Batman: Arkham City

Players: 1 Offline Player
Publisher: Warner Brothers Interactive
Genres: Action, Adventure
Release Date: October 18, 2011
Developer: Rocksteady Studios
MSRP: $59.99
Platforms:
Batman: Arkham City builds upon the intense, atmospheric foundation of Batman: Arkham Asylum, sending players soaring into Arkham City, the new maximum security “home” for all of Gotham City’s thugs, gangsters and insane criminal masterminds.

move over chris O’Donnell, this is the tim drake robin.

Players have been wondering for quite some time if Robin will make an appearance in Arkham City, and in what form. Posters for the Flying Graysons can be spotted in various trailers, so it was widely assumed Dick Grayson would be taking on the role of Robin, if he was going to be in the game at all. Well, the speculation has ended as Best Buy recently announced Robin, in addition to two challenge maps, as a pre-order bonus for Arkham City.

Photos and new details surrounding the character have also surfaced. This will be the Tim Drake Robin, as opposed to Dick Grayson like many thought it might be. He’ll only be playable in challenge maps, but he will include his own unique fighting style and gadgets. For those unfamiliar with the Robin mythos, Time Drake donned the “R” after Dick Grayson and Jason Todd. The “Tim Drake Robin Pack” will be a pre-order bonus for PC, PS3, and Xbox 360 exclusively at Best Buy.

Here is the latest photo for the game, along side a photo of him in full color from the comics.

this could be the first time I pre-order anything at best buy.

What do you make of Robin’s inclusion in the game? Are you planning on pre-ordering this at Best Buy now? Do you think Night Wing should have been in the game instead? Leave a comment below and tell us what you think!

Source: Game Informer

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Batman: Arkham City Video Review - ZGR

ZGR Daniel gives you the scoop on Batman: Arkham City! ZGR - Video Review

Batman: Arkham City Angry Review

Batman encounters a mysterious new villain as Angry Joe reviews Arkham City. Can Rocksteady and the Dark Knight live up to all the hype in this highly anticipated sequel? And just who is this new villain's true identity? Find out!

Batman: Arkham City Review

With expectations now sky high, Arkham City doesn't have the luxury of flying under the radar. This only makes what Rocksteady has created that much more impressive.

Batman Arkham City: Harley's Revenge Review

With the fate of Harley Quinn left up in the air at the end of Arkham City, this DLC has got fans excited to find out more. If you haven't found the Easter Egg in the Joker's office and don't wish for spoilers from the original campaign, do not read this review and get away from the internet!
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Taylor Hoyt

Taylor’s love of the PSP flourished during his 1 year stay in South Korea. Whether it be on the subway, bus, or long walks on the beach, the PSP’s allure grew in Taylor’s heart. When he’s not playing games, he enjoys playing the guitar, making videos, and trying to learn the words to various KPOP songs. Favorite game of this generation: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. Favorite game of all time: Persona 4.

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  1. June 25, 2011 at 04:56am
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    Hell ya! Tim Drake doesn’t get the credit he deserves. He may never make it to the big screen unless they make that Teen Titans movie.

    So at least he’s getting a little bit of spotlight, and nobody can deny that Robin looks surprisingly cool in this picture.

    Tim’s latest superhero persona “Red Robin” will also be available as an alternate outfit. If you aren’t familiar with it, refer to my Avatar!

  2. June 23, 2011 at 08:13pm
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    Could be just me but the shaved head makes him look a lot like Cole from inFamous.

  3. June 21, 2011 at 06:04pm
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    If it’s just challenge maps he’s playable in I’m not too fussed. As I never did the challenge stuff in the first game, therfore did not play as Joker.
    And a thought just came into my head. If this is the Tim Drake Robin. Could it be a possibility that the Dick Grayson Nightwing be running around?

    • June 21, 2011 at 08:13pm
      In response to whatnopie
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      Nightwing is probably going to be a preorder for a more game oriented chain like Gamestop, or maybe Huntress. I’d honestly think them more popular than Tim Drake.

  4. June 21, 2011 at 05:03pm
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    Only playable in challenge maps? Pity. I’m mostly interested in the main story mode, so I’m not sure if I’ll bother pre-ordering for this then.

