Batman: Arkham City

Batman: Arkham City is the sequel to Batman: Arkham Asylum. It was released October 18, 2011 in the USA and is set to be released worldwide on October 21, 2011.

Plot
A year after the chaotic events of Batman: Arkham Asylum, both the Elizabeth Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane and Blackgate Prison remain gutted, the former in a massive breakout launched by the inmates and the latter due to a mysterious fire. The administrator of Arkham, mayoral candidate Quincy Sharp, soon takes advantage of the Batman's defeat of the Joker at Arkham and claims the credit himself for bringing the asylum back under control. This is partially to salvage his image, in tatters after the single worst asylum riot took place at a crucial time when Sharp was trying to convince the people of Gotham City to vote for him.

This is successful, and Sharp is elected mayor of Gotham. His first act is to announce ruined Arkham Asylum and Blackgate Prison both unfit to house criminals. He then undertakes a bold new project: To move all the former inmates of incarceration at both places into a walled-off urban district, Arkham City. This will be a city only for villains, and is made up of Gotham City's most notorious slums, including Crime Alley. To guard the perimeter of Arkham City the mayor does away with Arkham Asylum's old security force and replaces them with professional mercenaries from a private military organization, TYGER. Once all the criminals are trapped inside the prison city, they are told they may do as they please, but there is only one rule: Do not escape. This is supported by the TYGER mercenary forces, who enforce this policy through the liberal use of their firearms on any escaping denizens of Arkham City. Since the entire population of Arkham is made up of criminals running wild on the streets, Sharp secretly hopes they will destroy each other inside walled confinement instead of committing crimes in Gotham.

With the criminals free to do whatever they want short of escaping, bloody turf wars erupt as various supervillains carve up Arkham City among themselves. A mysterious figure named Dr. Hugo Strange, an Arkham psychiatrist, is placed at the helm of the project by Sharp, but little is known about his objectives or his shadowy past, and rumors soon run rampant that he is up to horrible things behind Arkham City's walls. Those who try and find out too much about Arkham or Strange one by one mysteriously vanish by night, and it is implied most end up inside the city themselves, to be torn apart by the inmates. Batman, wary of Sharp and even more so of Strange, monitors Arkham City for several months, believing that the entire thing has been a ticking time bomb waiting to explode.

His pretext to infiltrate the place himself comes when Catwoman, who has no gang and is working as a freelancer in Arkham City, is captured by Two-Face and his henchmen. Two-Face, a new inmate, is short on men and weapons and cannot afford the costly gang battles he is already embroiled in. In order to help achieve dominance and eliminate a potential rival, the villain announces he will publicly execute Catwoman. By doing so he also hopes that this will win him some support among the criminal populance. Given their past, Batman has no choice but to enter Arkham to save her and uncover what's really going on. With a brand-new bag of tricks, the Dark Knight might just survive the night locked up in an anarchic zone with all of the city's worst freaks and madmen.

