Batman Arkham City Review

[Nautical Honors Society]

Fantastic game. Just compelling and fun.

Solid review, but...you gave Dragon Age 2 and Pokemon B/W a 5/5 and Batman Arkham City a 4.5/5? [I may be just nitpicking, but c'mon.

I imagine the staff burning an effigy and smashing things in their office's Frustration Alleviation Room when they read this kind of thing. Get over it. Some people loved that game, even professionals. And that game was reviewed by a different guy anyway.

Now, in order to stop another one of those arguments, I will bow out and only respond to comments related to Batman: Arkham City.

So you attempt to incite me, then pretend to be the "bigger man" by backing out? Well, sorry my brain won't let me pass on explaining my comment.

Well when a website assigns numerical scores to certain games it can be viewed that it is the establishment and not the individual that is giving the review (especially when the standards of the scores are clearly explained in a universal basis), so you can understand my confusion when comparing one game's score to another.

Not anger mind you, confusion.

There is no need for you to respond. I believe my point is pretty valid in this case. But feel free to view your silence as a sign of your maturity.


OT: I stand by the fact that this is a solid review of the best superhero game ever made.

 

[RA92]

Fantastic game. Just compelling and fun.

Solid review, but...you gave Dragon Age 2 and Pokemon B/W a 5/5 and Batman Arkham City a 4.5/5? I may be just nitpicking, but c'mon.

Steve Butts reviewed neither of those. Greg Tito gave DA2 a 5/5, and Pokemon B/W was reviewed by John Funk. In fact, these days Steve's reviews are the only ones I find myself agreeing to (*looks at Justin's rather kind review of Assault Horizon*).

 

[Thyunda]

I want to know why Robin doesn't have his own parts of the story. His character and combat animations are so fleshed out - he actually never felt like Batman with a rounder hood. I would have loved to play through some Robin sections of Arkham City. Would have been great...there's only so much thug-beating I can give before I need a little context.

 

[Casual Shinji]

The game is a bit ill-structured compared to Arkham Asylum, but the way the villains are intertwined in the plot is again a testament to Paul Dini's writing.

 

[SensibleCrout]

How difficult is it? Or is it in line with all of these casual gamer easy mode console games where a bit of button mashing is all it takes and the "gamer" is basically a viewer (*cough*heavyrain)?

 

[vivster]

if they would only make a great game of an actual superhero ;(

 

[AJey]

how exactly is having many moves and many gadgets a bad thing?

 

[SonOfVoorhees]

I played and completed this and the catwoman stuff isnt important to the story at all. I got it for free when i bought they game and would have hated if i had bought it with MS points. What a waste.

I loved the game, although not much to do giving the size of the world. Alot of the side missions where travel from A to b, then, b to C etc until completed. It was great to interact with the other Batman villians, but wish they had done something more with them. Also the fighting, yes i know their are critical hits, but when you dont always pull them off its seems stupid that the enemies can take so many hits from Batman. Even the skinny enemies. Also the gadgets should be better, most only incapacitate the enemies for a second or two which is unhelpful when you sometimes face 10 or more enemies at once. Why is their no net gun or a wire that ties up the enemy that you can use one and then recharges? It seems for someone intent on fighting crime he lacks weapons that tie up enemies. Even the batarangs dont knock out enemies permanently. Maybe they could have "fist upgrades" in the next one? Strange? Boring. There are far more interesting baddies than him, they should have had all the enemies work together in this one to take you down. That would have been great.

The ending......i hope its not true. (Those who completed the game know what im talking about.)

Apart from all my bitching, these are just minor gripes, this game is awesome.

 

[Steve Butts]

Steve Butts?
I am disappoint.

Failing to mention important information such as the gross overuse of the word '*****' to refer to females is a discredit to yourself as an editor/professional and to your audience. [http://kotaku.com/5851358/batman-arkham-citys-weird-*****-fixation]

Kotaku got it right, so why the hell didn't you include this, at all? Perhaps a monetary payout or other consideration from the publisher for 'forgetting' to mention this aspect? Hmm?
What other biases or manipulation should we be made aware of? Full disclosure would be too much for any of you to handle, lol. Your lawyers would have a heart attack at the lawsuits that could be filed if it was done that way.

Please include this information, or refrain from turning the Escapist into the next IGN.

K-thx-bye.

Puh-lease. Your conspiracy is as laughable as your attempt to pass off suspicion as proof. If you have firmer ground to stand on, you should find it before you offer any more accusations.

I didn't mention the overuse of the word "*****" not because Warner paid me off in Bat-dollars, but because I think it's an inflated controversy aimed at the wrong target. If the various flame-fanners cared about confronting misogyny in the game, why are they so fixated on that one word and largely ignoring the more troubling suggestions of rape? I can understand how some gamers, and I count myself among them, are sometimes unsettled and even offended by the tone of the game, but I think that's what the writer wanted.

