Batman: Arkham Asylum

10 Review to this product

• 

  Nite
  August 25th, 2009 on 6:31 am

  Rating

  Video games haven’t been too kind to Batman. Often times when we think of a Batman game, the first thing that comes to mind is that the game just isn’t going to be all that spectacular. What is it about the Batman that hasn’t always worked in the past? It’s hard to point out. What we can point out, however, is that Batman Arkham Asylum doesn’t fall into that category. In fact, it is easily one of the best Batman games to be released. From its humble beginnings, the game is fine tuned video game that does most of what it does incredibly well.

  Let’s begin with the production values. This is by far one of Arkham Asylum’s strong points. The game begins with the Joker being caught and taken to Arkham Asylum, but he seems to be pretty non-chalant about it, and Batman doesn’t like that one bit. And it turns out he was right to be suspicious. The Joker springs a trap and Batman is caught in the middle. Now he’s trapped inside the Asylum with the Joker controlling things, as well as several other adversaries.

  One of the nice things about Arkham Asylum is that it presents its story very well. The art style feels comic book like, but it doesn’t skimp on the overall visual presentation either. There’s a lot of artistic flair and technical goodness to behold with the graphics. Most of the environments look fascinating and will really draw you into the game. The tone is perfect. The other good aspect is the voice acting. If you remember that Batman: The Animated Television series you’ll be surprised to see its the same voices. Kevin Conroy is Batman and Mark Hamill is the Joker. And the voices are done very well. The production values of the game are absolutely stellar.

  Of course, a game just isn’t much if it only goes off of visual flair alone. In the past gameplay seems to be one of the areas in which Batman games often stumble. In the past the games have had a hard time crafting together good gameplay elements or sometimes being unreasonably clunky. This is mostly Batman’s past. The games sometimes felt rushed. This isn’t the case with Arkham. In fact, the game mostly keeps things pretty simple. The combat is really easy to pick up on, having you string together simple combos. But the game hardly devolves into button mashing. This is because your enemies will take advantage of the situation, and the game makes sure you can’t rush head on into things. First and foremost, most of your foes are willing to take advantage of their surroundings. Second, you can’t go head to head with several enemies all toting guns at once. This is definitely not a beat ‘em up kind of game. In fact, in some areas, caution and stealth are required.

  There has rarely been a Batman game where you actually feel like Batman. In some places you’ll be able to swoop down and leave your enemies hanging from gargoyles… or perform a glide kick or use some of Batman’s gadgets to get the job done. For such simple gameplay concepts, there are actually quite a few ways to implement them into the game. The game also lets you upgrade and improve on your techniques as you progress. So there actually happens to be quite a bit of variety.

  At the same time, though, the game is accessible to just about everyone. You can also enter what’s called “Detective Mode” if you so choose. Within this mode, Batman can see certain things he otherwise couldn’t. You can tell where your enemies are easier and find some hidden goodies. You’ll no doubt be playing a large portion of the game in this mode, but it’s very worth it to do so. Choosing not to means missing out on some of Arkham Asylum’s secrets, and there are a lot of secrets. The most prominent of which is that you can find riddles scattered all over that will unlock lots of different things for you to do. You’ll also be able to unlock small character bios and audio samples about certain characters. These are other things that really make the game come alive in its own way. And in the midst of all this, the game doesn’t appear too challenging or intimidating.

  That’s not to say you won’t be challenged. You will. Particularly when you reach something new. It’s nice to know, however, that the game isn’t overly difficult. It’s just to say that when trumping through it at least doesn’t feel easy. When helping you get acquainted to things, Arkham Asylum is pretty easy going. But once the game takes away the training wheels you may find yourself hitting a few snags every now and then.

  The visual look of the game isn’t all that adds to the game’s atmosphere. So does the music and so do some of the animations when you’re fighting. Sometimes it’s fun to battle just to look at some of the animations as they take place. Other times exploring can be absorbing because the music really knows how to set the tone. Arkham Asylum has a lot of strength, but the game seems well aware of just what those strengths are.

