In Arkham Asylum you fight like Batman, you move like Batman, and you save the day...like Batman.
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Like any proper 90s kid, I loved video games. As an ADHD kid who finds stylistic violence and audio visual stimulation the peak of entertainment, coming up in the area of Super Nintendo, Sega Genesis, and the early PlayStation was an awful lot of fun. Only...I never played most of those games. Concerned about her son playing games that kept him seated to one spot for hours on end and featured tons of violence she never wanted to see him doing in real life, my mom did not allow us or buy our family a video game system. We had workarounds like computer games, but the family PCs were almost always just a step behind to prevent us from playing the latest and greatest games. So while I have probably logged more hours playing the first two Max Payne games and X-Men Legends 2 than 99 percent of the human population, I never grabbed a game shortly after its release.
In college this got easier, thanks in part to friends who would either host Halo parties or would share their old systems with one another so I could play a bunch of old XBox games like Dead to Rights: Retribution, the original X-Men Legends, and other action games when I probably should have been studying. But again, no modern system to call my own, and no need to play one of the latest and greatest games.
Then in 2009 that all changed...at least for a spell. I had just graduated college and was working at a Best Buy in my local college town which meant I got an early glimpse of all of the games that would be coming down the pipeline to grab for my fellow shithead kids or confused parents who wanted "that shooting game" their kid wanted for Christmas or their birthday. And one of those games was Batman: Arkham Asylum a game that claimed that you could be Batman.
And considering the long history of Batman games up until this point...this was a bold claim.
Pre-Arkham
Before Arkham Asylum almost every licensed Batman game had been some form of side-scrolling beat'em up. Said titles included Batman Returns and The Adventures of Batman & Robin which were based on the movie of the same name and the iconic Batman The Animated Series. And considering the hardware limitations at the time, this worked. These games allowed players to beat'em as many goons as they wanted, drive the Batmobile, and maybe even grappling hook to safety or to avoid a river of fire during a boss fight.
There were also ungodly hard and would present an almost insurmountable challenge usually in an effort to get you to rent the game again from Blockbuster. Even playing through some of these games on God-mode is an uphill slog by the end thanks to the seemingly never-ending supply of enemies, damage, and stun animations that come from every hit, even if they don't kill you.
So I was hopeful that the 3D approaches would mark a steady improvement both in difficulty and also expand the possibilities of what the player could do to make them feel like the Caped Crusader.
But none of them hit the mark.
2001's Batman Vengeance was the first video game that I realized was bad as I was playing through it. The controls were janky, the animation style was blocky and ugly, and the combat left everything to be desired. It was glorified button-mashing as I attempted to finish the game and maybe discover something good. I was very wrong.
Part of the problem may have been the notably worse PC edition that I played, which was rated lower by most critics, but I'd say that even the console versions of the game had similar complaints. Decent on atmosphere. Rough gameplay.
The same would be said of 2003's Batman: The Rise of Sun Tzu, which brought over the animated series' art style, and the 2005 movie tie-in game Batman Begins, which introduced a combination of combat, stealth, and fear, but failed to blend them together in an engaging way.
In essence, no game had made the player "be Batman" yet or at least, not effectively. But I took the plunge. I financed the purchase of an Xbox360 (that miraculously is still running today) and bought Arkham Asylum. And I was elated by what I found. But before we get into what makes this game great...we should address the story.
The Arkham Story
Loosely based on the Grant Morrison limited run of the same name, the story follows Batman after another successful bout against the Joker. Joker is now in custody and being brought back to Arkham Asylum. But the Dark Knight suspects something is amiss. Joker's plan was half-baked and he seemed...eager to be captured. His suspicions are confirmed when Joker quickly escapes and then takes control of the asylum freeing all of the inmates including some of Batman's most powerful foes.
Now in the span of one night, Batman will have to get the asylum under control, battle some of his greatest rivals, and find out why Joker invaded Arkham in the first place.
That is the basic setup. It is Batman against the world in Arkham Asylum. It is a classic Batman story and one that is perfectly designed to let this Batman, and the player, feel like the unstoppable force that is Batman. Who else would be capable of dishing out enough justice in the span of one night to get the asylum under control?
But how does this game make you feel like Batman? It starts as soon as you move.
