In an era where video game sequels seem to adopt the philosophy of bigger and louder, Arkham City takes this approach far more intelligently. It takes all of the mechanics that made Asylum so great and fine-tunes them to near perfection. The world is bigger but not so bloated as to lose the thick atmosphere this series is known for. The world is dense, it's detailed and it feels alive in a way very few open worlds do.

I have my criticisms though. A lot of the side missions feel half-baked. The main story is excellent but not always excellently told. By switching from one super-villain to the next throughout the game, the narrative spreads itself a little thin and most of the villains, apart from the joker, just don't have that much of an emotional impact for me, especially Hugo Strange who was hyped up to be a powerful antagonist by virtue of knowing Batman's true identity, a plot point that never pays off in a satisfying way. The game is also weirdly horny with its female characters. Very juvenile really.

Anyway, I wasn't expecting to say so much about this game. (I just have so many thought about it). None of these shortcomings detract from how incredible it is and the positives outweigh the negatives by a wide, WIDE margin. It's a masterpiece.