Infamous: Second Son Review

Ever since man could dream, they always desired powers beyond their being.  Abilities like flight, x-ray vision and supersonic hearing would all make our hard and sometimes trying lives more manageable and relaxing.  As long as humans have dreamed of these superpowers, ironically the only realm where they can truly become reality is in fiction.  From comic books to television shows to movies, superpowers and superheroes have captured the hearts and minds of people the world over.  Unlike those types of media where you view these unbelievable powers and iconic heroes from a distance, video games immerse one in the world of superpowers and spandex like no other.  In direct control of all the action, you are the one soaring over Gotham's streets, catching bad guys in your webbing or thwarting a villain's plans to rule the world.  The latest game to give you direct control of these wondrous superpowers is Sucker Punch's Infamous: Second Son.

Infamous: Second Son takes place seven years after the events of Infamous 2.  In that time, super-powered humans known as Conduits have been vilified by the government.  Known as Bio-terrorists, they are hunted down and captured by the government's special DUP unit.  Second Son's story begins when protagonist Delsin Rowe comes in contact with three escaped Conduits.  From this meeting, Delsin awakens his dormant Conduit powers which allow him to absorb any power he comes in contact with.  Delsin's new powers get him in trouble with the DUP head Brooke Augustine which leads to Augustine unleashing her concrete powers on the innocent people of Salmon Bay.  Due to Augustine's actions, Delsin and his brother Reggie travel to DUP-occupied Seattle to absorb her concrete powers in order to heal the people of Salmon Bay.  While the narrative hits certain pre-determined points, the player has full control of how Delsin presents himself.  Delsin can either be the goody two-shoes superhero or the revenge-driven supervillain.  This decision directly affects Delsin's actions, appearance, ultimate attacks and abilities available to customize and upgrade.

The story and karma system may provide initial motivation for the player to combat the overwhelming forces of the DUP and customize Delsin's large set of powers, but both are far from Second Son's best features.  The success or failure of every superhero game depends whether the game truly makes the player feel like a superhero or not.  With four powers to play with and tons of ways to enhance and upgrade those base powers, Infamous: Second Son succeeds at putting you in the shoes of a superhero.  The powers easily take centre stage in Second Son as they are your primary tools for combat and exploration.  Each power is suited for different play styles.  For example, neon is best suited for long range sniping and video is perfectly designed for stealthy approaches to combat.  Each power is fleshed out and fun to play, but each person will find a favourite among the four powers available.  This writer's personal favourite is neon because of the incredible speed, the ability to slow down time during combat and the precision sniping.

The powers would not be as fun as they are without a fully realized world to use them in.  The virtual sights and sounds of Seattle are Delsin's playground in Second Son.  Compared to current more grandiose open world sandboxes like those found in Grand Theft Auto V or the Batman games, Seattle can feel a little lifeless and bland at times.  While you are not overloaded with tons of optional missions to tackle or additional attractions to experience all at once, Seattle offers enough side missions, collectables and random enemy encounters to keep players engaged.  Although the lack of variety among side missions can can cause things to get repetitive from time to time, one can easily lose themselves in the ebb and flow of destroying surveillance cameras, collecting blast shards, spray painting buildings and busting drug dealers.  A key reason why the Seattle setting is so engrossing comes from Second Son's superb graphics.  From the stunningly captured faces of all the main characters to the dazzling particle effects to beautifully rendered cityscape during day or night and rain or shine, the game uses the power of the PS4 to make the world of Infamous more believable and photorealistic.  The graphics of Second Son truly shows off the incredible horsepower of Sony's PS4 and brings the city of Seattle to life in a way no game has ever captured before.  Seattle may have its drawbacks, but ultimately it is a well made playground that keeps players moving forward in progressing the narrative and the advancement of Delsin's powers.

