Cover of new game "Batman: Arkham Asylum" from Rocksteady Studios
After months of anxious waiting, gamers and comic junkies finally get to play “Batman: Arkham Asylum.”
One of the Joker’s lines from last year’s movie “The Dark Knight” describes the anticipation over this game.
“I wanted to see what you’d do,” Heath Ledger intoned in his Oscar-winning psychotic drawl.
And Rocksteady Studios, the game’s designers, didn’t disappoint. Since news first leaked that this game was being made, everyone wanted to know what the creators would do. The result was worth the wait. “Arkham Asylum’s” gameplay is good, the story is fantastic and the extra features will keep the player interested long after the final boss fight.
The plot of “Arkham Asylum” is simple. Joker has broken out of custody while Batman is delivering him to Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane outside of Gotham City. He has busted all the serial killers, rapists, homicidal maniacs and of course the infamous supervillains out of their cells. Then, in a sick twist, Joker has locked them all in with Batman along with the medical and security personnel—including Commissioner Gordon—thus giving Batman a long to-do list: save everyone while rounding up the escapees and trying to foil the Joker’s diabolical plot.
As with the story, the gameplay in Batman is very good. Rocksteady really took the time to give the player Batman’s full arsenal of tricks and gadgets. As Batman, players can rattle off wonderful combos to take down his innumerable enemies. The only downfall is that when players perform a finishing move on an enemy, the camera slows down to highlight the move. The first time this is cool, but after a while it feels a little like a Zack Snyder (director of “300”) film. There’s also a glitch where sometimes the kicks to the face occasionally seem to be off target, hitting a shoulder, neck or sometimes just plain air.
Performing finishing moves and finding the game’s hidden extras are worth experience points that are used to unlock more moves and gadgets. This means that as the game progresses, so do Batman’s skills.
Players can also use all of Batman’s iconic gadgets. At the start of the game, Batman can only use a Batarang, but as the game progresses, other equipment is unlocked.
Two of the greatest things about this game are the FreeFlow combat system and the special “Detective Mode.” While engaged in a fight, Batman uses an array of moves to defend and attack. Some he’ll use to counter, others to attack, evade or stun, all flowing seamlessly into one another to allow monster combos.
In the comics, Batman has to use his mind just as much as his physical attributes, and it’s the same in “Arkham Asylum.” By tapping a button, the screen goes into grey-based color in what is called “Detective Mode.” In this mode, the player can see places to grapple onto, alternate ways into a room, places to avoid detection and even if an enemy is armed or unarmed. This is important because battling five enemies with shotguns at point-blank range is not anyone’s idea of fun or safe.
There are several elements that give the game an authentic Batman feel. Voice actors Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill (yes, that Mark Hamill) reprise their roles from “Batman: The Animated Series” as Batman and The Joker, respectively. While Conroy does a solid job as the Caped Crusader, Hamill stands out with his maniacal, deadly take on the Joker. True to form, the Joker will also test Batman’s character in the game as well.
In one cutscene, the Joker is on top of an elevator asking Batman to “end this now,” to see if Batman really will kill him. One of the best things about the game is that this encounter and others feel like two things at once: a trap for Batman and joke for the Joker.
Speaking of characters, the Riddler also plays a big part in this game but in a different fashion. He has hidden riddles, trophies and bits of information on characters within the Batman universe throughout Arkham Island. Completing the tasks isn’t required but will give Batman more experience points for upgrades. Another character that shows up throughout the game is Scarecrow, who has a nasty habit of trapping Batman in a prison of his own fears.
All in all, “Batman: Arkham Asylum” is a very good game. Even though the fight sequences get a little annoying, the incorporation of the mental challenges, “Detective Mode,” voice acting and the story all make this game one of, if not the best, games of 2009.
Contact CU Independent contributor Aaron Musick at Aaronmusick@live.com.
