Batman: Arkham Asylum Review

I am always leery when I load any licensed game into my console, especially when that license happens to be one my favorite.  Nearly every time a publisher releases a video game based on a beloved franchise, it is an obvious attempt at a cash-in, devoid of any creative merit.  I am (incredibly) pleased to tell you that this is not the case with Batman:  Arkham Asylum.  This game delivers on every level, and I do not hesitate to place it among the best licensed video games of all time.  It is certainly the best game based on a superhero that I have ever played in my twenty years of hardcore gaming.

Note:  This review is of the Playstation 3 version of the game.  Incidentally, I know this game was released nearly a year and a half ago, but I just got around to playing it so THERE ;{o


The game begins with a cinematic cutscene depicting Joker's latest trip to Arkham Asylum in the back of the Batmobile.  The playable escort that follows serves as a catalyst for the action to come, with Batman expressing to Gordon his uneasiness about the lack of difficulty involved in apprehending Joker this time.  Joker, of course, breaks free of his bonds, and Batman's worries become a reality as it is revealed that Joker has planned his capture to coincide with the (un)planned transfer (thanks to a fire) of numerous sane Blackgate Prison inmates--many in Joker's gang--to the asylum.  So begins the intricately planned night of mayhem.  You play as Batman--with all the gadgets you've come to know and love (and then some)--methodically making your way around Arkham Island to uncover and halt Joker's latest plot to harm the citizens of Gotham.  You do all of the things you would expect to do as the Dark Knight--except pilot vehicles--although they do make memorable appearances, and the game does not suffer in the least from the exclusion of their playability.

Gameplay is experienced through a classic-yet-perfected third-person over-the-shoulder perspective and consists of combat, stealth combat, and exploration with a dash of puzzle-solving thrown in for good measure.  If you are any type of gamer who enjoys action-adventure, you will enjoy this game whether you like Batman or not (but, frankly, who doesn't?).  The hand-to-hand combat involves an easy-to-learn-yet-hard-to-master combo system that allows the Caped Crusader to dispense of numerous foes simultaneously with various strikes, throws, stuns, and counters, with the occasional Batarang thrown for a quick multiplier.  Chaining your combos fluidly without being hit or breaking them yourself rewards greater experience, which is used to purchase upgrades for the Batsuit and other familiar equipment frequently used by the World's Greatest Detective.

The detective aspect of Bruce Wayne's character is not lost in this interactive incarnation, a decision on the part of the developers for which I am extremely grateful.  By pressing the L2 button, players can switch to "Detective Mode," changing the already dark and foreboding landscape to a much darker and monochromatic environment, with points of interest highlighted in bright colors.  Items of interest include any evidence trail (such as specific DNA or fingerprints) Batman might be following at the time, interview tapes with Arkham inmates that help flesh out the characters and story, or trophies and puzzles that the Riddler has placed all over the island to challenge your wits and dedication to exploration.  The obsessive-compulsive collector in me spent quite a bit of time in Detective Mode searching for all of the little extras.  While they do provide some substantial XP (experience points for you non-nerds), the real reward is the unlockable content:  character biographies that give information about tons of characters in the Dark Knight's canon--not just those featured in the game--and new levels in the Challenge Mode--the other portion of the game that adds quite a bit of replay value to the title as a whole.

The Challenge Mode puts the player into timed combat or stealth scenarios that force the player to eliminate a designated number of Joker's thugs.  The goal of the combat challenges is to create the largest chain combos possible to earn high scores that place your PS3 gamer tag on the online leaderboards.  The objective of points is the same in the stealth (or Predator) challenges, but the points are earned by covertly dispersing of the targets quickly and efficiently.  The Dark Knight can use his trusty grappling hook to climb atop vantage points, allowing him to drop down quietly from above and perform silent takedowns or hang his victims from the ceiling.  Batman can also crouch and crawl through air ducts to sneak up behind opponents and perform silent takedowns.  The stealth aspects of the gameplay are just as intuitive as the rest of the game.  The developers have captured the character of Batman quite well.  Enemies become frightened when their cohorts start dropping and/or disappearing, and they are frightened when he springs upon them unexpectedly as well.  The advantage of fear and the opportunity it provides in combat is the main reasoning behind Bruce Wayne's adoption of the bat visage and to ignore that fact would have been extremely detrimental.

The creators also captured the essence of the rest of the cast remarkably well.  The writing is spot-on.  It helps that it was penned by prolific comic writer Paul Dini.  The fact that many of the voice actors from my personal favorite Dark Knight cartoon, Batman:  The Animated Series, have returned to reprise their roles--including the legendary Mark Hamill in the pivotal role of Joker--help the story succeed as well.  Incidentally, this is definitely not a detective story for your children.  This game was created for those fans, like myself, who grew up loving the franchise, and have since done just that--grown up.  There is plenty of swearing but nothing that would be censored from prime-time television, and the female characters are dressed quite scantily; however, the fact that this game is for adults rests in the more darkly sinister and disturbing content presented in the dialogue and images.  Whether Killer Croc is discussing eating and eventually shitting out his murder victims or the Riddler is telling a joke that ends in the dismemberment of a baby, it is obvious that this game is geared toward an adult audience.  Some of the visuals, especially the parts of the game involving Scarecrow and his hallucinogenic toxin, disturbed even me, a horror movie/comic/book buff.

I really can't say enough good things about this game.  I enjoyed every minute of the fifteen or so hours I put into it (which earned me about 90% completion--I didn't search out every easter egg, but I did find many).  From the large number of skirmishes allowing me to own unskilled armed goons, to the boss encounters (Bane, Killer Croc, Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn, Joker, etc.), to just exploring the island as the Dark Knight, entering the Bat Cave or grappling to the top of the clock tower to glide for hundreds of meters, the game is a fanboy's dream come true.

I am anxiously awaiting the sequel:  Batman:  Arkham City.  

Episode VI: Return of the Fat Guy

After a long hiatus, I have decided to return to the blogosphere.  There are multiple directions I want to go with this creation, and I can't decide on which, so I am going to go in all of them.  I hope I don't disappoint or alienate any of the tens of readers I have, but I have an eclectic taste.  I am a student of multiple subjects and disciplines:  composition; pedagogy; gaming--poker, mostly, but I still love video games and tabletop RPGs; comedy (in all its forms); literature; film; history; beer and coffee--I group them because they are both beverages, and both require the same fine attention to detail in their respective crafting and appreciation; and puzzle-solving--not a recent fascination but one that has been reawakened since I became interested in speedcubing (solving a Rubik's cube or similar puzzle as quickly as possible).  I approach each of these interests almost academically, with a hunger for knowledge that nearly matches the hunger I have for Lion's Choice (which is quite substantial).  It's no wonder I decided to become an educator.  I can't get enough of being a student.

So I hope having some direction, especially multiple ones, will allow me to catalyze the creative lethargy that tends to pervade my leisure time.  My personal and professional life are rather demanding, but I am not complaining.  I love my life, and I wouldn't have it any other way.  I hope to crank out more than few posts before this next semester starts, when I will inevitably slow down again.  My goal is to avoid the standstill at which I arrived this previous semester.  With that said, I must leave you--but only to decide upon the topic of my next post.  For now, I'm all in.

Note:  Many Bothans died to bring you this information.