Download Batman: Arkham City - Game of the Year Edition for Mac

In the edit

Batman: Arkham City Game of the Year Edition is for anyone who wants the complete Arkham City experience on a Mac. It packs the full original game plus every bit of extra content Rocksteady and Feral Interactive released, so you get the whole package in one download.

Know what is in the box

The edition includes all downloadable content: Harley Quinn’s Revenge, seven extra challenge maps, and twelve alternate skins. You also get Catwoman, Robin, and Nightwing as playable characters, each with their own combat style and gadgets. That is a lot of Gotham to cover.

Use the smoke grenade and the rest of the kit

Batman’s gadget list grows with the smoke grenade, a handy tool for disorienting enemies and making a quick escape. Between that, the Batarang, and the grapnel boost, you have plenty of ways to clear a room or cross the city.

Start a session with Catwoman and see the difference

Say you want to play through one of the challenge maps as Catwoman. Pick her from the character select screen and the whole feel of the game shifts. Where Batman glides in from above and lines up a room with gadgets, Catwoman moves low and fast. You rely on her whip and agility, dodging between enemies and striking from behind. The map plays the same but the approach is completely different. It is a good way to break up a long session if you have been playing as Batman for a while.

For a full run, start with the campaign mode. Drop into the city from the rooftop and use the grapnel boost to reach the first objective marker. The map is huge compared to Arkham Asylum, so you spend a fair bit of time moving across rooftops and through alleys. Keep an eye on the mini-map for side missions and Riddler trophies along the way. If you see a green question mark, it is worth a detour.

Fixes for a game that won't launch after copying

A few things tend to trip people up when they first install the Game of the Year Edition on a Mac. Here is what I have seen come up most often.

• The game does not launch after copying the app. Make sure you mounted the disk image first and dragged the app into the Applications folder alias inside that mounted image. If you copied the app file directly from the download folder without mounting, it may not work. Remount the image and try again.
• Russian language options do not appear. The game supports Russian but you need to follow the separate instructions that come with the download. It is not a toggle in the settings menu. Look for a text file or a readme in the disk image that explains the steps.
• Controller not responding. The Mac version works with most wired controllers, but wireless ones sometimes need pairing before the game launches. Connect the controller, open the game, and check the control options to confirm it is recognised.
• Challenge maps feel too hard. The extra maps in the Game of the Year Edition are designed for players who know the combat system. If you are struggling, spend some time in the main campaign first. The freeflow combat takes practice, especially when you switch between Batman and Catwoman mid-session.

Smoke grenade trick in detective mode you might miss

The edition has a few details that do not jump out at first but make a difference once you notice them.

• Smoke grenade in detective mode. The new detective mode lets you scan the environment for clues, but you can also use the smoke grenade while in that view. It is a neat way to disorient enemies without breaking your investigation flow.
• Alternate skins change more than looks. The twelve skins included in the edition are cosmetic, but some of them change the feel of combat animations. Try the Batman Beyond skin and watch how the cape moves during a glide. It is a small touch that keeps things fresh.
• Harley Quinn’s Revenge plays differently. The story expansion is not just more of the same. It focuses on Robin after the main campaign and has a tighter, more linear structure. If you want a break from the open world, this is a good change of pace.
• 400 achievements to chase. The Game of the Year Edition adds 400 new achievements on top of the base game. That is a lot of reasons to revisit old areas and try different combat styles. If you like completion runs, this keeps you busy for a while.

One evening hour of progress in Arkham City

It is a Tuesday evening. You have an hour before dinner and you want to make some progress in Arkham City. You open the game from Launchpad and the main menu loads. You pick your save file from the campaign and the game drops you on a rooftop near the Industrial District.

The first thing you do is check the mini-map for any nearby Riddler trophies. There is one two blocks east, so you glide over and land on a ledge. You switch to detective mode to scan the area and spot the green glow behind a grate. A quick Batarang throw opens the latch and you collect the trophy. That is one more off the list.

Next, you head toward a main mission marker. On the way, a group of thugs spots you. You drop into combat and use the smoke grenade to disorient the first wave. The freeflow system kicks in and you chain together punches, counters, and a takedown. The fight ends in under a minute. You grapple up to a higher ledge and continue toward the objective.

The mission involves infiltrating a building. You use detective mode to spot the patrol routes and time your entrance. A quick glide across the courtyard and you are inside. You clear the room with silent takedowns, then move to the next area. The whole sequence takes about twenty minutes. You save the game and close the app. That is a solid session.

The game supports English, Russian, German, Spanish, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, and French. If you need Russian, a separate set of instructions gets it running.

New this release

• Game of the Year Edition — all released downloadable content included.
• Playable characters: Catwoman, Robin and Nightwing.
• Includes Harley Quinn’s Revenge, seven maps and twelve skins.

Mac it needs

• macOS ?
• Intel processor