Are you a fan of Batman? Yes, I am talking about Batman from DC Comics, the superhero who appeared in Detective Comics first. If yes, then you must know about the Batman: Arkham game series. It is a superhero action-adventure video game series in which Batman is the protagonist. Moreover, the series has five main games, and the most recent game was launched in 2024. In this blog, we are talking about Batman: Arkham City, the second instalment of the series. The game is popular globally and generated a revenue of over $600 million. Let’s learn more about the game.
Introduction to Batman: Arkham City
Rocksteady Studios developed Batman: Arkham City, a popular action-adventure game, and released it on October 18, 2011. It is the sequel to Batman: Arkham Asylum and the second instalment of the popular Batman: Arkham game series. Furthermore, the most recent game released by the franchise is Batman: Arkham Shadow, released on Meta Quest 3 and Meta Quest 3S. Paul Dini, Paul Crocker, and Sefton Hill wrote Arkham City. The players have to play the game from a third-person perspective. Also, Batman’s fighting abilities in this game are stealth abilities, detective skills, and gadgets. It is available on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Windows, Wii U, OS X, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.
Characters in Arkham City
The Batman: Arkham game has many characters who also appeared in other games, too. In Arkham City, the main characters and their identity, are as follows.
| Aaron Cash | Guard at Arkham Asylum |
| Alfred Pennyworth | Batman’s closest friend |
| Bane | Minor Antagonist |
| Barbara Gardon | Daughter of Gotham City Police Commissioner James Gordon |
| Batman | Protagonist |
| Black Mask | Enemies of Batman |
| Catwoman | Romantic connection with Batman |
| Clayface | A villain in Batman Universe |
| Creeper | Superhuman and ally of Batman |
| Deadshot | Expert marksman |
| Dick Grayson | Works with batman |
| Harley Quinn | Former doctor at Arkham Asylum |
| Hugo Strange | Villain |
| Hush | Expert Marksman and Surgeon |
| Killer Croc | Enemy of Batman |
| Mad-Hatter | Criminal |
| Mister Hammer | Former Circus Performer |
| Mister Freeze | Batman’s enemy |
| Mr. Zsasaz | Serial Killer |
| Poison Ivy | Harley Quinn’s best friend |
| Quincy Sharp | Warden of Arkham Asylum |
| The Joker | Batman’s archnemesis |
| Ra’s Al Ghul | Enemy of Batman |
Plot of Batman: Arkham City
The story begins a year after the events of Batman: Arkham Asylum, where Batman defeated Joker. However, Quincy Sharp, warden of Arkham Asylum, takes all the credit, wins the election, and becomes mayor of Arkham City. Sharp orders the building of a jail in Gotham City, combining Blackgate and Arkham Asylum, and makes Hugo Strange become in charge of the jail. For the security of Arkham City, Strange hires a private military named “Tiger.” Batman, aka Bruce Wayne, knows that this can be dangerous for the innocents and protests in front of the city.
Meanwhile, the guards of “Tiger” kidnap Bruce Wayne. Hugo Strange knows that Wayne is a Batman and tells him, “Now that we have you, Protocol Ten is ready to begin.” Now, Bruce Wayne looks to gain more information about Protocol Ten and meets Catwoman, who does not know about it. Later he fights with The Joker, who infects Wayne with poison and also poisons the blood bank. Joker informs Wayne that Mr. Freeze has the cure for this poison.
Wayne came to know that Penguin had kidnapped Mr. Freeze. He fights with Penguin and rescues Mr. Freeze, but now they need Ra’s Al Ghul, a terrorist, to make the cure. Batman was on his way to find Ra’s Al Ghul when he met his love and the daughter of Ra’s Al Ghul, Talia” Al Ghul. Later, Batman brings the blood of Ra’s Al Ghul to Mr. Freeze, and he makes the cure. But Harley Quinn, Joker’s girlfriend, steals the cure. Later, Joker and Batman fight, and Batman finds out about Protocol Ten and kills Joker.
5 Facts About Batman: Arkham City
Here are some facts about the Arkham City Batman game. Let’s check them out:
1. Killing the Joker
The best decision about Arkham City is killing the Joker. However, the Joker was very toxic and had a very abusive relationship with Batman. The worst thing he did was infect Batman and poison the Block Bank. Although Joker was a supervillain, the ending of Joker like this was shocking. Even Batman accepts that he would have saved him, but he didn’t, and due to this, something has changed inside him.
2. Combat in the Game
If you have played Batman: Arkham Asylum, you will experience changes in the combat in Arkham City. It is because this game has free-flow combat with stealth-combat sequences. Furthermore, you can also experience new animations, combos, and gadget-based combos that improve the gaming experience. It makes you feel like a real combatant in the gaming world.
3. Introducing Ra’s Al Ghul
You may already know about Ra’s Al Ghul, as he appeared in the movie “Batman Begins.” In the Arkham City Batman game, the makers have introduced Ra’s Al Ghul and shown his importance. If you are playing Arkham City, you must be thinking that the main villain is Hugo Strange, but no, the real villain is Ra’s Al Ghul. In the game, his behaviour is arrogant and overconfident.
4. Actual Open-world Game
Arkham City is actually an open-world game where things are happening naturally. The developers have crafted the city well. Moreover, the world was packed with content and full of activities, such as gangs to take down, riddler trophies to hunt, and side missions to complete. For me, it’s not only the best open-world game in the series but overall.
5. Improved Supporting Character
Other than Batman, all the other Batfamily seem pale. The presence of Catwoman was also good. Oracle was an important part of Batman’s operation, but his presence felt less important. Furthermore, the introduction of Robin was short-lived, he could have been in the game at many points. Nightwing was only playable on challenge maps, limiting his impact on the main story.
Bottom Line
Batman: Arkham game series is popular worldwide. But, Batman: Arkham City is the best game in the series, which is because of its combat and gaming mechanics. The game has many characters who play the role of heroes and villains. The game is really excellent as an open-world game. However, the role of supporting characters could have been improved. But introducing Ra’s Al Ghul and killing the Joker was the best thing in the game.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Ques: How many GB is Batman: Arkham City?
Ans: The installation size of Batman: Arkham City, an action-adventure game, is 7.8GB.
Ques: Where is Arkham City in real life?
Ans: No, Arkham City is not a real city. It is a fictional city situated in Massachusetts, United States.
Ques: Is Arkham City open world?
Ans: Yes, Arkham City is an open-world action-adventure game.