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Batman: Arkham Asylum

Monday, September 7, 2009

Batman: Arkham Asylum is a game developed by Rocksteady and it might be the best “super-hero” game ever made. Batman: Arkham Asylum is a third-person action game and has the qualities of almost every good game out there, the only thing missing from this game is a “I’m Batman” button.

Welcome to Arkham Asylum

Even though Batman isn’t technically a super hero he’s still pretty awesome. This time around Batman has got a hold of Joker and is taking him to Arkham Asylum. Batman believes that it was too easy capturing Joker and how right he was. Joker breaks free and Batman soon realizes that Joker has been planning this event from the start, Batman then goes after Joker into the depths of the Asylum.

The story is solid and interesting, it definitely has one of the better introductions seen in these kind of games. It’s pretty clear that Rocksteady has great respect for Batman as a character, and the world of Batman. It’s clear because as you progress through the game you’ll really start to notice the attention to detail which gives the game a great deal of depth to the story. You have several main villians but you will also find much extra-content and collectibles scattered throughout the asylum. These also unlocks character trophies and information about Batman-related characters and villains. I have never played a game where the extra-information is so fun and interesting. It’s no doubt that with the games main plot and extra-information Rocksteady is one of the best storytellers in the business. Each collactable is actually highly relevant to the main plot.

I’m Batman

When creating a Batman-game you really have to nail the feeling of being Batman himself and you know what? Rocksteady has done it perfectly. Throughout the game you will not only fight as Batman, you will use stealth, use gadgets and solve riddles like Batman. The hand-to-hand combat reminds one of Assassins Creed or a more advanced mechanic of Fable II however unlike AC and Fable you will not get tired of these fights.

The fighting is pretty simple, you have a punch button, a counter button, stunbutton and a evade button. Using these different button you can flow each move into each other. It really gives the fighting an awesome feel to it, When I first saw the in-game fighting on videos it looked heavily scripted and simple but when I first tested it and learned how to control batman I eventually started to love it. It was simple but had a depth to it and the last enemy of every group of enemies gets taken down by a really sweet slow-motion effect. It might sound repetitive but it’s not, it looks amazing and is incredibly satisfying. As you start to master the combat you will also learn how to use your gadgets when fighting. It’s the most fluid, exciting and satisfying combat-system to date.

The enemies are not stupid either, they will attack you if they find an opening, they will not wait as they do in Assassins Creed. This creates a situation where the player always need to be aware of his surroundings when fighting, button-mashing will probably get you killed in later in the game.
Planning while fighting is the way to go and Rocksteady has done it perfectly. As you fight you also gain experience points, the experience you collect will allow you to upgrade your equipment or learn new combat moves. It’s simple and it works very well.

It’s not all about kicking ass

Stealth is an important part of being Batman and the gadgets helps Batman to take his enemies out before they even knew he was coming. Batman has several gadgets that allows him to take down his opponents, he has his grapple hook which helps him to reach hard to reach places like gargoyles or the top of structures, you’ve got batarangs that can knock out the enemies temporarily, explosive gel etc. You got a lot of things to play with and it’s makes the stealth moments of this game really fun and inventive. As Batman you will also be able to use his keen detective senses to show airducts, weak walls, clues and enemies easier. The enemies behave really impressive during the stealth moments, they might find a comrade knocked out, panic and start screaming, gather and then go two and two searching the area for you. They’ll go back to back to make it harder for you to take them out. Batman can also see what their current status are, if the enemies are calm, nervous, afraid or terrified will impact their behavior, it’s really impressive and it makes the game a bit harder to remain completely unseen.

The game is pretty open with a linear storyline which will keep you on the right track, you will also find several places blocked or unreachable. This is because you don’t have the right gadgets to clear those obstacles yet, it helps the pace. A map is also at your disposal, you can look at it and see where to go next, it points out the next objective for you.

Conclusion

Batman: Arkham Asylum may be the best game of the year, there is not alot of negative things to say about it. The balance throughout the game is nearly perfect, on Hard difficulty you will have a pretty solid challenge. The thing is that even if you die 50 times it’s a big chance you will not feel that the enemies are cheating, more often than not you’ll realize that it’s you that’s either not planning ahead enough, not thinking enough, button-mashing or simply doesn’t use the techniques and gadgets you have available to beat your opponents. That’s amazing.

Batman: Arkham Asylun has a perfect pace, Rocksteady switches from combat moments, to stealth, to platforming and detective work fluidly. It never gets boring, Rocksteady always has small changes each time you revisit an area, there may be snipers, or other kinds of enemies there which helps the game from feeling repetitive. The game’s biggest strength is that it combines every aspect of the game and make them work together in harmony, they all support each other in every way and that’s what makes this game a masterpiece, who would have thought it? Well done Rocksteady, you guys nailed it!

Tags: Batman, Review, Xbox 360