reviewed
This game is fantastic and offers a well-written and fun main plot with side quests and other challenges. There’s a who’s who of villains and since all of Batman’s foes are batsh*t insane, even the sillier baddies are frightening. The game is very rewarding, action packed and sadly not made with kids in mind at all. Lots of bone crushing, mass-killings (not the players’ doing) and bad language. The language is especially bad with the Catwoman downloadable add on (which is optional). What kid wants the living room filled with constant cries of BITCH; what parent wants to hear that and why didn’t they give players a way to turn it off? For a game sure to attract teens, this is unnecessary bordering on irresponsible. The Bat deserves better. (It should be noted that the game itself isn’t nearly as foul-mouthed).
But the game, oh the game, is an achievement and a landmark and one of the finest games ever made.
Will Kids Want It? Yes, yes and yes yes yes and the intelligence of the game makes up for the language, but it will turn the head of anyone walking by. If that isn’t an issue, play on. We recommend Batman Arkham City for kids 12 and up and grown ups of any age.
November 28th, 2011 at 1:49 pm
Is it possible not to download the Catwoman add on?
November 28th, 2011 at 10:10 pm
Of course it is! And thank you, I really should have made that clearer. There are still some racy comments and the Cat does appear in the main game as a creature of sexual innuendo but it’s not as jarring as the constant “bitch” stream in the downloadable.
November 18th, 2012 at 6:17 am
Awesome review. I agree about the games hype, Arkham Asylum (along with Shattered Dimensions) received so much hype, and while it’s a good game, it just isn’t as fantastic as people like IGN says. Thanks for an honest review.