Heroes/Allies

 * Bruce Wayne/Batman
 * Skins- All skins available as pre-order bonuses from certain retailers or as DLC unless otherwise noted
 * Batman Beyond Skin
 * 1970s Batman Costume
 * Batman: Year One Skin
 * The Dark Knight Returns Skin
 * Batman: Earth-1 Skin
 * Batman: The Animated Series Skin
 * Sinestro Corps Batman Skin (PS3 Exclusive- Can only be obtained by purchasing the Green Lantern Blu-Ray)
 * Catwoman - Catwoman is controlled differently than Batman. She has her own story, (Roughly 10% of the game) and her own combat moves (uses her whip, bolo, and unrevealed third item). Instead of gliding, she uses her whip + jumping and climbing through the environment. She has her own version of detective mode, which is known as thief mode. Theif mode highlights objects of value. Along with her whip and the bola, Catwoman uses a Caltrop in combat. She can also crawl along ceilings, climb building, etc with her claws. While some of her missions are optional, she will have to be used on occasion seeing how her story is intertwined with Batman's. She has to be downloaded to become playable.
 * Skins (Skins only available as DLC)
 * Batman: The Animated Series Skin
 * Year One Skin
 * Tim Drake/Robin- Playable only as a pre-order bonus from Best Buy or as DLC. Robin will not impact the story, but he will be avalaible on all of the challenge maps, and he has his own exclusive challenge map featuring Black Mask. Not much is known about his gameplay details, but it is known that he has his own unique moveset, and that he will fight with a bo-staff and sheild. He has his own navigational system, his own combat combos and he's got an explosives augmentation.
 * Skins (Skins only available as DLC)
 * Batman the Animated Series- Dick Grayson Skin
 * Red Robin Skin
 * Dick Grayson/Nightwing - Like Robin, Dick Grayson as Nightwing is a playable character for certain challenge maps. He will be available as downloadable content
 * Alfred Pennyworth (Communicates with Batman through comm-link)
 * Commissioner Gordon
 * Gotham City Police Department
 * Jack Ryder
 * Oracle
 * Vicki Vale
 * Aaron Cash
 * William North
 * Azrael

Villains/Adversaries

 * The Joker
 * Harley Quinn
 * Dr. Hugo Strange
 * Two-Face
 * The Penguin
 * Poison Ivy
 * The Riddler
 * Solomon Grundy
 * Mr. Zsasz
 * Mr. Freeze
 * Bane
 * Talia al Ghul
 * League of Assassins
 * Ra's al Ghul
 * Calendar Man
 * Killer Croc
 * Clayface
 * Deadshot
 * Mad Hatter
 * Hush
 * Black Mask (Only confirmed to appear in Robin's Black Mask Challenge Map)
 * Scarecrow (Mask and glove only)
 * Scarface
 * High Security Henchmen
 * Abramovici Twins
 * Mister Hammer
 * Captain Abramovici
 * Venom Henchman

Other

 * Nora Fries
 * Quincy Sharp
 * Dr. Stacy Baker
 * Fiona Wilson
 * Thomas Wayne
 * Martha Wayne

Locations

 * Wayne Manor (Suggested by the game itself, Alfred's appearance implies that)
 * No Man's Land (Seen in Catwoman trailer)
 * The Iceberg Lounge (Seen by the Penguin trailer)
 * Wonder City Funhouse (implied by the trailer)
 * Gotham Casino (seen in screenshots and in a trailer)
 * Monarch Theatre (seen in screenshot and in a trailer)
 * Crime Alley (seen in screenshots and in a trailer)
 * Ideal Hardware (implied by trailer, seen in screenshots, and there are numerous of them)
 * Gotham City Herald (seen in screenshots)
 * Solomon Wayne Courthouse (implied in GameInformer and seen in trailer)
 * Gotham City Studio 105.7 (seen in screenshots and in a trailer)
 * Ace Chemicals (seen in screenshots and seen in trailer)
 * Wayne Enterprises (seen in a screenshot and seen in trailer)
 * Sionis Industries (seen in screenshots and seen in trailer)
 * Joker's Funhouse (seen in screenshots, seen in a trailer, and Joker's Funland as a part of it)
 * Tricorner Naval
 * Ghost Train
 * House of Mirrors
 * Finnigan's Bar (seen in screenshots, seen in trailer, and there are numerous of them)
 * Glass, Furniture, & Drapes (seen in a screenshot)
 * Gotham Cathedral (seen on screenshots, and in a trailer, being converted into the Medical Center)
 * GBS building (seen in trailer)
 * W&B building (seen in trailer)
 * GCN building (seen in trailer)
 * Hotel Aventine (seen in trailer)
 * Nunez Motel (seen in comic cover: Hugo & Batman)
 * Gotham Cars (seen in concept art screenshot)
 * GCPD Building (Confirmed by OXM)
 * The Bowery (Confirmed by OXM)
 * Wonder Tower (Confirmed by OXM)
 * Wondercity
 * Amusement Mile (Confirmed by OXM)
 * Steel Mill (Confirmed by OXM)
 * TYGER Storage Facility (Confirmed by OXM and seen in trailer)
 * Gotham Cable News Building (Confirmed by OXM)
 * Gotham City Bank (Seen in Catwoman Trailer)
 * Gotham City Radio (Seen in Catwoman Trailer)
 * Gotham Hardware (Seen in Catwoman Trailer)
 * Flannegan's Pest Control (Seen in Catwoman Trailer)
 * Gotham City Olympus (Seen in Catwoman Trailer)
 * Gotham Docks (Seen at E3)
 * Baudelaire (Seen at E3)
 * Black Mask Hideout (Robin's Challenge map)
 * Freight Train Escape (Robin's Challenge map)
 * Haley's Circus (Implied by Flying Graysons "Cancelled" Posters and Robin's presence in the game)
 * Live Nudes (Seen in trailers)
 * Hat Show (Seen in Penguin trailer)
 * The Stacked Deck (Seen in trailers)
 * Gotham General Park (Seen in comics and trailers)
 * Gotham General Hospital (Seen in trailers)
 * Restaurant Cockney Z (Seen in trailers)
 * Ha Ha Club (Seen in trailers)
 * Gotham Central Entrance (Seen in trailers)
 * Gotham Monorail (Seen in trailers)
 * Forensics Department (Seen in Mr. Freeze trailer)
 * Falcone Warehousing and Storage (Seen in a screenshot)
 * Gotham City Center (Seen in trailers)
 * Krank Co. Toys
 * Black Canary
 * North Gotham Docks
 * Prawn Shack
 * Dini Towers

