Batman: Arkham Asylum

• Rajeev
• October 15, 2009
• games
• reviews
• no comments
• ★★★★

When you take the writer/producer behind the best animated series of the ’90s, his excellent voice cast, and a developer dedicated to producing a game they can be proud of, you get such a phenomenal game that you thank the gods that the stars aligned so well. Batman: Arkham Asylum is the fortune of some very good direction and an open ear to the best that the Batman world has to offer, it is a large vat to scoop from. The mechanics developed for the game manage to grab you in and survive the long haul as you attempt to best the challenge modes. The art direction and graphics convey a stylized Jim Lee-style world. However, the best thing about Batman is that it convinces you that you have control of the world’s greatest vigilante and you are the bad-ass you always imagined him to be.

The story in Arkham Asylum is maybe one of its weakest points. The problem isn’t that it doesn’t provide an appropriate romp through Arkham; the issue really is that it just passes as any other mini-arc of the comics. It isn’t ground breaking and it isn’t jarring to the Batman world. The question is whether either of these are really necessary to create a good Batman game and frankly it is not. Dini, who wrote the script for the game, took his lessons from Batman: The Animated Series and kept the script confined and whole. Batman is bringing back the Joker to Arkham after another break out. However, a sharp turn of events has the Joker taking over the Asylum and Batman working against odds and his enemies to stop the Joker. The story does a good job of demonstrating how Batman villains work together… They are all alliances of convenience. The Joker has a plan and Batman must foil him and he has a bunch of Joker’s goons from Blackgate to get through (there is a reason for why they have shown up as well). It works and it provides an impetus to move from one hurdle to the next however it fails in that it is never truly compelling. Coming off of Dini’s work on “Heart of Hush” though, the story here feels like it tells us less of Batman and who he is.

The thing is that though the story does not help create a compelling narrative, the gameplay is so good that you want to replay it over and over again. Thankfully the challenge modes provides one with just that, distilled into five minute bursts. Other than exploring the vast confines of the Arkham island, the gameplay is broken into two distinct parts. The first is the “silent predator” mode. Here Batman is placed in a room of henchmen and he must whittle the numbers down using the shadows and his wonderful gadgets. Attempting to take the goons on head on will lead to a quick death and re-enforce that Batman is just a man. The most valuable tool here is the “detective mode.” Unfortunately, “detective mode” also has the tendency of making the encounters all too easy. This mode allows one to see through walls and target the henchmen. One cool feature is seeing their heartbeats and so determining how agitated or afraid they are. As a “silent predator,” the mode works perfectly in conveying the feeling of being the Batman who silently stalks the shadows. Takedowns are the name of the game here, and quick and silent attacks are triggered by the correct placement of Batman around his enemies and a subsequent quick pressing of a button (Y). Takedowns can also use the environment, including glass and ducts and various strategically placed items in the level. The encounters never feel forced and it never feels like items were placed in there just for Batman to take advantage of them. A niggling problem is that the AI has trouble looking up, but if they did the game would be considerably harder.

If “silent predator” makes one feel like the cold-calculating Batman who stalks the shadows, then the combat feels like the player has a graceful and lethal cheetah in his/her hands. Combat is achieved through simple button presses. Blocks, counters, jumps and attacks are the weapons Batman has at his disposal and that is all he needs. There is a visual rhythm to the fighting and in finding that rhythm the player can string up combos (ala Assassin’s Creed). Combos allow for more advanced and unstoppable takedowns. Variety is added by weapon wielding enemies and even lunatics who jump and bite. Moreover, the player has to keep attention on the few goons with guns and get towards them to take them out quickly and hopefully survive the onslaught. The fighting conveys the adeptness and skill of Batman, but also his vulnerability. The man can take down a hundred bad guys, but you need to triage if you want to get through the later stages of the game and the challenge modes.

In the middle of these two sections are detective mode segments that emphasize Batman as a detective and make copious use of the “detective mode.” Unfortunately you never get to feel like the genius that Batman is. You never get to apply that mighty intellect to figuring out the problems yourself. Instead, you are led by the developers in baby steps and it at the end you never feel like the genius of Batman, the way you felt his fighting and tactical skills. This may be one of the only missteps of the game. To combat these middling segments are some outstanding 2D moments as Batman battles the Scarecrow through his own nightmares. The game also attempts to extend longevity by littering Riddler “riddles” around the island. Frankly, it is actually a lot of fun to collect these. The game does not make it frustratingly hard by just throwing them around without a map, you are given a map, and they contain fun facts and trivia that Batman fans will enjoy. The game may only have half a dozen enemies, but everyone makes a cameo in one way or another through the “riddles.”

The game uses the Unreal engine and it shines within the Jim Lee character models and the stylized art of the levels. The loading times are minimal and there are no debilitating issues that impede the flow of the game. Of particular note is the exquisite work done on the cape, allowing it to flow and wrap itself around our Caped Crusader. The best part is seeing the armor and the cape take damage throughout the story. At the end of Batman’s night, his attire demonstrates the battles he has been through. That is an attention to detail that will bring gamers in and indelibly tie them to the experience. The music is appropriate and does a good job setting the mood and raising the tension, it is another piece of the puzzle that just fits perfectly.

It is difficult not to say good enough things about Batman: Arkham Asylum. The fact is that the care with which the developers at Rocksteady crafted this gem is evident from the opening scene. As Mark Hamill’s laughter takes over and Batman stays his hand in the beginning at ending it all quickly, you know that you are in for a ride. You are Batman and you get to feel his frailty, his brawn, and the brilliance of his tactical mind as you use your visage to strike fear in the hearts of criminals. It all clicks right and copying the words of Mel Brooks, “It is good to be the [Batman]!”