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Batman: Arkham Asylum
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| Batman: Arkham Asylum |
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| Manufacturer: Eidos Interactive |
| Customer Rating: |
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| List Price: $44.99 |
| Sale Price: $44.99 |
| Availibility: Usually ships in 24 hours |
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Product Description |
Batman: Arkham Asylum is a single player, third-person action/adventure in which the Dark Knight is forced to take on his greatest challenge yet when he is trapped by arch rival, the Joker, within Gotham City's facility for the criminally insane, Arkham Asylum. A blend of exciting arcade style combat and stealth mechanics packed with amazing graphics in a moody, immersive setting, Batman: Arkham Asylum offers diverse gameplay options that push the envelope for all action, adventure and superhero games. 
Kick it in combat gameplay.
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And stealth action.
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Match wits with The Joker.
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Utilize utility belt gadgets.
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Batman: Arkham Asylum features an original story penned exclusively for the game by famous Batman author and five-time Emmy award winner, Paul Dini, whose credits include "Lost" season one and "Batman: The Animated Series." As the game begins Batman is personally delivering his nemesis, The Joker, to the asylum at Arkham Island, but he is uneasy. Although the Arkham asylum is well fortified, he has a nagging feeling that all is not well, which proves to be the case when seconds after turning The Joker over to the guards, the master criminal breaks free of his captors. Even more surprising than this quick turn of events is the revelation that it was never The Joker's intent to escape the vault-like facility, but instead to trap Batman there. Surrounded by an asylum full of dangerous criminals, many of which he put there and all at the beck and call of the Joker, can Batman survive and discover what is behind the Joker's intricate plot? Gameplay
In Batman: Arkham Asylum players strap on the gadget-heavy utility belt of the Caped Crusader. Gameplay here is a combination of both the knuckle crunching rush of hand to hand combat as you take on the hordes of thugs that infest Arkham Asylum, and stealth gameplay in which you must dispatch individuals from the shadows. Players can expect an engrossing single player campaign in which Batman continually moves forward to face the henchmen, bosses and traps that The Joker has set for him. With regards to opponents, in addition to The Joker who you will hear more than you see, the dark walls of Arkham also hold familiar villains from the the Batman criminal universe including Harley Quinn, Victor Zsasz and Killer Croc, that you will have to deal with, but don't expect a one-dimensional experience. As players progress from environment to environment within Arkham they will have to use varying combinations of muscle, detective skills, gadgetry and a certain degree of light RPG-like leveling of Batman's skills, arsenal and physical characteristics to survive and discover what The Joker's underlying scheme is. In addition to the story-driven single player campaign Arkham Asylum also contains various additional play modes. These include an arcade styled combat mode where players accumulate points by engaging hordes of thugs in a hand to hand slugfest across a series of maps, in which Batman's physical strength and agility play a major role. The key here is to chain together as many attacks as possible due to the fact that with each successful combo players increase the point multiplier associated with their actions. The game also features a time-based stealth mode where players must hone their ability to strike silently from the shadows. This gameplay, referred to as 'Invisible Predator' utilizes the Dark Knight's skill with gadgets like the grapple tool, batarang and explosives. These allow for vertical/horizontal mobility, the ability to quickly strike from above and at a distance and to take out enemies and create distractions, even through walls. But remember that Batman works solo and is not superhuman. Your enemies will congregate around trouble areas and work as a team against you, so you must be silent, plan your attacks wisely, strike quickly and discover the value of encouraging fear within enemies. Key Features - Utilize the unique FreeFlow combat system to chain together unlimited combos seamlessly and battle with huge groups of The Joker's henchmen in brutal melee brawls.
- Investigate as Batman, the world's greatest detective, by solving intricate puzzles with the help of cutting edge forensic tools including x-ray scanning, fingerprint scans, 'Amido Black' spray and a pheromone tracker.
- Face off against Gotham's greatest villains including The Joker, Harley Quinn, Victor Zsasz and Killer Croc.
- Become the Invisible Predator with Batman's fear takedowns and unique vantage point system to move without being seen and hunt enemies.