    On the other hand, unique fighting style and gadgets does sound appealing to some extent at least, and it’s not like pre-ordering costs me anything I wasn’t going to spend anyway, so maybe.

  5. June 21, 2011 at 04:22pm
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    You know, I was half expecting the first pre-order release to be Dick Grayson as Nightwing. Ah well, Drake did well as the Boy Wonder, a lot better than Damian Wayne. *glare*

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Better With Wii U? - Batman: Arkham City Armored Edition

Posted by [ 5 months, 4 weeks ]

This isn’t the game Nintendo deserves, but it’s the one it needs.

Batman Arkham City: Harley's Revenge Review

Posted by [ 11 months, 2 weeks ]

With the fate of Harley Quinn left up in the air at the end of Arkham City, this DLC has got fans excited to find out more. If you haven’t found the Easter Egg in the Joker’s office and don’t wish for spoilers from the original campaign, do not read this review and get away from the internet!

New Trailer for Harley Quinn's Revenge DLC Highlights the Dynamic Duo

Posted by [ 1 year ]

The final piece of DLC for Batman: Arkham City is only a few weeks away from release and now a new trailer has been released for players to enjoy.

Harley Quinn's Revenge Announced as New Story Driven Batman: Arkham City DLC

Posted by [ 1 year ]

One final mission awaits the Dynamic Duo in Arkham City and BT has all the details you need to know.

Arkham City DX11 Patched, Kind Of

Posted by [ 1 year, 5 months ]

In the dark night, the dark knight got light effects to run tight in spite of slight setbacks to OSes of lower bytes. Will this affect you? It might. How trite.

Batman: Arkham City DX11 Issues Being Addressed

Posted by [ 1 year, 5 months ]

Excited PC players cranked their DX11 settings up this week to look at Arkham City in all its dark knight glory, only to discover the in-game camera to suffer from a condition that induced small seizures every few seconds. Rocksteady has acknowledged the problem, and is on the case! *theme song*

Arkham City: Robin DLC Details And Video

Posted by [ 1 year, 5 months ]

The Robin DLC is finally out for those who didn’t pre-order the game through Best Buy or didn’t buy a code from someone who hocked it on Ebay.

Arkham City PC Delayed

Posted by [ 1 year, 6 months ]

In surely the best year for games we’ve seen in a long time, the increasingly common trend of PC version delays rears its unpleasantly ubiquitous head. Arkham City now also delayed, but not for much longer.

Arkham City Conclusion is AWESOME!

Posted by [ 1 year, 6 months ]

I can’t believe that Robin was actually Harley Quinn the WHOLE TIME! All this and the ACTUAL plot twists in our Arkham City Long Haul conclusion!

Arkham City: Nightwing DLC Details and Gameplay

Posted by [ 1 year, 6 months ]

Once he was an acrobat, then a sidekick, and then he became his own man. Now, you can play as him in Batman: Arkham City.

New Trailer for Harley Quinn's Revenge DLC Highlights the Dynamic Duo

Posted By about 1 year ago

The final piece of DLC for Batman: Arkham City is only a few weeks away from release and now a new trailer has been released for players to enjoy.

Harley Quinn's Revenge Announced as New Story Driven Batman: Arkham City DLC

Posted By about 1 year ago

One final mission awaits the Dynamic Duo in Arkham City and BT has all the details you need to know.

Arkham City DX11 Patched, Kind Of

Posted By about 1 year, 5 months ago

In the dark night, the dark knight got light effects to run tight in spite of slight setbacks to OSes of lower bytes. Will this affect you? It might. How trite.

Batman: Arkham City DX11 Issues Being Addressed

Posted By about 1 year, 5 months ago

Excited PC players cranked their DX11 settings up this week to look at Arkham City in all its dark knight glory, only to discover the in-game camera to suffer from a condition that induced small seizures every few seconds. Rocksteady has acknowledged the problem, and is on the case! *theme song*

Arkham City: Robin DLC Details And Video

Posted By about 1 year, 5 months ago

The Robin DLC is finally out for those who didn’t pre-order the game through Best Buy or didn’t buy a code from someone who hocked it on Ebay.

Arkham City PC Delayed

Posted By about 1 year, 6 months ago

In surely the best year for games we’ve seen in a long time, the increasingly common trend of PC version delays rears its unpleasantly ubiquitous head. Arkham City now also delayed, but not for much longer.

