The Summer’s most anticipated game has finally arrived. Has Rocksteady succeeded where so many other developers have failed? Is this game a worthy tribute to the Dark Knight’s legacy? In a word, Yes! Although the history of Batman in Video Games has been regrettable. I can confidently say that Batman: Arkham Asylum is the best Batman game I have ever played. In addition, it is also the best comic book based game I can ever remember playing. Finally, it is one of the best games I have played in the last several months period. For all long suffering Batman fans waiting for the moment when a game developer would step up and, at last, give the Dark Knight the treatment he deserves, I am proud to say: your moment has at last arrived.

Developed by little known developer Rocksteady Studios, and jointly published by Eidos and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, Batman: Arkham Asylum is one of those rare playing experiences where all of the various elements that make up the game (graphics, story…etc.) all come together just the way they are supposed to. The result is a playing experience you won’t soon forget.

It might be fair to refer to this game as the grown-up version of the popular Batman: The Animated Series. Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill, the voice actors who, for a generation, are Batman and the Joker, respectively, return to those roles here. It is comforting and fantastic to see them slip right back into these roles, as if no time had passed. Also returning to her role is the delightful Arleen Sorkin as Harley Quinn.  Adding to the BTAS nirvana is the fact that the story is written by the award-winning scribe Paul Dini. Dini has spent the last year writing Detective Comics for DC and is currently writing  Gotham City Sirens. The story begins as Batman has once again captured Joker and is returning him to Arkham Island. As he pulls up outside of Intensive Treatment, he is met by Arkham’s current Warden, Quincy Sharp, a new character created for the game. As Joker is stapped down to a dolly and led further into the Asylum, Batman walks alongside the Joker. It should be noted that YOU control Batman in this sequence, further immersing you int  he game’s world. Little touches like this, found throughout the game, will bring Batman’s world to life. It should also be noted that every NPC (Non Playable Character) in the game has their own voice, look, and in some cases, back story. Fans of the comics will recognize Aaron Cash, a security guard who had an unfortunate run-in with Killer Croc in the miniseries Arkham Asylum: Living Hell which cost him an arm. Cash speaks with disdain and disgust about Croc. You will also recognize Commissioner Gordon and his daughter, Barbara, who relays information to Batman throughout the game as Oracle. In addition, enemies in this game have a surprising amount of individuality. This is a far cry from the “cookie cutter” henchmen normally found in games like this. Enemies have unique character models, with tattoos, piercings and other unique charcteristics. Anyway, back to the story. As Joker is led to the transfer corridor of Intensive Treatment, he escapes his confinement. However, instead of running for freedom, he escapes further into the Asylum. It seems this was his plan all along. Now, it is up to Batman to figure out the Joker’s plan and stop it before all of Gotham suffers. Along the way, he will peel away layers of secrets involving experiments on patients and a formula that could be very dangerous in the Joker’s hands. There are also several unique side missions, including saving Commissioner Gordon from Harley and tracking down plant spores in the sewers while being hunted by Killer Croc. At no point does the game ever feel stale or formulaic.

Variety is indeed the spice of life in this game. The gameplay experience takes advantage of Batman’s reputation of not just being a superb fighter, but also his reputation as the World’s Greatest Detective. The game is divided into equal parts action and exploration. Each of these two parts has it’s own set of controls. The best part about this game is that neither of the control schemes is particularly difficult to master. The action controls are extraordinarily straightforward. On the Playstation 3, you move with the Left Analog Stick,  punch with the X button and control the camera with the right stick. The ? button controls the “counter” mechanic. When an enemy approaches you, unless you are playing on the hard difficulty, you will see lines above their heads reminiscent of “spider sense.” Once you see these lines, you can hit the ? button to engage the counter mechanic, which will disable an unarmed opponent and disarm an armed one. Using the counter and striking mechanics together, the object is to chain together multiple hit combos. Once you reach your 8th hit in the combo, new moves are opened up, including critical strikes. You get experience every time you defeat an enemy. The higher your combo, the more experience you get. A downed enemy can be finished with a ground takedown, which is performed by pressing the R2 trigger button and the ? button. The best part about the battle sequences is that whenever you finish off the last enemy in a group, the game cuts to a closeup of Batman finishing him off.  These scenes are varied and spectacular. However, just as impressive are the stealth sequences. The mechanic, which has been given the moniker of “Invisible Predator”, requires you to use stealth to deal with armed enemies. This is due to the fact that Batman, being human, cannot survive many bullet hits. Therefore, a frontal assault is unwise. Instead, you are encouraged to rely on silent takedowns and traveling from gargoyle to gargoyle in the rafters of a room. It is in this mode that Batman will make the most use of his “wonderful toys.” The most common of these is, of course, the iconic Batarang. At first, you will only be able to throw one at a time, but this will be changed. You also start the game with Batman’s grapple gun, which enables him to access ledges and gargoyles high above. The Batarang is thrown by using  the L1 button to aim it and the R1 button to throw it. The aiming cursor is a yellow reticule which is relative to Batman’s position. Upgrades let you throw two or three Batarangs at once and you will then see two or three reticules on screen when you aim. The grapple gun is activated by pressin the R1 trigger.  Batman will automatically grapple to the nearest reachable object, indicated by a white “grapple point” circle. You unlock other gadgets and upgrades by collecting exp.and progressing through the story. Other gadgets found in the game include Explosive Gel, the Batclaw and, straight of the 1989 Batman movie, the Line Launcher. What do these gagdets do? Play the game and find out.Appearances in the game are also made by two of Batman’s coolest toys, the Batmobile and the Batwing.  You are introduced to the fighting controls immediately, as Joker sends two waves on henchmen after you. Shortly after, you are introduced to the “Invisible Predator” mechanic. Mr. Zsasz, one of Batman’s deadliest enemies, has captured a guard and strapped him to an electric chair in Patient Pacification. Zsasz says he will kill the guard if he sees Batman. The object is to crawl through the ventilation system to the upper level of the room. From there, you must grapple to one of the gargoyles around the perimeter of the room, the ultimate goal being to get into a position, preferably behind him, where you can perform a “Glide Kick”, which is one of the coolest moves I’ve ever performed in a game. Arkham Island is huge and is broken into 4 zones: Arkham North, Arkham East, Arkham West and the Caves. In addition, you will visit several main buildings on the island. They are: Arkham Mansion, Intensive Treatment, Medical Facility, Botanical Gardens (wonder who we might run into there?), the Penitentiary and the Visitor’s Center, where you will finally square off with the Joker.