Movement
Arkham City is five times bigger then Arkham Asylum. Because of that, there is a less constrictive feel to the game, and a lot more movement options for Batman has been given.

Gliding has been given a major overhaul in Arkham City, in Asylum, the player was limited to a very simple glide mechanic that allowed the player to slow descent, allowing them to cover more ground whilst airborne, and perform turns in the air. In Arkham City, Batman swoops across the rooftops, and can execute two new moves that allow him to maintain his glide indefinitely.

The first move, the Dive Boost, is very similar to the Dive Bomb, where Batman will pull his cape in and hurtle towards the ground, opening his cape at the last second, and using the newfound boost to make him soar back upwards into the sky.

The second move is the Grapple Boost. Batman can fire the grappling gun from the first game in mid-glide, and use the line to pull himself through the city.

If Batman is feeling tired, or perhaps wants to travel around in a stealthier fashion, he can now use his Grappel Gun to zip up to a helicopter and hang off it, as well as a sneaky way to travel around Arkham City, Batman can also use this elevated position to plan out his next plan of attack, before dropping into the frey.

The Line Launcher from Arkham Asylum makes a return, but the gadget has been heavily upgraded since the last time we saw it, Batman is still able to use it to quickly get from one place to another, though in Arkham City it will open up a whole new range of movement and strategic possibilities. Rocksteady have confirmed that the player is able to fire and travel along the rope line, in the same manner as which they did in Asylum, however this time around the player can swivel the camera around Batman, and at any point during the Line Launcher transportation, execute a flip into the air, following up with a quick second shot from the Line Launcher. Batman can perform this move with 360 degrees of flexibility, and similar to the Grapple Boost, this tactic can be repeated to keep Batman off the ground indefinitely. When travelling down the line, the player can press a button that will slow down time, allowing for easier line launcher shots. Batman can also anchor his line between any two points, and then flip up on to it, balancing in place. Batman can move the distance of line, using his position to plan an attack. More aggressive players can then choose a target, and swing down using the line, slamming their chosen enemy into the ground.

Combat
Changes have been made to the combat system as well. Batman can now pull off double and even triple takedowns. He can also counter thrown objects by catching them and throwing back, and he can flip over an enemy and attack another in a fluid movement.