Infamous: Second Son may have some great features and content, but there are a few areas where this game falls short.  The tedious nature of the side mission, which sees the same six missions repeated over and over again throughout all of Second Son's world, really holds back Seattle from being held in the same regard as classic open world sandboxes such as Batman's Arkham City, Grand Theft Auto's Liberty City or Spider Man 2's New York.  This repetition limits the replay value of Second Son as all but true completionists will have their fill finishing only the side missions they run into during their first playthrough.  Some may be inclined to play Second Son again to experience the differences between playing as a superhero or supervillain though the story does not excite even the first time around.  Sadly after the opening hours, the story falls into a pattern of introducing a new Conduit with a desired power,  gaining said power and searching for core relays to unlock new abilities.  Along with the repetitive story structure, none of the other major characters are fleshed out to the point of caring about them or downright hating them outside of Delsin and Reggie.  Even Augustine, the antagonist of Second Son, has barely any character development until the final moments of the game.  The lack of character development and repetitive story points makes the plot feel like it is going through the motions to move the player from one objective to the next.  The karma system is no better as it forces the player to one path rather than experimenting between being good or evil.  One action that is opposite of your current path, even if it is an accident, will completely derail the karma combo needed to use ultimate karma bomb attacks.  Also the major choices of the game lack weight as they are always between two extremes instead of multiple shades of grey.

Although Infamous: Second Son may have some flaws in terms of narrative, variety and choice, Sucker Punch's open world adventure succeeds where it counts.  Second Son truly makes the player feel like a superhero or supervillain as they are in full control Delsin's powers and evolution throughout the game.  It also succeeds as a technical powerhouse that perfectly shows off the power of the PS4's graphics processors in the most crucial early stages of this new console cycle.  Overall, Infamous: Second Son is one of the best games currently available on the PS4 and a worthy addition to anyone's library.

The Seventh Generation: Essential Games

What makes a game essential?  Is it the cutting-edge graphics, the gigantic scope, the innovative gameplay or the masterful mechanics?  An essential game may include one or more of these aspects, but having these aspects does not automatically make a game essential.  In this writer's honest opinion, an essential game is not the highest rated or most popular game out on the market.  An essential game is one that NEEDS to be experienced by everyone who plays video games.

There were a ton of great games from this past generation.  To boil all those great games down to a list of nine essential games is an incredibly hard and daunting process.  This writer took a lot of time and care in putting together a list that encompassed the experiences that defined the seventh console generation from the largest blockbusters to the smallest experiments.  There may be some omissions such as BioShock, Grand Theft Auto IV or The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, but this writer has not played enough of these games to even form an opinion on them much less name them an essential game of this past generation.  Without further ado, let us dive into the final entry of The Seventh Generation, the essential games of the last console generation.

Portal
Originally bundled with Half-Life 2 and Team Fortress 2 in The Orange Box, it looked like Portal would be overshadowed by Valve's heavyweights.  Fortunately, Portal was never overshadowed.  The game's expertly crafted humour, perfectly developed villain and incredibly unique puzzle mechanics made Portal an instant classic.  Portal has the player take control of a test subject at the Aperture Science Enrichment Center.  Equipped with only the Portal Gun, the player is tasked with completing a gauntlet of test chambers which grow more difficult and dangerous as the player advances.  Throughout these chambers, the player is constantly berated by a computer AI known as GLaDOS.  While GLaDOS is the antagonist of Portal, she spouts the funniest and most memorable lines of the game.  Even though Portal can be beaten within a few hours, you grow to love the characters, the enemies, the dialogue, the Portal Gun, the level design and the puzzles.  If it was not for this little game stuck on The Orange Box, gamers would have never learned to think with portals.

Rock Band
At one point or another, everybody has wanted to be a rock star.  The dream of singing your heart out, shredding the strings on a guitar or smacking a set of drums in front of a sea of thousands is one that many imagine, but few actually live.  Many games have tried to emulate the thrill of being a rock star, but only a handful have succeeded in fulfilling this childhood dream.  Rock Band is among the pinnacle of these games.  Using the plastic instruments that come packaged with the game, one can emulate being in a band with friends and family or play the guitar, drums or sing solo.  With the focus on local multiplayer, Rock Band quickly became the most popular party game of this generation because of its excellent accessibility.  While sequels and future rhythm games made improvements on the original, nothing will ever beat the euphoric thrill of getting three to four people together to play in Rock Band.  Rock Band brought the rhythm genre to its greatest peak and no other rhythm game has been able to recreate the magic this game created.