  There’s really not much that keeps Arkham Asylum down. In many ways it’s exciting to play a Batman game that’s good. After getting several Batman games that felt like a throwaway of the license, Batman Arkham Asylum feels like a breath of fresh air. Most of its gameplay conventions have been done before, but it’s mostly how the game mixes them together that works well, and the absorbing atmosphere it emits in the process. Batman fans might find themselves pleased by this one. It’s a simple game to play, but there is definitely a lot in it that could keep you busy for some time, and a lot to explore. It’s great to see a Batman game come to fruition, and to do it so smoothly.
• 

  Cloud
  August 26th, 2009 on 12:06 am

  Rating

  Let’s face it, outside of the games available on Xbox Live Arcade and the Playstation Network, the summer has been pretty awful for games unless you’re a massive sports fan (Madden 10) and what was supposed to be the saving grace of the 2 month drought was Batman: Arkham Asylum, originally planned for tail-end of June but a delay put it at the end of August so instead of being the game of summer, it ends up becoming the game that ushers in the game heavy Fall season. In another way too is that it does set a standard since not only is this game for once a good Batman game, it’s a really damn good game in its own right. I will say that the game can be somewhat addicting as I literally beat it in one day (mainly cause I was playing nonstop) and it’s got incredibly minor issues but other than that, it’s nice to see an actually good Batman game.

  Story: You play as Batman (obviously) bringing in the Joker to Gotham’s infamous Arkham Asylum to throw Joker in jail however the relative ease in capturing him as Batman a bit uneasy which proves real when Joker, with the thanks of Harley Quinn, manages to escape, lets loose the inmates and has some fun. With some other villains popping up, some really genuine storytelling moments, fantastic atmosphere and a story written by Paul Dini, one of the creators of the awesomeness that is the Batman: Animated Series, this is Batman how he should be.

  Graphics: Arkham Asylum is powered by everyone’s favorite Unreal Engine and the weird nitpicks do pop up (rolling towards a cliff doesn’t actually roll you OFF the cliff and the shimmery textures in closeup) but no one can really deny that the game looks amazing. Incredibly moody lighting, some really cool locations and character designs and you got the makes for a great game on an HD set. Oh and just one thing: during a surprising second encounter with everyone’s fear-inducing Scarecrow, no that is not your Xbox crapping out on you so don’t freak out.

  Sound/Music: In a return to my love for the Animated Series, everyone practically makes a return from Kevin Conroy as Batman to Mark Hamill as the Joker. Now, obviously Heath Ledger did a fantastic Joker in the movie but Hamill is just as stellar with the right touch of manic and disturbing. Basically this Joker loves to actually laugh but we also have Arleen Sorkin as Harley and some characters like Riddler, Killer Croc and Scarecrow popping up (whose horror segments almost stole the show, especially that first one, brrr). As far as music, there’s some cool tunes but it’s not really as “there”, it’s mainly mood music but don’t mean it don’t do the job done.

  Gameplay: The game is not quite open world but you’d be saying it somewhat feels like one once you start. Basically there’s certain main buildings throughout Arkham that you traverse as you make your way through the story. Examples including the penitentiary but also the intensive treatment building, Arkham Mansion as well as the botanical gardens (3 guesses who shows up here but you’re gonna only need one). The bulk of the game is taking down your foes and unlike Gears of War’s Marcus or any FPS main man, Batman can’t just duck around a corner and let his health regenerate so you got to take down enemies quietly without them knowing with several options at your disposal. You can do the never-gets-old glide kick, the silent takedown, hang people from gargoyles and many more. Later it gets progressively more difficult as alarm-sounding necklaces, booby-trapped gargoyles and some instances where you literally can’t touch a single enemy until you get to someone else. What makes these sequences fun is just how much you can freak out enemies and seeing the “terrified” status in detective mode makes you feel quite the bully…a good-natured bully.

  Speaking of detective mode, pressing LB will bring up the “Detective mode” filter which highlights vent accesses, destructible walls, and enemy positions. It comes quite in handy as you can keep track of everyone on screen however what might bug people, maybe, is that there’s no cooldown. Unlike the Snake Eye in Metal Gear Solid 4 or Gordon’s flashlight in Half-Life 2, you can probably play the entire game in detective mode so it might make the game a tad too easy since enemy positions will always be highlighted with red being the ones that are armed. There’s also some sequences where you have to be in the mode when you’re tracking down someone’s trail which can either be tobacco smoke, fingerprints and even booze. But it also helps finding Riddler trophies and challenges which are basically your collectibles for the game with Riddler coming over your earpiece telling you how awful your smarts are.

