While my first impulse is to just say this is "more Arkham Aslyum", it really has improved and polished the formula from the first game. Combat and predator encounters are still a joy (with a few improvements), but the more open environment really showcases the various traversal abilities. Zipping and soaring around Arkham City feels so cool, and doing it well requires a surprising amount of technique. Taken together, it means pretty much everything you are doing is fun, with no obvious "chores".

The main weakness I found with the game was that it just had too much stuff: too many combo moves, too many gadgets, too many riddler puzzles everywhere you look, too many playable characters. There were so many gadgets that on multiple occasions I got stuck in some traversal section because I just didn't remember all the gadget capabilities I had at my disposal. Having put maybe 25 hours into it I'm still not fully comfortable using each of the combo moves (and remembering their inputs). I eventually learned to just tune out the Riddler puzzles, instead of trying to figure out whether I just wasn't getting it or wasn't equipped to complete it (this was much more fun to go back to after the main story, and I did collect maybe a third of them). Once you really get into the game you can start appreciating these things, but I found it frustrating most of the time.

Batman: Arkham City is a sequel to Batman: Arkham Asylum and expands on the existing Batman mechanics. Batman investigates a new super-prison Arkham City under the direction of the mysterious Dr. Hugo Strange, who has studied the Batman in extreme detail.

Gameplay has been overhauled from Asylum, with an improved freeflow combat system, combos, combo multipliers, and different takedown styles. Open combat flows perfectly between striking and countering and easily handles special moves and gadgets in all sorts of combinations. Predator rooms have new takedown methods and new ways to use your gadgets on top of the existing system. Traveling is much better since the map is now a city with buildings, so Batman can now essentially fly across the map with ease. Old gadgets make a return along with several new ones that provide you with several new combat and predator options. In addition to combat, there are several puzzles to be solved as the Riddler makes a return with new and creative puzzles.

The narrative throughout this game deals with Batman overcoming several of his enemies in an attempt to shut down Arkham City. Obviously this includes the Joker, along with Penguin, Two-Face, and a gallery of other villains to take on and defeat. While fighting all the villains are super fun, some of these villains don't make sense in the context of the story. Some moments seem a little too convenient, but then again, the game is based off of comic book characters, so I can forgive this a little bit. In addition to the main story, there are several side missions to take on other DC villains within Arkham City. These side missions are intersting and unique. For example, a particular side mission has Batman investigate a series of murders while another mission has you answer phone calls across the city.

Visually, this game feels like watching a movie. The character models look incredible and combat runs well balancing between Batman's and the thugs' moves. Definitely a step up from the graphics in Asylum. Boss battles look incredible.

The GOTY edition adds all DLC content, including Riddler Challenge map packs, extra characters, etc. Definitely worth a pickup if on sale.

Overall, Batman: Arkham City is a fantastic sequel to a well-defined formula. With an improved story and enhanced gameplay mechanics, this is truly a must-have game, especially for Batman fans.

In the continuation to the pretty ok Arkham Asylum we, as Bruce Wayne, are thrown into the stylish island as a small example of what is gotham city.
Exploration of open world is really well crafted. Both glading and grapping feels really natural and is very easy to move around. Especially with really good placement of the buildings that allows for very quick traversal.
Combat system once again remains as one of the best parts of the game, expanded with few new possibilities.
Boss fights are also better, but I still wouldn't call them "incredible" or even "memorable". Final Boss once again felt underwhelming without anything exceptional that could be considered as the culmination point of action.
Loved the introduction with Catwoman but at some point her plot felt unnecessery and was ruining the overall pacing of what was going on in the Batman storyline.
Pretty good but still isn't what I heard about the Arkham series.
DLC with Harley Quinn terrible, boring shit.