Batman also has a few new moves in the game.

Beatdown- performed by pressing X and B (360) or Square and Circle (PS3) that unleashes a flurry of punches and kicks on his opponent. A demonstrated use of this is to takedown armoured enemies.

Batman also has combat abilties added in addition to the new movement abilities.He can pull off a new move called Dive Bomb, Batman can drop from either a great height, or execute the manoeuvre mid glide, plummeting towards the ground to either reach his destination quicker, or make a dramatic entrance to a fight. Rocksteady have confirmed that thugs will jump back in fear, and are not forced back by a form of shockwave generated by Batman’s impact.

As well as the Glide kick, Batman can perform and a throat slam by firing his grapple gun at an enemy whilst gliding, which fire Batman into his opponent, slamming them into the ground.

Batman will use the environment against his enemies, thanks to context sensitive animations Batman will slam thugs heads against walls if he is close enough.

You can employ Explosive Gel into combat, executing a quick flip, Batman can spray either the ground or an enemy, and detonate the gel at his leisure for explosive effect.

Batman's attacks can knock thugs into each other, potentially taking multiple enemies out at the same time.

Silent Predator
The Silent Predator missions have returned. In Arkham Asylum Batman could perform many exotic environment based takedowns (Such as the Corner Takedown or Ledge Takedown) Arkham City is set to increase the variety of these takedowns. Similar to combat, we've excluded certain gadgets like the Ultra Sonic Emitter, which can summon bats to aid you, and will go into the stealthier aspects of the Dark Knight at a later date.

Batman can burst through thin walls to grab an enemy and choke him unconscious, in gameplay terms it's a combination of Asylum's explosive gel and a standard silent takedown.

Batman can now perform double silent takedowns, as well as hanging takedowns. Batman also has a new smokebomb gadget, small smoke grenade that distracts the enemy and obscures Batman from view just long enough for the Dark Knight to make his escape. To use the smoke bomb, the player must hit the Y or Triangle button when he is spotted by enemies.

Batman can also sabotage his enemies weapons, so that when enemies spot and attempt to fire at him, the guns will misfire.

Detective Vision
In Arkham City Detective Vision has been given an overhaul, in Arkham Asylum DV made the environment transparent and enemies illuminated. To combat a frequent problem of players simply leaving the mode on, and severally reducing the visual experience of the game, in Arkham City DV will highlight enemies and interactive objects in more detail and at greater range than before, though the environment will be very hard to distinguish, forcing players to use DV sparsely if they want to navigate effectively.

Detective vision will highlight all characters, weapons and interactive objects in the area.

Explosive Gel
Also returns from Arkham Asylum, the gel can be deployed in combat, either against the environment, or onto an attacker.

Batclaw
Can pull thugs towards Batman, who are then promptly finished off with a brutal takedown. Can also be used to grab items like Riddler Trophies.

Line Launcher
An improved version to it's predecessors' in Arkham Asylum, able to fire multiple lines, hold a static line across two points, and be utilised for a special drop-kick, for more details please refer to the in depth description in the Movement section.

Batarangs
Very little is known about Arkham City's standard Batarang, they will likely remain the same as Arkham Asylums.

Remote Control Batarang
Another returnee from Arkham Asylum, this new RC Batarang has new features that enable it to perform a 180 degree turn, boost through the air and brake. Previews have also stated the RC 'rang is capable of carrying an electrical charge, to solve a Riddler riddle.

Sonic Batarang
Another addition from Arkham Asylum, this the sonic batarang remains the same.

Freeze Technology
New to the game, these gadgets are based upon equipment designed by Victor Fries and are used like grenades. They can be used to freeze environmental hazards, create chunks of ice to cross water, and against enemies.

