Review: Batman Arkham Asylum

Batman. Star of comics and movies and afternoon television, loved by millions of fans the world over, a multi-million dollar industry on the name alone - yet no one has ever successfully made a Batman video game that captured the essence of the movies or the comics in any real way. Freshman developer Rocksteady came out of nowhere with their attempt at a decent Bats game - and holy hell did they deliver.

Story.
Arkham Asylum came out in the Summer of 2009, but it was still riding the immense popularity wave of 2008's The Dark Knight. And while it didn't have story ties with Christopher Nolan's modern masterpiece, Arkham Asylum's main villain is The Joker, and with the hysteria over Heath Ledger's portrayal of the clown-faced maniac, the game really hit a sweet spot in the market.

The main storyline of Arkham Asylum is this: you (Batman) capture Joker and return him to  Gotham's home for the criminally insane. Joker seems awfully cooperative as he is wheeled into the institution Hannibal Lecter style in the game's creepy opening. Indeed, you played right into Joker's plan as he takes over the Asylum by setting all the inmates free.

The majority of the story is that setup alone - there's no real big twists or turns or story arcs. There's a ton of atmosphere and sense of place, most of which is derived from a series of Batman comics based around Arkham. But in terms of driving plot, it's a single mission: stop Joker. There are story threads that are told through hidden audio diaries - these are actually recordings of doctor/patient sessions with some of Arkham's most infamous villains. They give a lot of depth to the game's plot and characters, but don't really advance the main plot that much.

Regardless, the amount of story that is here is just right. Because this game is all about the action, baby.

Gameplay.
Finely tuned doesn't even begin to describe this game. The developers captured every element of Batman's character and then some. Doing so meant blending several different game styles which can often result in a mess of a game, but Rocksteady studios absolutely nailed it.

One of the first things to comes to mind when one thinks of Batman is the gadgets. In Arkham Asylum you have eight gadgets to play around with - from the iconic Batarang to the remotely detonated explosive foam, to the ridiculously-fun-to-use zip line, you will feel like a fully equipped Dark Knight.

In addition to sweet gear, Batman also has to be stealthy. There are specific rooms within the Asylum that are swarming with armed thugs - the most threatening enemies in the game. If you're seen, it only takes two or three shots to take you down. To make sure you aren't seen, you are given the all important "detective mode". This is activated by a single button press and allows Batman to see through walls to see the position of the thugs and whether or not they are armed. You can also hang from gargoyles around the to evade and hide from trouble.

Detective Mode

These rooms are all about pattern recognition and patience. But once you start methodically taking out the guards and hearing their shouts go from taunting to pleading, you actually feel like the all powerful caped crusader. These are by far the most exciting parts of the game once you get it right.

Even with all this coolness of knocking out baddies, Batman's original occupation was a detective. The Detective Mode which allows you to see enemies through walls, also allows you to track down clues and follow invisible footprints. There are quite a few times throughout the game where you're tasked with finding an answer to a puzzle rather than finding the soft spot in a goon's head. While these sections were relatively easy, they were challenging enough to be enjoyable, and offered a welcomed break in the action.

In addition to the campaign based puzzles, there are also "Riddler Challenges" scattered everywhere. Almost every room in the game has a pun-based riddle associated with it and solving it will give you experience points and will usually unlock character bios for you to peruse. Many times you can ignore the riddle and just point at the thing that sticks out in a room, but other times they can be real noodle scratchers. But Riddler didn't only leave riddles for you to solve, he also hid little question mark trophies everywhere - sometimes easy to track down, other times deviously difficult. I was obsessed with finding as many trophies and answering as many riddles as possible. I got about 75% of them, but the time I spent trying to figure out these puzzles easily extended the game's length by 3-4 hours for me - easily my favorite aspect of the game.

Probably has something to do with that elevator...

The final thing I'll mention is that you are in a mental hospital for the criminally insane - that's a scary place, and this game reminds you of that every chance it gets. You won't be jumping out of your seat or trading in Silent Hill 2, but the creepiness is definitely there real thick. The best component of this is the Scarecrow's induced hallucinations.You'll start to see the environment around you change radically in a way specifically targeted to terrify Bruce Wayne - and you in the process. It's freakin scary. Here's a non-spoilery sample:

How much poop is in your pants right now?

The amount of variety of gameplay in this game is immense. I didn't even mention the Metroid elements, Zelda elements, or the hand-to-hand combat. While it doesn't quite match the pacing of Uncharted 2, it destroys it in the amount of gameplay styles packed in there. You will never be bored while playing this game. Never. Never ever. For real.

Presentation.
Batman has always been dark, and gritty and sort of gothic (well, except for that stupid Batman and Robin movie), and Arkham Asylum captures that aesthetic perfectly. Its appropriate use of the gray scale is spot on, but the game adds variety by pushing you through a lush greenhouse garden or the night-sky lit Asylum courtyards, or Batman's alternate batcave - bathed in the blue glow of technology, its environments are just as varied as its styles of gameplay.

The voice acting and scripting is damn near perfect. Luke Skywalker himself, Mark Hamill voices the Joker, reprising his role from the animated series. Batman still has that goofy, over-the-top gruffness to his voice, but at least its consistent with the movies.

"No! That's not true! That's impossible!" I mean..."Let's put a smile on that face..."

The little details in the game are fantastic too. For example, as you play through, Batman's suit gets ripped and his cape gets shredded - evidence and reminders of your physical struggles through the experience.

The music is awesome and reminiscent of the Tim Burton Batman music. Swelling horns and orchestration punctuates each area and victory.

The only thing I didn't like was how close the camera hung on your character. Batman took up like the entire left third of the screen, which made it hard to see at times. It's totally nit-picky and you definitely get used to it after a couple hours, but it's the only negative thing I could say about the game. Here, see for yourself.

Yo, you all up in my business. My biznass.

Stuff I Loved: 

• Perfect blend of seemingly endless gameplay styles
• Top notch voice acting, scripting, and graphics
• Freakin scary when it should be, exciting when it needed to be and methodical when you wanted it to be. Awesome. 

Stuff I Hated: 

• Literally nothing. I was never frustrated throughout the entire game. Ever.  

If you don't own this game, change that. It's by far one of the top ten games of this generation. Here, let me help you. Batman Arkham Asylum on Amazon

Do it.