Being Batman: Transportation
Something that frequently gets lost in all of the rave reviews of the Arkham games is how the games capture the feeling of moving like Batman. If you like, you can spend almost all of the game just running from Point A to Point B, going up and down ladders, and facing every enemy, even armed ones, head on.
But if you want to truly feel like Batman, complete with his gadgets and speed, the grappling hook and glide mechanics with Batman's cape are crucial.
So much so that one of the first takedowns of a famed villain (Victor Zasz) is completed through a glide kick where the player targets Zasz from a perched distance and thrusts out both legs, sending Zasz to the ground for an easy takedown. You literally cannot take him out any other way, as if to tell the player, this is how you should move.
This is also reinforced with levels and areas that are only accessible with the careful execution of glides and grapples including an onsite Batcave, and that your jump is so pathetically underpowered that you may as well not use it, unless it's about to be part of a combat combo.
And if you're concerned that timing the gliding is going to be a problem and that you'll fall to your death. Don't worry. The game removes any chance of you taking life-ending damage with a soft touchdown animation so you can complete a superhero landing like you meant to do that the entire time.
Of course I didn't need to be told to do this because one of the coolest things about Batman is how he can glide to and fro and make that giant unseemly cape serve a purpose. Gliding over a bunch of would-be baddies or buildings like a predator looking over his prey, is exactly what you buy a game like this for.
There's a thrill that comes from spotting a group of a goons from across the map, taking a perch, and then gliding over half a mile to take out the s*** talking leader before beating the rest of the goon gaggle senseless. This is how Batman arrives. He's one step ahead. Now...how does he fight?
Being Batman: Combat
Almost all third person video game combat before Arkham Asylum could be broken into two or three categories. First are the third-person shooters (or something akin to it) where the player can pump out bullets, grenades, and maybe a melee attack to take out foes with similar capacities. This is the cover-based shooting of games like Gears of War and Uncharted or more free form free-for-alls with unique mechanics (see bullet-time) like Max Payne. That was, never going to be on the table for Batman. One, he traditionally doesn't use guns and two...part of Batman's appeal is that he's the best fighter in the world so let's have him actually fight.
The second is the hack and slash variety a la God of War where there are complicated attacks you can pull off, but it is mostly about dodging and timing strikes (usually of the light, heavy, or magic variety) often against giant groups and a big boss. This is closer to what you'd expect from a Batman game since regular dudes and a suped up baddie are his bread and butter. But then again...what would the light or heavy attack be? And what would magic be? A batarang? It would be weird to rank that up over time.
Which brings us to the third style, the spectacle fighter a la Devil May Cry. This is probably the closest you could've gotten to Batman-esque combat since these games feature acrobatic lead characters, incorporate all kinds of weapons, expansive skill trees, and reward chaining successful attacks together via a higher score or grade by the level's end.
But I've mostly slid off of spectacle fighters. Not because the games aren't good, but because my brain isn't meant for their style of combat.
One of the hurdles for getting really good at a spectacle fighter is mastering long combos. You'll probably start with a simple combination like heavy heavy light or light heavy light and be able to get through most of the main levels and bosses without much trouble. But as you level-up and buy more combos, it becomes very clear that the game expects you to memorize, plan, and execute more and more complicated combos.
Heavy light heavy, quickly becomes heavy light heavy heavy light light pause for 2 seconds light then hold heavy and release for an ultimate attack. And while it is possible to beat the games without mastering these combos, the game seemingly punishes you for it, either by giving you a significantly lower than expected grade after finishing the level or even limiting the amount of experience you get for more basic power-ups.
And when faced with a giant demon with 8 arms that all want me dead, my brain can only think of two things. Kill this thing as fast as I can and dodge the hits that will kill you in two. Decisions about moves and combos are a luxury that my brain cannot afford. Now imagine that paired with Batman...how shitty of a Batman would you feel like if that's how you beat the game?
And Rock Steady seemed to understand this and crafted a combo system that has been copied and fine-tuned through the series: the Free-Flow Combat System.
While it is now synonymous with third person action games, including fun imitators like Sleeping Dogs, the free-flow combat is what sold me on the game, specifically in the demo I played at Best Buy.