  The other bulk of the game is the free-form combat which is not quite button-mashing but you can make do but it boils down to X is attack, Y is counter (with a Spidey-sense type indicator over an enemy’s head), B is stun while you also gain moves the more you attack without getting hit. The animations for these are outstanding as it looks like one move never seems to repeat regardless of the attack and some of the takedowns look quite brutal. One complaint I have is that in order to permanently make an enemy stay down is by either attacking enough so that a slow-motion move is done or by doing a takedown (RT and Y) but trying to do these while in combat can be frustrating since they don’t give you I-frames (when attacks don’t do damage since you’re doing something else) so be prepared for a lot of moments of trying to do a takedown when somebody punches you in the back of the head and it cancels the takedown, letting that enemy get back up. It’s not so bad in early levels but when later guys have knives, stun prods and guns, it gets kind of infuriating. Boss battles are also slightly disappointing since the encounter with Croc is basically an avoid-and-run, Scarecrow is pure stealth and some of the bigger dudes called Titans are fought the exact same way. The only genuine “boss battle” seems to be the last 2.

  Batman: Arkham Asylum is like the movies that release in early May: they kick off the blockbuster season and get things going with a bang and this is no different. After this it’s practically one big release right after another and it all starts here so instead of the savior of summer drought, it’s game one in what’s sure to be a fall/winter season filled with good games.
• 

  Tim S.
  August 27th, 2009 on 9:53 am

  Rating

  I read a review of the game before I bought so I expected it to be good. After playing it for several hours I have found that it is better than expected. The style, the gameplay, the exploration aspect and the plain old fun, its all there. The people involved in this game must have been true Batman fans because they created a Batman game that is dark, gritty and brimming with character and style.

  As I made my way through the game I kept getting suprised. Just when I think I’ve got a good idea what to expect, I experience another scene, challenge or gameplay feature that makes me say “Wow?! What’s this? Cool!”.

  Great game.
• 

  trashcanman
  August 28th, 2009 on 3:26 am

  Rating

  Batman and video games haven’t really gotten along in the past. Considering the action hero nature of the character this seems a bit strange, but as a whole games based on big-name established franchises tend to spend all of their time,energy, and capitol acquiring the rights and likenesses and very little on actually making the thing worth playing. Well all that has changed. Not only is “Batman: Arkham Asylum” a worthy video game portrayal of the Dark Knights exploits that is a long time coming, but it may seriously be the best and darkest version of the character yet outside of comics. It’s practically a playable horror film and it does justice to nearly every iteration to come before it. Any batfans out there with a current-gen gaming system NEED to buy this game. It’s got everything anyone with any knowledge of Batman could ask for.

  First, story. Written by Batman – The Animated Series mastermind Paul Dini and utilizing the three most memorable voices of that show means an automatic A+. Focusing on Arkham Asylum means that there is plenty of room for cameos and references to Batman’s bottomless rogue’s gallery, but the story itself focuses on a few primary characters which was a very wise decision. No Robin or Nightwing or Batgirls or Spoiler or Huntress following you around (though ex-Batgirl Oracle provides verbal support) and the supervillains you face are relatively few, but extremely memorable. That way there’s room for more in the sequel and nobody who made the game gets shrifted here. Mostly, this is a classic Batman vs. Joker tale. you can’t go wrong there. Now, one would imagine that the game would be fairly dark, but then end result makes The Dark Knight look tame. Killer Croc is an absolute horror, Scarecrow-induced hallucinations are amazingly creepy, and the general extreme psychosis of the villains is literally jarring at times. You can find and aquire a series of taped interviews with each villain and let’s just say you don’t want to get into pathological killer Victor Zsasz’s head. Riddler offers his shrink a new answer to a classic riddle that involves dismembering a baby in one of his sessions. Yikes. This game is DARK.