Mass Effect
The Mass Effect trilogy as a whole encompasses the three greatest games of this past generation.  Perfectly blending the combat of a third-person action game with the complex systems of a RPG and single-handedly revolutionizing the art of storytelling in this medium as one's decisions followed them throughout each game in the series, the Mass Effect trilogy is an astonishing feat of artistry.  As great as all three Mass Effect games are, this writer can only choose one for this list--the original Mass Effect.  The sole reason this writer bought a Xbox 360, the original Mass Effect is unlike any game before it.  You are given the freedom to create whatever Shepard you desire.  Male or female, good or evil, tactically savvy or guns blazing, the player's Shepard is not just their avatar, it is an extension of themselves.  From the heart-racing thrill of threatening a journalist on the Citadel to the heart-wrenching indecision of choosing the fate of a crew mate, an entire fleet of soldiers or a small group of Council delegates, Mass Effect is never afraid in giving players decisions no matter their difficulty.  If there is one RPG that you play from this past generation, make it BioWare's sci-fi masterpiece Mass Effect.

Super Mario Galaxy
Just like Super Mario 64 defined the 3D platformer during the fifth console generation, Super Mario Galaxy defined the future of this genre.  No longer restricted by flat surfaces, Mario traversed a number of spherical planetoids on his way to retrieve all the missing stars.  Playing around with gravity in interesting ways, Galaxy provided new ways to maneuver around a three dimensional space.  The motion capabilities of the Wii remote are expertly used to ease jumping, interact with objects in the environment and control Mario on different rides such as a ball or a manta ray.  Super Mario Galaxy is the premier platforming game of this generation and it should not be skipped over by any gamer.

Uncharted 2:  Among Thieves
This writer considers Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception to be the best entry in Naught Dog's venerable series.  Although if it was not for the excellence of Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, there would be no third entry in the Uncharted series.  That is the reason Among Thieves makes this list over Drake's Deception.  Uncharted 2 launched Nathan Drake and Naughty Dog into superstardom.  It is an exhilarating roller coaster ride from beginning to end with some unbelievable set pieces like battling mercenaries in a collapsing building or traversing a moving train as a helicopter guns Drake down.  Aside from the Hollywood blockbuster-like moments, Uncharted 2 has a solid base of third-person shooting, visceral hand-to-hand combat and parkour-like platforming.  Uncharted 2: Among Thieves single-handedly created a juggernaut franchise for Sony this past generation and going forward into the future.

Batman:  Arkham City
Batman: Arkham City is the ultimate superhero and ultimate Batman game.  Arkham City is a fully realized world where the player is given the skills and abilities to explore every nook and cranny, fight waves of convicts, tackle story missions or collect hundreds of creatively hidden collectables.  One can easily lose tons of hours just playing around in Arkham City's open world.  Any gamer no matter if they are hardcore fans of the Dark Knight or know nothing about the Caped Crusader will enjoy the amazing experience Arkham City offers.  It puts you in the shoes of a superhero like no other game has ever done before and few could possibly do after.  Batman: Arkham City is the best licensed game of this generation and arguably of all-time.

The Legend of Zelda:  Skyward Sword
Unlike Twilight Princess, which launched with the Wii, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is built from the ground up for the Nintendo's motion-based console.  In short, Skyward Sword stands as the pinnacle of the Wii’s library, an example why high definition graphics do not make games better and why motion controls are not just a gimmick.  Skyward Sword offers one-to-one swordplay like no game has ever achieved before or since, an excellent array of items with intuitive motion controls from old favourites like the bombs to new choices such as the beetle, mind-bending puzzles, beautifully constructed dungeons and a wonderfully orchestrated soundtrack (a first for the Zelda series).  Arguably the greatest game of this generation, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword stands as the embodiment of the pure fun and emotion brought forth by Nintendo's mission with the Wii. 

