GamerNode: Reviews - Batman: Arkham Asylum

Batman: Arkham Asylum

• Batman: Arkham Asylum
• Xbox 360
• Rocksteady Studios
• Eidos Interactive
• August 25th, 2009

It is safe to assume that almost everyone knows who Batman is. The "super" hero without any super powers but plenty of gadgets at his disposal, the Dark Knight is a comic book icon. However, Batman has never had an iconic videogame to follow in his footsteps. Until now, that is.

The creators of this amazing game are Eidos and Rocksteady, who have set it in Arkham Asylum, the Batman universe's iconic insane asylum that has housed any and every major villain the Caped Crusader has encountered. Combining Batman and Arkham with the quintessential Batman villain, the Joker, the publisher and developer created what is a formula for a great game. And boy did they deliver with a third-person action game that should be considered the Batman videogame.

This game has it all for fans that want to know what it is like to be Batman. Players will duke it out with groups of thugs, hide in the shadows to terrify and eliminate even more thugs, play with several gadgets, solve great riddles, and do some detective work as well. If anyone ever wanted to know what it is like to be Batman, minus driving the Batmobile, this game is it.

When you first start the game, all the challenges will be locked. As such, one will be forced into playing the story mode right from the get-go, but that is by no means a bad thing. The game begins right after Batman has captured the Joker, as a failed attempt to kidnap Gotham City's mayor has landed Joker riding shotgun in the Batmobile. Batman brings Joker to Arkham Asylum, but something isn't right. Batman claims Joker did not put up a fight and Joker seems to be enjoying his return to Arkham. It doesn't take long before the reason is revealed. Joker escapes and announces that his capture was all an elaborate ruse to trap Batman within the asylum, which now has every inmate running amuck. As Batman, it is your job to stop Joker and bring order back to Arkham.

The game will introduce you to the combat system right away as Joker immediately throws goons at you. The combat is very simple, yet deep and easy to pick up. There is one button to attack, one to counter, one to dodge, and one to stun. You will eventually unlock other moves, such as throwing enemies into one another or taking a thug out in a single manuever. Batarangs and the Batclaw will also be usable against enemies with a quick pull of the left trigger. All of it adds up to some great ways to beat Joker's goons to a pulp. One of the best things about the combat is how seamless the animations are from one move to the next. Every fight flows as if it was choreographed. There are a few occassions where the controls may be a tad unresponsive and a kick in the direction you want may not register, but those problems aren't frequent enough to cause much frustration and could be attributed to bad timing.

The thugs' A.I. is very well done. They may not all attack you at once, but they do pull objects from walls to use as weapons, go looking for things to throw, and take weapons from fallen allies. They also know the right moments to attack, so in order to rack up high combos, one has to also mind the enemies around him or her.

Batman will also use the environment to his advantage to terrify and eliminate thugs in the game's predator scenarios. At certain times throughout the game, the player will be pitted against a group of guards armed with guns. If players try to take them head on, they will be riddled with holes in seconds. So as Batman would do in this situation, players will use stealth to render their foes unconscious. Players will be able to use a grappling hook to climb to ceilings, hide in air ducts, and stalk around corners in order to take out enemies. One can also destroy wall and floors with explosive gel when a goon or two foolishly walk near.

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