Batman: Arkham Asylum Review
Played on:
Xbox 360
In the weeks, months, and even years to come, Batman: Arkham Asylum will be heralded as not only the best Batman title ever produced, but the finest comic book character-based adaptation the medium has ever seen. And while it's certainly earned such accolades, its biggest achievement outshines even these respectable accomplishments: Arkham Asylum, even if stripped of the titular winged vigilante, is a triumph in game design. Don't get me wrong, the Bat brings plenty of his own appeal—which I'll get to in a sec—but Rocksteady Studios' near-flawless execution shines just as bright as the Bat signal on a cloudy Gotham night.
By incorporating three key gameplay elements of stealth, combat, and exploration—which translate to “predator mode”, “free-flow combat”, and “detective mode” in Bat speak—they've delivered a continuously evolving experience that never grows repetitive. Sure, plenty of games toss a variety of genres into the blender, but few pull it off with such perfect pacing and brilliant integration. Arkham Asylum's three primary modes are not compartmentalized into levels or missions, but are seamlessly woven into the overall experience. You'll never be playing a “stealth mission” or brawling through a “combat level”. There's no abrupt transition from one play style to the next; you're simply playing the game or, more accurately, living it. Even some of my all-time favorite titles have occasionally broken my immersion by suddenly shifting the gameplay focus, but I never once felt yanked from the experience in this expertly crafted production.
In large part, this is due to the freedom Arkham Asylum grants the player. With few exceptions, you rarely feel forced to approach a situation in a specific way. Again, plenty of games offer choices in how you tackle a threat. However, those choices are usually pretty black and white, often coming down to “stealthy” or “run-and-gun”. In Arkham Asylum these options, whether being directed by the game or steered by the player, feel far more organic. Quick example: I arrive at the Arkham Mansion's library, where hostages are being held and gun-toting henchmen patrol the room; I could take them out individually from the shadows or engage the whole group in a little fist-to-face action; or I could take some out quietly to help even the odds, then lay the beat-down on the remaining few; I could mix it up, engage the entire group in an all out brawl, escape to the rafters, then come back in a bit to clean up the mess more quietly; hell, while they're soiling their shorts and trying to gather their senses, I could even just slink around the room looking for puzzle clues.
Sandbox-style games offer similar do-what-you-like diversity, but they often take it to a direction-less extreme, literally allowing you to do “whatever you want.” Arkham Asylum, while offering plenty of explorable areas, is by no means an open-world game, yet it somehow empowers the player with the sense that they are doing what they please; it's just that the range of freedom has been reigned in just enough to make sense within this world. There's also a great Metroid-like vibe snaking through the entire experience, represented by the acquisition of new items that open previously closed paths. As Batman, I almost felt as though I had the choices of an open-world protagonist, yet was still grounded in a tightly focused narrative. Simply put, the game made me feel like Batman, acting as he would under these circumstances.
And that brings me to my next point: No game has ever put you in the cape and cowl like this one. Arkham Asylum is absolutely busting at its seams with Bat-tastic goodness, allowing players to control Bruce Wayne's alter-ego in ways they've only seen on the big screen. The “freeflow” combat system unleashes Batman in all his acrobatic, jaw-breaking glory. Every punch and kick feels like it has real force behind it, and pinballing back and forth between baddies highlights the Dark Knight's amazing athleticism. The button-based combat is easy-to-learn, hard-to-master, and perfectly captures the cinematic side of a true Batman brawl, while also making the player feel responsible for every cracked skull, broken limb, and shattered jaw.
The “silent predator” moments pack equal thrills, as you stealthily take out Joker's minions with style to spare. Sneaking up behind them for a sleeper hold-like take-down never gets old, but my personal favorite involves hanging upside down from a ceiling-dwelling gargoyle and waiting for a clueless goon to pass by; from there, you can snatch them up and leave them hanging, or cut the cord and watch them hit the ground like a sack of raw meat. “Detective mode”, which bathes the world in high-tech infrared, comes in handy for sniffing out clues, like alternate routes and structural weaknesses that can be exploited. But it's at its “wonderful toys” best when it shines on a room full of psychos; each enemy is seen as a skeletal scan, and those packing heat are highlighted in red. Fighting in this mode is particularly satisfying, as it lets you see all those bones you're about to break.
While busting up baddies and hiding in the shadows all but put me in the black boots, it was using the gadgets that really had me feeling like a mentally unhinged billionaire crime fighter. In fact, more than anything else in the game, utilizing Bat's tech toys speaks to my earlier point about Arkham Asylum's freedom-granting gameplay. The abilities and actions afforded by Batman's gear would, at worst, be relegated to a quick in-game cutscene, and at best, toss the player into a mindless quick time event in other titles. But here, players are given the tools and the freedom to use them. The line launcher—a device that shoots a zipline out of both ends—for example, can be used between any two solid points. Even cooler, once launched the player can control the camera for optimal cinematic perspective, drop from the line at anytime, or feed a foot to a baddie passing below. Similarly, a slick deciphering tool used to break security systems forgoes the usual button-matching mini-game and instead feeds into a fantastic code cracking challenge that represents some of the best combined use of analog sticks and rumble I've ever experienced. Additionally, all gadgets are open to upgrades, ensuring that everything from the batarangs to the batclaw remain relevant until you've put every last Arkham a-hole back behind bars. Forget about limited, mission-specific use: Arkham Asylum's toys are yours to be play with when you like.
While these design and gameplay specifics represent the game's core, they wouldn't work so well if not blended with so many of the other things that make Arkham Asylum such a satisfying romp. The Asylum itself, for example, is a main character, oozing with the sort of dark atmosphere and disturbed denizens that made BioShock's Rapture such a aesthetically pleasing, yet nightmare-conjuring location. There's also the solid script--complemented by some fantastic voice acting from Mark Hamill and Kevin Conroy--by DC veteran scribe Paul Dini, stunning visuals, a cast of iconic villains (Scarecrow unleashes some of the game's most disturbing surprises), and over two hundred Easter eggs, many digging deep beyond the game's narrative, to be uncovered.
If the nit-picking nerd in me could call-out any faults with Arkham Asylum, it'd be that I actually expected more surprise villain appearances; the title's pre-release marketing cautiously teased the criminal cast for so long that I was expecting they'd save a few for the final game. Additionally, the final showdown wasn't nearly as cool as the penultimate boss fight. I suppose Rocksteady's got to save something in their utility belt for the sequel, though. Minor gripes aside, Arkham Asylum is a remarkable achievement both in design and in finally giving Bat fans the game they've been waiting for. I know the coming months will be brimming with some of the year's most promising titles, but right now I'd easily place this one as my game of the year. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to head back to the Asylum and dig up the rest of Riddler's secrets—he's taunting me over only scoring a 71% completion on my first play-through.
