Batman: Arkham Asylum - 9/10

I could summarise this review in just four words: "Buy This Game NOW!"



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We take it for granted that gamers have to put up with endless, mediocre adaptations of their favourite comic book characters, when it comes to those characters being translated into a videogame franchise. Other than a very few notable exceptions, the majority of what is foisted upon us is pure garbage.

Well, I've got GREAT news for all you Batfans out there: Batman:Arkham Asylum is easily the best superhero game ever made! In fact, it's one of the best games I have played in the last 5 years!

Remember how excited you were when Gears of War was released, and you were just blown away by the graphics, the set-design, the architecture and the gameplay? Batman:AA will have the same effect on you; I guarantee it!
Rocksteady has managed to use the Unreal Engine to (arguably) even better effect than Epic has; B:AA will astonish you with the level of graphical detail it contains. As one plays through the game, it is immediately obvious that an incredible amount of thought has gone into making every part of it look contextually-appropriate, i.e., when Batman is wandering through an ancient sewer, the bricks are old and the mortar is crumbling, and when Batman is in a "high-tech" part of the Asylum, things look modern, shiny and new.

But it's more than just that. There are no endless, repetitive levels, or pointlessly annoying backtracking missions. Even when Batman does need to retrace his steps, there's always something new or slightly (or not so slightly) different about the areas he has previously visited. In Arkham, the Joker is truly in charge and he will order his goons to areas that you've already cleared out, AND he'll often throw in a twist, just to up the difficulty that little bit more.

The combat is easy to learn, but difficult to master. It does get easier as you progress, as you can unlock more of Batman's special moves and gadgets. Eventually, you will have the option to perform special moves such as Instant Takedowns and Throws, which are all tied into your combo-metre. Ideally, you want to chain together your attacks, special moves and counter-attacks for as long as possible, so that you can earn points towards unlocking more gadgets, moves and armour. (The best I've managed so far is a 29-hit combo, but I'm certain that iddqd will claim he got a 93-hit combo... )

There was no part of the game that I found boring; every single bit is interesting, as there is always something to investigate, be it a ledge you hadn't noticed before, or an area you weren't previously able to access. - Hell, there were plenty of times I just sat on a rooftop and watched the clouds passing over Gotham City...it really is a masterpiece.

Boss Battles are cool, in that they aren't really Boss Battles at all. I find this to be a refreshing change from the standard formula of do-this-three-times-and-then-do-that-three-times, etc, etc.

The voicework is worth commenting on. - I have always been a fan of Batman: The Animated Series, and I am so, so pleased that Rocksteady managed to get Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill to reprise their roles as Batman and the Joker, respectively.

This game has immediately put itself into my "Top Ten" list, it really is that good.

It's about time that a developer made a superhero game that is true to the character. (I suppose you could say that the Spiderman games were true to character, because Spiderman is lame and faggy, just like the games...)
Anyway, Rocksteady has absolutely nailed the true feel of the Dark Knight. - Anyone who has ever read any of Frank Miller's graphic novels will know what I'm talking about.

As for replayability, well, there are a hell of a lot of areas to explore and The Riddler has left trophies all over the Island, so that could occupy you for a long time. The main part of the game can be completed in under ten hours, but they are ten of the finest gaming hours you will ever spend!

Oh, and prop's to Rocksteady's interpretation of Scarecrow...who is the scariest motherf***** in any game I've played.

GAMEPLAY - 9/10

GRAPHICS - 10/10 (Even Epic couldn't have done better.)

SOUND - 10/10 (Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill...)

OVERALL VALUE - 9/10 (10/10 for Batfans.)


All up I give this game 9/10. It falls down only in that A) there is no co-op, and, B) no Penguin. WAAK! (Two-Face does get a mention!)

BTW, I'm sure that cretinous reviewers will rate MW:2 higher than Batman:AA, but after 6 months have passed, they will look back and realise that Batman:AA is the true Game Of The Year!

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Rainbow7 03/09/2009

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