Batman: Arkham Asylum
Batman: Arkham Asylum is a stealth, action-adventure game for the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC. Developed by Rocksteady Studios and published by Eidos Interactive, the game’s most notable feature is a story by longtime Batman writer, Paul Dini, and voice-talent from the much-loved Batman: The Animated Series. Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill and Arleen Sorkin each return to their roles as Batman, Joker and Harley Quinn, respectively.
Batman: Arkham Asylum, despite minor quibbles, is an incredible game. If you’re a fan of Batman, there’s no reason not to pick this game up. If you’re not a fan of Batman, you should still check it out, because this is one of those rare gems of a game that gets just about everything right. The graphics are incredible, the combat and stealth mix together almost seamlessly, and the story is classic Batman. This was the first game of 2009 I couldn’t wait to get my hands on, and I wasn’t disappointed.
Normally I don’t make a special note of a game’s graphics, as I feel they’re far over-rated. Arkham Asylum’s graphics, though, struck me immediately. This is a gorgeous game. The characters are incredibly detailed, the environments are lush and colorful, and the animations are smooth and convincing. Everything about the game’s presentation oozes with polish and TLC. This is the first game to make me glad I own an HDTV.
Thankfully, Arkham Asylum is more than just a pretty moving picture. The story and gameplay live up to the promise set by the graphics. As Batman, you’re escorting Joker to his cell in Arkham when he escapes, taking Commissioner Gordon, the warden, and, really, the entire island hostage. It becomes apparent that Joker’s been planning this for a while, and you walked right into his trap. Over the course of the rest of the game, you have to save as many people as you can, deal with the various super-villians Joker releases from the Asylum, and figure out and put an end to whatever Joker has planned.
This is where the game really shines. Batman has always been a powerhouse in a fight, but also stealthy enough that Sam Fisher could learn a thing or two. Most games that try to mix beat-‘em-up action with super-sneaky-stealthiness only get half the equation right – either the combat is lackluster and samey, or the stealth is broken and boring. Not so in Arkham Asylum.
Combat controls are kept simple. There’s a button for attacking, for reversals, for stuns and for dodges. That simplicity allows the combat system to stay freeform and responsive. Everything flows together smoothly and Batman can get into a fistfight with ten or fifteen thugs without a hiccup or feeling bogged down. With only a couple exceptions, which I’ll get to later, the combat stays entertaining and exciting throughout the game.
Then there’s the stealth. You’ll run Batman through a lot of air ducts in this game, and stealth feels natural the whole way through. You’re also aided by Batman’s “Detective Vision” which provides a kind of X-ray vision of the world, marking vents and weak walls, as well as pointing out enemies and providing intel on whether they’re armed or not. Detective Vision is so useful, in fact, that I hardly turned it off.
Now, with all of this gushing, I don’t want to imply that the game is without faults. Thankfully, they’re not deal breakers. The dialogue, for instance, can get really corny in places. The actors do the best with what they’re given, but that doesn’t stop some of it from being outright laughable. Also, the story is a pretty straightforward affair. Early on, I thought of a twist that never stood a chance of happening, highlighting the simple plot. The disappointment was of my own making, though, and this is still Batman versus Joker done right,
Really, those are both minor complaints, and they didn’t affect my enjoyment of the game at all. A more serious note of criticism, though, involves the Bane-like thugs you fight during the game. Bane is a drugged up supervillian whose strength so outmatches Batman’s, you have to distract him, run him into a wall, and then pummel him as much as possible while he’s stunned. This is fine for one fight, but later on you’ll fight thugs that work in much the same way, and it gets old quick. There aren’t enough of these fights to be frustrating, but there are enough that they’re an annoyance.
Still, there comes a point where you can jump on a ‘roided-out thug’s back and lay waste to a room full of lesser thugs. That’s pretty fun. And really, that’s what this game comes down to. It’s not perfect, but it’s a hell of a lot of fun. Plus, once the story’s done, there are challenge maps and puzzles from the Riddler to figure out, and a number of free DLC packs planned. Batman: Arkham Asylum could have easily held its own during the holiday rush, but I’m glad it came out before the madness begins. I can’t recommend it highly enough.