Journey
Journey is one of the most unique experiences of this past generation.  There are no tutorials, no real instructions.  You are just dropped into a seemingly barren desert with this profile of a mountain in the distance.  The controls are simple yet incredibly intuitive, the graphics and art are just jaw dropping, the music is beautiful and the puzzles, while simple, are very charming and engaging.  Journey is a soothing and relaxing experience that can easily be finished in one sitting, which makes the game easy to replay again and again.  This writer cannot stress how amazing of an experience this game is.  Journey is a game that cannot be captured in words or through video.  Journey is a game that must be experienced to understand its greatness.

The Walking Dead
Unlike any experience in this medium, The Walking Dead transcends the title of being a mere licensed game.  Fans of this property or not, The Walking Dead is an emotional tale that anyone will easily be drawn into.  The Walking Dead will make you laugh, cry, scared, disgusted, shocked, surprised, intrigued and every emotion in between.  When everything is said and done, you will be amazed at how much you care about each and every character you meet and interact with in this game and contemplate on what could have been if you made different decisions.  The Walking Dead is hands down the benchmark for modern adventure games and should be experienced by all gamers mature enough to play it.

Transformers: Fall of Cybertron Review

For the longest of times, games based off of established franchises such as Batman or Spider-Man were dreaded for being cheap cash-ins.  Now in our post-Arkham Asylum world, certain developers such as Rocksteady and High Moon Studios have forged a new-found trust in the fans by creating quality license games.  High Moon Studios newest Transformers game, Fall of Cybertron, hopes to continue the loving trust they won from fans with War for Cybertron.  Fall of Cybertron delivers in spades.  It improves on the foundation High Moon Studios laid down with War for Cybertron in every single creating easily the best Transformers game of all-time.

Transformers:  Fall of Cybertron continues right after the events from War for Cybertron.  The civil war between the Autobots and the Decepticons has torn their beloved world of Cybertron apart literally.  Cybertron can no longer produce the life-giving materials that the Transformers need to survive.  With no hope left on Cybertron, the Autobots and Decepticons build their means of escaping this dying planet.  Fall of Cybertron recounts the events leading up to this major exodus.  The story in Fall of Cybertron is absolutely incredible as it takes you through the darkest hours of the Transformers.  For fans of the franchise, High Moon Studios has peppered the dialogue with a lot of references to the expanded Transformers lore and one amazing treat only found in the final mission that had me smiling from ear to ear.  While the ending is rather abrupt in my opinion, Fall of Cybertron provides a great conclusion to this chapter of Transformers lore.

Unlike War for Cybertron, Transformers:  Fall of Cybertron’s campaign can only be played by a single player.  While levels may come off as more linear as a result to the exclusion of the three player co-op, it has offered High Moon Studios some freedom to create a more focused single-player campaign with tons of variety.  You are never stuck doing the same thing for long in Fall of Cybertron.  This variety keeps Fall of Cybertron from falling into the monotony and tedious nature of most modern shooters.  There are even some levels in the game that focus on aspects other than shooting such as stealth, platforming or brawling.  These levels along with one truly epic final level that sees you jump between the Autobots and Decepticons on the fly are easily the highlights of Fall of Cybertron’s campaign.  Fall of Cybertron’s core shooting gameplay is the main focus of the game’s multi-player modes.  Fall of Cybertron’s multi-player is very fast-paced and action-packed as you trade kills and deaths at an incredibly high rate.  After a game or two, you will get the hang of things and start getting some streaks.  Personally, I found Fall of Cybertron’s multi-player to be much more approachable than other shooters and I can easily see myself going back to it from time to time.  A key part of multi-player is creating your own Transformer from the parts you win from playing multi-player.  While I personally did not get a chance to really dive into this feature, there are some very powerful customization tools at your disposal to create a robot similar to any existing Transformer or your own unique creation. 