- Choose multiple takedown methods, including swooping from the sky and smashing through walls, and use the predator camera get a closer look at the action.
- Explore every inch of Arkham Asylum and roam freely on the infamous island, presented for the first time ever in its gritty and realistic entirety.
- Experience what it's like to be Batman using batarangs, explosive gel aerosol, the Batclaw, sonar resonator and the line launcher.
- Unlock more secrets by completing hidden challenges in the world and develop and customize equipment by earning experience points.
- Enjoy complete superhero freedom in the environment with the use of Batman's grapple to get to any place you can see, jump from any height and glide in any direction.
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Product Details |
- Face off against Gotham¿s greatest villains including The Joker, HARLEY QUINN, VICTOR ZSASZ and KILLER CROC
- Become the Invisible Predatotm with Batman¿s takedowns and unique vantage point system to move without being seen or utilize the unique FreeFlowtm combat system to chain together unlimited combos and battle with huge groups of The Joker¿s henchmen
- Choose multiple takedown methods, including swooping from the sky and smashing through walls, and use the predator camera get a closer look at the action.
- Explore every inch of Arkham Asylum and roam freely on the infamous island, presented for the first time ever in its gritty and realistic entiret
- Experience what it¿s like to be BATMAN using BATARANGS, explosive gel aerosol, The Batclaw, sonar resonator and the line launcher
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Video Reviews |
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Customer Reviews |
 The Dark Knight Finally Gets a Game That Does Him Justice |
| Review Date: August 25, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Nite, |
Video games haven't been too kind to Batman. Often times when we think of a Batman game, the first thing that comes to mind is that the game just isn't going to be all that spectacular. What is it about the Batman that hasn't always worked in the past? It's hard to point out. What we can point out, however, is that Batman Arkham Asylum doesn't fall into that category. In fact, it is easily one of the best Batman games to be released. From its humble beginnings, the game is fine tuned video game that does most of what it does incredibly well.
Let's begin with the production values. This is by far one of Arkham Asylum's strong points. The game begins with the Joker being caught and taken to Arkham Asylum, but he seems to be pretty non-chalant about it, and Batman doesn't like that one bit. And it turns out he was right to be suspicious. The Joker springs a trap and Batman is caught in the middle. Now he's trapped inside the Asylum with the Joker controlling things, as well as several other adversaries.
One of the nice things about Arkham Asylum is that it presents its story very well. The art style feels comic book like, but it doesn't skimp on the overall visual presentation either. There's a lot of artistic flair and technical goodness to behold with the graphics. Most of the environments look fascinating and will really draw you into the game. The tone is perfect. The other good aspect is the voice acting. If you remember that Batman: The Animated Television series you'll be surprised to see its the same voices. Kevin Conroy is Batman and Mark Hamill is the Joker. And the voices are done very well. The production values of the game are absolutely stellar.
Of course, a game just isn't much if it only goes off of visual flair alone. In the past gameplay seems to be one of the areas in which Batman games often stumble. In the past the games have had a hard time crafting together good gameplay elements or sometimes being unreasonably clunky. This is mostly Batman's past. The games sometimes felt rushed. This isn't the case with Arkham. In fact, the game mostly keeps things pretty simple. The combat is really easy to pick up on, having you string together simple combos. But the game hardly devolves into button mashing. This is because your enemies will take advantage of the situation, and the game makes sure you can't rush head on into things. First and foremost, most of your foes are willing to take advantage of their surroundings. Second, you can't go head to head with several enemies all toting guns at once. This is definitely not a beat 'em up kind of game. In fact, in some areas, caution and stealth are required.
There has rarely been a Batman game where you actually feel like Batman. In some places you'll be able to swoop down and leave your enemies hanging from gargoyles... or perform a glide kick or use some of Batman's gadgets to get the job done. For such simple gameplay concepts, there are actually quite a few ways to implement them into the game. The game also lets you upgrade and improve on your techniques as you progress. So there actually happens to be quite a bit of variety.
