Batman: Arkham Asylum

So I failed my one goal for my blog, to finish this game by the end of the semester. But you know, life happened and I kept having to play other games for the blog. However, I did get some enjoyable playing time in.

In Arkham Asylum the Joker has been arrested and is transported to the prison. Harley Quinn takes control of the security system, which allows the Joker to escape. Well not escape the prison, he has far more fun plans, guiding Batman where he pleases in the prison. I do recommend playing this game so I don't want to give away too much about the plot, but I will say that there is a good reason the Joker wants to stick around in Arkham.

The game is third person over the shoulder, not my favorite, but the game is so cinematic that I can live with it.

In this game there are a variety of puzzles to figure out, but also a lot of awesome fighting. I really like the blend, because I love both puzzle and action games. Some games that try to mix the two do not blend them well, and the puzzles seem like they are there just for the sake of having a puzzle. But in this game the puzzles are incorporated into the story and sometimes you have to figure out a puzzle while fighting, or the fight becomes a puzzle in itself. Yeah most of the time I was fighting I was just button mashing, but the visuals made it feel like much more. Did I mention this game is gorgeous?

Arkham Asylum also gives Batman some cool tools to use. I must admit that this is the only Batman game that I recall every playing, but I just assume at least most of them don't have a detective mode where smaller clues become visible. Yeah that is kind of BS, but when you are in the game it makes you feel like an ace sleuth. That and some of the clues aren't that easy to find anyway. There are also a number of cool gadgets. The best way to utilize gadgets is to hand down from a statue, grab a goon, and leave him hanging in the air upside down. Well it's between that and gliding down and tackling one.

There is also a way to silently take down goons. This game does a great job of allowing the player to decide how they want to go about completing their objectives, and even how to win a fight. The game uses the security system to guide the player by blocking off certain areas at different times, but the player has great freedom in deciding how they will play the game. Do you just power through everything, running around haphazardly? Do you sneak around trying to obtain information to one up the opponents?

I think the only thing I didn't like about the game was the intro that couldn't be skipped. The first time I started playing, back before my XBOX officially died, I had to restart after a while because my console froze. It wasn't redoing the gameplay that bothered me, it was having to watch the Joker be taken through Arkam again that bugged me.


Other than that, this game is awesome gameplay wise and visually. I just hope I have time to finish it up next semester.

I give it 5 out of 5 stars.