Obviously, other reviewers have a different opinion on this and I support them standing up for what they believe in. I'll even allow that there may be a fight worth fighting here, but it's not one I'm running from as a result of publisher pressure. Neither does my silence mean I don't hold an opinion. Writing reviews requires selection and if I wrote about every single thing I loved or hated about this game, we'd be here all day.

Yes, the use of the word "*****" makes me uncomfortable, but the greater failure is in creativity, not sensitivity. I object to the word, not simply because of the unsettling implication that murderers and psychopaths might actually be socially irresponsible, but because it's the only way the writer seems able to suggest that these are "bad" guys.

I happily anticipate your thoughtful rebuttal.

 

[bojac6]

Steve Butts?
I am disappoint.

Failing to mention important information such as the gross overuse of the word '*****' to refer to females is a discredit to yourself as an editor/professional and to your audience. [http://kotaku.com/5851358/batman-arkham-citys-weird-*****-fixation]

Kotaku got it right, so why the hell didn't you include this, at all? Perhaps a monetary payout or other consideration from the publisher for 'forgetting' to mention this aspect? Hmm?
What other biases or manipulation should we be made aware of? Full disclosure would be too much for any of you to handle, lol. Your lawyers would have a heart attack at the lawsuits that could be filed if it was done that way.

Please include this information, or refrain from turning the Escapist into the next IGN.

K-thx-bye.

Or maybe he recognizes that there is a difference between a work being sexist and a work portraying characters who are sexist. Have you ever worked in an all-male correctional facility? I had to for some for my degree work. Believe me, Arkham City toned it way down, and I'm a man. I can't imagine what some of my female classmates went through.

 

[MiracleOfSound]

Kotaku got it right, so why the hell didn't you include this, at all? Perhaps a monetary payout or other consideration from the publisher for 'forgetting' to mention this aspect? Hmm?
What other biases or manipulation should we be made aware of? Full disclosure would be too much for any of you to handle, lol. Your lawyers would have a heart attack at the lawsuits that could be filed if it was done that way.

Please include this information, or refrain from turning the Escapist into the next IGN.

K-thx-bye.

That is possibly the stupidest comment I have ever read on this site, congratulations on pipping some real gems to the crown.

Accusing someone of payola because they reviewed a game on its own merits rather than mentioning a petty media backlash about portraying the prison inmate lexicon as it very often is IRL - where do you people get these demented conspiracy theories from, that's what I want to know?

 

[SonOfVoorhees]

Steve Butts?
I am disappoint.

Failing to mention important information such as the gross overuse of the word '*****' to refer to females is a discredit to yourself as an editor/professional and to your audience. [http://kotaku.com/5851358/batman-arkham-citys-weird-*****-fixation]

Kotaku got it right, so why the hell didn't you include this, at all? Perhaps a monetary payout or other consideration from the publisher for 'forgetting' to mention this aspect? Hmm?
What other biases or manipulation should we be made aware of? Full disclosure would be too much for any of you to handle, lol. Your lawyers would have a heart attack at the lawsuits that could be filed if it was done that way.

Please include this information, or refrain from turning the Escapist into the next IGN.

K-thx-bye.

Its just a word, and in context of the game its fine. What else do you expect pissed off criminals to call her? Did it need to be in the game, no. End of the day Catwoman is hardly an innocent and weak woman, she is fully capable and does indeed kick the crap out of everyone. What if they kept calling Batman "*****" would that piss you off just as much? Apart from the irony that "*****" is a female dog and thus calling it to Catwoman is pretty dumb, and maybe that she should have commented on that in the game. But i played the game and i didnt even notice it much, just the same repeated statement by random enemies you encounter. I think your making a far bigger deal out of it than it warrants. Could have been worse, of all the words to call a woman, ***** seems the weakest....they could of called her a whore or **** - which would be far more offensive to me.

 

[SonOfVoorhees]

How difficult is it? Or is it in line with all of these casual gamer easy mode console games where a bit of button mashing is all it takes and the "gamer" is basically a viewer (*cough*heavyrain)?

Its fairly easy, although best play it on normal to get game+ mode. But im not good at the button timing for the critical hits. Mostly you can just press Y (or ps3 equivalent) to counter and tap the hit button a few times to knock them down. Other enemies need specific moves. Like the people with shields need to be attacked from above, armored people need a beat down and people with knives are annoying but can be defeated easily. Especially with gadgets making things easier. All these are easy to do and only involve a few button presses. Then you have the takedowns, which is one button press when you are near them undetected.

 

[Wilbot666]

I'm almost certain this has been covered by this point.
(Lazy and didn't read!)