At the same time, though, the game is accessible to just about everyone. You can also enter what's called "Detective Mode" if you so choose. Within this mode, Batman can see certain things he otherwise couldn't. You can tell where your enemies are easier and find some hidden goodies. You'll no doubt be playing a large portion of the game in this mode, but it's very worth it to do so. Choosing not to means missing out on some of Arkham Asylum's secrets, and there are a lot of secrets. The most prominent of which is that you can find riddles scattered all over that will unlock lots of different things for you to do. You'll also be able to unlock small character bios and audio samples about certain characters. These are other things that really make the game come alive in its own way. And in the midst of all this, the game doesn't appear too challenging or intimidating.
That's not to say you won't be challenged. You will. Particularly when you reach something new. It's nice to know, however, that the game isn't overly difficult. It's just to say that when trumping through it at least doesn't feel easy. When helping you get acquainted to things, Arkham Asylum is pretty easy going. But once the game takes away the training wheels you may find yourself hitting a few snags every now and then.
The visual look of the game isn't all that adds to the game's atmosphere. So does the music and so do some of the animations when you're fighting. Sometimes it's fun to battle just to look at some of the animations as they take place. Other times exploring can be absorbing because the music really knows how to set the tone. Arkham Asylum has a lot of strength, but the game seems well aware of just what those strengths are.
There's really not much that keeps Arkham Asylum down. In many ways it's exciting to play a Batman game that's good. After getting several Batman games that felt like a throwaway of the license, Batman Arkham Asylum feels like a breath of fresh air. Most of its gameplay conventions have been done before, but it's mostly how the game mixes them together that works well, and the absorbing atmosphere it emits in the process. Batman fans might find themselves pleased by this one. It's a simple game to play, but there is definitely a lot in it that could keep you busy for some time, and a lot to explore. It's great to see a Batman game come to fruition, and to do it so smoothly. |
Not only the best Batman game ever made, but one of the best games in recent years.
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| Review Date: September 11, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Sergio Lamadrid, Brooklyn, NY |
I was skeptical about Batman. I've never been the hugest fan of Batman, but have seen all the movies, and played most of his games. The games have always been mediocre at best, so one could imagine why I would be skeptical to dish out $60 for what has always been a mediocre gaming franchise.
Boy, was I wrong. I kept hearing how good the game was, that it was Game of the year potential. I didn't believe it. I waited for more trailers. Loved what I saw, decided to get it the day it came out. I fell in love with the game, not even 10 minutes in.
There's almost nothing negative I can say about this game. The only thing that I wish it would have, is some type of multiplayer but due to the way the game is, it's understandable why they decided to not include multiplayer. The story is amazing, and even if you're not a Batman fan, this is still a must-play game.
Owning more than 85 Xbox360 games, one thing I hate is collectables. Batman has 240 collectables known as "riddles". As much as I hate them, I've gotten all 240 and they were the most fun I had getting collectables. Then there's challenges, and you can literally spend hours here, trying to master combos, counters, and earning your medals.
As I said, the only negative is this game is the lack of multiplayer. This game was a blast both times I ran thru it. The story is amazing, the achievements are not easy, yet not too hard, and you can easily spend all day playing this game without getting bored. Batman:AA is near perfection and was a great way to open the gaming season this year. |
The greatest comic game of all time!
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| Review Date: September 2, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Bradley, Charlotte, NC |
I cannot begin to express how wonderful this game is! I've purchased several comic games in the past (all of which have ended up on ebay) hoping that one might capture the magic of how it would feel to websling or fly or shred an enemy to bits with Wolverine's claws. But game after game, I have always come away thoroughly disappointed. I mean, is it really so hard to approach a comic game with the same level of production as Gears of War or Fallout 3 or Mass Effect? I suppose many publishers just assume a comic game will sell no matter what the product value, and therefore they rush it to store shelves.
But Arkham Asylum is different, and is everything I have ever wanted in a Batman video game.
First off, you actually feel like Batman. By the end of the game, you have all his gadgets and all of them are actually useful. I found the detective vision, the grappling hook, and the exploding jelly (great for setting traps) to be the best, but the others are almost equally great.
