Batman: Arkham Asylum (Xbox 360, PS3)

Superhero games are similar to games based on popular movies: both take well established and marketable franchises and churn out pure crap in video game form.   I honestly can’t remember the last time there was a good video game based on a super hero franchise. The only decent one that comes to mind is the recent game based on the X-Men Origins: Wolverine flick.  Still, at its core, that game was nothing more than a simple beat em up disguised under a bunch of gore. In comparison to previous movie/comic to game incarnations,  that game seemed to be a step above the rest, but honestly that really isn’t saying much. Upon playing Batman: Arkham Asylum, I was pleasantly surprised to finally find a game that does its source material some justice.  In fact, there is enough solid gameplay to make this game a top title regardless of the subject matter.

GRAPHICS 9/10

The graphics in this game are excellent. The details of Batman’s costume really shine through and he noticeably takes damage to both his body and his suit as the game progresses. It’s pretty cool later in the game to see Batman with a ripped up costume, bloody face, and 2 day old beard. Equally impressive are the game’s lighting effects, which effectively switch from regular view to the detective viewpoint, in which enemies and items of interest are highlighted through a type of thermal imaging scope.  The environments are extremely detailed with impressive textures throughout. You really get the sense that you are trapped in this creepy asylum, and the graphics do a good job of ratcheting up the tension to levels only found in the best survival horror games.

STORY 8/10

Even though the story seems a bit stretched and predictable, it is still very entertaining.  I won’t get into the plot too much, but there aren’t any twists or huge surprises thrown at the player. The plot is engaging enough to keep everything moving forward, and that is exactly what you will want to do in this game. The claustrophobic freakiness of the asylum just begs for you to try and escape. Not to mention the possibility that ANYTHING can happen around any given corner and you’ve got a game that not only begs for you to keep playing, but also pushes you to find out how everything is going to turn out. While I’m not a huge fan of games that don’t have multiplayer, the story in this game is good enough to keep me glued, even if it is fairly predictable.

SOUND 9/10

The sound for the game is spot on. Batarangs clang into enemies when thrown.  You can hear the grappling hook grip into the bricks as it punctures them and grabs a hold.  The sound of punches crunching a thug’s face fill the air whenever Batman unleashes a vicious combo. It’s all here. In fact, one of the best points, in terms of sound, is the voice acting in the game. Batman is voiced by Kevin Conroy, the same actor who voiced the character in the animated series. The Joker is voiced by Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker), also from the animated series, who brings an edgier and more demented Joker to life. Hamill’s Joker is great in this game, as he can be constantly heard through the intercom mutterring absurdities and his quips are often quite funny….in a sick way. Anyone familiar with the animated series should feel right at home with the voice work in this game, and rightfully so as it is top notch.

GAMEPLAY 9/10

The gameplay in this game is excellent. Anyone who has ever wanted to assume the role of the Dark Knight in a game finally has that chance. It’s all here at your disposal: Batman’s insanely cool gadgets, his stealth abilities, his superior combat skills (Crocop style head kick to the face anyone??), and all of his acrobatic prowess are captured perfectly in this game. You can choose to remain in the shadows and pick off your enemies one by one or you can go in brawling and take on a gang of thugs all at once. The game really does a good job in allowing the player to choose how they handle a given situation. While some situations are impossible unless you utilize some stealth, you still have the option to go in with fists flying if you choose.

There were two games that the gameplay immediately resembled to me: Metroid Prime and Chronicles of Riddick. Both games are excellent and this game manages to combine the best elements of the two.  From Riddick’s dark tone and brooding atmosphere to the constant exploration of Metroid Prime, Batman borrows from both and creates something truly unique that truly does justice to its source material.  This is one of those games that keeps you playing so that you find out what happens next.

Perhaps the only drawback to the overall gameplay would be the inconsistent camera. While the camera isn’t bad enough to be a gamebreaker, it does tend to move into some wierd angles that make it difficult to keep an eye on who you’re fighting. This is especially annoying if you are attempting to use your grappling hook to get away and the grapple point you were aiming at suddenly is suddenly situated behind the camera all of a sudden. It is a bit hard to explian, but there are times when the camera gets disorienting and it is usually in the heat of an intense battle. 

Perhaps one of the coolest things involving gameplay is the inclusion of the Riddler and his challenges. At the beginning of each area, you are given a riddle referring to something in that area that must be photographed using your detective vision. As simple as it sounds, this aspect of the game alone makes the experience highly addicting. For instance, you walk in to a room and see the quote “This bear is the Bane of his existence.” Then later towards the end of the level you discover a hidden teddy bear that used to belong to Bane. You then take a picture of this object to complete the riddle. It’s implementation is a lot more exciting than it sounds, trust me. I have never had the urge to search for all of the collectibles in ANY game, however with this one I am constantly double checking areas for hidden clues or riddle answers.

REPLAYABILITY 8/10

The game has a single player campaing that is actually quite long. Not only is the campaign itself engaing and fun, but all of the Riddler challenges add another level of replay value to the game. Upon completion, you will want to go back and search for the answer to each challenge, especially since there are areas from the beginning of the game that can’t be accessed until later on when you acquire the apporpriate gadgets. 

The game also features a challenge mode, which is similar to a survival combat mode in which you have to defeat X number of enemies in X amount of time. While I don’t really care for this mode, I can see other people can get in to it, especially with the inclusion of exclusive playable characters (PS3 gets Joker, Xbox360 gets Scarecrow).   Despite all of these extras, the campaign mode by itself is good enough to warrant multiple playthroughs.

OVERALL 9/10

This is an excellent game that also has quite a bit of polish to it. There weren’t any noticable glitches that I encountered, and everything from the combat system to the use of the grappling devices worked perfectly. Perhaps the biggest draw to this game is the fan service that it provides to Batman fans. If you’re into Batman, this is definitely a must have as it alludes to things from the comics and references nearly everything in the Batman mythos.  In fact, other than the Joker, the majority of the focus in the game is on some of Batman’s lesser known nemesis.  I thought this was an excellent touch as their storylines are every bit as intriguing as Batman’s other more high profile foes.

The inclusion of the Riddler challenges is implemented to perfection in this game, as looking for and solving them is not only a blast to do,but for each Riddler challenge you complete you are rewarded with things ranging from artwork of your favorite villains to psychiatric evaluations of the Asylum’s most notorious resdients.  Factor in the excellent voice work and this is the ultimate superhero video game experience. Fans of the Dark Knight, the comics, the animated series, or just solid gaming in general  should all try out this game.