The Digest: Gorgeous graphics along with a compelling storyline set the backdrop for a game worthy of the Bat mantle.  A unique combat system and solid stealth mechanics make Batman the only one to fear in Arkham.  Rocksteady has set the bar very high for future comic franchise games.

THE FACT SHEET

RELEASE DATE:  August 25, 2009
PUBLISHERS:   Eidos, Inc. and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
DEVELOPER:  Rocksteady Studios
ESRB RATING:  “T” for Teen
GENRE:  Third-Person Action Adventure

PRODUCT OVERVIEW:
Based on the DC Comics core Batman property, Batman: Arkham Asylum will launch worldwide on Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION3 and PC.  In Batman: Arkham Asylum, the Dark Knight takes on his greatest challenge yet when he becomes trapped with all of his most dangerous villains inside the insane asylum of GOTHAM CITY – ARKHAM ASYLUM!

PRODUCT FEATURES:
* Utilize the unique FreeFlow™ combat system
* Investigate as Batman, the WORLD’S GREATEST DETECTIVE
* Become the Invisible Predator
* Explore every inch of Arkham Asylum and roam freely on the infamous island
* Unlock more secrets by completing hidden challenges in the world

It has been quite a week for Rocksteady and what is hopefully the first in a series of Batman games.  Not only has Batman: Arkham Asylum been receiving rave reviews from all around, it already has a Guinness World record under its belt.  Something not many games, if any at all, can brag about.  Rocksteady has truly crafted a masterpiece from top to bottom that is unmatched in any comic book game.  Arkham Asylum is to video game adaptations what the Dark Knight was to film.  Famed writer, Paul Dini, penned the script for the game.  He most certainly brings with him an authority and authenticity to this original Batman tale.

From the very outset, a very gritty and brooding atmosphere is established of the most famous nuthouse to grace the page.  All of the environments are beautifully rendered with painstaking detail put into every area of Arkham.  While very subtle, you will even notice that the damage Batman accrues over the course of the game remains with him.  You will see cuts in the armor and on your cape and even marks where you have been shot.  A very nice touch that shows off the long and arduous night Batman has been through.  The massive amount of attention they took in texturing everything is truly impressive.

Detective mode adds a whole other level to the visuals.  It’s basically an enhanced X-Ray vision mode with a built-in HUD used for identifying a variety of objects/people.  Armed thugs will be highlighted in red to distinguish them from the pack.  Also, objects of importance, like grates, will be highlighted.  When you need to search for evidence at the scene of a crime, it is used to isolate fingerprints, scents, etc. so you can follow the trail and hunt down your target.  So useful in fact, I find myself forgetting to turn it off when running around Arkham.  I do advise against this just for the sole fact that you miss out on the fantastic environments.

Animation is fantastic from the combat to the cut scenes.  Batman looks very slick, whether it be kicking someone in the face or choking them out.  Each of the cut scenes have the fine acting and polish of a well shot film.  The Joker has that certain swagger that makes his flamboyant movements and gestures feel, well, clownish.  Harley also has a unique walk that fits her feminine, yet energetically nutty personality perfectly.  While most cut scenes look great, there are some minor issues that crop up.  There are times when the characters will have the so-called ‘bug eyes’, and you will notice the lipsync is not always accurate.  Really though, hats off to the animation team and the fabulous job they have done.

Mark Hamill, yes the one and only Luke Skywalker, reprises his role as the Joker from the Emmy winning cartoon series ‘Batman’.  Might I add,  he once again puts in a fantastic performance voicing the Clown Prince.  Joining him from the show is Kevin Conroy (Batman)  and Arleen Sorkin (Harley Quinn), both of whom hold their own against Hamill.

Freeflow combat is a fantastically designed fighting system that lends itself to smooth, high count combos.  Once mastered, you will be able to seamlessly maneuver from one punching bag to the next.  This is where you can utilize the power of one of the most feared and refined martial artists and unleash it on Joker’s army.  Whether it be 1 or  a dozen targets, in the end, they all go down hard and painfully so.  Hand to hand combat is mapped to four buttons: strike, counter, stun and evade.  Using the strike button and pushing on a direction on the joystick, you direct Batman as he bounces from one victim to the next.  Your goal here is to rack up the combo counts to unlock critical strikes (more damage), and if they have been upgraded, a special throw or instant takedown that helps extend your combo and inflict extra damage.  The counter system uses a “spider sense” like system to alert you of incoming enemy attacks.  Certain weapon wielding thugs (knives/electric batons) have to be attacked using a different approach since they have the ability to block your regular hits.  Stunning these enemy types first will be the quickest and most effective way to take them down.

