Turn Left to Your Imagination
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Posts Tagged ‘Batman: Arkham Asylum’
PS3 Review: Batman: Arkham Asylum
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
Batman: Arkham Asylum Interview Pt. 3
Talking with voice actor Kevin Conroy and writer Paul Dini about Batman: Arkham Asylum was fantastic, but the roundtable stepped down to earth when I got the chance to interview developer/game director Sefton Hill. From gameplay to inspiration, Hill broke the game down to its pixels, giving us a verbal walkthrough of what we’ll experience when playing Arkham Asylum tomorrow.
You can read my final B:AA interview over at the Girls Entertainment Network.
Batman: Arkham Asylum Interview Pt. 2
Kevin Conroy might stun with the awesomeness of his voice acting as Batman, but Paul Dini is someone many fans, including myself, admire. His creativity spans years and never ceases to be fresh and entertaining. I’ve interviewed Dini before, but never face-to-face, so it was a pleasure to talk to him about his storytelling in Batman: Arkham Asylum, which comes out this Tuesday. (Holy guano, Batman!)
Yeah, if Dini wrote it, you know it’s gonna be good. So rest assured, gamers.
You can read my interview with Paul Dini over at the Girls Entertainment Network. Part 3 with Rocksteady Studios developer Sefton Hill should be up on Monday.
Batman: Arkham Asylum Interview Pt. 1
One of my life dreams has been accomplished—marked off the list of to-dos: I met Kevin Conroy. And interviewed him, no less! Hearing Conroy talk on recorded interviews, and even hearing his voice as Batman on television or in Batman: Arkham Asylum, doesn’t do the real thing justice. He truly commands a room, and his laugh holds so much authority and power, it’s almost intimidating.
You can check out my interview with Batman over at the Girls Entertainment Network.
SDCC09: Scribblenauts/Arkham Asylum
I can’t stop reeling from everything I soaked in and experienced at San Diego Comic-Con—one of them definitely being the chance to play two highly anticipated games: Scribblenauts and Batman: Arkham Asylum.
I’m finally about to plunk down the cash for a Nintendo DS, and Scribblenauts ranks first on my list of games to buy (and I’m taking suggestions, by the way). But that doesn’t come out until next month. Batman: Arkham Asylum, on the other hand, lurks just around the corner.
At the Warner Brothers Interactive Entertainment booth, I snagged two temporary Scribblenauts tattoos that I refuse to ever use just because they’re so damn cute. The WBIE member also let me have the last chattering teeth wind-up toy, too. Hell yes!
You can read my preview of both games over at the Girls Entertainment Network.
SDCC09: Day 2 Wrap-Up
Beautiful and warm San Diego
My second day of San Diego Comic-Con began by wandering the floor and meeting The Darkness writer Phil Hester. After a pleasant chat and plans for an interview later that day, I headed for the Batman: New Dynamic panel, led by Dan DiDio. After lots of jest about the possible (and largely improbable) identities of the new Batgirl, I sought out the 24 panel but, not to my surprise, the line had already been sectioned off.
The Capcom booth bustled with crowds surrounding the stage, cheering over Marvel vs. Capcom 2 and the chance to win associated prizes. An hour spent there finished with a trip past the G4 booth, where I caught a glimpse of Elijah Wood in the midst of camera-frenzied fans.
Jessika and I playing Marvel vs. Capcom 2
I caught Phil Hester for the interview, and I was guided behind the booth to lead what was a memorable and casual talk filled with enthusiasm and some good laughs. I snapped a picture and took a brief break in preparation for another one of my most anticipated events of the day, the Warner Brothers Interactive Entertainment booth tour. Bypassing the tight security around the large booth was quite an ordeal, but once inside, my frustration was calmed by friendly, excited faces who showed me and let me have hands-on time with both Scribblenauts and Batman: Arkham Asylum. The WBIE professional who assisted me for the majority of the tour wore a Batman shirt, and we gleefully chatted about classic Batman graphic novels, recent comics, and even figurines. I ended up leaving the enjoyable experience with some temporary Scribblenauts tattoos and the single remaining wind-up Joker chattering teeth (modeled after the ones in the game) from that day.
Finally meeting one of my favorite comics guys, Mel Caylo
Joined again by Rick Basaldua and this time comic creator David LeVack, as well as some other new faces, the Girls Entertainment Network crew and I dined at a seafood restaurant—where I split an oven-roasted chicken meal and rice and enjoyed a rich comic talk with two friendly guys in the industry as well as all-around great company.
My feet ached and I could hardly stand, and two more days remained, but the amount of fun was almost unbearable. In a good way, of course.
More in-depth write-ups of the panels and interviews mentioned will be coming soon!
Mandy, Becky, Jill, Jessika, and I at dinner
