Batman: Arkham Asylum (Xbox 360) Review

So here's the story...



When I first heard about Batman Arkham Asylum and saw the advertisements for it on television and the internet, I couldn't wait to get a copy of it as it looked such a beautifully engineered game. But unfortunately (with myself being a university student and so funds being invested in books, food and all the essentials a student of this day and age needs), I couldn't afford to grab a fresh-from-release copy. However, fate handed me a copy of the Game of The Year 2009 edition with a nifty 3D hologram sleeve (being a collector and my birthday just passed so I had money for once), I decided to invest. And I have to say I was not disappointed with my previous assumptions and, in my opinion, it certainly lived up to the media hype that it received. The Dark Knight (voiced by Kevin Conroy)'s journey begins with him capturing The Joker (voiced by Mark Hamill, the same as in the cartoons!) and taking him to the immense and notorious Arkham Asylum in his ultra fast, and rather sexy looking Bat mobile. According to Batman, Joker surrendered almost without a fight; Batman already senses that something isn't quite right about this and so escorts the hysterical, dark-witted Joker into his holding cell with the help of Warden Quincy Sharp (the big cheese of Arkham Asylum), Frank Boles (a dodgy guard who isn't all that he seems) and a few doctors. After a few medical checks, and with the Joker messing around with the doctors, the cavalry enters the elevator when the power mysteriously cuts out temporarily, with Batman securing Joker by the throat to his, what I like to call it, 'crazy wheel chair'. They all get down to the Holding Cells area and Joker attacks the doctor and frees himself from the wheelie...err thing. We then see a feminine hand swipe a card and disable the security fields to let Joker out of the Hold Cells (who could this lovely lady be?). This looks like a job for: BATMAN!! The Dark Knight catapults himself through the protective glass, only to find himself in trapped and surrounded by inmates that have been released. This is when the tutorial of the game kicks in, explaining the combat system. After that, you're on your own my friends!



Graphics: Does this game dress to impress?



The simple answer to that my fellow gamers is HELL YES! There is no doubt that this game is bite-the-back-of-your-hand beautiful. The detail in this game is brilliant beyond comprehension. From the armour plating and evident deterioration (as the game goes on) of the bat suit to the complexions of the face (i.e. facial hair, scars etc) is exactly how it should be for the current generation of consoles. However the controls can be a bit stiff at certain points and the lip synching is a little off. Since the powerful Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and gaming PCs have top-of-the-range graphics, elementary props, textures and backgrounds are of almost photorealistic quality. From water of the Flooded Corridor in the Botanical Gardens to the Gothic window frames and ceilings of the Arkham Mansion, this game boasts stunning graphic detail. The awesome quality of graphics within this game doesn't stop there, oh no! The developers have really had a good bash at putting 3D into the mix! The 'Game of The Year edition' comes with additional 3D glasses courtesy of Trioviz 3D Vision. Although this was a great addition to the graphics, it would require a large television set to get the full potential of the experience, so with me having a little 20" TV it wasn't quite all that amazing. However the good folk of Rocksteady have been considerate of the majority of us, who don't have a 50" Bravia, made it an option in the menus to enable or disable the 3D.



Batman's fighting spirit.



Being the 'world's greatest detective' doesn't just mean you just sniff around looking for forensic evidence and a long string of clues to the Joker's plans, sometimes you simply have to use brute force to rid of his henchmen; and being Batman you are the master of stealth and a devastating hand to hand combatant. The basic combat tutorial begins with explaining which button is used for executing attacks and how to do some slick counter attacks. Throwing a nice combo of attacks only involves pushing one button, which is brilliant if you aren't all too quick with using multiple buttons. As Batman, you have lightning quick reflexes and so can pull off some pretty cool counter attacks. These are available to perform when you see a 'spidey sense' style flashes above an enemy's head. It is then when you have to act quickly to push the button before he hits you. Throughout the game you unlock other attacks such as throws and arm-breaking combos to enhance your 'Variation Bonus' points and also makes you a more powerful fighter, resulting in you disposing of scum more easily (throws are great for knocking out multiple enemies). As well as superior martial art skills, Batman just simply wouldn't be Batman without an impressive array of gadgetry at his disposal! At the beginning of the game, you start off with being equipped with your trusty batarang: a powerful bat-shaped boomerang, capable of cutting down objects, smashing control panels and knocking a baddie off his feet in one swift throw. Now if you're thinking "but that's just one gadget, surely there must be more!!" you are indeed correct. Throughout various stages within the game, Batman acquires more gadgets than a Swiss army knife; including a bat claw, explosive gel and a cryptographic sequencer that disables the security fields. All of these said gadgets are vital to Batman's progress as some of them are required to create new paths and discover clues to be constantly on Joker's tail. Of course these gadgets also have upgrades available and even unlock totally new gadgets such as a Sonic batarang, which is very handy for those of you that prefer to perform strategic attacks, as these bad boys, when thrown, emit a sonic wave to the same frequency as the 'suicide collars' that you will be introduced to later on in the game to lure enemies to a point of your choice to move round them or to execute a sneaky stealth attack.



Riddle me this: The Riddler's challenges



During the game, you encounter the infamous Edward Nigma (aka 'The Riddler') who has hacked into your radio communications who presents you with challenges and riddles for Batman to decode. These challenges appear in every area of the game and are hidden within the game environment; some of which are pretty easy and other's that require a more detailed search (took me near half an hour to figure out one of them!). These riddles, when solved, unlock bonus material such as character bios and figures to be viewed in the game library. Some of the unlockable characters are from the original DC Comics, such as Two Face, Penguin and some of the more obscure characters such as The Great White Shark, Firefly and Tweedledee and Tweedledum. However, there isn't much in the way of in-game unlockables such as special characters and costumes. The only change of suit available is the shiny more rugged-looking bat suit for the combat challenges (which doesn't really make much difference in terms of damage resistance). As well as riddles to solve, The Riddler has also dispersed Riddler 'trophies' to collect and Joker chattering teeth (these annoying little things unlock more challenges). The mystery of Arkham Island is also told through a series of ghostly chronicles said to be left by Armadeus Arkham: the creator of Arkham Asylum. These tell of the struggles of the island and why it came to be home to an asylum.



Yet MORE challenges: Side missions to earn those precious Xbox Achievements or PS3 Trophies



With the acquirement and accomplishments of riddles from the main game, you can also unlock fun little side challenges. Some of which require you to sneak around and eliminate all enemies using stealth attacks as swiftly as possible and some to dive into the Scarecrow's nightmarish world to avoid his gaze, preventing him swiping you with his Freddy Kruger style hand. These fun challenges are great to boosting up that all important gamer score.



The Final Verdict



Batman Arkham Asylum is a brilliant game with impressive graphic quality and easy-to-use controls. The 3D option could have been made more suitable for those with a smaller television set but overall a good attempt with reasonable results. Above all, this game is great fun and will definitely appeal to fans of the comic books. Batman Arkham Asylum 2 is due to be released in 2011. Will it live up to its predecessor? Only time will tell!