If you download the Catwoman pack after starting the main campaign (Not long before Victor Fries for me, some Aussie broke release date here a couple of days early and I'm not complaining, that means we ALL got our copies early.)
Well, this means her missions still insert themselves into the main storyline and you get the chance to "replay" her earlier missions that are supposedly cannon (as per the "Arkham" Universe).

I like Selina, but she's still piss-weak next to Bats. Filthy Cat!

 

[duchaked]

heh, I still need to finish the first game :0

but definitely looking forward to playing Arkham City

 

[rsvp42]

The triumph of this game is how tightly designed everything is: the atmosphere, the combat, the stealth... They left nothing up to chance. Those interrogations trigger differently based on if the enemy is near a ledge or on the ground, combat moves are very contextual with a wide variety of different animations based on enemy number and positions and as small as the neighborhood may be in the grand scheme of things, everything's so fleshed out that it feels much larger.

This review focused on the facts of the game, but seems to miss how great it really is. Game design is an art and this is some kind of masterpiece. Somehow this game made me a fanboy. I wasn't even planning on buying it until I spotted a deal and went for it. Best gaming decision this year.

 

[rsvp42]

Yes, the use of the word "*****" makes me uncomfortable, but the greater failure is in creativity, not sensitivity. I object to the word, not simply because of the unsettling implication that murderers and psychopaths might actually be socially irresponsible, but because it's the only way the writer seems able to suggest that these are "bad" guys.

I happily anticipate your thoughtful rebuttal.

Well they are thugs. I don't think a deeper exploration of henchman motivations would have been a worthwhile tangent to take. Still, people actually make an issue out of this? It's a gritty hero fighting in a gritty slum. That'd be like playing L.A. Noire and being offended by 1950s sexism or racism.

 

[rsvp42]

Failing to mention important information such as the gross overuse of the word '*****' to refer to females is a discredit to yourself as an editor/professional and to your audience.

Author said it already: mountains out of molehills.

 

[braincore02]

Steve Butts?
I am disappoint.

Failing to mention important information such as the gross overuse of the word '*****' to refer to females is a discredit to yourself as an editor/professional and to your audience. [http://kotaku.com/5851358/batman-arkham-citys-weird-*****-fixation]

Kotaku got it right, so why the hell didn't you include this, at all? Perhaps a monetary payout or other consideration from the publisher for 'forgetting' to mention this aspect? Hmm?
What other biases or manipulation should we be made aware of? Full disclosure would be too much for any of you to handle, lol. Your lawyers would have a heart attack at the lawsuits that could be filed if it was done that way.

Please include this information, or refrain from turning the Escapist into the next IGN.

K-thx-bye.

How can you be offended by this word when everyone who says it is usually pummeled to near death by Catwoman shortly thereafter?

 

[anthony87]

Steve Butts?
I am disappoint.

Failing to mention important information such as the gross overuse of the word '*****' to refer to females is a discredit to yourself as an editor/professional and to your audience. [http://kotaku.com/5851358/batman-arkham-citys-weird-*****-fixation]

Kotaku got it right, so why the hell didn't you include this, at all? Perhaps a monetary payout or other consideration from the publisher for 'forgetting' to mention this aspect? Hmm?
What other biases or manipulation should we be made aware of? Full disclosure would be too much for any of you to handle, lol. Your lawyers would have a heart attack at the lawsuits that could be filed if it was done that way.

Please include this information, or refrain from turning the Escapist into the next IGN.

K-thx-bye.

Its just a word, and in context of the game its fine. What else do you expect pissed off criminals to call her? Did it need to be in the game, no. End of the day Catwoman is hardly an innocent and weak woman, she is fully capable and does indeed kick the crap out of everyone. What if they kept calling Batman "*****" would that piss you off just as much? Apart from the irony that "*****" is a female dog and thus calling it to Catwoman is pretty dumb, and maybe that she should have commented on that in the game. But i played the game and i didnt even notice it much, just the same repeated statement by random enemies you encounter. I think your making a far bigger deal out of it than it warrants. Could have been worse, of all the words to call a woman, ***** seems the weakest....they could of called her a whore or **** - which would be far more offensive to me.

I've seen this whole "offensive language" thing brought up on a few sites and it's really pissing me off to no end.

These are murderers, rapists, cannibals and so on so why is it such a surprise that when they see a woman in a skin-tight catsuit they fantasise what they'd do to her? Is it really so wrong for them to refer to said woman as a "*****" when she starts beating the shit out of them? These guys are hardly gonna stick to polite and proper etiquette.

I've seen a number of sites refer to this as "lazy writing". Those people can piss off. When it boils down to it, it's some pretty damn realisitic writing right there.

(I'm aware that this should probably be directed at the dude you quoted, but he seems kinda stupid so I figured I@d direct it towards yourself as you seem not stupid....ugh, the mods probably won't like the "stupid" remark)