Batman Arkham City Lockdown

Review

Common Sense Media says

Gritty action game heavy on violence and feels repetitive.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Kids say

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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that Batman Arkham City Lockdown is an action game focused on fighting thugs and supervillains, mostly using fists and feet. The game has a lot of violence: The thugs use weapons, and Batman will break bones. There are also three mini-comics included in the app, which feature one character with revealing clothing and some drug use. Users can share achievements via the Game Center social network, but participation is optional.

  • Ease of use5
    The controls are fairly simple and the game walks you through everything. Fighting is accomplished through a series of swipes and taps at the right time. Batman can use various gear by tapping on the buttons.
  • Violence4
    This is a very gritty, violent version of Batman: The game is all about fighting your way through thugs to get to the bosses, using kicks and punches. There are special moves that involve breaking arms, and the enemies are sometimes armed with heavy sticks, swords, or guns.
  • Sex3
    There isn't any portrayal of sex on-screen, but there are character bios for Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy, both of whom are wearing revealing clothing. Also, signs for exotic dancing bars are seen in the backgrounds in some scenes. There are some Batman comic books included in the app, which also feature Harley Quinn usually showing a lot of cleavage.
  • Language2
    There are a few instances of swearing like "damn" during the cutscenes. Also during the fight scenes the thugs and enemies talk trash to Batman.
  • Consumerism3
    There are links to other Warner Bros. merchandise that can be purchased, including movies and apps. Also, there are some in-app purchases like other Batsuits from different Batman series, and you can purchase more "WayneTech" points to upgrade Batman.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking2
    The game itself has no drinking, drugs, or smoking, but in the included mini-comic one of the subplots involves a super-drug that turns a pair of thugs into super-strong versions of themselves.
  • Privacy & safety4
    Some privacy concerns. Players can opt in to Apple's Game Center to track achievements. Players can send and receive friend requests using an email address or Game Center nickname, revealing the first and last name associated with each party's Apple ID and, in the case of email requests, the sender's email address. With iOS 5, players can opt to have a private or public profile, which can include a photo. With a public profile, your real name is visible to all other players, and Game Center will recommend you to other players using your real name. With a private profile, only your friends can see your real name, and Game Center will not recommend you to other players.
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Is it any good?

 

BATMAN ARKHAM CITY LOCKDOWN is a gritty action game that pits you against various supervillains and their unending armies of thugs. You fight bad guys using a series of swipes and taps, somewhat similar to Infinity Blade, but with a little less variety. As you complete levels, you get WayneTech points, which can be spent to upgrade Batman or purchase equipment which helps him in his fights. There are also additional "skins" that can be purchased to play as Batman from various other series.

The game is pretty impressive visually and the controls are fluid; however, it starts to feel quite repetitive. Both Batman and the thugs have a limited repertoire of moves, and the bosses fall into patterns that can be easily learned. It's fun to play through the different bosses, but may not be worth the high price of entry.

This review was written by Jonathan H. Liu
Kid, 11 years old
January 21, 2012
AGE
11
 
Good alternative but still bad, not as fun as original
I feel that this game is not as bad as the original xbox version. There is a lot less cussing even though there is still some. Just cause its batman doesnt mean its okay for your two year old. There is guns, punches, bats, and more. This game I think an mature eleven year old can handle. This is a great alternative to the over the top violence and swearing of arkham city, even if its not as fun.
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Teen, 14 years old
April 23, 2012
AGE
12
 
Fun and intense.
In this game, you are a hero trying to bring down the villans of the city. You use your fists to bring them down. But there's no blood. It should be ok for twelve year olds.
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This review was written by Jonathan H. Liu
Topics:superheroes
Category:Action Games
Platforms:iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad
Price:$5.99
Size:619.00 MB
Publisher:Warner Bros. Entertainment
Version:1.1
Release date:December 20, 2011
Minimum software requirements:iOS 4.0 or later
This review was written by Jonathan H. Liu
 

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About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.
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