Some of the biggest names in Batman’s Rogue’s Gallery have been chosen to oppose our hero. Led,  of course, by the Clown Prince of Crime, the Joker, adversaries in this game include Bane, Scarecrow, Killer Croc and Poison Ivy. The boss battles are varied and engaging. The battle with Bane involves using his mass and momentum against him. You face Scarecrow several times in the game, each time it is in an obscure dreamscape created in Batman’s mind by the powerful toxin. These scenes are well designed and one even features the opportnity to play as a young Bruce Wayne for a short time. Killer Croc’s encounter is a search through his lair in the sewers for five plant spores neccessary to make an antidote. Croc periodically pops up and tries to drag you into the water. I can tell you it is truly terrifying to her the music change to a “Jaws-like” theme when Croc makes his appearance. After you collect the five plant spores, you must make your way back to the entrance. The last 150ft of this journey is a sprint back, as Croc is hot on your heels. Poiuson Ivy’s encounter takes place after she joins with an enormous plant that has been enchanced by a chemical compound known as “Titan.” Ivy is in a round cage at the center of an enormous flower. The bars of the cage open and close like an enormous iris. Ivy can only be seriously damaged when the bars are open. The ultimate object is to break Ivy’s cage open. And then, there is the final battle against the Joker. I must say this is the most unique encounter with the Joker that I have ever played through.

Adding to the game is the supplemental content. The Riddler has hidden 240 challenges throughou the island, daring you to find them all. He has hacked into your communications signal to taunt you verbally. These cahllenges take many forms. There are hidden “Riddler trophies”, which look like green question marks. There are also interview tapes, which are short bits, recorded by the voice cast, meant to recreate interviews between teh staff and some of the major villains. Paticularly cool are the interviews between Harley and the Joker, which are reminiscent of their scenes together in Harley’s origin story Mad Love. You will also find Secret Maps, which will show the general locationof all of the Riddler trophies in a zone or building. There are also riddles to solve, usually by scanning an object or a lined-up question mark by holding the L2 button. The riddler will read verbal clues to each of the riddles. Finally, you will find hidden “Chronicles or Arkham.” These are cryptic messages from someone claiming to be the “Spirit of Arkham.” These messages are marked by a stone block with a beetle on it.  Solving the Riddler’s challenges unlocks character bios, character trophies, and challenge rooms.  Speaking of challenge rooms, they are another way Rocksteady has added to the game’s replay value. These are rooms based on various locations in the game, with varying amounts of enemies to overcome. In addition, there are “Invisible Predator” challenge rooms that require you to sneak around and disable armed enemies, The Playstaion 3 version of the game also includes a cool extra: the ability to play the challenge rooms as the Joker! When you play as tthe Joker, the enemies become guards. You can also use different gadgets, such as a Joy Buzzer and a gun. To play as the Joker, you must download the content from the Playstation Store, but it is free.

This is the Batman game everyone has been waiting for. If you are not playing this game yet, what are you waiting for?

Batman: Arkham Asylum proudly shines the Batsignal with a 5 out of 5.

Check out these screenshots of the game below. Click on a thumbnail to enlarge it.