The system uses two functions as its starting point: attack and counter. Attack is the most obvious and straightforward, you point your joystick at a fella you'd like to clock in the face and you'll do that. From there you can either keep punching that guy or turn around and punch another guy. But just because you're attacking doesn't mean the goons can't fight back. And if you see a lightning bolt above a gent's head, he's about to attack.
And this is when you counter. Without losing your combo meter, taking damage, or breaking flow, you will stop the attack and dish out a hit of your own and right after that you can attack again until another lighting bolt pops up in which case, counter, and keep punching.
In almost every other combat system before this, the counter is a two-step process that requires a block and then the hit right after it, both of which require precise timing. Arkham rightly assumes that, that level of thinking isn't where Batman would be after years of this s*** so let's simplify things and make that one button press. It’s instinctive where previous games felt more like planned choreography that you were learning on the fly.
And that would be satisfying enough. Instead of having to think about how many button presses you need before you can fire off your death laser, the fights feel reactive and can change depending on who you decide to strike first. You can spend all of your time punching one guy down while you swat away other goons like flies if you really want and then turn around and do the same to the rest. Or you can fly around the room like a gymnast laying out dudes along the way, barely needing to counter at all. The choice is yours
The other problem with spectacle fighter's long button-pushing sequences is that it makes a lot of the coolest sequences very difficult to pull off. If you want to just slash and see what happens, that's fine, but if you want to pull off those awesome moves you saw in the trailer and box art you might want a move list handy.
Arkham Asylum says "that sounds stupid and hard...why do we just fill in the blanks for you?"
One thing I neglected to bring up is exactly what a series of blows from Batman, all in a row, looks like.
The first two hits in an Arkham Asylum combo are standard. Straight forward hits that hit a guy in the head or chest. But once you get to three or more...Batman seems to be all warmed-up. From here every consecutive hit, whether it is across the room or to the next guy comes with extra. Instead of straight-forward punch it might be a spinning elbow that puts a henchman on the floor or if it's across the room you'll just...do a handspring into a dudes face with two legs.
And which buttons did you hit? Attack. And that's it. Much like the counter animations which can include the block and then two or three precise hits on an enemy, the attacks get increasingly more complex the longer your combo lasts all with simple button presses. That supermove you couldn't figure out in Bayonetta? You could be doing the equivalent in your first Arkham fight.
And then the system gives you great ways to boost your scores and thin the herd.
Takedowns, jumping, and gadgets.
Takedowns in the Free Flow combat system come in two varieties each with its own advantages and weaknesses. The first is a ground-takedown which can be completed by hitting jump and attack at the same time over a foe that is stunned on the ground. Since it takes most enemies between 3-5 hits to go down for good, this is a great way to ensure that guy you hit first, won't get back up.
It does have a major drawback though. It is very slow. Jumping, lining up the finish blow, and completing the blow is a timed animated sequence that can't be interrupted...unless you're punched by another henchman that you can't block. Having played this game an awful lot, I can tell you there are few things as frustrating as realizing too late that your combo is about to be broken up because that one guy you thought was far away enough has enough time to smack your face. However, it is equally satisfying to see Batman jump flip onto a guy, put his lights out and then go right on fighting.
This flying takedown is meant to be used sparsely, usually on the last foe for a cinematic finish and the point total, that goes towards your experience from each fight, gets a giant boost if you're able to pull it off.
For the most risk-adverse who also like doing terrifying damage to a murder's limbs, there are the takedowns you earn with a free form combo. If you get between 5-10 hits, your hit counter will start to glow and indicate that you can now complete a takedown. Press two buttons and you'll KO the nearest enemy usually by dislocating or breaking one of his arms or legs, all without breaking flow or without the possibility of being hit. This is your payoff for putting together a successful combo, a f*** you move that can't be stopped.
Of course not every setup of goons is built for success or easy combat, which means...you might want to change positions or...jump. As ineffective as the jump moving around it is wildly effective in combat, often giving the player a chance to catch their breath or change perspectives before resuming the bout. Specifically by springboarding off of one of your opponents at no cost to the player's combo, meaning...the game wants you to do this. Just not too much. Jumping too many times in a row, will break the combo. While you can do anything once, the game wants you to be aggressive in combat and really...get in there with your mitts.
