Batman: Arkham Asylum

Batman-Arkham Asylum is a pretty special game. It came out of the gates with the sort of demo that sprung from the shadows, grabbed me suddenly around the waist, shoved a bat mask onto my face before I knew what was happening and firmly insisted in a gruff voice on being played through at least 25 times, or else. So I did. And it was good. Very, very good. By the time I'd played it through only 10 times I had already fetched my childhood bat cape from the attic, dusted off my Michael Keaton/Kim Basinger posters, smashed up my favourite piggy bank and separated out the silver into a clearly marked plastic bag entitled "the bat fund." I was mildly excited.

Lucky for me then that the full Batman game turned out to be a true gaming treat. Great character models, flawless voice talent (care of Mark Hamil et al from the last animated series), inspired mood, lighting, and atmosphere, all tied together by a fluid, intuitive control system. We finally have a super hero game that not only doesn't suck, but that can proudly stand shoulder to shoulder and head held high with the truly great titles of this generation. But it does so with a little borrowing. Regular gamers will immediately sense the influence of other popular titles at work here. The artwork, presentation and atmosphere are heavily influenced by the classic first person-shooter Bioshock, as is the sense cultivated throughout of a world gone slightly mad. The regular use of the Joker's voice on the intercom to taunt you and comment on your progress also harks back to bioshock's Fontaine. No bad thing. Metal Gear Solid throws its hat in the ring next, being the clear model behind the stealth action (albeit with the fantastic twist here that the gunmen know you are around somewhere and are terrified of you, becoming more terrified as you pick them off). The intuitive control system has a distinct sense of Gears of War, and finally, at a stretch, you can even pull out gaming elements and level design from God of War (particularly in the fantastic fight with Scarecrow.) Of course, all of these comparisons are to top drawer, best of their generation titles. The fact that Batman pulls to mind the very best elements of these games speaks volumes for its class, and at worst it certainly presents an overall experience unlike any you will have had before in gaming.

The fact that this is a "Batman" title doesn't unduly carry the game through its ills, either. Yes, its great to have these characters to hand, but the story line that guides you along the game is well written and engaging in its own right (although I won't ruin it by going over it here). The character interpretations are also spot on. A Comic book look rather than photorealism has been adopted, but coupled with the grimy, frightening, brutal design of the Chris Nolan Batman films. There's less spit-shine and "Kabblams!" here than there is blood, violence, death and madness. Of course, whilst this may heartily stoke the excitement of older gamers, do bear in mind that this sort of game may not be suitable for your Bat Youngadult. Its important to look beyond the pointy ears and note that this game has been given a 15 rating for a reason. Uncertain parents should have a quick play themselves first and see what they think.

Other than that there's little else to say. If you grew up with Batman like me, you will love this game. And even if you didn't, well... you will still love this game. Its too good not too.

9.5/10.

I have to say I'm not what you'd call a huge Batman fan. I have seen the films, but didn't read the comics or watch the cartoons. A pal recommended I download the demo for this of the Playstation Network. After the brief playing experience, I placed my order. It's fantastic. The sense of story is epic. There are so many twists and turns in the story, it was like watching a brand new Batman film. The graphics are impeccable, from the opening cinematic to the firework laden finale. At one point I climbed up to the highest point I could find just to have a look around at the great graphics.
I have never been great at fisti-cuffs games but the controls are set out very well here. After a few minutes, you get the basics and then new moves and gadgets are introduced in time as you progress. You'll be doing vertical take-downs and Glide kicks before you know it.
There's lots to keep you busy, what with Joker enlisting a huge array of Batman villains to his dastardly plans. The Riddler also provides lots of extra gameplay which can be frustratingly difficult at times (Some of the question marks were crazy hard to find).
Definitely my favourite PS3 purchse of the year. Buy it!

2009 was a good year for games Modern Warfare 2, Uncharted 2 and Batman Arkham Asylum I feel can join the list of highlights in 2009. This game has been heralded as the best superhero game to be developed but in saying that there isn't much competition in this area if you look at classic titles such as ...errr Ironman and Incredible Hulk!

Not to take anything away from the Batman title as it is a very polished and well presented game. The game area is also fairly impressive with some general exploring to be done and detailed scenery which adds to the whole atmosphere of the game.

The controls are also extremely simple to get to grips with and even the most novice of gamers will be happily bashing buttons and bad guys heads in within a few minutes of putting the disc in the console.

This for me is where the problems are with this game .. apart from the decidedly dodgy end boss fight which I won't spoil for potential buyers or gamers that haven't completed it yet! For me it was just all a bit too easy and dare I say it ... repetitive!

OK there is the useful detective mode ... ahem Condemned 2 anyone... there are a multitude of bad guys which are all fairly useless and couldn't beat up Alfred let alone the Dark Knight!

Point in case before I purchased this game I spent a few mins on a friends version, I quite happily pottered about beating up bad guys and solving the little problems that our hero has to solve. To my amazement this wasn't in the first stages of the game but literally in the latter stages of the game just before you meet a certain lady with a liking for plants.

Not to put you anyone off buying this game as it is still a quality title but don't expect the most challenging few hours of your life when playing this.