Batman: Arkham Asylum review (PS3, Xbox 360) By Sayed Islam Published: 09/30/09 PrintEmail
With the enormous success of The Dark Knight, expectations have been lofty. Avid Batman enthusiasts have been clamoring for a Batman video game that manages to capture Batman in all of its glory. Finally, the ultimate Batman experience has arrived. The storyline transpires with Batman detaining The Joker, and he delivers The Joker to Arkham Asylum. Arkham Asylum is a prison where the most nefarious criminals are sent to be incarcerated. Because Batman ponders why it was such an easy task to arrest The Joker, the man in black is concerned about the detainment once they both arrived at Arkham Asylum. In the subsequent moments, The Joker is sent away for his penalty. Unsurprisingly, something goes terribly wrong. As a result, the Joker escapes from the prison guards and sets a trap for none other than Batman himself. To quote the Joker verbatim, “I set a trap, and you sprang it gloriously. Now let’s get this party started.” No one can say it any better than The Joker. The narrative has a fairly gritty tone, and this astonishing tale will appease even the most skeptical of audiences.
Regarding the gameplay, it boils down into three phases: exploration, puzzle solving, and combat. Exploration is more often than not about finding a ventilation shaft or grappling place and going through it. The puzzle solving is about using a special set of visors (detective mode) that enable Batman to see clues about what to accomplish next. These same visors can also be used at anytime during the game, and it can even make the enemies more visible. The combat branches off into two permutations which are free flow and invisible predator. Free flow combat is melee battles that entail attacks and counterattacks. Batman can perform punches and kicks with the press of a button. In addition, he can utilize one of his countless gadgets such as the trusty batarang. Nevertheless, counterattacks are done differently. For example, you will see what looks like five lightning bolt insignias above their heads when an adversary is on the brink of attacking. When these five lighting bolts appear, you can make Batman counterattack by pushing the counterattack button. At other times, there will be foes with five red lighting bolts above their heads to signify these enemies are more deadly. Albeit as brilliant as the free flow combat is, the invisible predator moments in the game are when gamers truly feel like Batman. In essence, the invisible predator segments are the stealth portions. For instance, Batman will be in a room with thugs. Without attracting attention, players must neutralize all of the threats in the room. Moreover, Batman can execute stealth takedowns and assertive glide kicks from above (these will alert nearby opponents). Also, you can use the gargoyles near the top of the rooms to stay undetected by launching the grappling hook (it is also feasible to travel from one gargoyle to the next with a grappling hook). Even Batman’s notorious inverted takedown is plausible from a gargoyle. Furthermore, invisible predator is where Batman can accentuate the bevy of gadgets at his disposal like the explosive gel. One thing you can do is to have Batman turn on detective mode visors, grapple up to a gargoyle, perform a glide kick, takedown that guard, spray some explosive gel near the dead body, grapple back up to the gargoyle, wait for the guards to examine the dead body, and detonate the explosive gel. It is this kind of versatility that makes Batman: Arkham Asylum such an excellent game. Along with the single player, there are some challenge modes that can be played as Batman or the Joker. The Joker’s bonus content allows people to use different weapons than Batman. Explosive toys, a gun, and an electrical handshake are all what makes him dissimilar from The Dark Knight. Surprisingly enough, this mode is very addicting (granted it is more arduous because The Joker cannot fire the grappling hook).
In terms of graphics, the visuals are remarkable. You will see damage on Batman’s suit, and The Joker’s face paint is exceptionally done. For the sake of keeping this a spoiler free review, the enemies will be kept to a minimum (but it would be remiss if Harley Quinn voluptuous breasts and tight ass were not mentioned in this review). The one drawback is clipping. There are times when you eliminate an enemy, and they will go straight through objects on the ground prior to hitting the ground.
The audio is incredible too. Star Wars’ Mark Hamill plays The Joker, and Kevin Conroy (from the Batman cartoon) portrays Batman. One cause for concern is some of the redundant lines that the villains say; nonetheless, it is a minor gripe.
Overall, Batman: Arkham Asylum is not just any ordinary Batman game. This is the defining Batman title we wanted to see from the start.
Art direction 9.5 In terms of graphics, the visuals are remarkable. You will see damage on Batman’s suit, and The Joker’s face paint is exceptionally done. For the sake of keeping this a spoiler free review, the enemies will be kept to a minimum (but it would be remiss if Harley Quinn voluptuous breasts and tight ass were not mentioned in this review). The one drawback is clipping. There are times when you eliminate an enemy, and they will go straight through objects on the ground prior to hitting the ground. Audio 9.5 The audio is incredible too. Star Wars’ Mark Hamill plays The Joker, and Kevin Conroy (from the Batman cartoon) portrays Batman. One cause for concern is some of the redundant lines that the villains say; nonetheless, it is a minor gripe. Gameplay 9.5 It can be insipid going through all those ventilation shafts, but everything else is engrossing. Presentation 10 The narrative has a fairly gritty tone, and this astonishing tale will appease even the most skeptical of audiences. Replay Value 10 Between the challenge modes and the single player mode, there is plenty to experience. The Joker’s bonus content was very refreshing.
With the enormous success of The Dark Knight, expectations have been lofty. Avid Batman enthusiasts have been clamoring for a Batman video game that manages to capture Batman in all of its glory. Finally, the ultimate Batman experience has arrived. The storyline transpires with Batman detaining The Joker, and he delivers The Joker to Arkham Asylum. Arkham Asylum is a prison where the most nefarious criminals are sent to be incarcerated. Because Batman ponders why it was such an easy task to arrest The Joker, the man in black is concerned about the detainment once they both arrived at Arkham Asylum. In the subsequent moments, The Joker is sent away for his penalty. Unsurprisingly, something goes terribly wrong. As a result, the Joker escapes from the prison guards and sets a trap for none other than Batman himself. To quote the Joker verbatim, “I set a trap, and you sprang it gloriously. Now let’s get this party started.” No one can say it any better than The Joker. The narrative has a fairly gritty tone, and this astonishing tale will appease even the most skeptical of audiences.
