Batman: Arkham City is the second game in the series based on the DC Comics superhero Batman.
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Story & Themes
The games all have Batman working to foil the main antagonist's plot, while along the way he runs into other bad guys he has to deal with.
In Batman: Arkham City, a large part of Gotham has been fenced off and turned into a giant prison known as Arkham City. The man in charge of Arkham City, Dr. Hugo Strange, knows Batman's true identity and has Bruce Wayne captured and thrown into the giant prison. Dr. Strange alludes to a mysterious plan known as "Protocol 10." Batman must discover the secret behind Protocol 10 and put a stop to it.
Save Points
The game saves your progress at checkpoints, whenever anything important happens.
Heads Up!
Violence If you're a Batman fan, you know that his refusal to kill anyone is an integral part of his character. Of course, that is also the case in the Arkham series. However, it never stops him from beating the stuffing out of the bad guys. This often includes breaking their arms (complete with crunching sound effects) and inflicting other traumatic but nonlethal injuries. Of course his enemies don't extend the same courtesy to Batman, and it is possible for the hero to die in some rather gruesome ways. For example, in Arkham City it is possible for Batman to get eaten by a shark. That said, it's never very graphic.
Sex & Nudity There is some flirtatiousness from some of the female villains, but nothing too suggestive.
There is no nudity, but there are some scantily clad women. Harley Quinn, who appears in all the games, wears skin-tight clothes and shows off her cleavage. Catwoman's outfit in Arkham City is skin tight.
Strong Language The villains sometimes use relatively tame swear words. In particular, thugs seem to be fond of the word "bitch" when you play as Catwoman.
Substance Use One character can be seen smoking a cigar, and there are several references to alcohol throughout.
Consumerism In one respect, the game encourages consumerism merely by belonging to the batman franchise. However, Arkham City does not include any specific product tie-ins.
Discrimination Arkham City, like many superhero games and narratives, lacks diversity on several fronts. It excels best at gender diversity, but many reviewers have found fault with the representation of Catwoman, specifically in how the other characters react to and treat her.
Conversation Starters
How do you feel about Batman's refusal to kill bad guys?
Do you think the comic-book origins of Batman justify some of its dark and exaggerated content?
Do you think the female villains are just as formidable as the male villains, and does that make you think the games are not sexist? How do you feel about the (over)use of the term "bitch" in relation to Catwoman?
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