  Gameplay is a lot of fun, taking the best aspects of several other games and combining them to make you able to do everything The Caped Crusader does. Combat is somewhat similar to Fable II in feel while the platforming and exploring is a lot like Assassin’s Creed. Then there is a stealth aspect that is reminiscent of the Playstation classic Tenchu: Stealth Assassins and the more modern Splinter Cell series’. The Riddler supplies you with a ton of secrets to uncover including a series of visual puzzles where you have to visually “photograph” an object or feature for which he gives you a clue. This alone will keep you playing for hours and hours at a time trying to unlock all of the goodies. To help you find what you’re looking for, you’ve got a “detective mode” on your cowl that allows you to see important objects more clearly. Batman can sneak, dash, dodge, use his grappling line, glide, climb, blow stuff up, and even hang villains upside down from a perch. And oh yes, there will be gadgets. And all that’s before the fight. Plenty of options as to how to handle any given situation. Boss battles are all very different and seldom even have much to do with combat. It’s usually something like finding a way to eliminate Zsasz before he kills his hostage, being pursued by Croc on a plank bridge in the sewers, or sneaking around a giant Scarecrow while under the influence of his gas. It’s a pass or fail thing, and you do not want Killer Croc biting you in the face so do be careful.

  Visually, “Arkham Asylum” is everything it should be and more. Having enjoyed The Caped Crusader extensively in every possible medium I can honestly that I have never seen a better set of character models. Every character is just striking in appearance. Scarecrow has a Freddy Krueger-ish makeover, Croc is plain horrifying, Harley Quinn looks much less playful and much more psychotic, Poison Ivy is otherworldy, and Joker is a perfect amalgamation of all of the different versions of him over the years. It’s really amazing what they did with him here. And did I mention this game is DARK? The landscapes are fantastic, and the asylum looks like the inmates have indeed taken it over with gnawed rats, dead guards, and general disarray giving the place character. Little details are there to treat hardcore batfans such as a poster for Penguin’s Iceberg Lounge or cells and objects strewn about that obviously belong to foes like Calendar Man or Bane (nice teddy bear). Shoot, they never even bothered clearing out Harley’s desk! You can’t beat the look and attention to detail of this game. I was actually looking for a way to free an inmate that was impersonating another character at one point. Made me feel dumb when he started laughing at me as I snapped him to solve a riddle and reveal his identity. Great stuff.

  Alright, so you plowed through the story and you don’t want to spend umpteen hours searching for freaking hidden question marks. Want more? Considering the finite number of enemies to take out, I know I wanted much more action. Well, that’s why we have challenge mode. The premise is simple: either kick as much tail a humanly possible in pitched combat with a set time limit or take out a number of gunmen without being seen and perforated, depending on the individual level. Since these were the things I wanted more of in the otherwise nearly-flawless story mode, that makes this feature a godsend. So with that in mid, there is only one complaint I have about this game other then just wanting more (I’m greedy like that): in order to find all of the things you need to find you wind up spending most of your time using detective vision which doesn’t allow you to fully immerse yourself in the killer graphics at all times. That is all. I know I’ll be tuning in next game; same bat-gameplay, same bat-console.
• 

  Ann Marie English
  August 28th, 2009 on 1:04 pm

  Rating

  First things first, forget the demo. It’s bad and doesn’t even come close to conveying the feel of this game, in-fact it’s misleading. Do not even play it if you haven’t already. Just buy this game, it deserves a spot in your collection, trust me.

  This game is dark and gritty, similar to BioShock, a tone which is set at the beginning of the game. A cutscene shows Batman en route to deliver the Joker back to the Asylum. Upon arrival, the cutscene ends and you control a perturbed Batman as he simply walks alongside the Joker, who is strapped into an upright gurney and towed into the depths of Arkham by the asylum’s guards. This walking alongside him is probably a good five minutes, all the while the Joker heckles you and the guards. Finally, the Joker manages to break free just before he’s put into lockdown and gets away, sealing Batman inside–his elaborate plan just beginning to unfold. Arkham Asylum, with loose papers, broken wheelchairs, and dead bodies throughout every corridor, exudes a similar feeling to that of Rapture of BioShock; this place is scary, it’s a mental institution that houses the most dangerous people in the world, and they run amuck while the craziest of them controls everything.

  The voice acting is perhaps the best I’ve heard in a videogame; Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker) is hauntingly brilliant as this incarnation of the Joker, equally as good or better than his animated series protrayal, while Kevin Conroy and Arleen Sorkin continue to be THE voices of Batman and Harley Quinn, respectively. It’s more than notable that even the voice acting of the guards is spot-on and you may hear familiar voices if you’ve played Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic or seen Ratatouille.

