Welcome to another edition of the Doctor's Prognosis! Just so you know, this review is for the 360 version of Arkham Asylum. And I managed to get every achievement..... not to brag or anything. :-P
Batman's history in games haven't been very good. He's fared better than Superman for sure, but has never had a great game until now.
Batman: Arkham Asylum borrows its biggest story elements from the graphic novel
Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth. Joker lures Batman to the asylum, the asylum becomes a trap, and now Batman must survive the night or become like those he imprisons. But there is a lot more to it than that in order to flesh out the story for a game. And Paul Dini (famed writer of Batman: The Animated Series, LOST, Tiny Toon Adventures, and more) did an admirable job of penning the story. It has quite a bit new story elements plus a twist on a mystery from the original graphic novel.
The game also borrowed elements from games like Metroid and Legend of Zelda. The map has a large hub of sorts with an outside area. But you have mostly long hallways and narrow corridors when inside the buildings. Yet it is still open-ended in that respect. As you go through the game, everything opens up more and new gadgets will gain you access to new areas in places you have been before. There are also some rooms involving Zelda-esque platforming which includes running, jumping, climbing, and using gadgets to traverse the area. It is fun to go back and discover new areas or just explore. Just be ready to open a huge amount of grates by tapping the X button.
Joker (in the background) is pulling the strings and has locked the Caped Crusader in the asylum.
Exploring can reward you with nice finds like audio tapes that help you understand the sinister villains by listening in on recorded sessions conducted by Arkham doctors. You might also find Riddler Challenges. The Riddler has set up challenges in every area of the game. This includes finding trophies, solving riddles by taking "photographs" of the area, and destroying chattering teeth. These challenges will net you experience and sometimes unlockables like character trophies or biographies. The character trophies are just like the ones from Smash Bros. except they are higher res but much fewer in number.
A big part of exploring, and the rest of the game really, is the Detective Mode. Link always had Navi to help him, Batman has this mode to help. Batman's eyes turn white and he gains the ability to see enemies through walls and which ones are armed. It also tells you what parts of walls and ceilings might be unstable for use with explosives or the Batclaw. It also highlights grates and Riddler Trophies. Some riddles can only be solved by being in Detective Mode. And that is the problem. There is almost no reason in the game to not be in Detective Mode because you might notice something you would not have otherwise. And it makes being stealthy much easier when you know the enemy is on the other side of the wall. The only time you might want to not use it is for to admire the graphics or to make combat easier.
Detective mode in action.
Dispatching enemies is well done. Rocksteady said they wanted to concentrate on what made you feel like you were playing as Batman but at the same time it had to be fun. They did this by having separate gameplay elements that still worked well together.
The combat is simple but deep. You only have one attack button, but you also have stun, counter, and dodge at your disposal. Pressing the attack button will let out different attacks. Since Batman has so many attacks, it makes sense to just have one button do them all. But if all you do is mash attack, you will get beaten easily because you are often surrounded by many enemies at once. Sometimes, simply attacking a foe just isn't enough. Thugs with knives will block your attacks and those with tasers will hurt you if you attack head on. Learning to use stuns, counters, dodges, and more without taking damage will reward you with higher combos and experience points to use to improve the Dark Knight's arsenal.
Definitely a guy you want on your side.
You can later even use some of your gadgets within your combos. This can be difficult to use properly but can be done with practice and feels very satisfying.
Another big part of the gameplay includes the stealthy portions Rocksteady calls Predator Gameplay. Batman is known for his stealth and Predator Gameplay makes it easy to watch, strategize, and take out your enemies. As you take them out one by one, the remaining thugs will become scared. Their heart rate will climb and will react to noises in the environment. All the while, Joker taunts his own henchmen.
Rocksteady has mentioned that "stealth" usually means the main character in a game is weak and has to hide. But Batman is powerful and the Predator Gameplay does make you feel like you have the thugs at your mercy. Most of the game you can perch up on gargoyles and plan your attack which makes it fairly easy. But later on, you will have to take out enemies without the use of gargoyles. You will have to use floor escapes, grates, gadgets, and your wits.
Batman just plays around with his victims.
One disappointment in the combat area is the boss fight. With so many villains available, there are not too many boss fights. The Scarecrow challenges in the game are fun and well done, but not a real boss fight. Killer Croc's challenge is more about avoiding Croc than fighting. Which is disappointing because the game kind of builds up this confrontation with Killer Croc but you never really fight him. Poison Ivy is one of the few real boss fights and even that was a bit disappointing in execution. You will spend most of your combat time fighting thugs and Titans (thugs on a strain of Venom). This disappointment is further compounded by the fact that there are so many references to different characters in the Batman universe, and a few cameos. Overall, this makes it feel like missed opportunities.
Killer Croc shows up in the beginning of the game, only for a whole lot of nothing later on.
The story mode is not too long. It can be completed in around ten hours or less. To add playtime, you can spend a lot of time backtracking to finish all the Riddler Challenges you missed. While the game is not too difficult, playing the game a second time on Hard is recommended for an added challenge. On hard, the player cannot see the tell signs of an attack to counter (lightning bolts over the attacker's head), so one must watch the animations instead. Batman also cannot take as much damage.
For further playtime, Rocksteady added Challenge Maps. These maps are either for combat or Predator Gameplay. But each map has set goals to earn up to three medals. The combat maps require a particular score to earn medals (which is much more difficult than it sounds), while the Predator maps require taking out enemies in certain ways such as silent takedowns or using explosives. You can also compare your scores with friends and players around the world through the leaderboards.
Some of the challenge maps are more difficult and are labeled "Extreme." These maps may require even higher points with a time limit, or taking out thugs in a more particular order. They can be extremely challenging (hence the label) and may take up some more of your time to get every achievement in the game or just to beat your friend's score. Or they may drive you crazy and make you find solace in a real asylum.
Taking on multiple foes is no task for the Batman.
The sound in the game is great. The music is reminiscent of the Nolan films and fits the mood very well. It can be tense or even silent when it needs to be. The sound effects were also well done. The sound of a distant explosive taking out a thug is satisfying.
The voice acting in the game is also to be commended. Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill, and Arleen Sorkin reprise their roles from The Animated Series as Batman, Joker, and Harley Quinn respectively. They all sound almost identical to the old roles, but Joker definitely has a darker tone to his voice which fits the game well. It is difficult to imagine anyone else doing the voices for these three. All the other roles in the game are also well done though I do miss the other Animated Series voice actors.
The graphic design is excellent. Taking inspiration from both the comics and the movies, we have a semi-realistic Batman and stylized villains that look larger than life but still work in this setting. Everything is very dark and gritty, and there is quite a bit of horrific sights to see if you explore the asylum. You can find jars with dismembered body parts and dead bodies are found throughout the playing field. Rocksteady put a lot of effort into the look and feel of the game and it shows.
Not someone you want to run into... anywhere.
Batman has had a shaky past in video games but Rocksteady has created a terrific game. While it is not perfect, the different elements combine to become not only the best superhero game ever, but one of the best of the year. There is definitely room to improve, but Rocksteady has earned a big recommendation from me.
The Doctor's Diagnosis: 9 out of 10
