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7 Reasons Return to Arkham is a Can’t-miss

7 Reasons Return to Arkham is a Can’t-miss

After a lengthy delay and many drastic improvements, Batman: Return to Arkham has finally arrived on PS4 and Xbox One. This brilliant little package contains the two best Batman games ever made – Arkham Asylum and Arkham City – fully updated and revamped for a new generation of gamers. Whether you’re a newcomer to the series or a die-hard fan who has completed these games multiple times, you can’t miss this collection. Here’s why…

Next-Gen Visual Upgrades

Next-Gen Visual Upgrades

This is a no-brainer. Things were looking rough when Return to Arkham was first revealed, but Rocksteady and Virtuos have come through. Enhanced lighting, more shaders, enhanced textures, weather effects… this remaster was designed from the ground up to take full advantage of the Xbox One and PS4’s extra horsepower. They already looked fantastic, but now you know you’ll be getting the next-gen treatment.

Holy DLC, Batman!

Holy DLC, Batman!

This is the only reason I buy remasters and definitive editions. Return to Arkham comes with all of the respective DLC that came out for Arkham Asylum and Arkham City . If purchased separately around the time of launch this would have cost upwards of $100. We’re talking about 13 pieces of DLC, here. If this is your first time diving into these games, you can rest easy knowing that you’re getting the full experience right out of the box. There are undoubtedly over a hundred hours’ worth of game spread across these two discs, which leads me to my next point…

Sheer Value

Sheer Value

Brand new, Return to Arkham is priced at $49.99, which is a steal. For less than the price of a regular retail game, you’re getting two Game-of-the-Year nominees. That alone is worth more than the asking price, but the fact that we also get all of their DLC is mind-blowing. The updated visuals and next-gen QOL improvements are just incredibly sweet icing on top of a delicious bat-cake.

New Achievements and Trophies

New Achievements and Trophies

Don’t pretend like this isn’t a big deal! I’ve never labeled myself as a trophy or achievement hunter, but they’re still really important to me. They also provide some really great incentive to dive back into your favorite games after you’ve beaten them. Those more obscure and more difficult challenges force you to play and enjoy the game in ways you might not have otherwise. Even if you’ve already played and beaten both of these games last gen, a new list of trophies, achievements, and challenges await your unlocking.

Experience Genre-Defining Combat

Experience Genre-Defining Combat

The Arkham games blew our minds and kept us on the edge of our couches with a new combat system that is both exciting and fluid. Watching Batman go to town on his foes with acrobatic martial arts somehow makes you feel like you’re doing more than mashing a button. It’s thrilling to watch, and a smart and reactive counter system keeps you on your toes when facing off against groups. If you’ve ever wondered what inspired the type of combat that made later Assassin’s Creed and even Uncharted games so compelling, look no further.

Mark Hamill as The Joker

Mark Hamill as The Joker

I envy anyone about to hear Mark Hamill voice The Joker for the first time. Your childhood was a sad one indeed if you missed out on Batman: The Animated Series . There’s hope for you yet, though. Hamill is the definitive spirit and voice of Batman’s most iconic villain, and his performances in Arkham Asylum and Arkham City are world-class. Get ready to be creeped out.

The Best Superhero Games Ever

The Best Superhero Games Ever

This is what it comes down to, folks. You can argue all day long about whether Arkham Origins is a good or bad game. You can bicker about the state of Arkham Knight on PC and whether or not it’s playable. But no one – I repeat, no one – would ever advise you not to play Arkham Asylum and Arkham City . These are the two best superhero games ever made, and two of the best action / adventure games out there. If you haven’t had the pleasure of playing them, now is the time, and these remasters represent the perfect opportunity.

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