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Gregg’s Can’t-Miss Batman: Arkham Asylum Playstation 3 Game Review

When word got out that a new Batman game was on the horizon, ears perked.  When screen shots were released, jaws dropped.  Game developer Eidos brings us Batman: Arkham Asylum to the Playstation 3.  I have to admit, I was kind of leery.  I played the demo at an EB Games store a couple months back and to be honest, I was disappointed.  Then the craziest thing happened.  Last week a demo was released on the Playstation store (for free of course).  I reluctantly downloaded it and BAM!  I was onboard in a heartbeat.  But demos aren’t always the greatest indicator, are they?  Let’s find out how the full game really is.

 

Story

It all begins when Batman captures his arch nemesis, the Joker.  The Caped Crusader turns over everyone’s favorite killer clown to the authorities, which in this case happens to be at the infamous Arkham Asylum.  Batman can feel something’s amiss.  The capture was too easy and the Joker doesn’t seem phased by the whole thing.  Before you know it, the green-haired outlaw is free and running through the halls of Gotham’s historic prison.  Not only is he free, but Batman is trapped inside while the Joker unleashes Arkham’s crazed inhabitants on the winged vigilante. 

 

Graphics & Playability

What a treat!  Displayed in a respectable 720p, the graphics are solid for the most part and delivery lifelike movement with ease…in most cases anyway.  I did have a problem with some of the close-up bullet-time scenes when Batman is about to drop his knee onto one of the inmates.  Whether it’s his knee, fist, elbow, etc., you will find the animation somewhat choppy and inaccurate.  Batman’s attack seems to go right through the thug’s head or shoulder or whatever body part will be aching the next morning.  A little more time spent on this during development would have been appreciated.

Other than that, the fully immersive game offers an interactive gaming environment where you can use some of what’s in front of you.  Removable floor grating allows for an excellent hiding spot.  Stone gargoyle heads are the perfect perch to launch yourself on an unsuspecting thug below.  Your grappling gun is something you’ll find yourself using frequently to pull yourself up to these and other architectural fixtures.  You even have the option of switching to your suit’s enhanced vision, very similar to what we saw near the end of The Dark Knight.  This vision can turn complete darkness into a virtual peek-a-boo, now revealing the heat signatures off the various bad guys in the room.  Not only that, but one of the additional features of this setting shows each bad guy’s heart rate and emotion (i.e. 132 BPM, Terrified!). 

The controls are pretty spot-on so you will not have to worry about sluggish reaction time from your character on screen, nor is there a steep learning curve.  You can play this one right out of the box.  In addition, several of the moves at your disposal are easily executed, as opposed to some annoying button combo found in other games.  Sneaking up behind an inmate and subduing him with a sleeper hold is enacted with a little stealth and a quick flick of the triangle button. 

 

Conclusion

With three difficulty settings, a great combination of bone crushing fights and ninja-like stealth, Batman: Arkham Asylum is a can’t-miss.  You’ll find several of Batman’s foes in the game, such as Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, freak of nature Killer Croc and freak of society, the Joker.  You will also obtain character bios throughout the game from the supporting cast Batman comes in contact with.  In the end, my second-time-around demo was well worth the download time.  Grab your utility belts and batarangs!  We’re going to Arkham!

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