Batman: Arkham Asylum is easily one of the best games of the year and if you haven’t played it then you are missing out on arguably the finest superhero video game of all time. I have to admit I wasn’t a believer at first when I started hearing all the hype, and even when I saw it at E3 this year I still wasn’t that impressed. But after playing the game in its entirety, I was glad to find out how wrong I was.
Part of the experience that really impressed me were the cinematics. Now mind you, I am not one to normally watch movies in a game -- I would rather play than be a spectator. But considering how well these movies were made, how good the 3D models looked and the overall quality of the voiceover work, who wouldn’t be impressed? One beef that I had is that the in-game cinematics were made half-heartedly and were like watching lifeless marionettes. Fortunately, they weren’t that prevalent in the game.
The combat turned out better than I expected. When I was at E3 this year I felt that Batman’s moves weren’t as fluid as they could have been. Granted, I made these comments as a mere over the shoulder spectator and not as a player. Now that I have fully played the game, I want to retract that statement. I believe the combat delivered in this product and the ability to fight multiple enemies at one time, dodge, jump and throw weapons all worked out pretty seamlessly. My only complaint was that the combat occasionally broke down if you had to fight enemies in tight corridors. This was something that didn’t occur often after the beginning of the game however.
Another positive about Batman: A A, is that the game really lets you play as you see fit. You can be heavily combat oriented or you can be completely stealthy. I enjoyed doing both depending on my mood, but I have always liked stealth games and getting to perch up high on a gargoyle ledge and fly down to dispatch an opponent was quite satisfying. Hiding in grates in the floor and taking the enemy by surprise or sneaking up behind them to quietly dispatch them before another enemy confirmed the kill was also quite fun. All of these things along with the array of Batman weaponry truly made the gameplay for me.
The game also has quite a Metroid feel to it, exploring areas for the first time, seeing new areas you couldn’t reach quite yet and then eventually returning to that area of the level once you acquired a new ability. Batman: A A also introduced abilities quite well. You are given a new ability, the game instructs you how to use it immediately and it is continually useful throughout the rest of the game. inFamous did this really well too, but I was disappointed with how Prototype dealt with this very same situation by overwhelming you with unlockable abilities that you never had time to master.
Graphically the game is very nice looking. The interiors of the buildings look significantly better than what you encounter outdoors, though. The vision modes were all quite useful, but I did find that I used the X-Ray mode the most out of all of them. Even though that mode was very useful, I used it so much that I didn’t experience the levels as they were intended to be seen. That is a detracting factor of the mode.
I especially enjoyed the Riddler puzzles where you had to use a vision mode to find the question marks around the levels. Figuring out what angle to view the question marks from in the levels and matching the upper and lower portions of the image were very intelligent design choices. And even though we never really saw the Riddler in the product, all of the audio tapes you found and all of the riddles that were scattered through the level really sealed him as the most enjoyable villain in the game. I was determined throughout playing the game to leave no Riddler stone unturned.
Of course, there were some things that could have been done better. Aside from the Scarecrow portions of the game which were all very well done and quite trippy, like Psycho-Mantis from the Metal Gear games, the mini-bosses in general were a bit too repetitive. Enemies that charge and try to ram you as you dodge their attacks were fun at first but got old after seeing it three to four times. Even the Joker fight at the end utilized this gameplay pattern (with a slight twist).
The Croc fight was probably the worst in the game because the whole experience left you wondering what you were even supposed to be doing. It just wasn’t that clear and ultimately left you confused. The Poison Ivy was one of the better bosses in the game, but even that fight wasn’t that engrossing. Hopefully when a sequel comes out, the boss fight designs will be more inspired and better to play, more along the lines of the Scarecrow sections.
So even though I had a few minor gripes with Batman: A A, overall I was pleasantly surprised by its level of quality in graphics and gameplay. I finally got to play a superhero video game where I became the character. Thanks for delivering one of the best games of the year, Rocksteady. You earned all the praise you are receiving!
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