If there was one game that garnered so much media attention and admiration this year, it would be
Batman: Arkham Asylum. With the kind of hype this game was able to accumulate, there was no way the game would flop commercially even if the game ended up being bad, especially with the release of its ridiculously priced (and packaged) collector's edition.
My experience with the game's demo across all platforms was great but how does the final product fare in the end?
Howling at the moon. Wait, that's not something that a bat would do.
In case you haven't heard, BAA pits Batman against (hardly) the entire denizens of Arkham Asylum. This occured when the Joker manages to take over the whole facility with the help of his personal lady in waiting, Harley Quinn, trapping Batman and even Inspector Gordon within the asylum grounds. It is up to Batman to regain control of the asylum while defeating the Joker as well as a number of other super villains who are either intentionally or accidentally released from their holding cells. The storyline is definitely one of the game's strongest assets because it manages to maintain a high level of interest throughout the adventure. It will surely keep you on your toes with its clever surprises and serious tone. Another successful element in this game is the brooding atmosphere. Just like the rest of Gotham, Arkham Asylum is Gothic in its architectures with striking stone sculptures both inside its dilapidated buildings and its forgotten outdoor gardens. Batman is able to use hidden vents and tunnels to navigate between rooms and buildings - this provides a sort of a secret world that only Batman is privy of, adding to the already thick atmosphere of mystery and allure that envelope the game. Graphically, the game looks very attractive even though some of the redesigns of the villains are a little bit disappointing. There visuals are polished with a game camera that is smart enough to zoom in and out depending on your current situation. As good looking as this version is, it is still a step below the Personal Computer version that offers both larger textures and higher resolutions.
Now you know what it means to be one of those creatures in Dead Space.
The gameplay here consists of 3 major components: action, stealth, and detective sleuth-work. The game has one of the best brawler mechanics ever devised even though it mostly comprised of attack and counter-attack button entries. It's certainly more fun than the stealth sections that will have you picking off the Joker's goons one by one using the surrounding environment to hide you from them. These sections are less successful because the A.I. of your enemies are quite dumb. The detective part of the gameplay involves using a "detective mode" vision to enable Batman to see through walls as well as analyze a variety of different clues to locate different individuals of importance. Batman is also being encouraged by the Riddler to solve an overwhelming number of riddles, hidden trophies, and interview tapes while taking care of his main concern - as if he really has time for petite puzzle solving. For the most part, this hodge-podge of gameplay variation works since you will never run out of things to do until you get to the end of the game. The only problem with
BAA is its longevity. Unless you like your achievements or trophies, there is very little reason to play it game again but it would be great to revisit it perhaps in the future after you have forgotten about the game. Besides the story mode which I will again reiterate is very fun to play through - at least until you reach the lazy, unfathomable climax - there is also a mission mode that you can tackle and this is pretty much just a variation of scored action and stealth gameplay divided into different stages, each with its own online leaderboard. There are character trophies to unlock too but just like those in
Resident Evil 5, you will get bored staring at them after your first viewing. What game developers really need to do with these 3D trophies is to allow us to have a virtual room where we can re-arrange them or change their poses - something more interactive than just merely gawking at them.
Successful eaves dropping sessions reveal that even dirty thugs live regular lives.
Is this the best Batman game ever made? No. I still like Sunsoft's Batman on the Nintendo Entertainment System better but it does set the definitive standard for future superhero games. This game is just like Christopher Nolan's first foray into his Batman film-making. Just like Batman Begins, BAA shows incredible maturity and potential in its many shining moments of brilliance but just like that movie, the ending simply doesn't work thus ruining what could have been utter perfection. With a little bit of work, I can see a sequel far greater than what this game could possibly offer us in its current form. I have no doubt that Rocksteady Studios will deliver on its promise the next time around.
RATING: 4 out of 5
