Batman: Arkham City - Game of the Year Edition

Part of North Gotham has been sealed off as Arkham City, a vast prison district where criminals are left to roam under the watch of Hugo Strange. Batman crosses its rooftops and streets to investigate Strange's plans, deal with Joker's illness, confront rival gangs, and pursue optional cases throughout the walled neighborhood.

Batman: Arkham City moves the series from an institutional island to a sealed section of North Gotham. After the previous game's uprising exposes the city's prison crisis, former Arkham warden Quincy Sharp establishes Arkham City in a run-down district and allows its inmates to live among the abandoned streets. The prison is overseen by Hugo Strange, whose control of the area gives Batman another threat to investigate while gangs compete for territory below. The Joker's deteriorating condition becomes a second strand in the main story, drawing Batman into contact with Catwoman, Two-Face, the Penguin, and Mr. Freeze. These characters are part of the central campaign's pressure points, not a single line of villains waiting in one sequence. The wider district gives the player room to move between story leads, criminal activity, and optional cases while the main conflict continues.

Arkham City is a connected urban space made from streets, rooftops, indoor facilities, and underground passages. Batman can follow the main objective or mark a custom point on his map, then travel there by grappling to ledges and launching into a cape glide. Diving builds momentum; rising and grappling again extends the trip, so movement across blocks becomes an active part of route-finding rather than a simple loading transition. This freedom changes how Batman reaches encounters: he can arrive from a roof, approach along the street, or pause above a group to read its patrols. The city remains enclosed by its perimeter walls, but within them the game opens up several districts and interiors. The courthouse, museum, former police headquarters, subway, and other structures give gang territory and missions recognizable places. Rooftop travel can also reveal optional events or new map markers, joining exploration to the choice of what to investigate next.

The combat system carries FreeFlow strikes and counters forward while letting more gadgets and special moves enter a fight. Batman attacks one opponent, redirects toward another, counters incoming blows, and uses cape stuns to interrupt enemies who block or carry dangerous weapons. A continuous combo multiplier grows when strikes, counters, stuns, evasions, and gadgets connect without Batman being hit or missing too long; a broken sequence ends that bonus. Keeping the chain alive increases experience from the fight, and filled experience bars let Batman buy a skill or gadget upgrade through WayneTech. Those purchases can improve armor, add combat options, or change how a tool works. The fight's rhythm therefore depends on recognizing weapon types, timing counters, and choosing the right gadget while staying in motion. Batman's equipment can also expand through certain enemies and side missions, so progression reflects both the campaign and activity across the district.

Armed patrols turn enclosed rooms and street locations into Predator encounters. Batman can move between gargoyles, crouch in cover, travel through floor grates, or hang from ledges while Detective Mode marks enemies, their weapons, hiding places, and weak surfaces. From there, he chooses how to thin the group: a silent takedown from behind keeps allies unaware, while a corner or double takedown offers a different close-range opening. An inverted takedown or a grate takedown is effective but noisy, drawing attention to the body or hiding place and forcing Batman to relocate. Some guards carry thermal scanners and can detect him on familiar high perches, so repeating the same route is not always safe. Smoke pellets can break line of sight when Batman is spotted, giving him a chance to escape or confuse the group. The mode is built around observing patrols, managing what each enemy can see, and changing position as the search develops.

Gadgets solve city obstacles as well as create openings in combat. The remote-controlled Batarang can strike distant switches; the Cryptographic Sequencer unlocks electronic doors and security consoles; and Explosive Gel can break weakened walls or briefly disable enemies. The Remote Electrical Charge powers generators and electromagnets, which can move equipment or open a route, while the Batclaw pulls objects within reach and can later disarm gunmen through an upgrade. The Line Launcher carries Batman across a gap and can be redirected mid-flight. New gadgets arrive as the story progresses, from selected side missions, or through upgrades. Detective Mode also supports active investigation: holding the scan control when a clue is identified examines evidence, and the map can retain locations of Riddler trophies that are currently out of reach. Riddler's challenges range from finding objects to using switches, timing, or an environmental detail to solve a puzzle. Completing enough challenges opens additional Riddler encounters, giving exploration a puzzle progression alongside the campaign.

Optional cases let Batman leave the immediate main objective to follow crimes and characters across the prison district. The Riddler's trail connects map discoveries to larger challenges, while other side missions branch into separate encounters with Gotham's criminals. These cases remain optional, so the player can return to the main story after investigating a lead or continue exploring before moving on. The Game of the Year Edition includes four Catwoman missions woven into the campaign; later, Catwoman can also be selected while exploring the city. Her movement, whip stun, counters, gadgets, and Thief Vision provide a distinct control set, and the manual describes separate character-specific upgrade choices. The edition also includes Robin and Nightwing as challenge-mode characters, additional challenge maps and costume packs, plus Harley Quinn's Revenge as a separately selected story that takes place after the main campaign. That add-on is separate from Batman's central Arkham City investigation.