Walkthrough Roundup: Arkham City

Arkham City living up to everyone’s expectations so far? Probably. As was to be expected, the reception for this game was extremely positive, with both critics and fans alike declaring that it is a worthy sequel to its now-legendary predecessor.

Of course, much like its predecessor (and unlike most video games based on comic book heroes), it isn’t an easy title to play through quickly, and for those of you who are frustrated with your lack of progress, we’ve compiled some of the best walkthroughs the web has to offer for Arkham City, with our commentary on the pros and cons of each one. Enjoy!

GameFront

GameFront offers an impressively extensive walkthrough, featuring both text and video (although it is a little lacking when it comes to still screencaps). It is logically organized in a series of steps, with a handy table of contents if you’re stuck on one particular part of the game and need some quick tips to help you move on to the next challenge.

• Pros: Convenient, easy to read, and accurate.
• Cons: The video portion tells us that the Walkthrough has been sponsored by Best Buy. While we’re not knocking coroporate sponsorship–after all, Bruce Wayne doesn’t pay for all his toys with generous donations from citizens like you–we like our game advice to be delivered without a game-selling agenda. (Although, we admit, you wouldn’t have to say much to sell this game to us.)

Gamespot

Gamespot’s walkthrough is full of practical advice for making the gameplay experience as smooth and efficient as possible, particularly regarding the best way to confront certain enemies; they let you know when to brwal, and when to back off. Like Gamefront, it offers us a video-text combo walkthrough, which is helpful. The video is good prep for gameplay, and the text section can be printed out and kept nearby while you’re actually gaming.

• Pros: The tips they give make a lot of sense and seem to be the insights of people who understand what gamers want to hear; to some degree, Arkham City is a game of strategy, and the people behind this walkthrough not only acknowledge that, but seem to know what they’re talking about. The tips they offer actually work.
• Cons: The organization is unclear. You can’t scan this walkthrough successfully; you feel like you have to read the whole thing, and you might not exactly have time for that. There are innocent [and artificial] lives at stake here, dammit!

TheMediaCows

TheMediaCows have a nice looking series of Arkham City walkthrough videos on their Youtube channel. They’ve obviously put a lot of time into making these, and it shows. However, don’t expect to refer to these quickly in the midst of gameplay; they’re something you need to devote a lot of attention to.

• Pros: Detailed, and clearly brought to us by people who get gaming and are dedicated to the culture.
• Cons: Perhaps these videos are a little too detailed. We don’t care so much about the cut-scenes when we’re watching a Walkthrough, but they haven’t been edited out.

Cheat Code Central

While there isn’t an extensive walkthrough available from Cheat Code Central just yet, they do currently provide a nice middle ground for gamers who want a little help with the game’s bonuses without having too much information regarding plot and gameplay details revealed. After all, half the fun of playing is learning how to beat the game for yourself.

• Pros: Want to know how to unlock the game’s accomplishments? They’ve got the answers you’re looking for.
• Cons: Want a detailed walkthrough? Look elsewhere.

Arkham City hasn’t been in gamers’ hands for more than a week, and already, we’ve got some goo looking walkthroughs to help us get through the game. Of course, we completely understand if some people would just rather fight it out on their own. The wait for this title has been long, and if another installment in the franchise does get sent our way (cross your fingers), the wait could be even longer.

Savor this experience, gamers. It could be a while before a game this rewarding comes along again.

Readers, do you have any tips of your own? Share them in the comments!