Batman: Arkham Asylum (Xbox 360, 2009)

When die-hard Batman fans heard that a video game based on the Dark Knight was being released in August 2009, it was a dream come true. Not only was Batman coming to consoles everywhere, but esteemed players from the hit TV show Batman: The Animated Series had signed on to help create the game. With Paul Dini put in charge of creating the game's story, every fan knew that the game wouldn't disappoint.

And disappoint this game does not. It sticks religiously to the essence of Batman to the delight of all the fans who know a crappy knock-off when they see one. The game is dark, twisted and deep, with enough heart thrown in to create a compelling story--not just a backdrop to throw a few batarangs.

One of the major appeals of the game is that you are allowed complete Batman-ish freedom. You can jump/fall from any height and land unharmed, you can ascend to the ceiling and navigate through the air as much as you'd like using Batman's grapple gun, you get a bunch of gadgets to help you take out Joker's henchmen in a variety of ways, and the fighting system is complex enough to keep you on your toes but still easy enough to keep you from feeling overwhelmed if you're surrounded by thugs. I mean after all, we all know Batman could never be overwhelmed in real life.

The characters and voice acting is also top notch. Batman, Joker and Harley Quinn are all voiced by their Batman: TAS voice actor (Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill and Arleen Sorkin respectively). The game also includes Poison Ivy, Killer Croc, Bane, Victor Zsasz and a recurring Scarecrow. (Note: The Scarecrow scenes are especially vivid, and the first appearance is definitely something). The script is by the book with the notable exception of Joker, who steals the show with his special brand of disturbed humor and psychotic laugh.

Overall the game has very few faults. Except for an ending that seems weak compared to the early story, the game is still quite solid and deserves the ratings it has been given by game magazines and sites. Plus the Riddler challenges and challenge maps will provide hours of entertainment aside from the main story line.

So for anyone who has ever wanted to put on the cape and cowl, this game is as close as you can get without potentially hurting yourself.

Arkham Asylum has been a long time coming. Long gone are the days of sup-par movie tie-ins. Arkham Asylum is the definitive Batman video game experience we have all been waiting for.
The story is very straight to the point, pitting Batman in Arkham trying to take down Joker and stop his madness once and for all. Graphically, the game is phenomenal. The lead character models are great but guards and doctors are a bit bug-eyed and the lip syncing is somewhat off at times, but that does little to ruin to experience. The asylum itself is dark and feels quite claustrophobic and shows signs of wear and tear from housing all the villains, including Joker's makeover of the place.
The gameplay is great and makes you feel like you are the dark knight himself. You will attack from the shadows, take down opponents silently, and make henchmen panic like school girls. Batman's gadgets lend a great hand to the experience. You can reach any location in Arkham with the right combination of gadgets that you will acquire throughout the game. Upgrades can be bought with experience points that you gain from combat and solving riddler puzzles. Speaking of combat, think of it as a much refined God of War system. It requires a bit more skill(assuming you're playing on Hard difficulty) but feels great once you master it. The riddler challenges are a very welcome addition, as they keep you coming back to the game to solve them all.
You will also find a Challenge Mode that combines combat and stealth missions with online leader boards to keep track of your scores.
If you're an action game fan and more-so a comic book fan, you owe it to yourself to play this game.

Graphics: Excellent 9.5/10
Sound: Excellent 9.5/10
Controls: Great 8.5/10
Gameplay: Excellent 9.5/10
Replay: Very Good 8.0/10
Overall: Excellent 9.0/10


Note to the reader: This game has been played through and completed in its entirety.


Graphics: Excellent 9.5/10

The graphics are excellent, the cut-scenes and in-game graphics are seamless, and this is a great addition to the Fall 2009 line-up. It looks, feels, and has undertones of being "Bioshock-esque". This title pushes this generations graphics and leaves the purchaser wanting more. The shadows, lighting effects, colors, but more importantly the motions and combat animations are great, and really immerse you into the game. The bad guys, though repetitive, are detailed along with the backgrounds, and environments. This is a rich, and engrossing, environment.

