Game Review: Batman: Arkham Asylum

Batman Arkham Asylum PS3 Cover Game Review: Batman: Arkham Asylum

The gods have blessed us with a topnotch product. All around the world, comic and video game lovers are rejoicing for the latest and greatest superhero game. This game really lets you become the Dark Knight.

Rocksteady has made the ultimate Batman simulator with Batman: Arkham Asylum. You play as Batman, who has captured the Joker and is bringing him back to the Arkham Asylum. Things go wrong and the Joker and his minions get behind the controls of and wreak havoc on the facility. Now it’s up to Batman to save the day yet again.

The game includes many aspects of Batman’s talents such as his superior combat skills, his investigative smarts, and his stealth maneuvers. In other words, I wouldn’t want to play him in a game of chess at night with no helmet.

The combat is pretty simplistic, yet very satisfying. You have four basic combat moves: attack, counter, dodge, and cape stun. The more combos you do, the heavier the damage and a chance to do some knockout moves that can’t be blocked. I love the feeling of socking someone with my left fist while countering another goon with my right arm and then knocking him down with my left elbow. And just for fun, I would just do nothing but counter moves, just to show the thugs that they can’t touch me. If only MC Hammer had his own game.

The length of the stealth portion is pretty even with combat. This is where you really get to become the “Dark” Knight, hiding in the shadows. The gargoyles in the game are your friends, since it’ll be your main object for observing and evading. Not only that, but you can also grab someone from below, or glide off of the gargoyle and air kick an enemy. You have many gadgets at your disposal to play with, my favorite being the grappling gun that can hook onto a bad guy and pull him down off a ledge.

In between the fighting and sneaking, Batman gets a chance to tickle his brain by following clues using detective mode and also little bit of platforming. The clue portion of the game is neat, but I wished that there was more of a variety to it then just following a trail.

The voice acting is one of the highlights of the game and fits very well with the characters…except for the goons. I don’t care what anyone says, but Mark Hamill IS the Joker. Kevin Conroy does a good job of making Batman’s voice intimidating, while still being able to understand what he is saying. Arleen Sorkin as Harley Quinn is just too adorable in a psychotic kind of way. I may be a bit biased, since I loved the animated series.

The music is very fitting for this game. It’s very reminiscent of Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard’s score of Batman Begins with its subtle dark theme; with emphasis on “subtle.”

I don’t have much to say about the graphics other than to say that it is visually stunning. The many villains had enough screen time and solving the Riddler’s riddles gives you goosebumps when you see cameos from others in the Batman universe.

Once you’re finished with the story, you can play challenge mode and compete against online scores to be the fastest in kicking ass. For the Playstation 3 version, you get to play as the Joker. He comes with X-ray glasses, a chattering-teeth bomb, and a gun. Yes, the Joker fights dirty.

The only issue I had with the game was the Killer Croc sequence. But other than that, this is a great comic-book game, AND it’s a great video game. I hope that for Rocksteady’s next Batman game, they will take the sequel into the streets and skyscrapers of Gotham City. I’m drooling just thinking about it.

Grade: A

pixel Game Review: Batman: Arkham Asylum

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