Batman: Arkham Asylum

Batman: Arkham Asylum is a rare breed of game.

Not only is it a licensed title that really makes the most of the license, with gameplay mechanics that cater to Batman’s character, a compelling setting and story, and a host of well-known characters, it’s also a very polished product.

You can tell that a whole lot of love has gone into this one, from the slick cutscenes through to the use of screeching bats to highlight gained XP.

 

It uses the heritage and tone of the license beautifully, with a great setting, brooding atmosphere and an all-star line-up of characters, and importantly, Batman doesn’t feel like just another hero in this game. He’s The Bat.

You have the chance to methodically and stylishly beat your enemies to a bloody pulp with a character who’s weighty and powerful and can handle multiple attackers simultaneously.

You also use gadgets to help you in combat and to move through the world like a high tech assassin. The Batarang, for instance, can be used to get the jump on enemies – crouch down at a corner then aim from behind cover, or use it during combat to stun assailants. The Batclaw, on the other hand, can be used to pull opponents towards you and off ledges, or you can use it to pull vent covers off, allowing you to then grapple up to the opening.

In fact, grappling is one of the stars of the gameplay mechanics in Arkham Asylum. It allows you to move quickly about the environment. Just grapple and swoop up onto the roof, as well as creating a compelling game of cat and mouse with groups of enemies.

You’ll enter an area, for instance, and there may be five or six guards, all packing machine guns or shotguns. You can’t simply run at them, but you can perch atop a gargoyle from on high, observing their movements and picking them off one at a time.

It’s the work of a moment, for instance, to glide down from a perch, wings spread, to kick a guard in the head, then instantly grapple back up to another location high up near the ceiling. The game makes this very straightforward and very gratifying.

And when one of the unconscious bodies is discovered, or you launch an attack with another guard in sight, the other guards will start actively searching for you.

If they see you grapple up to a gargoyle, they’ll start shooting at you, but if you quickly grapple away to another location they’ll lose you and the hunt begins again. The guards, then, aren’t exactly smart – they’ll stop looking up once you’ve evaded them, but that’s a necessary design decision to keep the game fun.

Combat is a good mix of this style of stealth-hunting gameplay and straight-up hand-to-hand combat, and the latter is built around solid mechanics, where timing is key. Batman is often surrounded by attackers, but their attacks are signposted, allowing you to counter them with a button press. Because of the numbers you’re often facing, this doesn’t dumb things down – it actually forces you to avoid mashing. Plus, it looks very cool.

A typical scenario sees Batman surrounded. You’ll start laying into someone, only for another enemy to try and give your noggin and floggin’ from behind.

Tap the counter button and Batman will duck under the attack and knock him aside. Another enemy comes in with a kick – another tap sees you grab his leg and punch him in the face. It all flows together really nicely. Batman can also dive to evade and flip over attacking enemies.

Read the rest of the review at IGN.com

Publisher: Eidos Interactive
Price: RRP $119.95
Reviewed on: XBOX 360
Also available on: Playstation 3, PC