Welcome to New Gamer Nation’s DLC Breakdown. This is where we review all the current downloadable content for a game. In this edition, we look at the DLC for Batman: Arkham City. If you were one of the unfortunate people who missed out on pre-ordering Batman: Arkham City, or are on the fence about buying the DLC, hopefully this review will guide you in the right direction.
Batman: Arkham City Skins Pack-$4.99
Includes: 1970′s Batsuit skin, Animated Series skin, Batman Beyond skin, The Dark Knight Returns skin, Earth One Batman skin, Sinestro Corps Batman skin, and Year One Batman skin.
After playing around with some of the Batman skins in Arkham City, there’s something to be said about the 1970′s Batman suit. The old blue cape and cowl with the gray suit is a nice throwback in this extremely modern game. The skins from Batman: The Animated Series are a nice touch for fans that grew up on the series, and kind of stand out as a cartoon beating up video game baddies. Fans of the comics should like the nice touch of Year One Batman, Earth One Batman, and the Sinestro Corps Batman, but one that stands out in my mind is the Dark Knight Returns skin. Batman is a lot bulkier in this outfit (thanks to him being much older in this comic), and it fully captures Frank Miller’s style and translates it to a video game. It may rub some casual fans the wrong way, but that’s why there are other costumes. The only downside is having these costumes unlocked after the story mode is finished. However, considering there are seven skins for about $5, it’s not too bad of a deal.
Price: 10 out of 10
Rating: 8 out of 10
Verdict: Buy
Nightwing Bundle-$6.99
Includes: Nightwing (with his own unique gadgets and special moves), Animated Nightwing skin, and two additional challenge maps that are included with the pack: Wayne Manor and Main Hall.
There isn’t much to say here about this one. The Nightwing Bundle is overpriced. This only comes into play for the Riddler’s Challenge, so if you enjoyed that portion of the game, it adds a little variety to that mode. Other than that, he handles almost exactly like Robin. It’s nice to see Dick Grayson in the fold, but a better application would be to have him as an an extra playable character in the city itself, along with the Riddler’s Challenge Mode.
Price: 3 out of 10
Rating: 5 out of 10
Verdict: Pass
Robin Bundle-$6.99
Includes: Robin, Red Robin skin, Animated Series Robin skin, and two additional challenge maps: Runaway Train and the Slaughterhouse.
As was the case with the Nightwing Bundle, the Robin Bundle is overpriced as well. This particular Robin is Tim Drake. The cameo in the campaign had some people wondering if he would be used within the realm of Arkham City. Sadly this isn’t really the case until Harley Quinn’s Revenge, which is a side-campaign taking place outside of the story mode of Batman: Arkham City. Utilizing the staff and their own set of gadgets, Robin (and Nightwing) feel different in combat than Batman. However, two extra skins and two map packs just doesn’t feel worth the money.
Price: 4 out of 10
Rating: 5 out of 10
Verdict: Pass
Arkham Bundle-$14.99
Includes: Batman Arkham City Skins Pack, Nightwing Bundle, and Robin Bundle.
As mentioned, the Nightwing and Robin Bundles are overpriced. To alleviate this, the three aforementioned bundles have combined into one for a grand total of 11 suits and four maps. This does make for a much better value than buying the bundles separately. If you do really want Robin and Nightwing, buy this bundle.
Price: 7 out of 10
Rating: 8 out of 10
Verdict: Buy…Only if you want Robin and Nightwing.
Batman Inc. Skin-Free
Includes: Batman Inc. skin
For those unfamiliar with the series, the Batman Inc. skin is described as a black cowl and cape, gray suit, yellow belt, and black Batman symbol on a yellow background. This was given as a free download as a way for the developers to thank the fans. Such as the other alternate Batman skins, this one can only be used after completing Arkham City‘s story and in the Challenge mode. If you don’t feel like paying for extra skins, take the time to download this.
Price: 10 out of 10
Rating: 10 out of 10
Verdict: Download this one…Why not? It’s free.
Catwoman Add-On-$9.99 or Free with a new copy of Batman: Arkham City
Includes: Catwoman as a playable character, complete with her own campaign within the Batman: Arkham City story mode. Also, Catwoman as a playable character in the challenge maps.
Catwoman is a welcome addition to the game. Whereas Batman is more of a bruiser, Catwoman is quick. Lightning-fast attacks help Catwoman hold her own in the bowels of Arkham City. She also has her own set of weapons, including bolas, cattle trops, and, of course, her whip. Instead of “Detective Vision” she has “Thief Vision”, which allows the player to see where thugs are; however, it isn’t as advanced as Batman’s “Detective Vision”.
The Catwoman campaign takes place alongside of the story mode in Arkham City, with Catwoman trying to steal money away from Two-Face. Altogether, the campaign itself is about an hour-and-a-half to two hours, and Catwoman can be used in free play once you finish up with Arkham City‘s story. This is definitely worth having whether you have a new copy or a used copy, especially considering that the four chapters happen throughout the story of Arkham City. Along with that, Catwoman also has her own set of Riddler trophies to hunt down.
Price: 8 out of 10 (if you have to pay for it.)
Rating: 10 out of 10
Verdict: Buy it, if you have a used copy of the game. If you have a new copy, download it.
Harley Quinn’s Revenge-$9.99
Includes: Harley Quinn’s Revenge as an extra chapter of Batman: Arkham City.
Harley Quinn’s Revenge takes place after the events of Arkham City. Batman has gone back in to capture Harley Quinn; however, he is captured, leaving Robin with the job of finding and saving him. The campaign takes place outside of the game itself and runs about two hours. This add-on is worth the money for those that wanted to play as Robin. The only downside, is the fact that only a portion of Arkham City is available, and it’s not in the story mode of Batman: Arkham City itself. Still, Harley Quinn’s Revenge is definitely worth the money, as this is a case of DLC done right.
Price: 8 out of 10
Rating: 9 out of 10
Verdict: Buy it.
If you don’t already have Batman: Arkham City, I suggest buying the Game of the Year edition to have everything in one package. If you already have the game, though, I would suggest Harley Quinn’s Revenge and the Batman Skins. The Arkham Bundle doesn’t add much, but does add a little variety to an already great game.