If you've seen the in-game pictures then you know what to expect from the graphics. Arkham Asylum is an extremely gritty place that is displayed in surprising detail. There were several pictures I saw before the game's release that I swore were cut-scenes (the one where Batman is standing on a cliff ledge overlooking Arkham Island comes to mind). But, quite surprisingly, nearly all of them were still-frames of actual in-game footage (the cliff ledge included). Even in the beginning when you first deliver the Joker to the island, you are in full control of Batman.
Other reviews I've seen on Amazon have explained the storyline, so I won't delve into detail. By now, you probably know the premise. Just know the story is intriguing and well thought out.
Another aspect of the game that surprised me was the Joker. The voice acting by Mark Hamill was superb, which is expected, but he is actually funny. Sometimes in the Animated Series I found the Joker to be a little too campy, but they've certainly given him more of an edge in the game and have allowed him to be more risqué. Every time I sit down to play, he blurts out something over the loud speaker that makes me laugh out loud. The Riddler's audio recordings are also pretty funny, with a punch-line at the end of each of them. Great stuff!
Also, every scene involving the Scarecrow is worth the price of admission alone. Many of them are the spookiest things I've seen in a video game in quite some time! Don't worry, I won't ruin it. Just make sure when you hear Dr. Crane's name mentioned or you see gas fumes hanging in the air you have the lights out and the sound way up. Chills!
The only gripe I have is that the faces and mouths are stiffer than they should be, not quite matching the vocal inflection. However, the outstanding voice acting and wonderful look/feel of the rest of the game makes this quibble seem tiny and forgivable.
I really could go on and on about how cool it is to sneak around in the shadows, striking fear in your enemies, or how great the combat feels -- all the moves are tight and powerful, just like in Chris Nolan's movies. Please, do yourself a favor and pick this game up. If you're even mildly interested in Batman you'll LOVE it. I for one can't wait for the sequel! A+ |
'Bout time.
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| Review Date: August 28, 2009 |
| Reviewer: trashcanman, Hanford, CA United States |
Batman and video games haven't really gotten along in the past. Considering the action hero nature of the character this seems a bit strange, but as a whole games based on big-name established franchises tend to spend all of their time,energy, and capitol acquiring the rights and likenesses and very little on actually making the thing worth playing. Well all that has changed. Not only is "Batman: Arkham Asylum" a worthy video game portrayal of the Dark Knights exploits that is a long time coming, but it may seriously be the best and darkest version of the character yet outside of comics. It's practically a playable horror film and it does justice to nearly every iteration to come before it. Any batfans out there with a current-gen gaming system NEED to buy this game. It's got everything anyone with any knowledge of Batman could ask for.
First, story. Written by Batman - The Animated Series mastermind Paul Dini and utilizing the three most memorable voices of that show means an automatic A+. Focusing on Arkham Asylum means that there is plenty of room for cameos and references to Batman's bottomless rogue's gallery, but the story itself focuses on a few primary characters which was a very wise decision. No Robin or Nightwing or Batgirls or Spoiler or Huntress following you around (though ex-Batgirl Oracle provides verbal support) and the supervillains you face are relatively few, but extremely memorable. That way there's room for more in the sequel and nobody who made the game gets shrifted here. Mostly, this is a classic Batman vs. Joker tale. you can't go wrong there. Now, one would imagine that the game would be fairly dark, but then end result makes The Dark Knight look tame. Killer Croc is an absolute horror, Scarecrow-induced hallucinations are amazingly creepy, and the general extreme psychosis of the villains is literally jarring at times. You can find and aquire a series of taped interviews with each villain and let's just say you don't want to get into pathological killer Victor Zsasz's head. Riddler offers his shrink a new answer to a classic riddle that involves dismembering a baby in one of his sessions. Yikes. This game is DARK.
