BACKGROUND
Batman: Arkham City is an action-adventure video game released in 2011 by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 video game consoles and Microsoft Windows. The sequel to the 2009 video game Batman: Arkham Asylum and the second installment in the Batman: Arkham series, based on the DC Comics superhero Batman. It was published worldwide for consoles on October 18, 2011, commencing in North America, with a Microsoft Windows version following on November 22, 2011. Arkham City is based on the franchise’s long-running comic book mythos and was co-written by legendary Batman writers Paul Dini, Paul Crocker, and Sefton Hill.
THE GAME’S PLOT
In the game’s main plot, Batman is imprisoned in Arkham City, a massive new super-prison encompassing the deteriorating urban slums of fictitious Gotham City. He must discover the truth behind the sinister operation known as “Protocol 10,” which is coordinated by the facility’s warden, Hugo Strange. The game’s main characters are mostly voiced by DC Animated Universe performers, with Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill reprising their roles as Batman and the Joker, respectively. The game is played in the third person, focusing on Batman’s combat and stealth talents, investigative skills, and gadgets that can be employed in both battle and exploration. Arkham City extends Batman’s arsenal of gadgets and combat attacks and provides a more open-world framework, allowing the player to pursue side quests unrelated to the main plot.
PLAYERS’ SUGGESTIONS
The game drew praise from critics for its narrative, character and world designs, soundtrack, and Batman’s combat and navigation abilities. According to the review aggregator Metacritic, it was tied for the highest-rated video game of 2011. It received several awards from various media outlets, including Game of the Year, Best Action Game, Best Action-Adventure Game, Best Adventure Game, and Best Original Score. It is considered one of the best games ever made. Following the release of Arkham City, several additional titles were released: a spin-off mobile game, Batman: Arkham City Lockdown, on December 7, 2011; a Game of the Year edition containing all of the game’s downloadable content on May 29, 2012; and Wii U and OS X versions in November and December, respectively. The Batman: Arkham Origins was launched in October 2013, while Batman: Arkham Knight, a narrative sequel, was released in June 2015.
