Batman: Arkham Asylum - Platinum (PS3)

This one is a bit of a no-brainer. If you like computer games and you like Batman then you will love this Batman computer game. This is by far and away the best Batman game to be released on any gaming system. In fact it is a contender for best game of any genre, which is a claim I do not make lightly.

Admittedly I am a bit biased in that I love Batman. Not necessarily the camp version that has developed over the years but the original dark gothic treatment that has been revived in the recent movies. This is the same style that this game uses, it is very dark and as its 15 certificate rating suggests its not for kids.

Fans of the cartoon will appreciate though that Mark Hamil continues being the voice of Joker. I have to admit I'm not sure who voices Batman but whoever it is does an excellent job, very similar to the gravelly voiced Christian Bale. All the voice acting is well done, with all the characters portrayed as you might expect.

Not to give too much away but the plot itself involves Batman visiting Arkham Asylum and being trapped there just as all hell breaks loose. In his quest to track down the Joker he comes up against many of the traditional Batman bad guys who were previously incarcerated in the Asylum. The plot is enjoyable and pulls you in as it builds up towards a climactic finish. There are bosses to defeat after each section but refreshingly not all of these involve a big prolonged fight. Instead it might be their minions who are the tough ones and their leader who is weak in a fight. This makes a nice change to other computer games where the end of level fight becomes a predictable necessity to progress.

Most of the game takes place as a third person exploration of Arkham Asylum. The asylum itself is located on an island and covers quite a few buildings which you will revisit over the course of the game. This does not become boring though as events change the surroundings quite a bit and different areas become accessible. There are also numerous hidden areas all over the island and it is a real challenge to find them all.

The graphics are first class, perfectly capturing the gothic mood of the asylum setting. All of the characters are well detailed and drawn in the right style - more like a graphic novel than a comic book. Small details stand out such as the increasing number of rips in Batmans cloak the more damage he takes.

Combat is mainly a matter of timing attacks, blocks and counter attacks. The animation of these fights is superb with Batman finishing off opponents with a variety of moves. As you progress you get to improve Batmans skills so he might gain things like more health, or armour, or do more damage with his punches. This progression is matched nicely by the difficulty of the game, at no point does it ever become too easy or too difficult.

As you might expect Batman has access to all the special equipment that gives him the edge over the villians. This is introduced bit by bit so it does not become too overwhelming at the begining. By the end of the game you will have access to a whole selection of items like the battarangs, grappling hooks, and explosive gel glue and how you use these items can mean the difference between success and failure.

As well as general exploration and combat the game features two other major modes of play. One is the investigation mode which is when Batman goes back to his Detective Comic origins and can spot and analyse clues. This is a little bit linear as the game can't progress until you find all the clues but it does show Batman as being more than just about the fighting. The other mode you use regularly is the stealth mode. In keeping with the official Batman the caped crusader is not invincible and the bad guys soon progress from thugs with knives to thugs with guns. Charging straight in will get Batman killed and so the game features a stealth system where Batman can sneak about and pick off his enemies one by one. This is a real highlight as you get to abseil down from gargoyles, pick off a guard and swoop back up again before anyone sees you. The other guards respond to this too and you can hear them panicking and shouting to one another as more of their number dissapear. While in stealth mode your vision also changes so you can spot guards more easily and plan your tactics.

The whole game is a truely memorable experience. I don't want to say too much about the plot because there are some real surprises that make game play varied and unpredictable throughout. There is no multiplayer but there are some enjoyable challenge games where you can play missions against the clock, and there are three difficulty settings for those who want to play though again on a harder level. In all this is as close to perfect as a computer game can be, and I am having a hard time thinking of any faults. Obviously if you can't stand Batman then you are not going to enjoy this, but for everyone else you should buy this game just to see exactly what a PS3 is capable of doing.

Superb graphics, good storyline and well "acted" - easy to see why it won a BAFTA. Game is relatively straight forward but has enough going on to keep you entertained until the end of the quest. There is also plenty of downloadable content from PS Store; most of which is free and adds to the gameplay

This game is less long to complete that it appears at first, but still long enought and, for the rest, absolutely amazing. Mix a good beat'em up with the stealing gameplay of Metal Gear Solid, add a little bit of investigation, awesome characters and localizations, good storyline and, over all this, a gameplay that changes constantly.