However, this is not present in Arkham City.
The story is linear but allows enough freedom to explore the island and hunt for collectible objects and unlockables.Ī respectable number of iconic Batman villians show up during your time in the game, including a few hallucinatory encounters with 'Scarecrow' that are truly inspired. The costume has a sleek, modernized design and even takes damage throughout the course of the game.Īrkham Island is thoroughly creepy and atmospheric and boasts some big, diverse settings, including cellblocks, underground caverns, Arkham Mansion, the botanical gardens, etc. The game also puts appropriate emphasis on Batman's detective background, requiring you to use his technology-assisted tracking abilities to find certain key characters.Īs for visuals, Batman and Arkham look equally fantastic.
Picking off baddies one-by-one sends their buddies into a screaming panic, making the silent approach quite satisfying.Įach KO'ed foe adds XP points to a rudimentary leveling system that lets you upgrade combos, the Batarang, the Bat-suit, and so on. He also can perform silent takedowns, hide under floor grates, smash through glass panels for a sneak attack, or use explosive gel to send unstable walls tumbling down onto goons. To that end, Batman can use a grappling hook to perch high above unsuspecting enemies in Arkham's larger rooms, swooping down and grabbing them as they pass by. Going up against unarmed opponents is easy enough, but when guns are involved, you're almost forced to use stealth to stay alive. It takes just a little practice before you're delivering strings of fluid slow-mo attacks and counterattacks against hordes of enemies. Sigh, that old Joker.Ĭombat is definitely the centerpiece, translating all of 'Batman's' lightning-quick punches, kicks and acrobatic maneuvers into a simple combo and blocking system.
Batman has once again rounded up the Joker in the wake of a crime spree, but this time, he's hand-delivering his nemesis to a cell deep within Arkham.īut oh no, it's all an elaborate trap for Bats as the Joker is soon set free and takes control of the facility, turning the inmates loose on our caped crusader. 'Arkham Asylum' drops you into the seemingly limited confines of Gotham's most notorious nuthouse. It stays remarkably true to the source material while delivering top-notch action in a memorable setting.
Holy cow, Batman: Your new video game doesn't stink!Įven better, 'Batman: Arkham Asylum' (360, PS3, PC rated Teen) deserves to be counted among the best comic-inspired games of all time.