Arkham Asylum Review

Arkham Asylum’s premise is deceptively simple. Batman has captured the Joker once again and in the process of interring the criminal deep within the depths of the infamous mental “hospital”, when the Clown Prince of Crime suddenly escapes. As the deviant exclaims himself “I set a trap and you sprung it BEAUTIFULLY!” It’s all downhill for the Dark Avenger from here on as the asylum is taken over by Harley Quinn, Joker goons, and every single psychopath dwelling within the island.

Batman now finds himself stuck in the madhouse, at the mercy of a lunatic’s fickle whims. The beauty of this set up is that the folks at Rocksteady found a logical excuse to pit Bats against some of his greatest foes, all of whom are eager to take out their pent up aggressions against the crime fighter who put them in the clink. I’m only a couple of hours in and I’ve already done battle with Scarecrow, Bane, the Riddler and Harley but I’ve also run across Killer Croc and Poison Ivy in passing.

Arkham Asylum has it all; awesome combat mechanics, impeccable voice acting, compelling story, intelligent detective gameplay, upgradeable character customization, gorgeous visuals, countless collectibles, thrilling atmosphere, and more variety than you can shake a Batarang at. I’m shocked that Rocksteady was able to pack as much super-heroic goodness in this game while maintaining a high degree of polish and quality across the board. No single element takes precedence at the sake of some other aspect of gameplay, and that’s what truly separates this title from the norm.

Combat and Stealth will vie for your attention throughout Batman’s sojourn through the Crazy House. Batman is not invincible, and the only way he’s going to make it through this disaster is by using his wits. Well, that and an assortment of technologically tenacious gadgets. You can approach most unarmed combatants any way you want, although I thoroughly enjoyed beating down baddies with the stylish hand-to-hand combo system. Chaining together combos earns EXP, which you can in turn use to upgrade Batman’s suit, weapons, and gadgets as well as unlocking newer and even more Bat-tastic moves.

When guns enter the mix, players face a bit more of a challenge as they will have to play it smart seeing as how Batman isn’t as invincible as a certain OTHER caped crusader. Utilizing upgradeable stealth moves and gadgets such a remote controlled batarangs and explosive gels, players can set up elaborate traps and take out multiple enemies in one fell swoop. There are often multiple approaches to any one challenge, which also leads into the aptly named Challenge mode, which pits you against the AI to see how fast and effectively you can take down enemies on specific maps.

Atmospherically Arkham Asylum runs the gambit from incredibly gritty to psychologically terrifying. The game really shines visually, with the world taking on a perfect blend of real world/comic/animated series. At one point the player comes under the influence of the Scarecrow’s psychotropic gases, and the camera takes on a skewed angle as the world surrounding Bats slowly begins to grow more and more surreal. All of this cultimates in some scenes which were downright creepy, not to mention mind-blowing in scope. Just when you think you’re getting a handle on where the game stands, it suddenly jumps genres or throws something at you from left field at just the right point to keep you from getting complacent.

Another great aspect of the game are the numerous treasures you can unlock. Reaching certain points in the story unlocks bios and facts concerning main characters from all over the Batman universe, while numerous audio tapes and little pieces of evidence are strewn about so that players can listen in on super-criminal therapy sessions and piece together a bigger picture concerning what exactly has been going on in the asylum. Cleverly placed Riddler trophies increase EXP while the Riddler himself issues specific puzzles to the World’s Greatest Detective which will leave payers banging their heads for hours. All of these little challenges add hours of replay value, as will a series of nicely designed achievements.

A lot of talk has been made about Arkham Asylum being a possible contender for game of the year. Up till now I thought that was a slightly ridiculous claim. Sure, it’s supposed to be the best Batman game ever but compared to previous entries , that’s not saying all that much. After having a chance to finally get my hands on the game, I have to say they’re absolutely right. The developers went above and beyond making a better Batman game, and instead crafted a better video game. Everything comes together perfectly, creating an incredibly addictive blend of combat, puzzle solving, and thrilling action. So, put on your cape, crank up your 360, and commit yourself to Arkham Asylum, because this is one title you won’t want to miss.