Same goes for gadgets. You can grapple, use batarangs, and in the later games use electrified or ice attacks. But more than once in a row breaks the combat. They're a flourish, not the central appeal of the fight.
Same goes for your cape which can stun enemies.
The only carry-over from the spectacle fighter era is increased experience given out for more effective combos, and especially if you can complete the fight without taking hits, complete an entire encounter in one combo, or go through all of your available moves (hence the value for the flying takedown). While this might sound unfair compared to the rest of the free-form system.
- Almost every major combat encounter can be quickly restarted if you screw up or break flow right away.
- You will not need all of the experience possible to successfully complete the game. I am notoriously bad at video games and was able to finish this game on normal difficulty on my first run through without much trouble.
- The game has a bunch of combat and stealth trials you can do at your leisure to get the experience you want/need to perfect this system.
From there the game can introduce new kinds of enemies who present unique challenges that require an added step or two to the already streamlined process. For instance there are enemies whose attacks you have to dodge instead of countering (knife wielding enemies) or shielded enemies who have to be attacked from behind.
And this feels fair, smooth, and incredibly satisfying. Along with the great sound design that makes a bang every time an opponent is knocked out and the cinematic slow-motion view when the final hit is about to be delivered.
When done to the full capacity you begin to feel exactly like Batman would feel to these random goons, like an unstoppable force seemingly able to predict their every move and batter men senseless even when you're outnumbered 20 to 1.
If you're like me, you'll eventually start to see collections of goons less a challenge to be dealt with but a chance to flex your abilities and will find yourself planning out your attack sequence even before you've thrown a punch. You start to plan fights like Batman would, and because this combat system is so easy to learn and simple, you can execute those plans a step at a time. You can fight like Batman.
When done to the full capacity you begin to feel exactly like Batman would feel to these random goons, like an unstoppable force seemingly able to predict their every move and batter men senseless even when you're outnumbered 20 to 1.
If you're like me, you'll eventually start to see collections of goons less a challenge to be dealt with but a chance to flex your abilities and will find yourself planning out your attack sequence even before you've thrown a punch. You start to plan fights like Batman would, and because this combat system is so easy to learn and simple, you can execute those plans a step at a time. You can fight like Batman.
Being Batman: Stealth
If the hand-to-hand combat sections are designed to be instinctive, the mastermind/planning portion comes out for the game's second combat style: predator/stealth encounters.
Unlike the hand-to-hand bits which at most feature 1-2 armed men who can be disarmed before they can fire, these segments are more often than not, large rooms full of machine-gun wielding goons that Batman has to take out quietly one by one.
These rooms are easy to spot because they all come with Gargoyle adorned vantage points that you can bring Batman to to get a lay of the land and flee from if you're spotted.
Once on one of those gargoyles you can scan the room, figure out which enemies are isolated and take them out silently before the nearby goons are alerted or come running in for reinforcements.
This is achieved through what I'll dub a "perch" system where the player is able to go above the enemies' general sight line before lowering themselves for a takedown and then escaping back to the perches (or tunnels). Its guerilla tactics since taking on a face full of machine gun bullets wouldn't work.
The player is also gift with one of Batman's best gadgets..."Detective Mode." Wihtin the game "detective mode" is a setting on Batman's cowl that allows him to see through walls and get a more accurate view of the room or area he's in. Armed goons are in bright orange in this green framework so they're generally easy to track and stalk if you're in this "mode."
With the stacked so far in your favor you might be wondering...where's the challenge there?
The game adds challenge with smart little in game lore reasons or AI behaviors.
1. The heartbeat sensor.
Every goon run by the main villains are all equipped with a heartbeat sensor that the Joker or Two-Face or whoever is keeping tabs on. So even if they don't know for sure someone's been taken out by Batman, a reduced heartrate will cause an alarm which means a host of goons will be sent the way of the dispatched henchman.
2. Sound and Time
There's a variety of takedowns in the Predator sections that range from hanging from one of the vantage points and stringing a guy up by his feet. Or you can explode a wall into their face. Or maybe glide across the room and kick them before knocking them out for good. There's no wrong way to do it.
But each takedown options comes with a tradeoff in sound or time.
For something like the vantage point takedown, it's quick and efficient, but also causes the guy who took out to scream like a kid on a roller coaster so...you gotta get out of there almost immediately. Because while the goons never really look at the vantage points beforehand, they will look up at whether their buddy was strung up.
