In 2005, the Batman film series was rebooted, via the work of Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins. This film, and its resulting trilogy, are considered some of the most impactful films ever made, especially in the superhero film genre. The superhero origin story became an almost overnight sensation, the phrase "dark and gritty" entered the modern lexicon, and scores of films would try (and more often than not, fail) to reach that type of grounded, realistic, darker side of comic book movies. Whether its resultant impact was a good thing on the industry or not is up for debate, but it's impossible to deny its existence. Ironically enough, just a few years later, another Batman related trilogy would begin, in another medium, that would also have quite the impact. Released in 2009, Batman: Arkham Asylum would release to universal acclaim, and was instantly hailed as a revolutionary title. It was granted a Guinness World Record for being the "Most Critically Acclaimed Superhero Game Ever," and would go on to spawn its own trilogy, just like the film series. It redefined the very idea of what a superhero game was, and its influence is still noticeable today. And wouldn't you know it? It's a pretty good game.
Open up just about any review of Batman: Arkham Asylum and you're bound to find a line about how playing the game makes you feel like the titular superhero. And while it's a cliché, a large amount of what makes this game compelling is how it feels to play as Batman; or, more accurately, how it feels to instill the same amount of fear as him. Appropriate of the character, you start the game hilariously overpowered, and the gadgets and upgrades you unlock over time only serve to sway the game more in your favor. And it works perfectly, because you get a view into how the common enemy views him; as a terrifying force. Most of the game's combat is done in stealth or semi-stealth situations, and to hear the fear and tension in the enemy voices as you pick off their colleagues one by one, under cover of night, is perfectly emblematic of how it would feel to combat such a foe. Atmospherically, Arkham Asylum nails the feel of the caped crusader; suddenly, Batman defeating a dozen enemies with ease all while remaining unseen doesn't feel unrealistic.
Now, it should be said that while these stealth sections represent the best of the combat cross puzzle solving gameplay, they do falter a bit due to enemy AI being pretty incompetent. It's a bit too easy for them to lose sight of you during combat encounters, and as a result it sometimes feels a bit clunky, rather than being too forgiving. And with everything at your disposal, you don't really need any more advantages. In some sections, of course, direct confrontation is unavoidable, and Arkham Asylum's combat system is generally up to the task. It does get quite a bit monotonous though, especially since, for all the combos and tricks you can learn, none of them feel as effective as just tapping the attack button over and over, and countering when necessary. Because of that, even though it flows well aesthetically, it's bound to turn repetitive by the end of the game. That goes double for any boss encounters, which are, without fail, unremarkable as best and just plain bad at worst. (The final boss fight, in particular, deserves special mention for delivering a completely unsatisfying conclusion.)
And that's a shame, because ironically, one of the most enjoyable parts of Arkham Asylum, especially for comic book fans, is its rogues' gallery of iconic villains. Bringing back the talents of the highly acclaimed Batman: The Animated Series was a masterstroke, and while those outside of Batman, Joker, and Harley unfortunately don't get as much screen time as they deserve, many make good use of the time they have. Scarecrow's scenes, in particular, are very impressive-though the "fight" part of it is still pretty mediocre. And for every character in the cast, there's a dozen of them alluded to, referenced as fellow inmates of Arkham, or discussed in passing. Interview tapes hidden as secrets, character bios, first comic appearances, and more all make for an incredibly detailed experience for the comic book superfan; and honestly, it's pretty enjoyable for the casual fan as well.
Batman: Arkham Asylum is a superhero beat-em-up whose combat is often lacking; that the game remains a good and fun overall experience in the face of that is quite impressive, and it owes a lot of that appeal to its detail. The world is riddled (pun, of course, intended) with secrets, easter eggs, and lore tidbits that really help expand the world. For a relatively small setting, Arkham Asylum utilizes its space well, and backtracking only rarely feels cumbersome. As a result, it's a game that feels like more than the sum of its parts, and it's easy to see why a game with such a great emphasis on atmosphere was the one to carry the torch for its generation of the superhero subgenre.
Open up just about any review of Batman: Arkham Asylum and you're bound to find a line about how playing the game makes you feel like the titular superhero. And while it's a cliché, a large amount of what makes this game compelling is how it feels to play as Batman; or, more accurately, how it feels to instill the same amount of fear as him. Appropriate of the character, you start the game hilariously overpowered, and the gadgets and upgrades you unlock over time only serve to sway the game more in your favor. And it works perfectly, because you get a view into how the common enemy views him; as a terrifying force. Most of the game's combat is done in stealth or semi-stealth situations, and to hear the fear and tension in the enemy voices as you pick off their colleagues one by one, under cover of night, is perfectly emblematic of how it would feel to combat such a foe. Atmospherically, Arkham Asylum nails the feel of the caped crusader; suddenly, Batman defeating a dozen enemies with ease all while remaining unseen doesn't feel unrealistic.
Now, it should be said that while these stealth sections represent the best of the combat cross puzzle solving gameplay, they do falter a bit due to enemy AI being pretty incompetent. It's a bit too easy for them to lose sight of you during combat encounters, and as a result it sometimes feels a bit clunky, rather than being too forgiving. And with everything at your disposal, you don't really need any more advantages. In some sections, of course, direct confrontation is unavoidable, and Arkham Asylum's combat system is generally up to the task. It does get quite a bit monotonous though, especially since, for all the combos and tricks you can learn, none of them feel as effective as just tapping the attack button over and over, and countering when necessary. Because of that, even though it flows well aesthetically, it's bound to turn repetitive by the end of the game. That goes double for any boss encounters, which are, without fail, unremarkable as best and just plain bad at worst. (The final boss fight, in particular, deserves special mention for delivering a completely unsatisfying conclusion.)
And that's a shame, because ironically, one of the most enjoyable parts of Arkham Asylum, especially for comic book fans, is its rogues' gallery of iconic villains. Bringing back the talents of the highly acclaimed Batman: The Animated Series was a masterstroke, and while those outside of Batman, Joker, and Harley unfortunately don't get as much screen time as they deserve, many make good use of the time they have. Scarecrow's scenes, in particular, are very impressive-though the "fight" part of it is still pretty mediocre. And for every character in the cast, there's a dozen of them alluded to, referenced as fellow inmates of Arkham, or discussed in passing. Interview tapes hidden as secrets, character bios, first comic appearances, and more all make for an incredibly detailed experience for the comic book superfan; and honestly, it's pretty enjoyable for the casual fan as well.
Batman: Arkham Asylum is a superhero beat-em-up whose combat is often lacking; that the game remains a good and fun overall experience in the face of that is quite impressive, and it owes a lot of that appeal to its detail. The world is riddled (pun, of course, intended) with secrets, easter eggs, and lore tidbits that really help expand the world. For a relatively small setting, Arkham Asylum utilizes its space well, and backtracking only rarely feels cumbersome. As a result, it's a game that feels like more than the sum of its parts, and it's easy to see why a game with such a great emphasis on atmosphere was the one to carry the torch for its generation of the superhero subgenre.