Batman: Arkham Asylum

I've been a Batman fan since I was a kid. I loved every new story from the world's greatest detective! But in the gaming world Batman has always been the laughingstock. This time Rocksteady Studios is intent on bringing a batman game that gamers have been clamoring for. Batman: Arkham Asylum.




The game is an original story but obviously loosely based on the "No Man's Land" graphic novel about Gotham's most illustrious maximum security asylum. That being said, Arkham Asylum's story is brilliant! I couldn't put the controller down because I needed to know what was next!
I'll start with the voice acting. Mark Hamill is the star of a star studded cast and leads the way as the "Clown Prince Of Crime", The Joker. Rocksteady says they wrote additional sequences into the game because of Hamill's voice work for the joker which is wonderful. I enjoyed how actors from the animated series contributed their talent, including Kevin Conroy as Batman and Arleen Sorkin as Harley Quinn.



The story is there to compliment the gameplay. You get a real predatory feel as you stalk and dispatch enemies throughout the game. Whether using your explosive gel to blow a wall behind an unsuspecting thug or grabbing them from above while perched on a gargoyle is up to you. Your enemies will react with fear and irrationality nevertheless!
The game is littered with Edward Nigma's "Riddler Challenges". Ranging from riddle solutions to physical trophies. Obtaining them earns everything from new challenge rooms to character bios viewable from Batman's main menu. This adds a remarkable amount of play value since defeating the Riddler is a nice motivation to complete them.



On top of the epic story that would bring Bob Kane to tears, we have the robust challenge mode. These are brutal situations designed to test your mettle as a gamer and they do just that. The challenge rooms take everything that's fun about the main game and amplify it! PS3 even get's a challenge room where you can play as the Joker! (I'll update my review when I've tried it!).
Bottom line... Arkham Asylum is the game that Batman fans have been waiting for. Even if you're not a Batman fan the game holds its own as a wonderful and highly addictive sandbox game. Hatefrost gives Batman: Arkham Asylum a 10 oit of 10.


Title: Batman: Arkham Asylum
Developer: Rocksteady Studios
Publisher: Warner Bros/ DC Comics ` Eidos Interactive
Release Date: August 25th, 2009
Reviewer's Score: 10 out of 10