What Is Techno Again?

Like the Joker, the latest Batman game comes prepared with all sorts of tricks up its sleeves. Thankfully, you also step onto the grounds of Arkham Asylum with a cue or two from the Dark Knight—armed with the power of the dynamic duo, Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill (Batman: The Animated Series), and the storytelling of Paul Dini. Forget the trashy old video game adventures of the Caped Crusader you cringe to remember. Welcome to the smart next-gen, gadget-ready version you’ve longed to wrap your gauntlets around.

What You’ll Like

Home, Sweet Asylum

Besides providing a clever way to unload the opening credits, the introductory sequence of Batman: Arkham Asylum sets the tone for the rest of the game: entertaining and fresh, but with a hot trail of on-your-toes danger. The deadly prankster, the Joker, barely makes it through the front door when he breaks loose and commences to wreak panic and death upon the asylum, freeing his villainous peers along the way. To stop the Clown Prince, you’ll have to fend off waves of goons and put the deadlier of inmates back in their cells. Of course, not everything goes as planned when you’re dealing with an unpredictable madman like the Joker.

Kevin Conroy is just as awesome as you remember.

One of the most impressive aspects about the game—and boy, is there a lot to gush about—lies with the smooth storyline. Not only do the game’s events keep a firm grip on your attention like a good choke hold from Batman, but they also progress extremely well. Many times you’ll find yourself ready to call it a day and retreat to your Batcave, only to end up playing for twenty more minutes. You only deal with a handful of comic book villains throughout your hostile tour of Arkham, but the time and unique gameplay devoted to each forms a balanced breakfast for Batman. The game never feels static, and the combat closely follows suit.

A simple button layout with the boost of a multiplier that bumps up power and dexterity, gadgets turned weapons, interactive environments, and a luxury of ways to say “goodnight” make for fights that are virtually seamless and a hell of a lot of fun. Success comes down to quick reaction time and keeping the flow going, and your skill determines how much experience you gain in return for punching some jaws. The more points you rack up, the more upgrades for gadgets and combat moves that will be available. When you’re not knocking down a thug or eight, navigating like a ninja through your surroundings comes as easily as scowling. And we all know how scary Batman’s scowl is.

Put Your Best Smile On

When it comes to graphics and music, Arkham Asylum shows no mercy. The details are crucial, as your zoom function—which sports a legitimate purpose starting an hour into the game—lets you see every crease on the Joker’s well-tailored suit. Even the Batsuit wears and tears. Plus, roaming the fantastically rendered asylum would be like a trip through a wonderland if it wasn’t for those pesky inmates trying to kill you wherever you go. The music you encounter throughout the game arrives fit for each area or villain you face. Scarecrow holds a degree in fear, so his portion of the soundtrack will send shivers down your spine as you fight off the maddening effects of Crane’s fear toxin.

Using your gadgets never gets old ... like Batman.

Visual and auditory clues work hand-in-hand, as well. The sound of the Joker’s toy chattering teeth stands out while leading you down the right path. Oracle acts as your official news feed to what’s happening around Gotham, and the Joker’s voice (and green-and-white mug) follows you everywhere. Plus, your Detective Mode gives you a whole new way of seeing things—to spot and take down enemies, interact with your environment, and maintain your reputation as the World’s Greatest Detective.

Eat Pie of Every Flavor, Clown!

Beating the game requires 12-15 hours depending on your pace, but the extras that take you away from the main action come gift-wrapped with just about every henchman. Hunting down patient interview tapes, collecting rogues’ gallery bios via Environmental Analysis puzzles, crossing Riddler trophies off your checklist, and unlocking the Spirit of Arkham will keep you busy when you need to come up for air. The whole island becomes your playground after you successfully course through the game, and don’t worry, your mental endeavors are rewarded in the end. When you’re not showing the Riddler what’s what, you can test your might in the line-up of Challenge Modes. If you’re playing on a PlayStation 3, you can show off as the Joker himself.

What You Won’t Like

A Thug Here, a Batarang There

What’s not to like about Batman: Arkham Asylum? Let’s rephrase. How often do criminals see Batman sneaking up on them under the cover of darkness? Yeah. There’s a lot of Bat-tastic stuff to go around, and little that doesn’t please.

Once you get the hang of combat, you won't want to stop trashing Arkham punks.

If you’re not well-schooled in the numerous costumed enemies Batman has earned throughout the years, then the Riddlers’ verbal puzzles—in which you have to locate and prove the answer with the press of the shoulder button—might be a bit tricky. However, even the tougher ones contain a hint that doesn’t pertain to the bizarre nature of the villain. So while you might not know who the Ghul is, you’ll be set knowing it’ll be a cold day in Hell when he rises. And speaking of rogues, it would have been nice to see more from the gallery incorporated into the game, although doing so might have jeopardized the overall experience. Arkham Asylum succeeds because it doesn’t overdo itself with the smoke and mirrors, yet it doesn’t hold back, either.

As mentioned, combat functions smoothly and comes loaded with a variety of finishing tactics, but if you’re not careful about keeping the multiplier and variation up, the result might not be as rewarding. The Dark Knight can unleash mind-blowing fighting sequences in which he flies around the room like a human batarang, but that action comes in sacrifice. You won’t have to memorize long chains of fancy moves, but you’ll need spot-on timing and overall mastery of a limited set of button combinations to reap the most benefit. In other words, you’ll definitely see the incredible depth of combat, but you won’t tell from the moves list.

Finally, although the story unfolds quite well, it’s more than a little amusing to consider Batman “cleaned up Arkham” when at least half of the asylum’s staff (read: guards, a doctor, guards, and more guards) died in the process. There are now more criminal nutjobs than employees. Good luck with that.

Recommendation:

Those complaints are, in truth, relatively minor, and they do little to bring down the stellar experience. Some final moments with villains didn’t cruise much higher than warm-up intensity, but were still enjoyable; fighting baddies never felt so good. From top to bottom, Arkham Asylum greets its guest of honor with detail-dripping style, gameplay and story quality, and a whole lot of laughs and entertainment. It easily ranks as the best comic book video game to date, and its highly approving reception puts it in the running for Game of the Year. 9.5/10

"BANG! You're dead! Hang on, that was the trick gun ..."

Review format credited to the Girls Entertainment Network