Arkham City Conclusion is AWESOME!

Posted By about 1 year, 6 months ago

I can’t believe that Robin was actually Harley Quinn the WHOLE TIME! All this and the ACTUAL plot twists in our Arkham City Long Haul conclusion!

Arkham City: Nightwing DLC Details and Gameplay

Posted By about 1 year, 6 months ago

Once he was an acrobat, then a sidekick, and then he became his own man. Now, you can play as him in Batman: Arkham City.

Batman: Arkham City Angry Review

Posted By about 1 year, 6 months ago

Batman encounters a mysterious new villain as Angry Joe reviews Arkham City. Can Rocksteady and the Dark Knight live up to all the hype in this highly anticipated sequel? And just who is this new villain’s true identity? Find out!

Batman: Arkham City Review

Posted By about 1 year, 6 months ago

With expectations now sky high, Arkham City doesn’t have the luxury of flying under the radar. This only makes what Rocksteady has created that much more impressive.

Better With Wii U? – Batman: Arkham City Armored Edition

Better With Wii U? – Batman: Arkham City Armored Edition

Better with Wii U?

The Wii U is launching with roughly half a billion games. You don’t have the time to read that many full reviews (and we can’t write that many), so instead we’ll be bringing you a series of mini-reviews entitled “Better With Wii U?” We’ll still be publishing full write-ups for brand new titles, but these pieces will let you know the Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How of every port/re-release for Nintendo’s newest console.

HOW WAS THE ORIGINAL?

“I can confidently say that if you can only afford a few games this season, Batman: Arkham City absolutely has to be one of them. The fantastic story, robust amount of content, and fun factor all mesh together to make, without question, one of the finest games of the year.”- Taylor H.

We loved Arkham City here at Blistered Thumbs. Our official write-up and all three video reviews were highly positive, and the game made the “Best of 2011″ list for many a site writer. The only complaints any of our producers had with the experience were some niggling control issues and some texture pop-in. Even in a year that saw the release of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Portal 2, Batman held his own.

We scored the game 9 out of 10 with a “Buy it Now!” recommendation. Read the full review right here.

WHAT’S NEW WITH WII U?

The titular armor refers to the new suit worn by Bruce Wayne as he stalks about the open world assaulting thugs and villains alike. As you could probably guess from the header image, the suit’s main feature is adding electricity to punch attacks. This manifests within the game as a meter that charges up while you fight. Once you’ve filled the meter, tapping the associated icon on the GamePad allows you to begin your electro beatdown.

In addition, every gadget and mini-game has been altered in order to utilize the Wii U’s fancy new controller. This means that you’ll be tapping the screen to navigate menus, maneuvering the GamePad to scan for clues, and tilting it in order to aim Batarangs. The controller screen can also be used as your map while you play the game on the television, or you can just play the whole game on the GamePad while someone else watches regular programming on the big screen.

Armored Edition also includes all previously released downloadable game content for Arkham City, including the somewhat controversial Catwoman Pack.

WHERE DOES THAT LEAVE US?

GamePad integration is a mixed bag. The overall effect on the game is minor, as the Battle Armored Tech gimmick is all but standard in third-person action titles. I don’t see DmC: Devil May Cry getting a Wii U port entitled Devil Trigger Edition. However, the addition doesn’t interfere with the quality of the original release.

The same cannot be said for some of the other new features. On one hand, using the GamePad to plant explosive gel is fine, but when it asks you to swipe, poke, and tilt every few minutes the experience stops being novel and starts becoming annoying. It is natural for launch titles to feel like tech demos, but when such features are shoe-horned into a game that was awesome to begin with, it becomes all the more egregious. With that said, you can disable some of the motion controls from the options menu if you are so inclined, although much of the functionality is irrevocably intertwined with the game in this version.

On the bright side, there are inspired instances in which new features pull their own weight. For example, the ability to search environments while in Detective Mode with the GamePad is probably the most smoothly integrated augment reality yet seen in a mainstream title. It probably helps that the conceit of the controller as part of Batman’s suit interface is relatively believable. Also, Alfred’s voice comes from the controller! That’s pretty awesome.

WHO SHOULD BUY IT? WHY?

