Batman: Arkham Asylum Take 1

Please notice that, as the title indicates, this is my first take on the new (and wonderful) Batman game based on an hour or so of game play.  Why put something to the keyboard so soon, you ask?  In short, I couldn’t wait to tell you how great this game is so far.  The very fact that I am writing this speaks volumes of how good this game is.  I don’t buy many games these days and I write even fewer reviews of them.  So the very fact that you are reading this is a high recommendation.  If you want to know more keep reading.

The reason this game is so good is that it takes many pieces from other successful games and combines them into one seamless package of awesome.  It is done so well that the “borrowed” pieces don’t feel borrowed.  This games owns them.  It doesn’t hurt things that the other games it borrows from are all games that I would put in a list of my favorites.  Splinter Cell, Metroid, Assassins Creed.  Take the best of those, add Batman, a compelling story, and great voice acting into the mix and you have one stellar game.  Not to mention that the graphics, attention to detail, and sound go above and beyond.

Action

One of my favorite parts of Assassins Creed was the free-form combat.  It was simple yet very satisfying.  You weren’t just hacking away at enemies, you blocked, countered and attacked in such a seamless way that it was close to watching a movie.  Arkham Asylum takes this model and runs with it, far out pacing it predecessor.  The combat is very easy to do but hard (and fun) to master.  It also feels very “Batman”.  It is one against many.  Granted, the one is very highly trained.  It is nothing short of a joy to watch and even more fun to play.

Stealth

When I first played Splinter Cell I was blown away by the way stealth was done in the game.  It is just so much fun to sneak around while taking enemies down, even if it was tedious at times.  Batman: AA takes this in an even more fun direction.  It can be challenging at times but it does not feel tedious.  There is great satisfaction in swooping down from a ledge and planting your feet in an enemies chest.

Another thing that makes this work so well is that Batman is not invincible.  When he comes across enemies with guns there is great danger there.  If he is shot, he bleeds and dies so being invisible is a necessity.  Another very enjoyable part of this is that, as you take down enemies, the remaining ones become more and more terrified, shooting at anything that moves thinking it is you while you watch and plan how best to take them out.  Very satisfyingly “Batman”.

Exploration and Gadgets

Metroid Prime on the Game Cube easily fits into my top three favorite games.  One of the reasons I enjoyed it so much was exploration.  As you moved through the game you would encounter areas that you couldn’t access until you got a certain gadget.  Once you got that gadget it was fun to go back and explore these areas.  It makes the world you are playing in feel deep and big.

Arkham Asylum does a great job of this, if not to the same degree.  The island you are on is big and there is much to explore and the level of detail put into the game makes this a joy.  As you progress through the game you get acquire to new gadgets that will allow you to access different parts of the island at different times.

Take all of these elements, add a very dark theme and you have, not only the best Batman game to date, you also have a game that is one of my favorites.  And the things I mentioned above are just the story mode.  There is much more to be done in the game through challenge modes and riddles.  I will let you know if it lives up to it’s promise after I finish it.

Note to parents: This game got only a Teen rating but it can be quite dark and disturbing at times.  The fighting can be brutal and the language is sparse but a little rough.  Also, some of the female costumes are a little edgy.  This is not a focal point of the game but it does exist.

Brian