  The story so far (i’m only 3-4 hours in) is surprisingly pretty unpredictable and could easily be translated into of one the better Batman graphic novels. I refuse to spoil any plot points, as you should enjoy them for yourself but I will say the boss fights are cool, particularly the run-ins with Scarecrow. Note that if you are Batman fan, as in one who reads the comic books, there will be a lot here for you. Interview tapes, as they’re called, are recordings of therapy sessions with a doctor of the asylum and an inmate. From what I can tell, it appears that each of the famous super-criminals (joker, harley, killer croc, etc.) all have 5 interview tapes each strewn about the several buildings that make up Arkham Asylum. This brings me to the Riddler challenges, which sometimes include the finding of and collecting interview tapes. These challenges are a more fun re-imagining of the challenges you’ll find in games like the Spiderman series, Prototype, Infamous, etc. There are 240 of them, and although some are just the flinging of your batarangs at wind-up chattering teeth, which can occasionally be found lying on the floor, or finding hidden trophies, some are riddles, which are rewarding for you yourself when you manage to solve them, but also, like all of Riddler’s challenges, award valuable experience.

  Finally, this game has the best combat system I’ve ever played in a video game. I’ve enjoyed all types, but at this point button-mashing combat systems have become so very trite to me. At first glance, Arkham Asylum’s combat system might sound like it’s a button-masher, as X button is attack, Y is counter, B is stun, and A is used to flip over enemies, while other moves include the simultaneous pressing of X and B, A and X, or RT and Y. However, in truth, the combat has so much more depth. Rocksteady has dubbed the system FreeFlow; your goal is to attack a group of enemies, sometimes as many as a dozen at once, using one continuous and fluid combo of punches and kicks and flips all the while dodging and countering the thugs’ persistent attempts at hitting you, often with pipes or knives or stun batons. Every move has to be calculated quickly and on the fly, but with the occasional slow-motion hit to help you keep your bearings. This can be quite a challenge, but it’s so much fun. I can burn away hours easily just fighting in challenge mode, another mode of gameplay apart from story mode. During story mode these large run-ins are not rare per-se but they aren’t frequent either. The other combat mechanic involves hiding above the rafters and one-by-one incapacitating an oft-large number of gun-toting foes. Swinging from the rafters and using detective vision, which allows you to see enemies through walls and other obstructions, as well as detect heart rates and therefore deduce emotional response, and watching chaos ensue as everyone runs around, shooting at random things, close to tears, REALLY makes you feel like Batman. Doing this well, which entails being quick and silent, is so much fun.

  I have but two qualms about the entire game: the fact that it’s too tempting to just leave detective vision on all the time, which is akin to reading a beautifully colored comic book in black and white, and the fact that enemies apparently do not have peripheral vision.

  All in all, this game is as close to perfect as games get, with extraordinary attention to detail and brilliant and fun gameplay, and is a must own for everyone over the age of 13.

  P.S. I’ve never written a review before, for anything. so any tips or criticisms are welcome
• 

  M. DiSpirito
  August 29th, 2009 on 6:04 am

  Rating

  Finally, a game based on a popular comic hero that is fun to play and true to form. Arkham Asylum is one of those rare games that is worth paying $50+ for (something I rarely do). Do not worry about wasting money on this title. If you’re concerned about value, wait until it’s $30 and you’ll be blown away at how great the game is for the price. However, if you want some information read on…

  + Graphics: the visuals are fantastic. Character models are realistic and detailed. There are some close-ups of Batman and Joker that make you do a double-take (“Am I watching a movie?”). The environments are awe-inspiring–dark, gritty, detailed, and realistic. The art team at Rocksteady hit a home-run with the visual design of this game. It is true to the shadowy, dark world of Batman. Every area is interesting and detailed. Near the top for any 360 game out right now.

