Batman: Arkham Asylum was considered a surprise hit by many when it was released in 2009. It was a licensed game that finally lived up to the potential of the characters and world already set up in the comic books.

When Arkham City was announced, many wondered how much better of a game developer Rocksteady could make. The final product answers that question with a resounding “yes.”  Batman: Arkham City is a fantastic experience that should not be missed.

Arkham Asylum has been shut down and the inmates have been transferred to a complex called Arkham City right in the middle of Gotham. Presiding over this less than lawful prison is Hugo Strange while Two-Face, Joker and Penguin face of in a three-way war. To make matters worse, Bruce Wayne has been imprisoned with the inmates. With this, the game begins.

Arkham Asylum has a story so full of twist and turns that you will always be interested in what is currently happening and questioning. The game is a regular encyclopedia for some of Batman’s biggest baddies as well as some more obscure references that only ardent fans of the Caped Crusader will get, none of which I will spoil.

The biggest change from Arkham Asylum is the titular feature, Arkham City and the ability to explore its open world. Traversing this open world may seem like a problem until you get your hands on the game. While a decent size, Arkham City does not offer the same scope as say a Liberty City does. Rocksteady gives you all of the tools you will need in order to get from one place to another quickly including the ability to dive and come out of it with a glide to increase distance traveled. Batman’s grappling hook also comes in handy, though, hint, you will want to upgrade it as soon as possible via the AR missions, which I will get to later.

Arkham City also provides Batman with a host of new gadgets as well as the ability to use them quickly in combat. Along with the trusty batarang and explosive charges, The Dark Knight also has freeze grenades and an electric charge weapon. All of these can be used very easily in combat situations with a combination of button presses, though it can be hard to remember what buttons do what in the heat of battle.

While Rocksteady did make some noticeable changes compared to the original, they did not completely reinvent the wheel for Arkham City. The brawler combat returns with even more moves than before. Some complain that after awhile, it starts to feel like just a button masher, and it can be, but if look just a bit deeper, the fighting system can be incredibly deep and difficult to master. It can almost be likened to a puzzle game that requires the skill and knowledge to know when to use gadgets, when to counter and when to just go all out on a baddie.

The boss fights in Arkham Asylum were underwhelming, to say the least. In an attempt to fix this, Rocksteady has tried to make them more varied. You won’t be fighting a monster clown in Arkham City. Although an improvement, the only boss fight that really impresses is the battle between The Bat and Mr. Freeze, which will leave you wanting to replay soon after the conclusion of it.

Arkham City is jam-packed with content. The main campaign clocks in at around eight hours, but there is much to do after the closing credits have rolled on the story. There are side missions to complete, including the aforementioned AR missions, riddles to solve, Riddler trophies to acquire, of which there are 400, as well as predator and challenge rooms. Everywhere you go in Arkham City is packed with content, whether it is a side mission, thugs to take down or just easter eggs to find. Although it may not be the biggest game world, it may be the most dense with content. It could very well take you over 50 hours to do everything that Arkham City has to offer.

The additional Catwoman DLC, which you get for free when purchasing new, provides a nice change of pace, though it is not perfect. Playing as Catwoman is not all that different than playing as Batman. She is a bit quicker with her strikes but her fighting style and gadgets are very similar to Batman’s. It is also a lot more tedious moving about Arkham City with Catwoman as she cannot glide, but, instead, swings by her whip and climbs up buildings. Despite this, it is interesting to see her story unfold alongside the main tale.

From the twisting and turning main story to completing the Riddler’s challenges, Arkham City is spot on in almost every aspect. Simply put, whether you are the biggest Batman fan or just a casual game player, Batman: Arkham City is a special title that is, without a doubt, worth your time.

Grade: A