On the other end, the "silent takedown" which players can pull off with a simple button press if they're behind a clueless henchman, takes a comparatively long time which means that the guy you thought was across the room might turn the corner at the wrong time and see you before your sleeper hold goes into effect.
What I really like is that there's nothing really stopping the player from doing this as fast and recklessly as they'd like, provided that they avoid detection.
3. Mildly Predictable Erratic Targets
The early portion in any predator encounter is the easiest, because even if the room is full, there are so many options and small corners you can take a goon out at. And the enemies themselves are also laid back and relaxed and not trigger-happy...yet.
They also move is fairly predictable patterns, so you're almost guaranteed to get an isolated goon rather quickly. This isn't the case as the numbers dwindle. As soon as you take a goon out, the rest start to move around quicker, check more corners, or become harder to predict. While you might've been able to stalk one guy down an entire hallway before, the scared goons will flip flop back and forth wildly at difficult to predict intervals, which means you're probably going to need to use louder methods for takedowns to get these fellas out quickly.
Later stages in the game also bump up the challenge with increased awareness or traps that makes using the gargoyle's impossible or add an explosive to the ground.
And as fun as it is to take out a room of armed goons, the game also bumps up the player's bad-ass quotient, by making the henchmen freak out and spiking their heartrate in detective mode as more and more goons go down. Even if it takes 15 minutes for your to clear a room, you still get to the be the nightmare/boogeyman for some bad dudes who never saw you coming.
Open-World...Kinda
All the Arkham games are technically open world, in that the player is free to wander around and explore around the game map to their heart's content as long as they've been there before. Because so many of the rooms and buildings are centered around campaign beats, the player can't just force the end and punch their way to the final boss. You have to go through each encounter and villain reveal on the game's schedule.
You can't get to Killer Croc before you get to Bane and some buildings and doors are flat out locked down until you progress far enough in the story.
You can't get to Killer Croc before you get to Bane and some buildings and doors are flat out locked down until you progress far enough in the story.
But you're still free to roam around the grounds and buildings you've already visited to pick up easter eggs and earn Riddler Trophies.
The Riddler Trophies are the right kind of irritating completionist material for a game like this. The premise is that the Edward Nigma has planted a bunch of riddles throughout the Asylum to prove he's the smartest of smarty pants, and you're dumb, so you've got to comb through the Asylum and use every gadget and bit of Batman lore you know to piece everything together.
The Riddler Trophies are the right kind of irritating completionist material for a game like this. The premise is that the Edward Nigma has planted a bunch of riddles throughout the Asylum to prove he's the smartest of smarty pants, and you're dumb, so you've got to comb through the Asylum and use every gadget and bit of Batman lore you know to piece everything together.
While plenty of them are just there for the taking, many more of them require some research into Batman lore or a gadget that you might not have yet, so you'll have to backtrack into locations you've already visited to blow up the weak wall that's hiding the trophy or find the right access panel that was covered beforehand.
Thankfully, once you've marked these trophies or pick up maps that layout all of the collectibles, you'll be able to select these in your hub so you're not just messing around in the dark or running online to a game guide to find out "where the fuck is the last trophy in the medical ward?" It's all fair and can redirect you into an additional combat encounter, give you another piece of the story, and a bit of additional experience you can spend on upgrades.
It's a little like the MetroidVania style of game applied to a 3D open world with all the Batman related justification you could possibly need.
So now you can feel like Batman, but what in the story makes this feel like a Batman adventure.
The Story: A Mystery, Madness, and Perseverance
The central question of Arkham Asylum is Why? Why did the Joker intentionally get caught in Arkham Asylum. Every other questions whether it's "what does X person have to do with this?" or "what piece of knowledge am I missing?" all serve the greater question and the central objective and mission. Find out what Joker is planning and stop him.
The effectiveness of this line is because the game leans heavily on established character lore to fill in the blanks or reinforce this central question. Almost everyone half familiar with Batman understands that the Joker is a "method to the madness" kind of villain that may be insane but never does something without a deranged sense of purpose. It's why he willingly gets himself captured in The Dark Knight or why he takes his own to implicate Batman in his death in The Dark Knight Returns. Pure insanity for sure, but it makes sense for him. He basically lives here, if he wanted to cause chaos at the Asylum he could've done this years ago. The only answer is that something else is going on and the story does a great job of laying out bread crumbs between each fight, boss battle and location.
