Batman: Arkham City's Open World Was a Gift And a Curse

gamerant.com:

Although there have been multiple new superhero titles that have challenged Rocksteady's superb Arkham series, many still believe 2011's Batman: Arkham Cityto still be the cream of the comic book game crop. Insomniac's Spider-Man and Eidos Montreal's Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy are the topic of much chatter, but with Matt Reeves' new film featuring the Caped Crusader reminding fans of Batman's immense narrative potential, Arkham City is surely in the sights of many fans' rose-tinted spectacles.

Following the sublime Arkham Asylum, Batman: Arkham City expands the horizons for The Dark Knight, giving the player a sprawling open world to explore that litters Riddler challenges and petty crime across a simply gorgeous landscape. Gliding through the Gotham skyline, diving from rooftops, and traversing the area with the grapple gun is very enjoyable, but with the increase in size, the 2011 title does away with the cramped and claustrophobic halls of Amadeus Arkham's famous Asylum.

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The walls that line Batman: Arkham Asylum hold some of the franchise's most iconic villains and have forged some of the best moments in Batman lore, from the questionable treatment methods to the events of Grant Morrison's chilling Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth from which the 2009 game is loosely based. The tight corridors create a chilling atmosphere and there is danger at every turn, which means that Batman — and indeed the player — never feel truly in control. As such, Joker's hostile takeover of the asylum and elaborate plan are the most prominent cogs that are turning the nightmare machine.

In Batman: Arkham City, the breathing room that Hugo Strange's