  + Sound: Creepy, engrossing, inspiring… It runs the gamut. The sound effects are top-notch and sound very realistic–rain, thunder, combat, grapple-lines, batarangs, etc all sound fantastic. The music is phenomenal. If you like the music from the Batman movies, there are some tunes in this game that carry the same spirit but are even better. During an encounter with Scarecrow, I felt my heart pounding from the music and sound effects alone…

  + Gameplay: Rocksteady studios created a very simple, but very effective control system. The typical double-stick move and look from most games is in place and works perfectly. Ducking is simply holding a trigger and cover is utilized with one button (like Gears of War). Batman can move on the ground, below the ground (tunnels, grates, etc), and above the ground (ledges, walkways, rooftops, statues, et al) with ease. Grappling is as simple as looking at where you want to go and hitting a button. The game gives you a heads-up with the proper areas marked with available actions. In a nutshell, the controls are so simple that you’ll be sucked into the game without much of a learning curve.

  + Combat: fast-paced, action-packed, and easy to accomplish–what else do we need? Batman’s primary attack is a single button, but the primary attack can be combined with batarangs, counter-moves, dodging, and other Batman-unique moves. When you’re fighting multiple enemies, the simple system really shines. Combat isn’t button-mashing, as it might sound, but it is tactical: counter an incoming kick, grab his leg, throw him into another attack, backflip from a guy swinging a lead pipe, somersault towards him and kick him in the jaw… you get the picture. There is a whole suite of moves for ground combat, stealth takedowns, and aerial takedowns; but every type of combat is laid it in simple, easy-to-use button controls.

  + Challenge: Not only will you face some of Batman’s key enemies (Joker, Scarecrow, Zsasz, Croc, Harley Quinn, Bane, etc), but you’ll face puzzles set up by the Riddler throughout Arkham. Key allies will be taken hostage (Gordon, Arkham doctors, etc) and you’ll need to save them–alive. Sometimes remaining unseen is the challenge, as the lunatics will kill their hostage if they see you. The default difficulty is fairly challenging (there are three levels of difficulty) and this is further compounded by the fact that Batman is not a superhero! Only a few bullets will end your game; a group of thugs kicking, punching, and wielding pipes will end your adventure right quick. Be smart, use the environment, use your gadgets, and you might survive Joker’s trap.

  + Perks: As you complete challenges and defeat enemies, you’ll gain Experience that allows you to choose from a broad and interesting selection of upgrades. You can power-up your combat techniques (open new moves, increase damage or speed, etc), or enhance your gadgets (multiple batarangs, explosive gel, etc). As an example, the game starts with a single batarang toss (you have unlimited batarangs) that stuns a foe, but after a few upgrades I am able to throw three batarangs at three different enemies that all knock the foe down. There are a lot of different combinations of upgrades to experiment with…

  + Extras: you’ll unlock character biographies in the game as you encounter people. To a nerd like me, these were very intriguing: each biography has a comic artwork page, a background story, a vital statistic, and a skill set about the character. Reading the history of people in Batman’s world is very intriguing and sometimes helps to understand the motivations in the game. Also, you’ll unlock character trophies, which are 3-D models of characters, vehicles, and locations in the game; while not really important, it is interesting if you’re a nerd. And the best of the extras: Challenge mode. As you defeat enemies and complete levels, you’ll open up a challenge match: a single level that can be played apart from the main story where you’ll have to take out various enemies in specific types of moves or conditions (don’t be seen, don’t get hit, etc). The first one to be unlocked has Batman in a small prison area fighting an increasing number of goons with each successive wave.

  - Cons: some minor clipping issues–character arms, legs, or heads can go into a wall; it’s not a game-breaker, it just looks bad. Not much else…

  +/- Story: the story is fantastic and incredibly compelling, but some folks may not like the constraints imposed. Joker is in control of Arkham, so there are certain areas that Batman can’t get to unless Joker allows him to–it feels linear, and it is, but it’s part of the story. Also, Batman acts out dialogue without user input; it may irk some gamers looking for more freedom, but it’s Batman–he is who he is. Also, as Batman, you cannot use guns or kill people (it will end the game and cause you to restart from the last save); it is true to Batman’s character, so I find it part of the experience, but I just wanted to let you know.

  Conclusion: I’M BATMAN!!!
• 

  Sky King
  September 1st, 2009 on 10:40 am

  Rating

  Great game, having a ball controlling Batman. The voice acting is very well done and the story line pulls you right in. I suggest that you buy it.
  