If you’ve already beaten Batman: Arkham City then you can safely skip Armored Edition. Some of the GamePad features are cool the first time, but the experience is not improved enough to justify the purchase. In addition, the PC version appears to be superior in just about every technical metric, including textures, load times, and frame rate. Also, the B.A.T. for which the game is named is laughably irrelevant.

However, if you’re a Nintendo fan who missed Rocksteady’s magnum opus the first time, then you should definitely buy a copy. The included DLC is more than enough to make up for the occasional gimmicky misstep, and the rest of the experience holds up remarkably well. Even if this isn’t the definitive version of the game, it is still a port of arguably the best superhero video game of all time.

A copy of the game was provided by the publisher for review purposes and played for about 8 hours. The title was previously completed by the reviewer on the PC.

Batman: Arkham City Video Review - ZGR

ZGR Daniel gives you the scoop on Batman: Arkham City! ZGR - Video Review

Batman: Arkham City Angry Review

Batman encounters a mysterious new villain as Angry Joe reviews Arkham City. Can Rocksteady and the Dark Knight live up to all the hype in this highly anticipated sequel? And just who is this new villain's true identity? Find out!

Batman: Arkham City Review

With expectations now sky high, Arkham City doesn't have the luxury of flying under the radar. This only makes what Rocksteady has created that much more impressive.

Batman Arkham City: Harley's Revenge Review

With the fate of Harley Quinn left up in the air at the end of Arkham City, this DLC has got fans excited to find out more. If you haven't found the Easter Egg in the Joker's office and don't wish for spoilers from the original campaign, do not read this review and get away from the internet!
  1. November 20, 2012 at 06:20pm
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    I told you, Skitch!

    While a lot of developers had learned long ago that the touch screen is used best when used minimally, those were all portable developers. Most American companies don’t work on portables at all, except for phones (and most of them still try to make the touchscreen be used like a regular controller, much to everyone’s chagrin). They were bound to do this stupid crap since they never dealt with it in the first place.

  2. November 19, 2012 at 08:54pm
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    VN:F [1.9.21_1169]
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    I sorta expected that this game would be the example to point to for how to use the Pad well and horribly wrong at the same time. I just hope that the gimmick of making you swipe and slap at the controller screen for tedious stuff is used infrequently in future games.

    Also guiding that Baterang gave me horrible flashbacks of Heavenly Sword’s sniper sections. Admittedly, I’m sure Rocksteady is a far, far more competent developer than Ninja Theory. Hell 5 chimps taped to an Apple II would be a better developer than Ninja Theory.

Leave a Comment

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Arkham City Conclusion is AWESOME!

Posted in Video Games Awesome! [ 1 year, 6 months ]

I can’t believe that Robin was actually Harley Quinn the WHOLE TIME! All this and the ACTUAL plot twists in our Arkham City Long Haul conclusion!

Batman: Arkham City Angry Review

Posted in Angry Joe Show [ 1 year, 6 months ]

Batman encounters a mysterious new villain as Angry Joe reviews Arkham City. Can Rocksteady and the Dark Knight live up to all the hype in this highly anticipated sequel? And just who is this new villain’s true identity? Find out!

Batman: Arkham City Video Review - ZGR

Posted in Zeitgeist Review [ 1 year, 6 months ]

ZGR Daniel gives you the scoop on Batman: Arkham City! ZGR – Video Review

Sage Reviews - Batman: Arkham City

Posted in Bennett The Sage [ 1 year, 6 months ]

Wow…just wow.

Batman: Arkham City Long Haul!

Posted in Video Games Awesome! [ 1 year, 6 months ]

What is longer than this cosplay-through? The ICE AGE! Why not CHILL with these COOL bats with some Arkham City… FREEZE PUN!

Batman: Arkham City is AWESOME!

Posted in Video Games Awesome! [ 1 year, 7 months ]

A 12:00 AM first look at Arkham City makes for one DARK mid-KNIGHT!

Better With Wii U? - Batman: Arkham City Armored Edition

Posted by [ 5 months, 4 weeks ]

This isn’t the game Nintendo deserves, but it’s the one it needs.

Check Out Arkham City's Boy Wonder

Posted by [ 1 year, 11 months ]

Dick Grayson’s out and Tim Drake’s in. Looks like Robin won’t be laying any eggs today.