PS3 Informer

Review: Arkham Asylum

After being a long and avid follower of the Batman series [All areas of\nthe hero - film and game] I was desperately trying not to hold a grudge\nfuelled by disappointment as with all previous Batman games (they have\nbeen below expectations). Before continuing with this video game review we\nshould tip our hats in the directions of Batman Begins and Dark Knight,\nbecause without these recent films there wouldn't have been any wells of\ninspiration for the AA Team to merrily sip from.\n\n\n\nNow the first thing that I noticed when starting the game is the\natmosphere - with great lighting, dismal outer areas with tight corridors\nwhen going from area to area. The visuals are slick and effort has clearly\ngone into them. This version of Batman is very cool, being slightly\nunhinged whilst playing the strong silent type. Everything looks like it\nhas a very fine film of misery and depression holding everything together\n- in the gritty version of the batman realm this is generally how they\nroll! No one but the 'Crims' ever have anything to smile about [Take the\nCroc's skin issues and Poison Ivy's choice of perfume]. \n\n\n\nThe game's premise is simply a genius idea - Batman is trapped in and amongst all the people he has fought to keep off the streets of Gotham - Arkham Asylum. The first\nthought was how are they going to make this game feel big - with depth and\nwithout feeling like you are constantly covering old ground? The storyline\nand voice acting is the catalyst for this and offer a treacle like\ntransition. Its smooth and seamless and feels how I wouldn't have expected\nthings to go - the Asylum feels like it huge but only because you are\ntaken into 'nooks and crannies' everywhere and you are always presented\nwith several ways to deal with a single task.\n\n\n\nDue to the way each thing is put to you - the variables keep it feeling\nfresh and challenging. To add to this the overall game is filled with mini\ngames and collectible tasks which you incorporate into your campaign\nwithout even realizing. You will start checking everything out without it\nfeeling its becoming cumbersome and there is a little bit of satisfaction\nevery time you learn more about your foes and when The Riddler starts\ntaking away your 'juice' whenever you think you have found a well hidden\nPurple Question Mark!\n\n\n\nThe campaign itself is well crafted and each interaction and set piece\nfeels swift - the fight system is excellent and is very much a case of you\nget out what you put in. Timed and creative combos will work for you\nwhilst looking good. The stealth element of the game is good with the\nhanging grab stealing the show. Batman is above all else a man - with no\nsuper powers other than heighten education and being 'genius like'\nnaturally. The Gadgets are cool and help you see how batman pulls off\nthose slick get out of any situation moves. \n\n\n\nAll the Bosses offer a challenge and seem to have their own reasons for wanting to do battle with you with the Joker playing the Maestro if you will - popping up everywhere to offer you some support as he watches you move ever closer to him - which is all\nbeing masterfully steered and manipulated by him.\n\n\n\nThe little touches that give the game that feel that attention has been\nparamount are the little time consuming snippets - damages that occur on\nB-Man's suit for example is a subtle reminder that he is a man and isn't a\ndefinite at any moment in time. The voice acting for me is up there with\nsome of the best and the in game options such as upgrades and mapping\nsystem work very well. Its clear to see that this games nods at various\nthird person escapades such as Metal Gear Solid, Gears of War, Resident\nEvil, Splinter Cell to name a few. The ideas that have been borrowed\nwould be applauded as they have used them to a just cause and it feels\nlike they belong to the Batman World as much as the one he has borrowed\nthem from [Bats talking to the Oracle is Marcus Fenix chatting to Control\n- the Stealth system feels like a meeting ground for MGS and SP and the\ngeneral camera view is very much Resi to name but a few 'may I borrow'\nmoves.]\n\n\n\nAs a transition for the franchise from films and comic books to gaming,\nArkham Asylum is successful. The indirect use of the films by going\nsinister as opposed to retro camp is a great one. Magnifying each\ncharacters main attributes - Joker being a flamboyant madman - Scarecrow\nbeing the scariest chap since Frederick Kruger - Poison Ivy being overly\nalluring whilst remaining off with the fairies - makes them all feel as\nthough they deserve to be there. The hierarchy of them feels 'just right'\nas well with them all falling comfortably into their given role and\nplacement.\n\n\n\nIt is also worth noting that this is a game that you can enjoy even if you\ndon't particularly like Batman. I have a good pal who has AA for the 360\nand he doesn't like films very much and really doesn't like Superhero\nflicks as a general rule. Yet he bought this game and is currently really\ngetting into it and said it's a really creeper as its come from nowhere\nand he agreed that it wouldn't be such a surprise to see it 'On Guard' and\ntaking up a stance for the infamous GOTY title - umm got you thinking now\nhaven't I?\n\n\n\nOverall Arkham Asylum has been a triumph and with all the free downloads\nwe have received, the mini games to complete, the other areas such as\nJoker and Challenge Modes. AA proves that a solid single player game is\nsomething that can still offer you a real experience.\n\n\nGenre: Action - Third Person\nDeveloper: Rocksteady Studios\nPublisher: Eidos Interactive - WB Interactive\n\nPro's: This game is the full package, great graphics, gameplpay, storyline and voiceacting. This game is the 'Sunday Roast' of games.\n\nCon's: Why havent we seen a Batman game like this sooner? Goons can be a little too easy to deal with.\n\n\nFinal Score: Batman: Arkham Asylum - 4.5/5 - Simply unmissable