Introduction:
The first ‘good’ Batman game was released on the NES in 1989 and since then there hasn’t been a worthy game based on the beloved DC Comic series. Rocksteady Studios is hoping to change this with Batman: Arkham Asylum. AA takes a dark spin on the series, but is it the Batman game we have been waiting for?
Story:
The game starts with Batman arresting the Joker again and transporting him back to Arkham Asylum. The first bit of gameplay gives you a brief tour of the Asylum, with the Joker in spitting distance. Shortly after the tour, The Joker breaks loose and takes control. He seals the island and releases all the inmates (including some of The Caped Crusaders most famous villains) causing chaos and mayhem, but with The Joker, that’s the name of the game. Batman has to navigate his way around Arkham and discover The Jokers plot. Most of the exposition takes place in-game through on the fly audio conversations which keeps the game flowing. There are some great cutscenes to highlight key events and they are very well done. The dialogue is laugh-out-loud funny, but it’s also strangely compelling. Not only does it tell the story of the game, but audio-tapes scattered around the game-map give the player a lot of back-story. There is also a lot of insight to Batman’s character in the Scarecrow sections. I won’t spoil anything, but the Scarecrow sections are some of the greatest moments of interactive entertainment put on a disc.
Overall, the story is very well told. The writing is stellar (though what do you expect when you have a professional Batman writer on board) and the attention of detail to the story truly helps Arkham come alive.
Design:
The main bulk of the game is the Story Mode. As I said earlier, the whole game is set on Arkham Island but the way it’s presented has a ‘Metroid’ feel to it. You make your way through the game-world, you unlock more gadgets to extend your travel range and there is quite a bit of back tracking to be had. The pacing in AA is one of the games biggest strengths. Simply put, you won’t want to stop. The set-pieces come thick and fast and the game rarely lets up with the dynamic moments. There are quite a few bosses that are really inventive and there is a lot of variety to be had, but there aren’t a lot of them but what there is has been polished to a mirror shine. The back tracking isn’t a bad thing in this game; in fact it helps with the variety. Sometimes the terrain is drastically altered which causes you to take a different way. The final boss battle is a disappointment, (especially considering what the boss is) but the 7/8 hours the come before it are well polished and great fun.
The Riddler wasn’t prepared to let Hitler steal the spotlight and has hidden a lot of riddles around the island, if you collect these then you unlock character profiles, trophy’s and challenge mode maps. The aforementioned challenge mode is a large collection of maps which task you with either beating up a group of thugs while getting the most points, or clearing a room as a silent predator as fast as possible. These are great time wasters and they can become pretty addictive. The addition of leaderboards and future DLC will keep you coming back to master the maps.
Unfortunately, that’s all there really is on the disc. At time of writing there has only been 2 sets of DLC and there hasn’t been any announcements for a third. The main campaign will take about 8 hours to complete but it will only feel like 3 or 4. This is a testament to its magnificent pacing and the care that went into making every moment feel important.
Note: I only played the Xbox 360 version, so I couldn’t play as The Joker, which is a real shame and in my opinion, really really unfair
Gameplay:
The Gameplay of AA is split into 3 basic types. Combat, Stealth and Navigation. The combat is simple but incredibly satisfying. There are 3 basic attacks, punch, stun and counter. As much as people would like to say, it’s not a button masher. You actually have to quickly plan your next punch to keep your combo going. The philosophy here is little input for maximum output. The combat looks and feels impressive. You truly feel like you are controlling this combat expert. This was obviously what the game set out to do and they did it with flying colours.
The Stealth aspect may sound boring, but it’s really entertaining. You hop from gargoyle to gargoyle quickly and quietly trying to take out all the armored goons in the room. You have to use your gadgets and detective skills to pick them off one by one. It’s strangely satisfying to slowly take down one guy after another before frightening the final one to death before pummeling him into submission.
Navigation is the game’s weakest point, but that’s like saying chocolate isn’t as good as chocolate with marshmallows or something. They are all good
. You basically use your gadgets to navigate the environment and getting from one objective to the other. It sounds boring, but the way the set pieces are scattered around the environment helps keep the game fresh.
The final thing that deserves mentioning is Batman’s Detective Mode. You press a button and you can see enemies through walls, whether or not they are armed, and what their basic state of mind is (calm, scared or shitting their pants). It’s an interesting feature and is an interesting take on gaming as a whole. The boss battles incorporate all of these features (except Detective Mode) which help the variety. You will never be doing something for too long so it wears out its welcome (unless you want to in Challenge Mode).
Overall, the package displays the best assets of Batman. These gameplay aspects help Batman: Arkham Asylum make you feel like a true superhero.
Graphics:
Batman: Arkham Asylum uses the well known ‘Unreal Engine’ that powers Gears of War, and it goes to show. Technically, it’s an impressive game but not the best. It has impressive character models (especially when Batman is fighting) and the attention to detail in the Asylum is second to none. Arkham Asylum feels like a real place, the characters and places also change throughout the game. At one point, the whole island is engulfed in plants and over the course of the game Batman’s outfit gets torn up until the end where he looks broken down. The cutscenes look impressive, but there is some screen tearing but it’s not a huge deal. Some character model’s do tend to repeat a lot but when you get down to it, Batman has an impressive looking game to add to his belt.
Sound:
First things first…Mark Hamill…give the man a medal. Luke Skywalker voices The Joker in the Animated Series and if you thought he was good in that, then you haven’t seen anything left. He’s hilarious but also dark and threatening. Mark isn’t the only Batman veteran as Kevin Conroy returns to voice the Dark Knight. Overall, the characters are very well voiced. The music is also good to listen to as well. While there isn’t anything too memorable it is an pretty epic orchestrated soundtrack. Sound effects sound great as well. You truly feel the punches that Batman delivers to the faces of justice. I would describe some more of the audio delights but then we would be here all day. But this is a game where your speakers should be turned up.
Closing Comments:
When all is said and done, Batman: Arkham Asylum is a truly great game. For a gamer, you should definitely check it out, but for a Batman fan, it’s absolutely essential. Wait a second…it’s essential anyway. Everything from the combat, the attention to detail and the set pieces feels absolutely polished. The Scarecrow sections are the real highlight but everything in this game is great. The developers use the license without abusing it. The gameplay went came first and the use of the license makes it better. I would even go as far to say that Batman: Arkham Asylum is my 2009 game of the year.
+ True Batman Experience
+ Satisying Stealth and Combat
+ Addictive Challenge Maps
+ Amazing Voice Acting and Detail
- Limited Options
9.4/10
Re: Batman: Arkham Asylum 
!
Linear Mode
