Game of the Week: Batman: Arkham City

Videogames’ self-proclaimed “silly season” is finally here. The drought of game releases over the summer period has come to an end; nights are drawing in, the temperature is moving closer to zero, and the release calendar is stuffed to capacity. But where best to place your hard-earned cash? Distancing ourselves from hyperbolic hype speak and unreachable expectations, what should you really be investing your time into? Over the coming weeks, allow New Rising Media to round-up the week’s freshest, most tantalising new releases.

We’ve already handed out a perfect score to the bat and Rocksteady’s thrilling return to Gotham City, so it’s a little wonder that it picks up our prestigious ‘Game of the Week’ award to mark its UK launch. As a follow-up to the superb Arkham Asylum, City sees the borders of the inmates’ psychiatric compound broadened into the wider slums of Gotham City, ensuring this is the most ambitious, most expansive game featuring the Dark Knight ever. In fact, it’s a sure-fire GOTY contender, already boasting a Metascore of 95 and receiving noteworthy praise from all corners of the game critic spectrum.

The breadth and scale of the sandbox will be the biggest draw for fans of the first game, with Rocksteady insistent that the same nerve-shredding atmosphere that so enveloped the first game will make its way over intact, in addition to a tight and enthralling Batman narrative. For the completionists, the Riddler’s challenges return (a grand total of 436 need to be uncovered), as well as added side missions to partake in. Meanwhile, the maniacal Joker, Two-Face, crazed scientist Hugo Strange and the Penguin are all on villain duties.

Take a look at our previous entries into the 'Game of the Week' Hall of Fame: Forza Motorsport 4 and Dark Souls.