Batman: Arkham Asylum
Alright first off there have not been many batman games out there that really do a good Job of recreating the Batman Universe. while many have tried Batman: Arkham Asylum may finally get it right. First Off The Game starts you off returning the joker from a raid around Gotham City, Although Batman believes that he surrendered too quickly. Well as you might have guessed Batman was right to be speculative and Joker Breaks out and starts to control the asylum with Harley Quinn and a whole laundry list of Classic Batman characters.
Presentation:
The game Presents itself well with a darker tone close to that of the Dark Knight but really aiming at the whole Comic book feel for the Game. The Voices of Mark Hamil (Joker) and Kevin Conroy (Batman) do an excellent job voice acting the game as you know they are the original voices from the animated series for batman and the Joker. their presence in the game Gives Batman Arkham Asylum it’s own personal Feel and Theme making it one that stands out beyond all the rest. In other words Batman Arkham Asylum is where The Dark Knight, The Animated Series, and the original comics Come together in a classic Batman adventure you are going to remember.
Graphics:
The Graphics for Batman Arkham Asylum are surprisingly good. While it’s easily noticeable that it’s using unreal engine 3 graphics they do a nice job of polishing them up. the Character skins are nicely detailed and Batman’s armor wears out as you progress by the end of the game batman looks really beat up. There are a few areas of the game that have poor textures or bad graphics at some point or another but that would be nit-picking and as a whole the game looks nice.
Sound:
Like I said before the voice talents of Mark Hamil and Kevin Conroy are great but the soundtrack for the game is great! During the battle between killer Croc it is almost dead silence until he jumps at you when the orchestrated music really comes into play it really delivers a sense of Danger that many games lack today. Overall the music fits the batman mood and tone very well and is a perfect match for this game. The Only bad thing I must point out about the sound is that Batman does blantly say everything he is thinking in order to give the gamer a better idea of what he is supposed to do but I would have preferred an on-screen hint system that you could turn off.
Gameplay:
The Gameplay is Solid from the fluid combo system to the use of all Batman’s Gadgets. Batman Arkham Asylum will not disappoint. The controls are very intuitive and take no learning curve. The use of each gadget is detailed and explained but not that they need much explaining. The Grappling Hook, the explosive gel, and even the Batarangs are all very handy and have lots of uses. An upgrade system will allow you to upgrade certain gadgets and armor too which is a very nice addition. The Gameplay is almost never repetitive either since there are so many ways to take down your enemies.
Replay Value:
With tons of riddler trophies, character bios, riddles, and character background interviews there is lots of incentive to replay the game not to mention challenge rooms. the main story will take you about 13 hours to complete on normal it will take you probably around 30 hours to find everything. There are lots of trophies to be had in Batman Arkham Asylum and with a great story like the one seen here I’m sure you will be back to play it again!
