Batman: Arkham City- Is It Better Than...

BATMAN: ARKHAM ASYLUM (2009, 10/10)? The Dark Knight's first true video gaming adventure was such a success, topping it was going to be a very hard task for Rocksteady. That said, even though the main storyline of Arkham City is perhaps not as intense or thrilling as the larger setpieces of Asylum, the way in which it integrates dozens of major villains from Bat lore is superb, and some of the DC universe-shifting twists that occur towards the climax of the narrative will provide massive shocks for anyone who has even merely glimpsed the comic books or graphic novels, or even any of the recent film adaptations for that matter. Add to that that the refined gameplay makes Asylum appear to be almost be a demo for this huge package, and the major fan service provided throughout through riddles, cameos and side missions, and you've got yourself a game which despite its very minor shortcomings (some of the plot threads you might expect to be picked up on, for example Strange's knowledge of Batman's identity, are sometimes left a little undeveloped) manages to top its predecessor in every way. Yes
UNCHARTED 3: DRAKE'S DECEPTION (2011, 9/10)? Depends on your preference, really: Uncharted 3 is basically the video gaming equivalent to a movie, constantly drawing you in across a tightly-handled narrative. While it leaves you little room to stray away from where it wants you to go, where it wants you to go will be consistently thrilling and shocking. Arkham City isn't all about the setpieces, but there is a lot more freedom and genuine empathy with the main protagonist than in Drake's Deception, and the Riddler Revenge challenge maps are much better value for cash than Deception's weak online multiplayer. I've nothing against Uncharted, but I'd say it doesn't boast the same competition to City that Skyrim and Portal 2 do. YES

THE DARK KNIGHT (2008, 5/5)? Dark Knight managed to do what no-one expected, trumping Batman Begins as the best Batman film adaptation ever, and it's now held in my opinion as one of the best films ever made too. The ramifications of the movie's events are just as hefty as those of City's climax, and both this and City are jam-packed with tension and thrills, as well as being ambiguous about what will become of Gotham after the big changes that have occurred in their storyline (Rises should show us what happened next; hopefully in 2013 or '14 we'll get the next Arkham instalment as well). I can't really pick a favourite out of these too, especially as they're different forms of media, but sufficed to say they're the best adaptations of Dark Knight lore around, and deserve your attention no matter how much of a fan you are of the Caped Crusader. EQUAL