If you can name all of the faces in that photo you should have beaten this already.
Back when I first heard about this game in Game Informer I had some major doubts.
For starters the company that produced this game, Eidos Interactive, had managed to ruin it's credibility in the gaming industry by running the Tomb Raider franchise directly into the ground with one of the worst games of it's generation, Tomb Raider: Angel of Darkness. Something to this day, the franchise has struggled to overcome.
Secondly, most of the insiders were very tepid in it's previews.
You see most of the time, you can tell if a game has potential by the way reviewers write their previews. They'll sometimes tell you things like "it needs work" or this build is " in an early stage" when the game is only months from shipping, or you can see by the tone this isn't something that's going to blow you away.
Because of this people who do their due diligence know almost all the AAA titles for the year by when there shooting for release, and what the previews are saying. If the previews are glowing, and the release date is anywhere between now, and December 24th, you can circle your calenders and starting bleeding out your ears to try and earn the cash.
And finally superhero games have a long historical relationship with suck.
However every once in a while we get a game that comes out of nowhere, and surprises us all.
That ladies, and gentlemen is what we have here. I'm not sure how it happened, but a game that was released in August has a real shot at Game of the Year. It really does kick that much ass.
Before I get too far ahead of myself lets backup a bit.
Batman: Arkham Asylum is available on the XBOX360, and PS3. It's a stealth action platformer/stealth action/ light puzzle title in which you play as the aforementioned Dark Knight voiced by the incredibly underrated Kevin Conroy from the animated series. As you chauffeur who else, but the Clown Prince of Crime, voiced by the great Mark Hamil also reprising his role from the animated series, back to the poky.
Expectantly Joker's got more than his wrist up his sleeve and he hatches a devious plan to take over Arkham Asylum, and finally takedown The Batman once and for all. At least that what he's telling you.
Right from the moment you start the game you know your in for a real treat. Mark Hamil must have been locked in that recording booth for months, because the seer amount of dialog, and differing filler lines will make you go numb if you stop and think about it.
Thankfully with top billing, he puts in a masterclass performance that should win him every voice acting award given out for this year. Proving once and for all he's the best Joker of all time. From his spot on devilish laugh, to his cold and calculating kill scenes, and clinical stabs in the back, this Joker isn't the PG-13 one from the Animated Series, folks.
He'll stab his own allies in the back, lead you into violent traps, and try to kill you in the most hilarious ways he can think of. And he shows it in the introduction, as he crushes one guard's windpipe, and renders the other two unconscious as he makes his escape.
This is where you'll learn another fact, Harley Quinn(voiced by Arleen Sorkin, the women that really made the character) has a new uber-skimpy outfit that really accent's her... form. While this is pointed out in one the many magnificent cut-scenes, the reason why Poison Ivy doesn't wear pants isn't. This a game while not an M-title, it certainly isn't something the super young need to bare witness to.
For Poison Ivy; pants are optional. I can relate.
When Joker makes his escape the plot begins, and so to do the spoilers, and this is a must play so I won't go any further. I will however give you a riddle Edward E. Nigma would be proud of.
What character, who's a very bad man, could both live in a place named after him, and be scorn accidentally even if you'd never heard of him? The answer to that will net you a key piece of the plot.
Speaking of the Riddler, I guess it's time to get into the actual gameplay. While extremely plot heavy, the games combat system is a mix between the old, new Prince of Persia(Sands of Time) and the original Assassin's Creed games.
For those that don't have any idea what i just said, the combat is more about making quick decisions than it is about mastering complex combos. With simply the A, B, Y, X buttons you'll be able to bring about copious amounts of pain. For every clean strike or counter you land in a row your gain a multiplier on experience points that can be used to unlock the rest of batman's utility belt.
It's very simple and intuitive, as Batman flies through the air bringing the hurt, it really made me think of old school kung fu movies. And you can tell the onious was put on it to get it like that. It's easy, but its great eye candy, and the variation in takedown moves, and throws, as well as strikes all depends on complex math going on under the hood. You'll rarely see the same combo twice which is stunning and is magnificent.
However that doesn't mean Batman's strict no guns rule extends to the enemy. No sir. When the enemy is packing heat the game changes. You'll have to stalk your pray, from above with conveniently placed gargoyles, or from bellow; with equally convenient grates, these set pieces are what really suck you in as Batman. When you have detective mode on and your looking at your enemies heart rate sky rocket as you make an inverted takedown and leave one of there buddies screaming for help. It's really priceless.
The glide kick is another of your best weapons in the game.
Besides the combat there are a number of detective set pieces that cover up the fact your backtracking to extend the games length, and easter eggs for fans in the form of riddles, and trophy challenges from the one and only Ed Nigma, even the Joker helps out by leaving you some chattering teeth for you to destroy. The spirit of Amadeus Arkum also gets into the act, providing possibly one of the best single acts of sleuthing in video game history, that doesn't force you to consult a walkthrough.
Some of these riddles, and challenges will be real brain benders that will test your scavenging skills and others will be odes to the comic book fans.
For example in the medical facility you'll be asked to find a fire-starter, and you'll find a newspaper article about Firefly, unlocking a character bio with the first issue of the villains appearance in case you didn't know and would like to read up.
This is really what the game does so well. It's a hard edged Batman tale that finally lives up to the billing of its characters potential, while playing more like a love letter to the caped crusader. While small bits can be picked at, like the weak final battle with Joker, or the tedious Killer Croc boss battle. Everything else more than makes up for it, and none of these small nags ever nags you enough to ruin the experience.
This game will grab you and never let go.
When the end comes it feels all too soon, and you'll want to play it again on hard just to keep the memory of what you've just experienced alive. For anyone who wouldn't be able to tell the difference between Tweedledee or Tweedledum, this game may not be the score that I'm about to give it, but overall this is a masterpiece of Batman. And I hope they make another game like they tease at the end.
Graphics 9.5 out of 10
Sound 9.9 out of 10
Gameplay 9.5 out of 10
Replay 9 out of 10
Tilt 10 out of 10
Overall 9.7 out of 10. Masterpiece.
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