That is the baseline of many a solid Batman story. Bad guy comes in with plot. Batman tries to foil said plot. You have questions, they have answers. Now go get'em.
What we find out is that Joker was in the midst of mass-producing the infamous Venom toxin, that gives Bane his enhanced strength, and returned once his business partner tried to cut him out of the deal.
Which is fine. It's not as impactful as it could be, but in terms of reasons for the Joker to go hog wild in Arkham, this lines up pretty well. And it also leans heavily into the idea that Gotham is constantly undermined by corrupt individuals in the systems that are supposed to improve and aid the city.
But that's just the narrative thrust of the game. The engine that justifies all of the punching, batarangs, and boss battles. That actual story of Arkham Asylum takes the theme from the graphic novel which inspired the set-up and the title: madness.
This may be a obvious choice for a game that takes place in a literal comic book insane asylum, but it's also one that adds to the game's atmosphere and the lingering sense of foreboding that runs through the entire game.
Much like the graphic novel, from which the game takes its name, the background of Arkham Asylum is constantly asking whether or not Bruce Wayne/Batman will be overwhelmed by the violence and madness he witnesses and become insane himself. Because, not sure if you know this, Bruce Wayne has a bit of trauma in his past.
Like most Batman media, Arkham Asylum definitely hammers home how haunted Bruce is by the violent death of his parents, often right before some of the best levels in the game, the Scarecrow levels. These levels appear seemingly out of nowhere, usually in the middle of an investigative portion of the game where Scarecrow attacks Batman with fear toxin and now we've got to fight out of Scarecrow's mind palace or Bruce's fractured psyche to escape.
Like most Batman media, Arkham Asylum definitely hammers home how haunted Bruce is by the violent death of his parents, often right before some of the best levels in the game, the Scarecrow levels. These levels appear seemingly out of nowhere, usually in the middle of an investigative portion of the game where Scarecrow attacks Batman with fear toxin and now we've got to fight out of Scarecrow's mind palace or Bruce's fractured psyche to escape.
But what can get lost is that the driving fear in these sequences isn't just facing death: it's failing. Failing to protect the people he cares about. Failing to stop the Joker. Failing to save Gotham. And that kind of obsessive desire could drive you insane, especially if you end up failing or suffer a major setback.
This idea is reinforced by recordings you can pick up from the Asylum's founder, Amadeus Arkham, that start off sounding like the speeches of an idealistic political figure before a clear descent into the abyss as Arkham ends up being committed to the same facility that holds his name. This could be Batman if things take a turn, is the very heavy implication.
But now we should probably talk about the game's biggest criticism, boss battles.
Boss Battles
The biggest problem with Batman as a video game character, at least in the modern era, is that the majority of his opponents are street level criminals. So while that can lead to a lot of fun moves and counter moves in a comic, it leads to a lot potential bosses that don't have the spectacle of a big arena and a complicated move set to master. Instead you've got guys who throw about 20 more thugs at you than you expected or a suped up thug that you have to stun or stun and dodge before attacking.
It means that the ultimate showdown with Joker (who gets amped up on Venom) lacks the flair for the dramatic or much to distinguish it from any other combat encounter.
Thankfully the game does give itself the road map for more interesting boss encounters in the future with the Killer Croc segment and the Scarecrow bits.
Based on his size and obvious strength you might assume that Killer Croc is going to be another Bane-esque encounter. Thankfully it isn't.
Instead it's a nerve-shredding bit of reflex reactions as you try to get from one end of the sewer on floating boards to another. If you move too fast, Croc grabs you. Sometime Croc will attack where you're standing and you have to run. And sometimes he'll pop up and run straight at you and you have to incapacitate him with a batarang (that hits his shock collar) and sends him back into the water. That unpredictability combined with the emphasis on gadgets and quick reacting feels very Batman. It's tech and training helping him overcome an enemy that can easily manhandle him in a staight up fight. That's pretty great.
