Do you know who Cole MacGrath and Alex Mercer are? Well, you probably do if you’re a serious gamer. They are the protagonists of the two recent superhero games InFamous and Prototype, respectively. Now there’s another superhero game a couple of months after those two hit, and this time it’s a little bit more familiar: Batman is back, and his difficult task this time is taking Arkham Asylum back from The Joker.
Back in May 1939, DC Comics created a new superhero. He first appeared in the twenty-seventh edition of the Detective Comics. Since then, the character has been one of the most known superheroes, and he’s certainly among the cream of the fictional character crop. The question is if the developer, Rocksteady Studios, have succeeded in living up to the great name that has been built over a seventy year period. The answer is simple: Yes.
The Joker has been wreaking havoc in Gotham City, and Batman does his job and captures him. He puts up little fight, and Batman soon has him trapped in the Batmobile and is on his way back to Arkham Island—Arkham Asylum to be more precise. Batman soon has to escort him down to the Intensive Care unit, and he has to endure his snide remarks and cheeky jokes that will keep you entertained during the trip.
You are told on arrival that you can’t go in, so you must watch the cutscene. The Joker, who is trapped, somehow manages to attack the guards and free himself. He is soon on the run and sets enemies in your way to gain time.
You are soon fighting your way through enemies to get to the man himself. During the game, there are a number of diversions which must be followed. Stealth, combat and even hanging upside down all play a big part in the game.
The biggest problem you’ll come across will be the asylum inmates who were let free. Every time you come across one or more of them, it’s a button-mashing occasion that will leave a smile on your face. The combat is superb and so rewarding. All of the usuals play a part such as quick strikes, counters and slow motion special attacks.
The Joker isn't going to take this kindly.
The combat is marred by some glitches; you will see some of your enemies falling through walls or through Batman during the fighting climax. This can also happen if Batman walks on top of someone. It is unfortunate as the rest of the fighting is amazing, and is partially ruined by these ugly visuals.
Stealth is an important factor in this game. You’ll frequently come across gun-wielding enemies, and jumping down and bouncing your feet off each of their faces in turn won’t work as you’ll soon be riddled with bullets, especially on hard mode. You may need to hang down and silently “put your enemies to sleep” one by one by isolating them. You may have to (read: quite often) bend into the ventilation system by pulling the safety cover off the wall and bypassing locked doors.
Voice acting is superb—people like The Joker and Batman are a joy to listen to. Although the sound is good, the lip syncing in cut scenes could be better, as this jumped out at first sight.
The graphics and visuals are also superb, especially with the main characters. The Joker is amazingly designed, and his illuminating hair and suit clash with the dark surrounding to add contrast to the game. Batman is wonderfully animated, and his costume is eroded more as you progress through the game. These are all nice features, and these are things that add to the overall game.
The graphics are truly a work of art.
One of the places in which the game shines most brightly is Detective mode. Tapping the corresponding button will bring up the mode. You will be able to detect enemies through walls, ceilings and floors. You will be informed which ones are armed, what walls have weak structure points and much more. Although this sounds great, it’s very easy to fall into the habit of playing the whole game in this mode.
Arkham Asylum houses some of the villains Batman has ever fought, and unfortunately, you can’t fight them all—they are memorable battles in the comics. The ones you do get to fight, however, involve intense battles, leaving you pleased with our efforts in the aftermath.
If you finish the lengthy but entertaining story, it’s not over yet; Riddler has set a number of trophies and riddles all over the island to keep you entertained throughout the story and after. Not only that, but there are a large number of Joker’s fake teeth to destroy as well in order to make your way to the prestigious 100 percent.
Batman: Arkham Asylum didn’t get my hopes high. As more screenshots and videos were released, I will admit it aroused my curiosity. On release, I was blown away with a visual masterpiece, which was made simple but so impressive. It had a lengthy story that will not bore you, and it has a number of other things to do after the story has ended. Simply put, it’s an amazing game, and one that will go down with gaming legends.
[review pros="Outstanding voice acting; visual masterpiece; amazing battles." cons="Occasional combat glitches." score="90"]