While Transformers:  Fall of Cybertron is an incredible game, it does have one problem that holds the game back from being on a level with say Batman: Arkham City.  The problem in question is some glitches that pop up every once and a while.  I fell through geometry, got stuck in the floor, clipped through walls while transforming and even had to reset my PS3 because the game froze.  None of these glitches were anything game-breaking, but they did detract from the experience just a bit. 

With an incredible campaign, great gameplay, great gameplay variety and an approachable set of multi-player suite, Transformers:  Fall of Cybertron is hands-down the best video game interpretation of this venerable franchise.  Fall of Cybertron gives the proper amount of respect to the Transformers franchise and its lore while forging its own mark on the Transformers legacy.  Fall of Cybertron appeals to longtime fans and provides an excellent introduction to the Transformers universe for newcomers.  Transformers:  Fall of Cybertron is one of the best games of this summer and of this year.  It is an experience not to miss.

Launch Station: Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes

Ever since the original Lego Star Wars came out in 2005, the Lego gaming franchise has had incredible success with every entry.  From Star Wars to Harry Potter to Indiana Jones to eventually Lord of the Rings, Traveller's Tales has legofied many great franchises.  The first Lego Batman was the best selling Lego game in the series so Traveller's Tales has created one of their most ambitious games in Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes.

Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes begins with Joker breaking out of Arkham Asylum to join forces with the nefarious Lex Luthor.  Batman and Robin must team up with Superman and the Justice League to take down Joker and Lex Luthor.  Lego Batman 2 has many similarities to other Lego games such as collecting studs to buy new characters and items or constructing objects in order to solve puzzles.  Lego Batman 2 does have some different aspects that make it stand out from other Lego games.  Lego Batman 2 is the first fully voiced Lego game in the series.  No more mime acting and grunts that all the other Lego games used to convey their story.  Also in the audio department, Lego Batman 2 uses of Danny Elfman's score for Batman and Batman Returns and John William's score for Superman along with some original music to make up the game's soundtrack.  Outside of the linear story missions, Lego Batman 2 allows you to explore Gotham City to your heart's content as any character you have unlocked while playing the game.  Lego Batman 2 includes new gadgets for Batman and Robin to use and new vehicles to drive around in.  Lego Batman 2 also features the two player dynamic split-screen co-op that was introduced in Lego Star Wars III where the more you move away from each other the more the screen splits.

Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes looks like another good Batman game.  While I personally enjoy Rocksteady's Arkham series to the Lego Batman games, Lego Batman 2 looks to further evolve the Lego game series to keep up with modern gamers.  Lego Batman 2 is a perfect way of introducing the younger generation to one of the most popular super heroes of all-time compared to the more mature Christopher Nolan movies and Arkham series of games.

On the Download: Harley Quinn's Revenge Review

For this edition of On the Download, I want to do something different.  Instead of highlighting the biggest downloads of the week, I am going to review the biggest download of the week as I picked up the Harley Quinn's Revenge DLC for Batman: Arkham City and subsequently beat it.  I thought long and hard about how I would rate DLC as this will be my first review of any DLC whatsoever.  If I would rate it on the number scale or a completely different more simple scale like thumbs up or thumbs down approval rating.  After debating it long and hard, I came to the consensus that I will be reviewing all DLC like I review games on a scale out of 10.   Without any further ado, let us get to my first DLC review.

Harley Quinn’s Revenge serves as an epilogue for Batman:  Arkham City.  It is a standalone adventure that allows players to experience the aftermath of Arkham City’s incredible and controversial climax.  Harley Quinn’s Revenge is an excuse to play more Batman: Arkham City, which is always a good thing, but at the end of this two hour story mission you are left with a little more to be desired.

Set a couple weeks after the events of Batman: Arkham City, Harley Quinn has escaped the psychiatric ward of Arkham and has kidnapped a few Gotham City Policemen as well.  Batman returns to Joker’s steel mill in Arkham City to save the kidnapped policemen only to be trapped by the rather insane Harley Quinn.  Now it is up to Robin to infiltrate Harley’s secret base in order to save Gotham’s Dark Knight from the clutches of Joker’s insane girlfriend.

