Mobile releases usually come before or around the same time as the major platform releases. In the case of Batman Arkham City Lockdown, it was way after Batman Arkham City’s console releases and even a bit later than the PC release. This game is a little prequel to the main game, but it won’t really matter if the game is actually good on its own. Besides, it could serve as a cool Holiday gift due to its timing.

The plot is very simple; you are Batman and bad guys have escaped Arkham Asylum, so go round them up and put them back in there. It’s basically the same as the console titles, so it’s not much in terms of storyline. The good thing about mobile titles though is that they don’t need much of a storyline as what you really need is gameplay. However, combat is basically a series of quick time events with dodging, attacking, and countering until your opponent is hamburger. You’d rather play something else that was actually made for such gameplay style to begin with. Once you’ve pounded those criminals into pesto, you then get WayneTech points, which you can then use to buy your Batman gadgets and costumes to increase your health, speed, and combat effectiveness. It’s basically standard stuff that you can expect from such a game.

The visual presentation and graphics are very good, enough for it to be almost on par with Infinity Blade 2. The animations and 3D models are fairly limited in amount, but quality is apparent among them. This lets the whole game capture the atmosphere that’s common with anything related to Batman. You also get to read three of the Arkham City comics that this game series has adapted from. There are also other media, including some quality wallpapers for your device so you can show off the cool art of the game.

In terms of content, this game is very limited and short, so you’re not getting much in terms of both replay value and overall satisfaction. There are later levels though that you can replay, but the plot is weak enough to not support this. The gameplay itself is fairly challenging and fun, as is with the rest of this game series. There are a variety of gadgets that are pretty neat once you’ve unlocked them. Perhaps this is too imalanced of a trade-off though, especially since you’re not really play for anything else as the rest of the unlockables are merely there for aesthetics and nothing more. It’s nice to have a new costume, but it’s not as cool as a new weapon or the like.

As prequels go, this is a tad bit more disappointing than a usually boring sequel. As a mobile game, this carries a lot of flash and some flair, but it’s still no dice compared to the other superb action titles available in the App Store. Also, being released as a prequel right after Batman Arkham City seems already played out is not a very good move.