I absolutely love the character design and art direction the team took with all of the villains.  They put a fresh spin and new perspective on all these classic characters.  While all the ‘bosses’ are visually appeasing, I must admit some of your clashes with them are very bland.  While I won’t spoil it for those of you who haven’t played the game, one of the villains never gets to duke it out with the Bats.  I personally liked the implementation and creative design behind the Scarecrow fights.  A welcome variation from your typical fare.  The final showdown with the Joker, however, is incredibly disappointing.  It is setup to have the potential for an epic melee, but ends up falling flat on its face.  Still, it doesn’t detract from the overall greatness of this game.

What good would a game featuring the Dark Knight be without all the toys he carries in his utility belt?  As should be expected, the most used of the group are the batarang and grapnel gun.  Batarang’s are upgradeable to remote controlled, sonic, and the ability to throw up to 3 batarangs simultaneously.  When you need to escape from a sticky situation or reach elevated surfaces, the grapnel gun is your best friend.  Explosive gel’s main use will be blowing through weakened structures, but it is also great for setting up traps.  Whether it be blowing up walls or setting up traps for enemies, like all the other toys in your arsenal, always handy to have.  The batclaw can be utilized in a few manners, but the one that’s the most enjoyable is when you grab an enemy and pull him over the side of a raised platform/catwalk.  Of course it comes in handy when you’re fighting a group of thugs in which you can latch onto 3 at a time and pull them in for a closer look at your fist.  Also, when there is a weakened structure that is out of reach of the explosive gel, this is where the claw comes in handy in taking it down.  A line launcher will also be part of your repertoire to reach areas with large gaps you can’t glide or grapnel between.  You don’t get this until nearly halfway through the game, but the game would be impossible to finish without it.  When you come across locked security panels, the cryptograph is a handy tool to bypass them.

The invisible predator mode is by far the most enjoyable aspect of this game and where you will truly feel like you are the Caped Crusader.  Using the gargoyles and rafters as your vantage points, you watch the patterns and paths your prey walk around as you plan your attack.  One by one, using a variety of methods, you pick off each of the guards.  For the most part, they will be armed, so taking a direct approach is not the smartest, as it will only take a few bullets to take Batman down.  You can glide down and drop kick a guard in the face, drop behind an unexpecting henchman and choke them out, or pull them up to the rafters and leave them hanging for his buddies to find.  While those are the basic maneuvers he can pull off, this allows for endless variations.  When there are structural weaknesses in the walls/ceilings/floor, you can use your explosive gel to take them out along with any guards standing in the blast zone.  Of course, you can also use the gel to leave traps for guards to walk right over.

However, I do wish the game made more use of the shadows.  I’ll take one of the major franchises on the Xbox, Splinter Cell, as the perfect example on how to implement and expand use of the stealth mechanics.  Using a light meter, you would be able to successfully mask yourself from the view of guards in an area that is pitch black.  This way you can hide in a corner and when a guard walks by, you reach from the shadows and pull him in and knock him out.  This would truly up the ante when it comes to stealth.

For the most part, the AI has been implemented well.  Baiting guards and watching them panic makes for unpredictable behavior.  However, there are some questionable scenarios that show off the weaknesses in it too.  Apparently, most guards lack peripheral vision, as it’s pretty easy to sneak up from the side and take them down.  All the guards also appear to have serious neck ailments as they never really look up, the most obvious area to look, when searching for you.  Even when you’re hanging upside down, only feet above the guards and what should be easily in view of their sight lines, they naively walk right under Batman.  Luckily for you, this is the easiest way to escape a sticky situation by looking for the nearest gargoyle and pulling yourself up and away.  Again, elements like hiding/escaping from guards would be perfectly complemented by more use of shadows in the stealth department.

A big part of the replay value in this game will come through a select set of 16 challenge rooms.  These rooms are unlocked as you play through the game and complete Riddler’s challenges.  There are 2 types of challenges: you are either thrust into a room full of thugs to fight or left to stalk.  It can be addicting to try and shave time off and beef up those scores.  Included in the stalking challenges are 3 achievements for you to accomplish.  They vary for each challenge and come in the form of specific ways for you to take some of the guards out (i.e.  using explosive gel, pulling someone over a ledge, etc.).

Conclusion: I can say this with absolute certainty: this is a must have game and gets my vote for game of the year.  Of course, there’s still a certain ‘blockbuster game’ dropping in November that will most certainly challenge this title.  However, for the year up until this point, Batman: Arkham Asylum is winning the race in my book and will get high consideration by year’s end, regardless of other releases.  Again, without spoiling anything for you, they set up a possible scenario for a subsequent game.  Like many others, I will be eagerly waiting for the inevitable follow up, in what hopes to be a long running franchise series.

Single Player: 9/10 |   Multi-Player: N/A