Batman : Arkham Asylum

I can't remember the last time I've played a batman game. In fact, I think I never did. I was always too busy preoccupied swinging from building to building or clawing the guts out of some poor soul. Or maybe it was on a platform I didn't own. Yea that might be it. Anyway, having played the game the whole way through, I found it to be simply amazing. Now I'm not the type of gamer who goes back to collect stuff after finishing the game but every time you collect a hidden item be it a Riddler Trophy or Patient Interview, new information pertaining to the existence of Batman's foes becomes available. Character bios start to unlock along with the twisted stories and interviews that has taken place in Arkham Asylum.


I was really impressed with the graphics the game had to offer. I was also interested in the moody atmosphere it was giving off. For one, the buildings looked decrepit which gave the humble abode a rather grunged outlook which worked really well despite the fact that the size of Arkham Asylum was on par with Singapore. Perhaps I'm exaggerating, but I was impressed with the size of the place. I supposed they had to make it as big as it is if the whole game were to take place in only that area(I would have liked to drive up the side of Wayne Tower though)but hey, I'm not complaining.


The game starts out with Batman on his way to Arkham Asylum with Joker apprehended. As soon as they arrive, Batman feels uneasy as the Joker gave himself without a fight, almost willingly, which would obviously arouse suspicion in anyone. I mean come on, it's the Joker we're talking about. Moving on, Batman accompanies the guards who are transferring Joker to his cell. On the way, you meet a very familiar face and a set of teeth you wouldn't want to be within 10 feet of. The transfer goes smoothly until one of the guards decides that it isn't wise to allow Batman to go any further as it will "agitate the other inmates" at that moment Joker decides its time to stop his little charade and claims to have control of the entire asylum. Apparently, Joker's goons were transferred to Arkham Asylum when a fire "mysteriously" broke out in BlackGate Prison. Harley Quinn had also played apart in the Jokers takeover. The actual game starts out here, which is pretty linear.

"I have your scent Batman"

A nice little addition to the game are the riddles that the Riddler has left scattered all over Arkham Asylum. Most of the riddles, if not all of them have references to Batman's other adversaries. Some of them include the likes of Two-Face, The Penguin and Clayface, there was also a nice little cameo of Ras' Al Ghul where you can find his corpse in Dr. Young's office. However, If you re-visit the office later in the game, Ras Al Ghul's body bag has been unzipped and his body is missing, showing that he once again resurrected and escaped, such a shame, and you thought he was gone for good this time. I haven't even heard of The Great White and Black Mask right up till I discovered their bios in game and looked them up on the Internet. Solving each and every riddle gave me a sense of satisfaction after I realized I actually accomplished a collection challenge without any "online" help. Not to say they were easy, but because I was actually interested in solving them. There are other things to collect however, such as Patient Interview Recordings which reveal more of a patients personality and Riddler Trophies. There is also the case of The Spirit of Arkham which needs to be solved. It chronicles the stories of Amadeus Arkham up till his death and it's the world's greatest detective's job to find out what happened to him.




"Where would you find my home sweet home?"


The Scarecrow also makes an appearance and puts a nice little twist in gameplay which I found rather interesting. Croc's Lair was also a nice little thrill ride for me. The FreeFlow combat system was excellent and didn't get old no matter how many times I mashed that punch button. There was something about hearing the bones crunch every time the final blow was dealt. The gadgets were also fun to play around with, especially during parts where taking down goons stealthily was the only option if I didn't want to be filled with more holes than swiss cheese. Setting up the scene for a triple takedown while zip lining through the window at an unsuspecting henchmen right in the kisser with those killer boots is something you can only experience in this game. A number of ways could be used to dispatch unsuspecting foes. For example, throwing them of a ledge if its high enough just to knock them out, if not dangle them off the ledge by their ankles. Apparently Batman's code of "never to kill" applies here too but its good all the same.




"That has GOT to hurt"

Till next time, I leave you with a very disturbing interview tape with the Riddler, enjoy(if you can).

"Easily doctor. It's not my baby" - The Riddler