Harley Quinn’s Revenge features the same incredible gameplay featured in Batman: Arkham City.  The biggest addition comes from being able to play as Robin.  Robin plays a little differently than both Batman and Catwoman.  Robin has a bo staff, which he uses for combat, and other unique gadgets such as the Snap Flash and Shield.  If you did not pick up the Robin Challenge Map DLC, it will take little bit of time to get used to how Robin plays.  After a little time, Robin is just as satisfying to play as Batman and Catwoman are.  You play as Robin for the majority of Harley Quinn’s Revenge, but at two points you will be able to take control of the Dark Knight himself.

The main pull in Harley Quinn’s Revenge is the story.  With great acting and fun moments, there are glimpses of the greatness found in Arkham City’s story, but Harley Quinn’s Revenge ultimately falls a little short.  There are some nice hints at Batman facing some depression and who Batman really carried out of the opera house at the end of Arkham City, but nothing more.  Personally it felt like a missed opportunity as I believed this DLC will be the bridge between Arkham City and Rocksteady’s next Batman game.  Also not being able to freely roam Arkham City as Robin after beating Harley Quinn’s Revenge feels like another missed opportunity that could have added more lasting value to this piece of DLC.

Everything established in Batman: Arkham City such as the excellent environment, atmosphere, puzzles and combat, all carryover to Harley Quinn’s Revenge.  At the end of the day, it does feel like Rocksteady could have done a little more to take Harley Quinn’s Revenge from good to an incredible addition to Arkham City.  For what it is worth, Harley Quinn’s Revenge is good two hour, possibly three if you search for all the hidden balloons, romp back into Arkham City.  There is just enough content here to justify the 10 dollar price.  Harley Quinn’s Revenge is a worthy adventure for those who love Arkham City.

On the Download: April 29-May 5

Another week, another round-up of downloadable games here in On the Download.  While there are a couple games I want to highlight this week.  I want to mention that there are a lot of great sales going on Steam this week.  While the sale on Bastion and Dust Force ended earlier in the day, there are sales on Batman: Arkham City, Sanctum, Elder Scrolls III and IV, Transformers: War for Cybertron and a whole bunch of indie games published by EA.  If you use Steam for downloading PC games, take a look at these amazing deals.  If you do not have Steam, maybe you should think about downloading Valve's incredible PC client.  Without further delay, let us jump into the biggest downloadable games of the week.

Lionhead Studios takes the Fable in an unnecessary direction yet again.  In order to hype up the Fable franchises' first romp on the Kinect in Fable: The Journey, Lionhead Studios has created Fable Heroes for download on XBLA.  Fable Heroes is a action-packed beat-em up set in the Fable universe.  To seperate Fable Heroes from the more mature core Fable games, Lionhead went with an incredibly cute art style.  Up to four players can work together to complete levels and defeat enemies while competing for gold, experience and unlockable items both online and offline.  Also in a way to tie Fable Heroes into Fable: The Journey, you can save the gold you earn in Fable Heroes for use in Fable: The Journey.  While I have never been high on the Fable series, Fable Heroes looks to be a 800 Microsoft Points worth spending only for hardcore Fable fans out there.

"Awesome!  Awesome!  Awesomenauts!  Awesome!  Awesome!  Awesomenauts!"  Once I first heard the amazing 80s cartoon inspired theme, Awesomenauts was one downloadable game I knew I needed to keep an eye on.  While the game is multi-player only, it still looks like one amazing concept that should definitely be checked out by all gamers.  In the long distant future, conflict has engulfed the stars as robot armies are locked in a stalemate.  A powerful group of mercenaries known as the Awesomenauts are called upon to bring an end to the stalemate.  Awesomenauts is a multi-player online arena (MOBA for short) game with elements of 2D platform games.  You can play 3-on-3 matches online.  If you do not mind sharing a screen, you can team up with two friends locally to play other teams online.  At launch, you can play as the six unique members of the Awesomenauts with more characters scheduled to be added to roster in later updates.  At 800 Microsoft Points on XBLA or 10 dollars on PSN, Awesomenauts is a great download for anybody really into multi-player games like Team Fortress 2 or DOTA.  Need more incentive to buy this game, just listen to its theme music.

