Batman: Arkham Asylum

Vlad Piranha · Posted: Sat Sep 12, 2009 1:59 am Post subject: Batman: Arkham Asylum

Just like their film adaptations in the past few years, comic based games have improved drastically. B:AA is the best example of this. This game is to games what Batman Begins was to movies. Batman has had several games over the years starting with the NES and none have really captured the character, who he is, and what he does. Arkham will be the catalyst that changes all of that.

In Batman: Arkham Asylum's plot, penned by an original writer for both the comics and animated series, you play as the Dark Knight, returning the Joker to the eponymous hospital after an yet another escape. Upon arrival to the holding areas, the real plot begins as the Joker springs a trap he'd been planning for some time. Batman's entire rogue's gallery is set free and the facility is sealed from the inside. From then on, you're on your own, fighting everyone from thugs to the Joker himself.

Everything from normal maps to lighting is exceptional. This game is very pretty by any standards. The controls are spot on. I've been away from consoles for quite a while and even I can't imagine a better way to play this game than on an Xbox controller. Everything is smooth and comfortable.

My favorite part of the game specifically is the voice acting. I've mentioned how much I've liked actual acting in other games lately, but this one is by far the best for what it is. Batman, the Joker and Harley Quinn will seem oddly familiar in this game. That's because Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill and Arleen Sorkin have returned to their roles from Batman: The Animated Series. Heath Ledger was brilliant, but Hamill will always be the real Joker to legions of kids who, like me, were raised on cartoons in the 90s.

The gameplay is incredibly cool. In previous games, you would use items once in a while, but mostly resort to your fists to deal with challenges. Arkham Asylum is not just another beat-em-up. You actually move and think like Batman. You'll climb, leap, glide and sneak in addition to attacking. The belt full of tools and weapons is there of course. You'll use everything from the Batarang and grappling hook to explosives. The biggest thrill is that, for the first time, you get to use the most powerful weapon in Batman's aresenal: fear.

Moving among the darkness picking off patrols is an art form and a skill you'll develop. Unlike The Chronicles of Riddick, this isn't merely sneaking and attacking. A sharp wit will be much more effective than brute force. My proudest moment was in the archives, where a throng of ten unarmed inmates were rummaging through files. I'd had only moderate trouble with half a dozen foes before, but hand to hand combat with this many was a bad idea. I grappled my way to the opposite end of the long room and sprayed explosive foam all over the base of a grand staircase. I let a batarang fly and crack one of them in the head. When they came to get me, I detonated the explosives and blasted nearly all of them unconscious at once. The rest was child's play. Even if enemies know you're in the room, it doesn't give them much of an edge against a smart player. They'll start to panic and even shoot in random directions out of fear. Take pity on the goon who thinks he can hide in an unlit corner when you can see in the dark.

This will be a contender for every game authority's Game of the Year award. It's orgasmically cool. Jimmy might end up in the hospital from sensory overload.

Brutus · Posted: Sat Sep 12, 2009 9:09 am Post subject:

That looks pretty slick. Cant find a good trailer though - just snips here and there. Sad

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Raed · Posted: Sat Sep 12, 2009 1:29 pm Post subject:

Brutus wrote:

That looks pretty slick. Cant find a good trailer though - just snips here and there. Sad

Looks like there is quite a bit here. I just watched the review on the site, looks awesome so far.
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-=|CT|=- Raed