Gameplay is a lot of fun, taking the best aspects of several other games and combining them to make you able to do everything The Caped Crusader does. Combat is somewhat similar to Fable II in feel while the platforming and exploring is a lot like Assassin's Creed. Then there is a stealth aspect that is reminiscent of the Playstation classic Tenchu: Stealth Assassins and the more modern Splinter Cell series'. The Riddler supplies you with a ton of secrets to uncover including a series of visual puzzles where you have to visually "photograph" an object or feature for which he gives you a clue. This alone will keep you playing for hours and hours at a time trying to unlock all of the goodies. To help you find what you're looking for, you've got a "detective mode" on your cowl that allows you to see important objects more clearly. Batman can sneak, dash, dodge, use his grappling line, glide, climb, blow stuff up, and even hang villains upside down from a perch. And oh yes, there will be gadgets. And all that's before the fight. Plenty of options as to how to handle any given situation. Boss battles are all very different and seldom even have much to do with combat. It's usually something like finding a way to eliminate Zsasz before he kills his hostage, being pursued by Croc on a plank bridge in the sewers, or sneaking around a giant Scarecrow while under the influence of his gas. It's a pass or fail thing, and you do not want Killer Croc biting you in the face so do be careful.
Visually, "Arkham Asylum" is everything it should be and more. Having enjoyed The Caped Crusader extensively in every possible medium I can honestly that I have never seen a better set of character models. Every character is just striking in appearance. Scarecrow has a Freddy Krueger-ish makeover, Croc is plain horrifying, Harley Quinn looks much less playful and much more psychotic, Poison Ivy is otherworldy, and Joker is a perfect amalgamation of all of the different versions of him over the years. It's really amazing what they did with him here. And did I mention this game is DARK? The landscapes are fantastic, and the asylum looks like the inmates have indeed taken it over with gnawed rats, dead guards, and general disarray giving the place character. Little details are there to treat hardcore batfans such as a poster for Penguin's Iceberg Lounge or cells and objects strewn about that obviously belong to foes like Calendar Man or Bane (nice teddy bear). Shoot, they never even bothered clearing out Harley's desk! You can't beat the look and attention to detail of this game. I was actually looking for a way to free an inmate that was impersonating another character at one point. Made me feel dumb when he started laughing at me as I snapped him to solve a riddle and reveal his identity. Great stuff.
Alright, so you plowed through the story and you don't want to spend umpteen hours searching for freaking hidden question marks. Want more? Considering the finite number of enemies to take out, I know I wanted much more action. Well, that's why we have challenge mode. The premise is simple: either kick as much tail a humanly possible in pitched combat with a set time limit or take out a number of gunmen without being seen and perforated, depending on the individual level. Since these were the things I wanted more of in the otherwise nearly-flawless story mode, that makes this feature a godsend. So with that in mid, there is only one complaint I have about this game other then just wanting more (I'm greedy like that): in order to find all of the things you need to find you wind up spending most of your time using detective vision which doesn't allow you to fully immerse yourself in the killer graphics at all times. That is all. I know I'll be tuning in next game; same bat-gameplay, same bat-console. |
Who are you? I'M BATMAN!
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| Review Date: August 29, 2009 |
| Reviewer: M. DiSpirito, Rhode Island |
Finally, a game based on a popular comic hero that is fun to play and true to form. Arkham Asylum is one of those rare games that is worth paying $50+ for (something I rarely do). Do not worry about wasting money on this title. If you're concerned about value, wait until it's $30 and you'll be blown away at how great the game is for the price. However, if you want some information read on...
+ Graphics: the visuals are fantastic. Character models are realistic and detailed. There are some close-ups of Batman and Joker that make you do a double-take ("Am I watching a movie?"). The environments are awe-inspiring--dark, gritty, detailed, and realistic. The art team at Rocksteady hit a home-run with the visual design of this game. It is true to the shadowy, dark world of Batman. Every area is interesting and detailed. Near the top for any 360 game out right now.
+ Sound: Creepy, engrossing, inspiring... It runs the gamut. The sound effects are top-notch and sound very realistic--rain, thunder, combat, grapple-lines, batarangs, etc all sound fantastic. The music is phenomenal. If you like the music from the Batman movies, there are some tunes in this game that carry the same spirit but are even better. During an encounter with Scarecrow, I felt my heart pounding from the music and sound effects alone...