  —- If you preordered the game on Amazon, you may want to take the time to call Amazon and complain. If you had waited until the day after release to order, you would get [....]off a future game purchase. I think this is a slap in the face to all who pre-ordered the game. I will never pre-order a game on Amazon again.
  
• 

  Kevin
  September 1st, 2009 on 5:18 pm

  Rating

  After countless unremarkable or even terrible Batman games, few had hope that the venerable character would ever become anything more than a blemish in video game history. But, with Batman: Arkham Asylum, Rocksteady, an up and coming developer that has only put out one other title, might have single handedly reversed that perception.

  From the beginning, there is no doubt that this is a game which has been given the utmost thought and polish. Much like Half-Life games or Bioshock, there aren’t lengthy cutscenes that may make you want to skip over vital information. After a brief clip of Batman transporting the Joker to the Asylum, the introduction becomes interactive. Throughout the game too, the story is mostly told through audio logs and in-game communication between Batman and the Joker, various guards, or Oracle, Batman’s sidekick who provides him with useful intelligence. The story is a basic plot about a science experiment that goes wrong, but the in-game method of storytelling has moments of brilliance, using some interesting plot devices to keep things exciting. Voice acting is on the money, with a few voice actors from the Batman: The Animated Series reprising their classic roles. The Joker is definitely in his element, often referring to his diabolical plan as a “party” and making gags seem like life or death situations.

  The music isn’t overbearing, but it is appropriate and memorable when it is there. Several major Batman villains make appearances, and plenty of those that don’t are given awesome allusions, often involving puzzles planted by the Riddler.

  Technically, the game is quite impressive as well, with detailed character models and environments. Batman’s cape flaps as he runs through Arkham Island, and his costume even accumulates tears and rips that remain as you progress further in the game. Notably, there is very little loading in the game, and when there is, it is cleverly masked as in the Metroid Prime games.

  Where Arkham Asylum really shines though, is in its gameplay. This isn’t only a stealth game, an action game, or an adventure game. It’s all three genres fused into something even greater than the sum of its parts. As you stalk enemies and whittle them down, they’ll grow increasingly terrified and eventually, they’ll jump at any noise they hear. The Joker seems to find just as much pleasure in trying to kill Batman as he does in frightening and denigrating his own crew, as you’ll notice that he mocks them rather frequently.

  Also, taking these enemies down is just as much fun as watching them squirm in fear. There’s a variety of ways you can knock out your enemies, and in keeping with Batman tradition, like the rest of the game, these methods will never kill, but only temporarily incapacitate. Among the best is the inverted takedown, which lets you hang a thug upside down from a gargoyle. After, you could wait for more thugs to come underneath the gargoyle, and cut the victim down with a batarang, knocking out even more henchmen. These moments are priceless, and evoke a feeling that this is the quintessential Batman game.

  When you aren’t skulking around oblivious enemies, you’ll be using gadgets to explore the massive island. Like in any Metroid game, some areas can only be accessed with an upgraded arsenal. Otherwise, you can search for Riddle Trophies, Riddle Challenges, destroy chattering Joker Teeth, or try to find Spirit of Arkham entries. Regardless of what you’re doing though, you’re likely to find the overall experience seamless and very addictive. The campaign can likely be finished in around 10 hours or so, but it is so entertaining while it lasts, that it’s still worth the price.

  One of the few minor issues I have with the game is that it has a severely impaired saving system. Rather than simply allowing players to save whenever they want, the game will only save automatically each time you enter or exit any area. Consequentially, if you unwittingly turn off the console power while the game saves, your save file will be corrupted. Also, without custom saves, you can’t replay your favorite sections of the game whenever you want, which is unfortunat for a game with such entertaining sequences.

  I have found that the aforementioned saving problem, and the “boss fights” are really the only snags in this excellent game. The encounters with humongous Titan-fueled enemies, especially the very last battle, really doesn’t seem to fit the gameplay at all. I found them more frustrating than amusing. Yet, the rest of the game is so ahead of most others that it doesn’t bother me much. I don’t care much for the bonus challenge stages, but they are there too for added replay value, in case you found the main campaign too short.