Sound: Excellent – 9.5/10

The thing that sets this game apart is the voice acting. Games have had problems with cheesy actors, but this title gets Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamil to do the voices of Batman and the Joker (from the Animated series). This game has the sound, from the sounds of the punches, groans, the heightening tension of the music when an attack is coming, and the sounds of The Asylum. The ambiance is set in the different areas by the increasing tones of heightening sense of importance through the use of music in this game.

Controls: Great - 8.5/10
Very well done and responsive control set. During combat, the controls can be pinpoint accurate, and makes it fun when playing the challenges. The downside is the use of Batman's arsenal, which the controls are lack accuracy.

Gameplay: Excellent – 9.5/10

Let me start by saying that when playing this game, there is nothing better than having an excellent Batman Game. With or without Batman, this game would be fun regardless, but just having this license makes it that much better. However, that being said, this game is a single player experience, and that is not a bad thing. Having a multi-player may have actually hurt this title. The computer A.I. will shoot you in the back, hunt you down, and will be aware of where you have been.

Replay Value: Very Good - 8.0/10

Once the game is over, you will most likely be wanting more. Luckily, there are many unlockables, multiple difficulty levels, and a challenge mode, with more maps to come, to keep you going. You will want to find all the upgrades for every weapon, and compare your times to your friends. After all that is said and done, you will have got your money's worth.

Overall – Excellent 9.0/10

This is an excellent game, and is almost a 10/10, but it is not perfect. This game is a nice addition to the end of the Summer 2009 release schedule and is worth every penny. This game is a great mix of pure action and stealth.

This game is a mix of Gears of War, Bioshock, and Assassin's Creed. Where this game does many things right, it is flawed and glitch in just as many areas. If this were another title name, I would still have enjoyed it still as much.

Verdict: BUY IT

I had been tracking this game for some time and when the price was low enough I decided to purchase it. I never regretted my purchase for a second. As soon as you start this game, you are thrust into the universe of Batman, a universe that is almost a perfect rendition of the comic book world. That is NOT it say, though, that if you've never picked a Batman comic in your life you won't enjoy it. One of the things that sets this game apart from all others is the new combat system. This 'Freeflow' system allows you to seamlessly move from one enemy to the next and one possible endless combo. It may be said a lot, but this is one combat system that is easy to play, but very difficult to master. The story is all supposed to take place in one night and the game doesn't let you forget. There are so many subtle things that are put in the game that it really amazes the player, whether they are consciously aware of it or not. If you have a current-gen console or a good gaming PC, GET THIS GAME.

When i first saw the game it looked beyond belief, a game looking that good, the physics and motion engine running so smoothly, I had to buy it to see if it was as good as it seemed. The game is excellent with it's free form fighting system allowing you to battle many enemies at once switching your attacks from enemy to enemy so you don't get surrounded and beat up on. The graphics and voice acting is amazing and i love that they have the original voice of the joker in this game. However, there are a few drawbacks to the game, one is the cape, when you're gliding down your cape covers more than half the screen not allowing you to truely see if you're going where you want to go. Another is the bosses, yes there are a couple tough bosses in the game, but most of them are extremely easy, dodge this, attack, attack, back off, rinse and repeat. I honestly believe most of the time a gang of 10 normal guys 2 with guns and 1 with a stun stick are more of a challange than half of the "bosses" throughout this game. Now, back to other things, yes the gameplay is magnificent, and as with all games it has a few minor annoyances, there are other aspects to the game that whether they are good or bad depends on your taste in riddles and exploring. Throughout the game there are riddles and tapes and even annoying little joker teeth all hidden and layed out all through the island all by the Riddler himself, find them all to get 100% completion, however that is quite the task as many of the riddles or rather confusing or even if you know what to look for, doesn't help much if you don't know where to start looking. So with all this wrapped up in one easy to go package, i would deffinitly recomend this game to anyone as it has the violence, the adventure, the free roaming, and even the puzzle solving aspects to please almost any gamer of any type.