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Batman Arkham City First Review - "One of the Best Games Ever Made"

Vire

Member
Official Playstation Magazine Australia have given their verdict on Batman: Arkham City. The game has been given a 10/10 and has been refered as being "one of the best games ever made".

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"Batman: Arkham City is not only the best superhero game ever made, it's one of the best games ever made full-stop. It takes the already superlative original and gloriously expands on it. It's a deeper game, more complex, more inventive, more mature. It brings the caped crusader's world to life better than any comic, movie or television show before it."

"Presentation: Endlessly creative, perfectly moody, and technically flawless. This is Epic's Unreal engine pushed to its absolute limit."

"Sound: Alternatively foreboding and frantic, the game's orchestral soundtrack matches the on-sccreen action perfectly. Voice acting is brilliant."

"Controls: Complex and initially overwhelming but also logical and responsive. It'll take a while to get used to them, but once you do it feels perfectly natural flinging Batman around."

"Replay Value: Immense. A massive main quest, dozens of side missions, Riddler challenges, secondary game modes, and DLC will keep most people occupied for months."

"VERDICT: We can't imagine how a superhero game could be better than this. Absolutely sublime."

10/10
 

Bumhead

Banned
Obviously exclusive review for an official magazine splurge fest, but even so I still expect this to be absolutely brilliant.
 

Stumpokapow

listen to the mad man
I'm pretty sure this is going to be an amazing game.

I'm not going to pay attention to an "exclusive" first review that describes anything as "one of the best games ever made".
 

jgminto

Member
It may be the best game ever, but is it Oscar-worthy?

EDIT:

"Replay Value: Immense. A massive main quest, dozens of side missions, Riddler challenges, secondary game modes, and DLC will keep most people occupied for months."
and DLC will keep most people occupied for months."

I'm not against DLC but why the fuck is that considered a positive note?
 

Shurs

Member
Anyone else get the feeling that the playable area is actually fairly small compared to most open-world games?

Sure, it looks big in pictures and videos, but I wonder how much of that is actually accessible.
 

Keasar

Member
Despite it being Official Playstation Magazine, I kinda expect the score and verdicts to be around the same level. The game looks and sounds fantastic and given Rocksteadys earlier work, I would say this might be it.

jgminto said:
It may be the best game ever, but is it Oscar-worthy?
Next IGN exclusive article has been revealed.
 

Derrick01

Banned
They really took that whole first review thing and went nuts with it. I mean this is still my most wanted game for the rest of the year but I can't do anything but laugh at this.

Kyaw said:
It's delayed for PC... :*(

Yeah this hurt a lot. Even if it's only a 2 week delay that's a painful extra 14 day wait and I won't have battlefield or anything else to make that wait easier.
 

RBK

Banned
Going off the first one, I really don't see the hype in the series. Granted I just started the game and only made it to the part where he gets it's Batmobile, but there is honestly nothing special in it for me.
 

DrBo42

Member
Shurs said:
Anyone else get the feeling that the playable area is actually fairly small compared to most open-world games?

Sure, it looks big in pictures and videos, but I wonder how much of that is actually accessible.
Well considering the detail of the environment, of course.
 

Kyaw

Member
Derrick01 said:
Yeah this hurt a lot. Even if it's only a 2 week delay that's a painful extra 14 day wait and I won't have battlefield or anything else to make that wait easier.

But I do have Battlefield 3! :D
 

Derrick01

Banned
Heavy said:
Any word on how many hours it takes to beat the main storyline + most if not all of the side missions?

Around 20 hours, 30 for everything including challenge rooms. Plus it has a new game+ mode where enemy routes change and I believe it's quite a bit tougher too.
 
Shurs said:
Anyone else get the feeling that the playable area is actually fairly small compared to most open-world games?

Sure, it looks big in pictures and videos, but I wonder how much of that is actually accessible.
I got the impression that it was smaller than most open worlds but really dense with stuff to do. No idea about accessible interiors of buildings or anything, bit I'm imagining a lot of hidden areas and paths.
 

Vire

Member
Smellycat said:
It reads like an IGN review. (the whole layout)
It's a synopsis, not the actual review.

And yes, it warrants skepticism being the first review and all but this is still exciting nonetheless.
 

Slayer-33

Liverpool-2
Vire said:
It's a synopsis, not the actual review.

And yes, it warrants skepticism being the first review and all but this is still exciting nonetheless.


I'm in all regardless.


See you guys in batman challenges on XBL.
 

GeoramA

Member
It does seem like they want their quotes on the box :lol

But I'm sure this will be the first of many. The game looks sensational.
 
Right now I am fondly remembering how the first game crept under almost everyone's radar. I don't need a 'world first!' official console magazine to tell me this is going to be good.
 
Kyaw said:
It's delayed for PC... :*(

Don't worry, they are working hard on implementing GFWL to make it the superior version.



ZombieSupaStar said:
I have the first on pc but havent played it, could I just forgoe that game and play this one without "missing" anything?

You probably could, but you shouldn't. It's a great game and fairly short, give it a try.
 

Vire

Member
ZombieSupaStar said:
I have the first on pc but havent played it, could I just forgoe that game and play this one without "missing" anything?
You'd be "missing" out on one of the best games this generation...

But as far as the story goes - no not really. Arkham Aslyum is fairly self contained. The only thing you need to know is there is this chemical called Titan that allows people to become overgrown and it's most likely made it's way into Gotham City.
 
I'm sure it will be a great game (excepting the PC version of course), but as everyone has already said: first review means nothing.
 
ZombieSupaStar said:
I have the first on pc but havent played it, could I just forgoe that game and play this one without "missing" anything?

I don't know, didn't play Arkham City. But it's going to make references to the first one, for sure, if that's what you're asking.

But as far as the story goes - no not really. Arkham Aslyum is fairly self contained.

But most villains in the first will make a comeback in this game. And Arkham Asylum ending is closely related to the sequel.
 
ZombieSupaStar said:
I have the first on pc but havent played it, could I just forgoe that game and play this one without "missing" anything?
Probably, the game isn't necessarily story-heavy. If you're relatively familiar with Batman and the dudes he fights I imagine you could just jump right in; they'll probably give a reasonable summation of the important points from the first game anyway. You might miss out on some in-jokes and references.

You'd be doing yourself a disservice, though, because Arkham Asylum is an amazing game.
 
Derrick01 said:
Around 20 hours, 30 for everything including challenge rooms. Plus it has a new game+ mode where enemy routes change and I believe it's quite a bit tougher too.
Oh my, that sounds great. Why does everything about this game sound fantastic? My wallet is not ready.

On the note of sound, is the guy who did the soundtrack from the first doing it for Arkham City? I loved the soundtrack in AA.
 
I'm not saying the game is going to be bad, but the first review is glowing? is that really a shock in video game "journalism"?
 
I'm only an house into Arkham Asylum but I don't think it's very good.

I think perhaps that I just don't like Batman that much :(
 

Riposte

Member
Vire said:
It brings the caped crusader's world to life better than any comic, movie or television show before it."

Hahaha, man.


Also it would need an entirely different combat system from Arkham Asylum to even be great, let alone one of the best. But again then who are they writing to? Not me.
 
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