Batman Arkham Asylum Teaser Video
Super hero games range between god awful to pretty damn fun, but those in the second class are very much in the minority. Good old Superman, as an example, has been reeling from one poorly thought out title after the other for ages and so has the Batman games scene. Even the best of the Batman games over the years haven’t captured the sensation of being under the cowl, facing down maniacs with his fists and wits.
Batman Arkham Asylum is out on sale August 2009, and is breaking the mold and all reviews we have seen appear to be unanimous in their excitement about the game. Actually, to us, it sort of feels like a brilliantly polished and wholly engrossing prospect.
Batman can be perched on a high ledge in a utterly totally open room as he watches some of the Joker’s bullies rifle thru drawers, and the graphics detail is fantastic. Batman switches to investigation mode using a blue coloured visor that among other stuff lets Batman see his enemies thru walls and identifies stuff like guns and knives.
Combat is simple with single-button-press punches, stuns and redirects and is context-sensitive, depending on which way the thumbstick is leaning. Take-downs are performed by pressing RT + Y or B+Y when close to an enemy and are cinematically highlighted by a random slow-mo payoff cam.
Game informer has actually positive things to claim about it. Not only game stool pigeon but gamespot.com and IGN.com are providing this game good exposure to publicity. Gameplay elements, like fighting six guys at once, or silently taking on enemies with guns, are introduced slowly and individually. Then, as the story moves on, variables are introduced.
Gameplay will not just be about combat, either. Batman’s a detective, see, so there’ll be investigative work ( puzzles, etc ) to be done as well , including in depth use of what sounds a lot like Metroid Prime’s scanning system.
Stealth and smarts are what will win the moment when Batman comes across a room full of armed bad blokes. There’s also an investigator mode, which is largely a special vision mode to help Batman spot things he’d miss with consistent vision mode. Stealth, platforming and exploration. The battle system in Arkham Asylum makes me think of two different battle systems, the first battle system is in Fable two and the second is in Assasin Creed.
Stealth sections typically involve systematically picking off enemies one by one, and can usually be identified on entering a room where gargoyles flank the walls. Batman uses these gargoyles to support his weight, using his grapnel gun to zip up out of sight and safely survey the area.
‘With this level of invention and attention to detail it’s disheartening that Arkham Asylum’s biggest failing is with some of its chairman battles. While the build-up and design is usually wonderful, the fights themselves regularly rely far too heavily on tedious, rinse-and-repeat video game tropes. The final encounter particularly, comes about rather abruptly, and is so empty as a gameplay experience it can leave a slightly sour taste after the terrific ride that came before it.’
Nervertheless even that commentator obviously thought his negative view on this to be minor point, ending with :
‘But that ride is what matters most, and is definitely what’ll you remember after the end credits have rolled. With a sequence of combat and stealth challenge rooms with online leader boards rounding off the package, Arkham Asylum is a brilliantly polished and totally engrossing prospect. Few approved titles have caught so accurately and utterly the ethos of its inspiration as Arkham Asylum.’
Our conclusion : Moving Batman around in Batman Arkham Asylum as Reviewed is always a treat when you think of yourself as a badass slayer. The gameplay is free flowing permitting for dynamic fighting sequences and skill. Great absorbing fun to indulge yourself in!
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