  Overall, this is a game that can’t be missed. It is one of the enthralling video games you can play, with enough mind blowing moments and engaging gameplay to even surpass games like Bioshock.
• 

  Bradley
  September 2nd, 2009 on 1:34 am

  Rating

  I cannot begin to express how wonderful this game is! I’ve purchased several comic games in the past (all of which have ended up on ebay) hoping that one might capture the magic of how it would feel to websling or fly or shred an enemy to bits with Wolverine’s claws. But game after game, I have always come away thoroughly disappointed. I mean, is it really so hard to approach a comic game with the same level of production as Gears of War or Fallout 3 or Mass Effect? I suppose many publishers just assume a comic game will sell no matter what the product value, and therefore they rush it to store shelves.

  But Arkham Asylum is different, and is everything I have ever wanted in a Batman video game.

  First off, you actually feel like Batman. By the end of the game, you have all his gadgets and all of them are actually useful. I found the detective vision, the grappling hook, and the exploding jelly (great for setting traps) to be the best, but the others are almost equally great.

  If you’ve seen the in-game pictures then you know what to expect from the graphics. Arkham Asylum is an extremely gritty place that is displayed in surprising detail. There were several pictures I saw before the game’s release that I swore were cut-scenes (the one where Batman is standing on a cliff ledge overlooking Arkham Island comes to mind). But, quite surprisingly, nearly all of them were still-frames of actual in-game footage (the cliff ledge included). Even in the beginning when you first deliver the Joker to the island, you are in full control of Batman.

  Other reviews I’ve seen on Amazon have explained the storyline, so I won’t delve into detail. By now, you probably know the premise. Just know the story is intriguing and well thought out.

  Another aspect of the game that surprised me was the Joker. The voice acting by Mark Hamill was superb, which is expected, but he is actually funny. Sometimes in the Animated Series I found the Joker to be a little too campy, but they’ve certainly given him more of an edge in the game and have allowed him to be more risqué. Every time I sit down to play, he blurts out something over the loud speaker that makes me laugh out loud. The Riddler’s audio recordings are also pretty funny, with a punch-line at the end of each of them. Great stuff!

  Also, every scene involving the Scarecrow is worth the price of admission alone. Many of them are the spookiest things I’ve seen in a video game in quite some time! Don’t worry, I won’t ruin it. Just make sure when you hear Dr. Crane’s name mentioned or you see gas fumes hanging in the air you have the lights out and the sound way up. Chills!

  The only gripe I have is that the faces and mouths are stiffer than they should be, not quite matching the vocal inflection. However, the outstanding voice acting and wonderful look/feel of the rest of the game makes this quibble seem tiny and forgivable.

  I really could go on and on about how cool it is to sneak around in the shadows, striking fear in your enemies, or how great the combat feels — all the moves are tight and powerful, just like in Chris Nolan’s movies. Please, do yourself a favor and pick this game up. If you’re even mildly interested in Batman you’ll LOVE it. I for one can’t wait for the sequel! A+
• 

  Sergio Lamadrid
  September 11th, 2009 on 4:28 pm

  Rating

  I was skeptical about Batman. I’ve never been the hugest fan of Batman, but have seen all the movies, and played most of his games. The games have always been mediocre at best, so one could imagine why I would be skeptical to dish out $60 for what has always been a mediocre gaming franchise.

  Boy, was I wrong. I kept hearing how good the game was, that it was Game of the year potential. I didn’t believe it. I waited for more trailers. Loved what I saw, decided to get it the day it came out. I fell in love with the game, not even 10 minutes in.

  There’s almost nothing negative I can say about this game. The only thing that I wish it would have, is some type of multiplayer but due to the way the game is, it’s understandable why they decided to not include multiplayer. The story is amazing, and even if you’re not a Batman fan, this is still a must-play game.

  Owning more than 85 Xbox360 games, one thing I hate is collectables. Batman has 240 collectables known as “riddles”. As much as I hate them, I’ve gotten all 240 and they were the most fun I had getting collectables. Then there’s challenges, and you can literally spend hours here, trying to master combos, counters, and earning your medals.

  As I said, the only negative is this game is the lack of multiplayer. This game was a blast both times I ran thru it. The story is amazing, the achievements are not easy, yet not too hard, and you can easily spend all day playing this game without getting bored. Batman:AA is near perfection and was a great way to open the gaming season this year.