Batman: Arkham Asylum

GET COMMITTED TO ARKHAM ASYLUM

When it comes to licensed games, I’m always very skeptical. We have all been burned too many times in the past seeing some of our favorite characters, movies, TV shows etc.. being completely butchered in video game form. This is not the case for the latest Batman game.

Arkham Asylum is a true gem. The game excels at making you feel like you are Batman. The controls are very intuitive and allow you to use all of Batman’s skills and gadgets to pure perfection. Eidos went out of their way to bring you tons of Batman lore. There are tons of Character Bios and Trophies to unlock. The voice acting is top-notch including Mark Hamil as Joker. The graphics are beautiful and detailed with some great lighting. It’s a shame that not all games have as high production values as Arkham Asylum.

The main story mode features Batman trying to regain control of Arkham Island from Joker and his minions. Arkham Island is presented as a hub. Batman can travel around the island and must visit key areas such as the Arkham Mansions, Botanical Gardens and underground caves. The game consists of three types of game play.

First of all there’s combat. The combat system in Batman is excellent. Anyone can get by simply by repeatedly punching opponents, but those who take the time to learn how to pull of combos are greatly rewarded. Once you get a clear understanding of the “Freeflow” system the combat becomes very rhythmic like “ Too Human“. The second type of game play in the game is stealth, picture “ Metal Gear Solid” or “ Splinter Cell“. Thirdly is exploration, where you must find and scan items, think “ Metroid Prime“. The more items you find and the more combat you engage in the more experience points you will receive. You can use these experience points to purchase new abilities and power ups.

This game has TONS of replay value. First of all there are 240 Riddler challenges scattered across the island. Challenges range from finding Riddler trophies to Scanning (photographing) key items or areas. Outside of the story mode there are also two different types of challenges, Combat and Predator. Combat challenges consist of Batman squaring off against 4 waves of enemies in straight up combat. Predator challenges are like mini stealth levels. Batman is placed in a small level in which he must dispose of armed enemies, preferably undetected. Each challenge allows Batman to earn up to 3 medals, in combat mode your medal count depends on your score and in predator mode you are giving three specific tasks.

There is very little to complain about in Batman Arkham Asylum and anything I mention is really nitpicking. Like an other 3D action games, the camera can sometimes get annoying, but generally its just fine. The game also has a detective mode which allows you to view the game through a blue filter where key items and threats appear in bright orange. “Detective Mode” is so helpful that you almost end up playing through the entire game in this mode.

While exploring Arkham Asylum you will definitely encounter some pleasant surprises. This game is without a doubt a “Game of the Year” candidate for 2009 and I very much look forward to the recently announced sequel. Go out and get this one.