Batman: Arkham City Review

Arkham City starts not in the tights of the Caped Crusader of Gotham City, but in the pristine suit of Bruce Wayne as he holds a press conference to announce his opposition of the Arkham City prison.  Immediately following Wayne’s announcement, TYGER mercenaries arrest Mr. Wayne.  Wayne wakes up chained up.  Bruce tips over the chair and tries to escape, but the guard hears him.  The guard goes to kick Wayne, but he counters thus breaking the guard’s leg.  Another guard hits Bruce with the butt of his gun and pushes him out into the processing center as other inmates ridicule him and Hugo Strange’s voice booms over the intercom.  As Bruce Wayne enters Arkham City, Penguin and his thugs jump the millionaire and knock him out.  You wake up kneeling in front of the Penguin.  The diminutive crook starts wailing on Wayne with brass knuckles.  A well-timed counter and Wayne breaks the Penguin’s hand.  With the Penguin hurt, his goons jump into take Wayne out, but to no avail as the millionaire playboy of Gotham City takes them down with ease.  This series of events just described is the opening minutes of Arkham City.  In this opening, Rocksteady introduces the player to the story, the main villain, the core mechanics and the atmosphere of this new Arkham prison in one neat package.  It makes for one of the best openings for any video game as Rocksteady puts you in the shoes of the vulnerable Bruce Wayne before letting the player loose as Mr. Wayne’s alter-ego, Batman.

Once you get a hold of Batman’s suit and gadgets, you are dropped right in the thick of Arkham City.  Given the reins to do what you want when you want in this expansive setting with lots to do.  This amount of freedom is extremely refreshing considering how linear Arkham Asylum was even with the openness of Arkham Island.  You are free to go complete story missions, find side quests, collect Riddler Trophies (which you need to collect all of them to complete one of the side quests) or just beat up some inmates.  You can easily lose hours upon hours just exploring this incredibly rich setting without even touching the main story.  Speaking of Arkham City’s story, it is better paced and put together than Arkham Asylum’s plot.  Rocksteady has seamlessly woven a large gallery of iconic Batman villains like the Joker, Mr. Freeze Two-Face and many more into a one epic plot worthy of the Caped Crusader.

Along with fixing the flaws with Arkham Asylum, Rocksteady also made some improvements with the combat and upgrade system and one big addition in a playable Catwomen. Rocksteady did an incredible job making the combat in Arkham City more satisfying than its predecessor.  It is much easier to chain together strikes, counters, special takedowns and gadgets into one crazy combo, which makes even fighting lowly inmates that much more rewarding.  The upgrade system has been totally revamped.  Instead of just being long line of upgrades, you can choose from upgrading Batman’s batsuit, combat or gadgets.  The upgrade system gives players a little more freedom to build the Batman they want.  The biggest addition in Arkham City is Catwomen.  At certain points in the main story, you will get to play as Selina Kyle.  These segments are pretty short, but act as refreshing breathers from the World’s Greatest Detective.  Catwomen is much more agile than her burly counterpart allowing her to traverse corners of Arkham City that Batman just cannot reach.  After beating the main story, players are able to switch between Batman and Catwomen at certain locations around Arkham City.

With an epic story, excellent gameplay and a fully faceted open world setting, Arkham City is the ultimate superhero and ultimate Batman game.  Any gamer no matter if they are hardcore fans of the Dark Knight or know nothing about the Caped Crusader will enjoy the amazing experience Arkham City offers.  It puts you in the shoes of a superhero like no other game has ever done before and few could possibly do after.  In Arkham City, you are Batman.  You are the Dark Knight.  You are the World’s Greatest Detective.  You are a superhero.