Batman: Arkham Asylum

[J o n e x]

Now here’s a game to remember. Batman: Arkham Asylum is a breath of fresh air for superhero games. Instead of leeching off the success of the Nolan films, Warner Brother Studios have managed to use the original comics as a great basis for developing a rich and intriguing game world.

Batman Arkham Asylum is really a game that I consider to be a pioneer of the new “free flow” combat system. Third person combat has never been more fun for me. You can string together different moves and quickly move from one enemy to the next or even attack more than one at the same time. It’s incredibly satisfying.

The story of Arkham Asylum is another star of the show. Focused around catching the joker after he escapes and proceeds to cause havoc on the Asylum, it’s up to Batman to save the island before things go from bad to worse. Along the way you get to meet (and in some cases fight) some familiar enemies from the Batman comics including Scarecrow, Poison Ivy, and The Riddler. Despite the focus being around the Joker, I found myself so engrossed in each of these villains back stories as they featured in their cameo appearances. Having more than one villain made the story more robust and gave it very good pacing. As I progressed through the game, I kept many memories of these great bad guys and the levels they belonged to. When a story is able to do that, you know it’s been well made.

Speaking of memorable levels, I was very impressed with the level design as well! Each area of the Asylum has its own unique appearance and although they all share similar features that are needed for gameplay, they all feel different. You’re given a lot of ground to explore and extra missions to complete for unlockables and extras. The Riddler riddles are particularly well done, although not exactly deep. At times you’ll even get to re-visit areas you’ve already been through and use newly unlocked equipment to reach previously inaccessible sections.

In addition to the main story, there are also challenge maps which are small test rooms to well…….challenge you. They focus on fighting, stealth, and even unique situations. Although a good way to spend more time after you’ve completed the story, I didn’t find them necessary. Because they lack the story of the campaign, I wasn’t as interested in playing them. It’s that part of the game that feels more like a game rather than an experience, and that’s not for me.

Arkham Asylum doesn’t feel cheesy, it doesn’t feel forced, and it really sucks you in. Whether you’re a fan of the comics or not, Batman: Arkham Asylum is a thoroughly enjoyable experience.

(now unlock the achievements Valve, so I can go back in and get them all)

[1000mg_Ginseng]

Jonex, i totally agree with your review.. the free flow fighting is great! and i'm very absorbed in it right now.. still playing it... level design is great and so is the story! A lot of fun! One sad note: the new Batman, that is supposed to be in the series will NOT be made by the same developer Rocksteady Studios, which is a shame. As it's always difficult for a different studio to succesfully pull off a sequel ( see Bioshock 1, then Bioshock 2 as examples of different dev teams; fortunately team that did BIO 1 also did Bioshock Infinity!). And super big kudos to the developer, who really did not have much experience before making Batman Arkham series ( see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocksteady_Studios)

[J o n e x]

Originally posted by 1000mg_Ginseng:

Jonex, i totally agree with your review.. the free flow fighting is great! and i'm very absorbed in it right now.. still playing it... level design is great and so is the story! A lot of fun! One sad note: the new Batman, that is supposed to be in the series will NOT be made by the same developer Rocksteady Studios, which is a shame. As it's always difficult for a different studio to succesfully pull off a sequel ( see Bioshock 1, then Bioshock 2 as examples of different dev teams; fortunately team that did BIO 1 also did Bioshock Infinity!). And super big kudos to the developer, who really did not have much experience before making Batman Arkham series ( see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocksteady_Studios)

Rocksteady really did shine with Arkham Asylum! It's very nice to see a new studio get recognition for their hard work. It's a shame they're not making the latest game, but as Warner Brothers Game Studios have already said, "We're being careful not to disappoint as we understand we're walking on the shoulders of giants."

[symphony]

I have a big respect for them, since AA was Rocksteady's second game (First one was Urban Riot, a decent shooter for the PS2) and they nailed it perfectly. Great review Jonex :)