 Title: Batman: Arkham AsylumRelease: August 25, 2009
Genre: Action-Adventure
Developer: Rocksteady Studios
Publisher: Eidos Interactive
Platform: Xbox 360
Rating: T (Teen)
Batman has had it pretty good these past few years. The stigma of the films Batman Forever and Batman and Robin washed away with the release of the expertly crafted reboot of the series with Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. Now, Rocksteady Studios has the opportunity to reboot Batman on the video game front. The results are shockingly one-sided for the DC hero who has appeared in nothing but gaming garbage for years.
Graphically, Arkham Asylum is a work horse that never sleeps. The game is rendered by the Unreal engine as well as a handful of other recognizable studios who are masters in their field. The animations are mesmerizing when fighting large groups of enemies. Batman links combos together fluidly as well as convincingly and sometimes leaves you asking yourself just how you incapacitated a room full of goons. As the game progresses, little details start to pop up such as the wear and damage of Batman’s suit and the graffiti scrawled across the landscape. The game also features The Riddler’s puzzles which is Arkham Asylum’s form of collectables. Not only is this a particularly clever way to tie in collectables but also a fantastic way to enhance the engrossing details which flood every inch of stage design. Little things like defaced statues and dead bodies posed by killers add a believable element of menace not done as effectively since Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay. Every single character in the game has gone through a re-imaging phase that pays off quickly. Villains such as The Scarecrow, Bane and Killer Croc have never looked better in comics or films.
The music is reminiscent of the newer Batman films as well as the animated TV show from the nineties. Overall the score is subtle but during fight sequences it becomes outstandingly pronounced and links itself to the context of the fight whether you are taking enemies down stealthily or bashing in their ribs. The voice acting is exemplary in finding the right mix of smart dialogue and top talent. Mark Hamill reprises his role as the Joker and gives the clown prince of crime a definitive voice that taunts you throughout the game. The presentation as a whole is beyond expectations based on previous Batman video games. Arkham Asylum is to games what The Dark Knight is to films; a top tier artistic feat that represents the legendary Batman experience.
Arkham Asylum is an adventure game first and foremost, but fighting is never implemented as an afterthought. Fighting seems simple enough at first with a punch button, counter button and a “cape” button that dizzies some henchmen. In small groups, fighting is jamming on the attack button while occasionally hitting the counter button when a thug attacks—these attacks are indicated by blue lights flashing above an enemies’ head. The fight mechanics become incredibly deep as the enemy units become varied and armed. Eventually you will be able to fight off hordes of enemies by carefully watching for opportunities and correctly reading situations. Some instances will ask you to take down henchmen without being seen which requires extra planning and even quicker reflexes. Whether you jump in and clobber every enemy in the room or stealthily hang everyone by their feet one by one, combat always feels rewarding. After completing the single player campaign, you can test what you have learned in the challenge mode which has you beating up dozens of henchmen or eliminating them in the fastest time; all results are posted on the online leaderboard.
As an adventure title, the need for backtracking is inevitable. Locations evolve as the game progresses so even areas that you have been before are not exactly the way you left them. This gives the asylum that creepy “lived in” quality that will make you feel like you are being watched. More often than not you will have to back track and end up finding new enemies occupying old stages which can be confusing when trying to find out where you are supposed to be going. There are some moments when the next objective is not entirely clear, but these moments are few.
The Developers made every effort to create a game that not only fans would enjoy, but if you are a fan of the Batman universe you will adore Arkham Asylum. Rocksteady dug deep when selecting the villain roster and even if you don’t do battle with you favorite villain you can expect a cameo in some form or another; not one of these cameos is done poorly or mishandled. Batman: Arkham Asylum could launch Rocksteady into the elite category of developers today and is a surprising candidate for game of the year.
M. Michael Chwedyk-MuzikReviews.com Sr. Video Game Reviewer
October 22, 2009
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