+ Gameplay: Rocksteady studios created a very simple, but very effective control system. The typical double-stick move and look from most games is in place and works perfectly. Ducking is simply holding a trigger and cover is utilized with one button (like Gears of War). Batman can move on the ground, below the ground (tunnels, grates, etc), and above the ground (ledges, walkways, rooftops, statues, et al) with ease. Grappling is as simple as looking at where you want to go and hitting a button. The game gives you a heads-up with the proper areas marked with available actions. In a nutshell, the controls are so simple that you'll be sucked into the game without much of a learning curve.
+ Combat: fast-paced, action-packed, and easy to accomplish--what else do we need? Batman's primary attack is a single button, but the primary attack can be combined with batarangs, counter-moves, dodging, and other Batman-unique moves. When you're fighting multiple enemies, the simple system really shines. Combat isn't button-mashing, as it might sound, but it is tactical: counter an incoming kick, grab his leg, throw him into another attack, backflip from a guy swinging a lead pipe, somersault towards him and kick him in the jaw... you get the picture. There is a whole suite of moves for ground combat, stealth takedowns, and aerial takedowns; but every type of combat is laid it in simple, easy-to-use button controls.
+ Challenge: Not only will you face some of Batman's key enemies (Joker, Scarecrow, Zsasz, Croc, Harley Quinn, Bane, etc), but you'll face puzzles set up by the Riddler throughout Arkham. Key allies will be taken hostage (Gordon, Arkham doctors, etc) and you'll need to save them--alive. Sometimes remaining unseen is the challenge, as the lunatics will kill their hostage if they see you. The default difficulty is fairly challenging (there are three levels of difficulty) and this is further compounded by the fact that Batman is not a superhero! Only a few bullets will end your game; a group of thugs kicking, punching, and wielding pipes will end your adventure right quick. Be smart, use the environment, use your gadgets, and you might survive Joker's trap.
+ Perks: As you complete challenges and defeat enemies, you'll gain Experience that allows you to choose from a broad and interesting selection of upgrades. You can power-up your combat techniques (open new moves, increase damage or speed, etc), or enhance your gadgets (multiple batarangs, explosive gel, etc). As an example, the game starts with a single batarang toss (you have unlimited batarangs) that stuns a foe, but after a few upgrades I am able to throw three batarangs at three different enemies that all knock the foe down. There are a lot of different combinations of upgrades to experiment with...
+ Extras: you'll unlock character biographies in the game as you encounter people. To a nerd like me, these were very intriguing: each biography has a comic artwork page, a background story, a vital statistic, and a skill set about the character. Reading the history of people in Batman's world is very intriguing and sometimes helps to understand the motivations in the game. Also, you'll unlock character trophies, which are 3-D models of characters, vehicles, and locations in the game; while not really important, it is interesting if you're a nerd. And the best of the extras: Challenge mode. As you defeat enemies and complete levels, you'll open up a challenge match: a single level that can be played apart from the main story where you'll have to take out various enemies in specific types of moves or conditions (don't be seen, don't get hit, etc). The first one to be unlocked has Batman in a small prison area fighting an increasing number of goons with each successive wave.
- Cons: some minor clipping issues--character arms, legs, or heads can go into a wall; it's not a game-breaker, it just looks bad. Not much else...
+/- Story: the story is fantastic and incredibly compelling, but some folks may not like the constraints imposed. Joker is in control of Arkham, so there are certain areas that Batman can't get to unless Joker allows him to--it feels linear, and it is, but it's part of the story. Also, Batman acts out dialogue without user input; it may irk some gamers looking for more freedom, but it's Batman--he is who he is. Also, as Batman, you cannot use guns or kill people (it will end the game and cause you to restart from the last save); it is true to Batman's character, so I find it part of the experience, but I just wanted to let you know.
Conclusion: I'M BATMAN!!! |
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