Batman: Arkham Asylum

In fact, this game is probably the first game I have rated a ten and it not be a role playing game. It also saddens me a bit as Spider-man is my favorite comic book character of all time, however Batman has now claimed my favorite movie based on a comic character in "The Dark Knight" and now my favorite video game. Spider-man has made some good games, but nothing as complete. They usually end up missing an element that detracts from game play such as the fact the web slinging kind of sucks as it is just him swinging from nothing and he might as well be flying or the web slinging is great, but the fighting and Spidey's strength is a non factor. This game though combines all of Batman's abilities to perfection as the fighting is fun and satisfying as you clobber wave after wave of Joker henchmen. His gadgets are done nicely as you throw batarangs, set explosive gel, and use grapples to perfection. Then if you are up to it you can hide in the shadows, perch on a gargoyle statue, or hide in the air vents to sneak up and silently take down Joker's men. The story too, is top notch. I enjoyed the opening as Batman once again escorts the Joker to Arkham asylum for the umpteenth time, only this time something seems strange as Joker seemingly wanted to get captured. Well you soon find out that Joker with some assistance from his crazy little gal sidekick Harley Quinn had a plan for escape and soon after the entire island of Arkham is under the Joker's control. Throw in a mad Killer Croc, the insane Scarecrow, Poison Ivy and the Riddler and you have yourself a challenge. Though the game was never really annoying at any point and the game play was quite smooth transitioning from story point and area with ease. You can solve riddles from the Riddler and it is done a lot better than the collecting in most games of this type as the interview tapes and the spirit of Arkham things do not have to be found in any particular order. That and the riddles may be well hidden, but not nearly impossible to find like in a Tomb Raider game. Granted, there could have been a few more villains added to the mix, but I can understand why they did not try to add everyone as that may have detracted from the story a bit. Mark Hammill does the voice of the Joker just as he did on the cartoon and he does it so well that it is scary. Nice to see he found a niche doing voice over work. Kurt Conroy does Batman's voice as he did in the cartoon too. Great game, I would like to see a sequel, but one of even grander scope as I would love to see one in the streets of Gotham, however they could really bungle that so I am also dubious if they did one like that too.

Having played many Batman games throughout the years, FINALLY a game that really gives you the feeling of being Batman with his arsenal of gadgets and fighting styles that is innovative in execution. Batman: AA is simply THE best Batman game ever created. You got all of Batman's rogues gallery that includes The Joker, Poison Ivy, Killer Croc, Bane, Scarecrow, and Harley Quinn; some of which are voiced by fellow "Animated Series" veterans such as Kevin Conroy and of course, Mark Hamill, whose chilling portrayal of the Joker is simply the highlight of the games overall narrative.

In visuals, Arkham Asylum is a beautiful game, with a level of detail that's very impressive with stunning animation and lighting effects. On playing the game, I barely noticed any pop-up and polygonal tearing evident on some games, but not hear. Everything is rendered in crisp and clear clarity and if you have a Hi-Def setup, it's all batty.

Historically, Batman has been relegated to mostly side-scrolling fare with limited set of moves and gadgets. The games were good, but never gave you the feeling of being the Caped Crusader. Now with today's technology, gamers and comic-book fans alike can truly experience the Dark Knight in a way never before seen in gaming. Batman: Vengeance, which I admit is the first game to feature Batman in a 3d environment with aforementioned talent on board and it was an impressive game no doubt. But Arkham Asylum is so much more. It delivers the true experience of being Batman to a T. With stunning visuals, superb voice acting, and an innovative combat system that has you beating thugs like a pro, Arkham Asylum is simply the GREATEST Batman video game ever made. Having just beaten the game, I'm ready for Arkham City.

Pros:

• Great story and characters
• Great gameplay
• Amazing voice acting
• Great graphics and animation
• Great boss fights
• Unique horror elements

Cons:

• Lacklustre final boss

Verdict: Thou improved by City, the original is a great game and is a pioneer of the progression of the making of good superhero video games.

9/10

Arkham Asylum's map is designed so well that even it's 2009 graphics didn't ruin the intended creepy and mysterious vibe the game was giving. Playing this at nights makes the experience even more magical. The map is also elaborative with puzzles that have a wide range of variety in solving them, I was amazed by how interactive the Asylum's world was given the game's age.

The story is unfortunately a bit too short and sometimes gives very little background to the cast characters. However, because of its short playtime you don't feel fatigued with the repetitive enemies and bosses.

The combat mechanics was fun and addictive, no wonder why the upcoming titles have been using the same combat gameplay with minimal changes.

What a wonderful world! A wonderful game that represent very well the world of batman. I enjoyed very much the gameplay: the fight scenes, the gameplay, the gadgets. The story between joker and batman. I also love the riddles and some iconic characters of Batman. A very good experience of video game. If you are a fan of batman, go take i!