Cryptographic Sequencer
Batman's remote hacking device allows him to decode encrypted data sticks and listen in on radio broadcasts throughout Arkham City, such as GCPD comms, which may alert him to crimes. It is also used to hack into Riddler communications to locate Riddler hostages.

Smoke Bombs
A new addition to Batman's arsenal, allowing him to make a hasty escape if discovered. For more information, please read our Silent Predator section.

Electronic Pulse Generator
A combination tool and weapon used by Batman in Arkham City, the EPG fires electronic pulses at enemies to stun them or to power electronic generators.

Disruptor
A new defensive weapon, the Disruptor can be used to disable enemy weapons.

Ultra Sonic Emitter
A tool that allows players to attract a swarm of bats to a designated area; first reported in the 2009 issue of GameInformer. Rocksteady Community manager Sarah Wellock later issued this statement: "Games are in a constant state of flux and this demo was shown July last year to press. Naturally a lot has changed since then and I sadly can't comment on the status of that feature...." In the game this is a combo attack move, however, and not a gadget.

Voice Actors

 * Kevin Conroy - Batman and Hush
 * Mark Hamill - The Joker
 * James Horan - Jack Ryder
 * Troy Baker - Two-Face
 * Steven Blum - Killer Croc, Inmates
 * Corey Burton - Hugo Strange
 * Grey DeLisle - Catwoman
 * Tom Kane - Mayor Quincy Sharp
 * Stana Katic - Talia al Ghul
 * David Kaye - Commissioner Gordon
 * Danny Jacobs - Victor Zsasz
 * Maurice LaMarche - Mr. Freeze and Calender Man
 * Nolan North - The Penguin
 * Tara Strong - Harley Quinn
 * Tasia Valenza - Poison Ivy
 * Wally Wingert - The Riddler
 * Fred Tatasciore - Bane
 * Wade Williams - Black Mask
 * Duane R. Shepard Sr. - Aaron Cash
 * Roger Rose - William North
 * Chris Cox - Deadshot
 * Misty Dini - Fiona and Museum Announcer
 * Crispin Freeman - Political Prisoner and Officer Michaels
 * Peter MacNicol - Mad Hatter
 * Michael Gough - Tyger 1
 * Khary Payton - Azrael and Jon Forrestor
 * Keith Szarabajka - Solomon Grundy
 * Kari Wahlgren - Vicki Vale

Videos
Video:Batman: Arkham City - Debut Trailer|Joker Teaser Trailer Video:Batman: Arkham City Hugo Strange Trailer 720P|Hugo Strange Trailer Video:Batman: Arkham City - Official Gameplay Trailer - This Ain't No Place for a Hero|Gameplay Trailer Video:Catwoman HD Gameplay Trailer - Batman: Arkham City|Catwoman Trailer Video:Catwoman and Batman Gameplay - Batman: Arkham City|Catwoman and Batman Gameplay Video:Can you defeat a mind such as mine?|The Riddler Trailer Video:Batman: Arkham City - Penguin Trailer|The Penguin Trailer Video:Mr. Freeze HD Gameplay Trailer - Batman: Arkham City|Mr. Freeze Trailer Video:Interview with Joker (Batman: Arkham City)|Secret Joker Audio Tape Video:Interview with Penguin (Batman: Arkham City)|Secret Penguin Audio Tape Video:Interwiew with Quincy Sharp/Riddler (Batman: Arkham City)|Secret Quincy Sharp/Riddler Audio Tape Video:Interwiew with Catwoman (Batman: Arkham City)|Secret Catwoman Audio Tape Video:Batman: Arkham City - Secret Two Face Audio Tape|Secret Two Face Audio Tape Video:"We could both actually die here tonight!" - Batman: Arkham City|The Joker trailer Video:Batman Arkham City new gameplay footage ps3|New Gameplay PS3 preview Video:Robin Pack - GameStop Exclusive - When you pre-order!|Robin trailer Video:"Soon I will command forces beyond your comprehension" - Batman: Arkham City |Official Launch Trailer