Graphics and Presentation

Clearly, Rock Steady Studios have poured love and care into their latest creation, Batman: Arkham Asylum . It looks absolutely beautiful, has a great level of polish and the attention to detail is staggering. Being as this is the collectors edition of the game, the presentation starts way before you load up the game. You get a whole host of extras with your purchase as well as the game. The first of these and definitely most prominent is the  14" Batarang replica,  complete with stand, neatly boxed casing and plastic sleeve cover. You also receive exclusive downloadable content for the games challenge mode, an art book with psychological profiles on all of Arkhams' inmates and a bonus disc with extra features.

This game  is a definite show piece for developing company Rock Steady Studios. All aspects of the game work together to present something truly special. Even the games fluid, fast paced, free flow, combat  shows the beauty of Batman: Arkham Asylum , with final blows and finishers leading to slow down and close up of the action. From character models to all the wonderful details shattered throughout Arkham itself, this game looks very, very good.

The high production values of  the game do not end there. From the  opening scene, which sees Batman escort notorious super villain, The Joker, into the confines of Arkham, to the closing credits;  this game is filled with so much detail, like the screen adopting a white outlined silhouetted appearance when paused to the wear and tear of Batman's, Batsuit throughout the games duration.  Batman: Arkham Asylum is definitely the definitive Batman experience, a spectacular achievement and the new standard of which all licensed games should adhere to.

Sound

Sound and Voiceovers in Batman: Arkham Asylum are handled very well throughout, adding to the already atmospheric game world wrapped around the player, with the added bonus of some top run Batman voice actors.

Gameplay

Batman: Arkham Asylum is an action title, mixing elements of adventure, combat, stealth, detective work and puzzle solving for good measure.

The game starts with the supposed capture of super villain the Joker as he's guided into the Arkham Asylum facility by Batman. Not long after this glorious introduction, The Joker is free and so begins Batman's mission to restrain the nefarious criminals of Arkham.

The Combat which is aptly named 'free flow' literally is just that, free flowing. You press square to pull off combinations of moves and simply move in the direction of enemies to seamlessly blend from fighting one enemy to another. Counters are performed with a simple timed tap of triangle (once further into the game a wide variety of other moves also become available). Although this can initially seem simple, when fighting large groups the combat can provide some very tough moments. One of the best feelings Batman: Arkham Asylum  provides is one of satisfaction, when you devise a well thought-out plan, calculating all the possible mishaps, then execute the plan through to completion.  The game also utilises an experience points system.

When you take down enemies, bats fly from their corpses adding vital digits to you experience store, with acquired points being used to purchase and upgrade things such as The Batarang, Batsuit, Stealth manoeuvres, Combo strength, etc, etc.

Initially the game seems linear and as the player, you feel a little guided in terms of missions. Do not be fooled though, as once into the game the entire Arkham Asylum essentially becomes your playground, with access to a variety of open areas and many missions leading to backtracking, with previously completed areas taking on new forms.

Another key aspect to the gameplay of Batman: Arkham Asylum is stealth;  you use all the means available to you to stalk and hunt your prey just like the real 'dark knight'.  Tapping L2 enters you in to a scanning mode (X-ray visionesque) in which details like enemies and items are clearly pointed out on screen. You be swinging from the high ceilings of Arkham, perching and stalking prey upon the many appropriately placed gargoyles scattered around, crawling through vents, setting explosive charges, throwing batarangs and so much more in an effort to return Gothams criminal to their cells.  One of my personal favourite stealth manoeuvres has to be 'Ultra Cool' inverted take down, which sees you hang inverted from one of the gargoyles around Arkham and as one of your foes pass by you snatch them up, choke them half to death and leave them hanging from the gargoyle you perch on.

The gameplay of Batman: Arkham Asylum also takes on an investigation type at times, with the game entering detective mode, utilizing more of Batman's gadgetry to track down Arkhams Villains. One instance sees you needing to locate and track a rogue security officer in the Arkham facility and by use of detective mode you track the alcohol vapours left in the air from his bourbon. Along with the main story mode is the Challenge mode where defeating enemies under set conditions is the task of the day and it's not as easy as initially thought.

Also Playstation 3 owners with access to the Playstation Network will be privy to exclusive and free downloadable content enabling the use of "The Joker" as a playable character in the games Challenge mode.

Closing Comments

In closing I say sorry, to Rock Steady Studios for my assumptions.  Rock Steady Studios and Eidos Interactive have provided gamers with an excellent action game full of detail, atmosphere and some epic moments. This is by far one of the most successfully implemented superhero moves crossed over into a video game. If you've ever wanted to feel like Batman this is your chance! Overall I would definitely recommend Batman: Arkham Asylum. 

4 / 5

Simon Currie