The second segments are the 2D platform type sections during the "Scarecrow Fear Toxin" bits. As part of the story and going along with the general idea behind the comic, the Scarecrow bits are Bruce Wayne coming face to face with his biggest fears and failures. But unlike other segments, these all seemingly take place in a mental world under Scarecrow's control. And they're all constructed like graveyards where you'll have to navigate the obstacles, fight of skeletons (it is a graveyard), and avoiding being seen by the Scarecrow and letting the fear take hold.
While these are good from a story perspective (i.e. let's dive into that difficult psyche) it's also a great way to use the existing mechanics in a different way. Change the location and layout so it feels like Batman playing Golden Axe or Ghosts and Goblins.
While these are good from a story perspective (i.e. let's dive into that difficult psyche) it's also a great way to use the existing mechanics in a different way. Change the location and layout so it feels like Batman playing Golden Axe or Ghosts and Goblins.
It's a shame there isn't more of it, but that's something Arkham Knight can take care of. And to end on a happy note, let's talk about finishing touches and the voice cast.
The Finishing Touches
There's a lot of little things that this game gets right. So let's take our final stretch to explain what.
The Voice Cast
Like plenty of 90s kids I grew up with Kevin Conroy as my Batman, Mark Hamill as my Joker, and Arleen Sorkin as my Harley Quinn, thanks to the beloved Batman the Animated Series show and their continued performances of the role in Justice League and a bunch of DC animated movies. And I imagine the developers of this game did too, because they went right out and got all three to be our voice cast.
I'm admittedly biased, both for nostalgia and person perference's sake, but Conroy in the voice role for this game, and the entire franchise, is a godsend. Not just because he's so seasoned and can do it before. But because he's so good at doing all of the small things right. Like yeah he can be intimidating and has the "Batman" voice down. But he's also delivers every clue and bit of exposition, as silly as it sounds, with said voice and the utmost seriousness.
In the same vein Mark Hamill has always balanced wonderful combo of menacing and silly that makes Joker really work and let's be very honest, Harley Quinn was created whole cloth by the animated series and almost everything that people like about her character is derived from Sorkin's performance. They're top notch.
The Challenge Maps
The Rock Steady team did something very smart in this game. They gave players an outlet to do the combat experiences in the game, without endlessly respawning enemies across the map. Sure there are times and sections where a gaggle of goons will show up, but at some point, you'll be gently forced to figure out an objective or realize you don't have the tech you need for that particular Riddler trophy.
That outlet are the challenge maps that focus on flee flow combat and stealth sections. I really like these because it helps you hone your skills and also lets you restart and try again without worrying about your last save point.
It even presents a way to be competitive with other Arkham players since you can see how your score matches up with the leader board for an individual map.
The Riddler Trophies
The Riddler trophies are the standard collectible you'd expect from an open world game. But those are usually just for completitionists. Why would someone want to do these? Part of it is the puzzle aspect, since many of these trophies are actual riddles based in Batman lore for you to figure out, or require a crafty use of a gadget (and you've gotta figure out which one). But you also get more and more information about the characters and more experience to spend on Batman's upgrades.
New Game Plus Mode
This isn't for everyone, but I love New Game Plus mode in these games. Not just because I want to test the difficulty, but because it forces you to become even more like Batman by removing the glowing warning for when you need to counter an attack and forcing you to move more to avoid detection in stealth sections. Like we're talking gaugin the swing of individual goons coming in to hit you amongst a crowd, and timing that can feel impossible at first without help.
Little Things
I don't have much to write up here, but these are little details and items that I like about the game.
- Being able to visit the Batcave later in the game, because it's connected directly the island kinda is a nice touch.
- I like how Batman's cape and suit get more torn up as you progress and they even used this as an anti-piracy measure (at a certain point you can't glide because the cape is so torn up).
- The first person treks through the vents are fun.
- I love how you can catch your own batarang if you use the remote control one and send it back to yourself.
Wrapping Up
What makes Arkham Asylum work? There's an awful lot. But I think it comes down to two major things. This wasn't created as a cash-in IP that had to get out before the next movie did and these folks love Batman. They love the lore. They love the animated series. They love the gadgets. And they really wanted the player to feel like Batman. And they succeeded. In Arkham Asylum you fight like Batman, you move like Batman, and you save the day...like Batman.
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