Batman: Arkham City 3D Vision Game Review

Developer: Rocksteady Studios
Video Game: Batman: Arkham City
Platform: Microsoft Windows PC, Microsoft XBOX360, Sony PlayStation3
Price: PC: $30, XBOX360: $40, PS3: $40 (Amazon)

Of all the superheroes, Batman is one of the few who does not possess any super-human power. Perhaps that is why so many people cheer for The Great Detective, and why so many gamers seek to wear his utility belt. Although the upcoming movie The Dark Knight Rises depicts the same character played in the Batman: Arkham City video game, both also share 3D special effects that offer a glimpse from behind Batman's cowl. Super-villain Joker always gets the last laugh, and uses dozens of other arch enemies to help make his punch line. In this article, Benchmark Reviews guides you through the criminal masterminds that inhabit Batman: Arkham City in this NVIDIA 3D Vision game review.

This article will discuss strategy and game play tactics, with an emphasis on video quality settings using NVIDIA 3D Vision technology. If you're already an owner of NVIDIA 3D Vision or 3D Vision 2 hardware, then you'll appreciate that we've included 3D screen captures to help illustrate how well Batman: Arkham City looks with the added effects. It's also suggested that you read our NVIDIA 3D-Vision Multimedia Resource Guide to help make the most of this technology and adjust hardware for the best experience. If you're considering the purchase of 3D hardware, we've included some 2D images with 3D counterparts for comparison. This article contains 2D images in JPG file format, and stereoscopic 3D images in JPS file format. All browsers will display JPG images, however 3D-enabled hardware and NVIDIA 3D Vision Photo Viewer or similar software is required to properly view JPS files.

Batman: Perched High Above Arkham City (3D Version)

Batman: Arkham City is a 3d-person action game that adheres to story line previously set forth in Batman: Arkham Asylum, which launched for game consoles and PC back in 2009. Based on an updated Unreal Engine 3 game engine, Batman: Arkham City enjoys DirectX 11 graphics which uses multi-threaded rendering to produce life-like tessellation effects. While gaming console versions of Batman: Arkham City deliver high-definition graphics at either 720p or 1080i, you'll only get the high-quality graphics and special effects on PC. If you're reading this article, you've probably already sorted through hundreds of other reviews and read the wiki page explaining the storyline in-depth. This article gives you a taste of what to expect from Batman: Arkham City, while focusing on visual extras only available to the modern PC.

Catwoman: Criminal Super-Thief or Sweetheart?

The back-story begins eighteen month after Batman: Arkham Asylum, with Bruce Wayne declaring he's joining politics to run for office. Former warden-turned-mayor Quincy Sharp combines the criminal population of Arkham Asylum and Blackgate Penitentiary into a closed community named Arkham City, located north of Gotham City. Mayor Sharp commissions mad-psychiatrist Hugo Strange to control Arkham City, which quickly becomes home to anyone opposing the Mayor, political candidates included. Bruce Wayne soon meets with some old 'friends' when introduced to Arkham City, and quickly makes a few new enemies.

Big Evil Comes in Little Packages (3D Version)

Batman, master detective and expert martial artist, is forced to make unexpected allies in his new home away from the bat cave. While Batman: Arkham City seems to give Batman a new challenge in what seems to be every minute of the game, the mission remains the same: protect life without taking it. This becomes a real challenge when you're criminal opponents are armed with sub-machine guns or take hostages. Batman retains all the gadgets and techniques available to him in Batman: Arkham Asylum, and improves on them with refined attacks and technology.

Dr. Victor Fries: Friend of Foe?

Multitasking skills are a prerequisite for playing Batman: Arkham City, where constant side missions keep players busy juggling priorities. The same is true for mastering combat, which rewards players who score consecutive combo attacks with special finishing moves. Batman: Arkham City blurs the line between friend and foe because everyone offers something to aide in your journey, but it's vitally important to remember why they're all locked up here in the first place. Batman needs all the help he can get, because the whole gang is here fighting each other in a prison turf war. Joker steals the show, and The Crown Prince of Crime barely shares his central role in this story with: Bane, Clayface (Basil Karlo), Deadshot (Floyd Lawton), Hugo Strange, Mr. Freeze (Dr. Victor Fries), Penguin (Oswald Cobblepot), Poison Ivy (Dr. Pamela Isley), Ra's al Ghul, Riddler (Edward Nigma), Solomon Grundy (Cyrus Gold), Two-Face (Harvey Dent), and Victor Zsasz.

Ra's al Ghul: Leads the League of Assassins

Batman: Arkham City makes room for everyone, and throws as many heroes and villians as possible while others such as Scarecrow (Dr. Jonathan Crane) merely get mentioned. Harley Quinn (Dr. Harleen Quinzel) nags at the Jokers side, Mad Hatter (Jervis Tetch) fights to a storybook ending, and there are even brief visits by Azrael (Jean-Paul Valley Jr), Black Mask (Roman Sionis), Hush (Dr. Thomas Elliot), and Killer Croc (Waylon Jones). Batman's support network consists of faithful assistant Alfred Pennyworth, Barbara Gordon (former-Batgirl turned Oracle), and Commissioner James W. Gordon. Catwoman (Selina Kyle), Nightwing (Dick Grayson), Robin (Tim Drake), and Talia al Ghul lend a hand when possible, some more than others.

Considering the myriad of characters featured in the Batman saga, you would think that it would be impossible to come across the same face twice. The game tries to keep it fresh with every encounter, but the large number of gang members and general prison scum appear to share costumes that make many fight scenes seem redundant. This is because prisoners have aligned with super-villains, creating their own competing factions. Expect to fight multiple enemies at once, sometimes as many as two-dozen at once. Learn how to win these fights in the next section of this article...

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