Crashing when Trying to Load Challenge Modes

[SethMcKilla]

Hello,

I am having issues with playing challenge mode in Arkham Asylum GOTY edition on Steam. I played through all of the story mode and had zero problems (and absolutely loved it, amazing game). Whenever I try to play a challenge mode it will go to the loading screen for about 2 minutes or so and then it will go black and exit the game and steam completely. One time (out of about 10 tries) it went past the loading screen and came to the intro of the challenge mode, but then froze there and eventually completely exited. I've tried disabling PhysX and completely uninstalling the game (and deleting all local files) and reinstalling, but to no avail. My PC spec are as follows:

Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-4790K CPU @4.00GHz
Installed Memory (RAM): 16.0 GB (15.9 GB usable)
System type: 64-bit Operating System, x64-based processor
Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 780
Graphics Driver: Version 378.49

If you need to know anything about my PC specs/settings feel free to let me know. Any help on this matter would be greatly appreciated; I can't wait to knock out the rest of my Steam achievements for the game!

Thanks so much!
Seth

[JonoAMano]

Try disabling DX10:
1. Locate DefaultEngine.ini, typically located here: Steam \ steamapps \ common \ Batman Arkham Asylum GOTY \ BmGame \ Config \ DefaultEngine.ini
2. Open DefaultEngine.ini with NotePad
3. Locate "AllowD3D10=True" and change True to False
4. Save file and restart computer

If that doesn't work, try lowering your screen resolution or disabling PhysX from the Launcher. Let us know your results.

[SethMcKilla]

Hey Jono,

Thanks for the response. I tried all of your suggestions, but unfortunately none of them worked. My AllowD3D10 was already set to false. I tried setting it to true and then restarting and trying to load the challenge modes but same thing; it will load the game but freezes as soon as Batman pops up and you can still hear the Joker talking. I also tried disabling PhysX and changing the resolution settings, but still nothing.

Thanks for the suggestions!
Seth

[JonoAMano]

Instead of uninstalling and reinstalling, just patch and verify the game:
1. Select game in Library, right-click Properties > Updates, Automatic Updating.
2. Select game in Library, right-click Properties > Local Files, Verify Integrity of Game Cache.

Which Windows OS do you run, 7, 8.1, 10? Any error or crash message displayed?

[SethMcKilla]

I tried both of those, but unfortunately neither of them worked, still crashing. I'm running Windows 10 and no error messages pop up when it crashes, it just freezes and then completely exits steam.

Thanks again for the suggestions,
Seth

[SethMcKilla]

I was actually just playing Campaign Mode going for all of the Riddler's challenges and for the first time ever it stopped working saying that the BmMode stopped or something (it flashed quickly and then closed out). Windows then gave me the following error message:


General protection fault!

History: QA_APPROVED_BUILD_OCTOBER_2008 198408 23-01-2010 21:41.02
FMOD: 42200/42200 Game

BinkClose() Address = 0x1800f9e9 (filename not found) [in
F:SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\Batman Arkham Asylum
GOTY\Binaries\binkw32.dll]


Hopefully this adds some more helpful information to the problem.

Thanks again!
Seth

[JonoAMano]

There've been issues with corrupted saves on first playthroughs. Here's a thread from 2015 that involves deleting corrupt saves, same error message:
https://steamcommunity.com/app/35140/discussions/0/611703898451324537

Thing is, you already have a game started on that save slot. I have an idea; go to your Arkham Asylum .sgd saves, located here:
Steam \ userdata \ Steam User Number \ 35140 \ remote \ save0.sgd

save0.sgd is your first save slot. Make a copy of that and put the copied save0.sgd file somewhere safe, then delete the corrupt save0.sgd from your remote folder. Start a new game on that now-deleted save slot, and get your progress past the first cutscene. Quit the game, then drop the copied save0.sgd back into your remote folder to overwrite the new save. Hopefully that might eliminate any corruption issue. If not you won't any better or worse than you were before, and if it works you won't lose your current progress. Let us know your results.

[JonoAMano]

Here's another. read to the bottom. You might only need the legacy PhysX installer:
https://steamcommunity.com/app/35140/discussions/0/523890681427455283

PhysX installer located here:
Steam \ steamapps \ common \ Batman Arkham Asylum GOTY \ redist \ PhysX_9.08.14_9.09.0814_SystemSoftware

[Seeping Litness]

I played this game years ago on the ps3 back when it first came out and only ran into some uninteracable invisible teeth. I thought it would be fun to play through again on pc and so far am not having any trouble with the campain.

But ... also having crashing problems on the challenges. Only tried three times so far.

The first time I got partially though round 3 of the first challenge when it froze and after a few seconds the screen went black, the music was still going but I couldn't tab out and couldn't switch the window to have task manager up front in the end had to use the sign out funtion.

The second was exactly as you described with the loading screen an exiting you from steam as well.

The third was like the first but almost immediatly, Joker hadn't even finished talking.

Hopefully the suggestions will work for me but right now I'm annoyed and tired so I'm going to bed. But with this being one of the few discussions about challenges and some of the exact problems as well as being recent I'm wondering if it's something recent somebody messed up or if it's a windows 10 thing and there are just not many people playing a few year old game to run into these problems. Well good night and good luck to us both.

[hkey_local_machine]

Absolutely same problem. Crashes game and steam when I'm about to punch somebody in Challenge Mode

[SethMcKilla]

Thanks for all of the suggestions Jono, unfortuantely nothing has worked so far :\. I'm starting to think it is a Windows 10 issue or something along those lines since it's an older game.

[hkey_local_machine]

Originally posted by smccull7:

Thanks for all of the suggestions Jono, unfortuantely nothing has worked so far :\. I'm starting to think it is a Windows 10 issue or something along those lines since it's an older game.

I'm playing on Windows 7 and have the same problem, so I don't think it's about Windows version

[Seeping Litness]

Windows 10 does have a lot of issues with older games, glad this isn't one of them, thanks for mentioning.

I tried a few more things and regardles of what I've tried so far it has gone back and forth between not even getting into the match and getting in but freezing shortly after.

Next I'll try the save game resets but one of the files I was using to test is in the second save slot so I don't know if the corruption would have carried over and that makes it feel discouraging and like a long shot. Plus what would be the chances both decided to corrupt unless it has something to do specifically with something in the beginning of the game.

One of the things you said interested me also because when I do get in it has always frozen either when hitting somebody or before the action starts, might just be a weird coincidence.

Why do we have to suffer so many bad pc problems?

[hkey_local_machine]

Write back, if you find some solution, please

[Seeping Litness]

After deleting the save 0 in the remote folder starting a new game then rewriting the game I was able to finish the first challenge (only one batarang though) without it crashing. Don't know yet if this was a fluke or if it is fixed. Time will tell.

[Seeping Litness]

Very next attempt froze right as I had a really cool combo. So maybe I need to try the save game rewrite everytime I want to do a challenge assuming that was what caused it to work or if it was a fluke I'm stuck at least for now trying, and hoping, and suffering through a bunch of failed attempts just to get the occasional working one.