This game makes you feel like Batman.
What you might want to know: this game supports the trophy feature, there is no multiplayer, however you can compare your scores to others through a high score grid.
Introduction: Batman games have been around for a long time, but none of them have brought the satisfaction that Arkham Asylum does. After only the first few minutesof playing you will literally begin to feel like Batman. With stunning visuals and some of the most intense combat out there, this game definitely set the bar high for future Batman titles.
Short Review:
Ups: Awesome fighting, plenty of gadgets constantly change the game style and make you revisit places to pick up things that were unaccessible before,stunning visuals, great voiceovers, simple yet still original, plenty of easter eggs for those hardcore Batman fans, great boss fights.
Downs: Story is not that engaging, game doesn't always do the best job of telling you what to do, can begin to seem repetitive towards the end.
Long Review:
Graphics: Excellent visuals all around. From the intricate details of Batmans suit, to the environmental realism, this game shows the power of the PS3.
Gameplay/Combat: Excellent controls. Right from the get-go you can land some pretty epic blows on your enemies. The game does a good job of mixing it up so that you can add combos to make fighting much smoother and rewarding, however if you want to just button mash, that works too (on easy/normal difficulty anyway :D ).
Storyline: The story isn't much, but it's enough to keep your eyebrows raised. It's very typical, as the joker threatens Batman by taking over Arkham Asylum and using his army of henchmen to bring the legend down. Nothing incredibly dramatic ever happens that makes you jump out of your chair, however there are some incredible details added to the scarecrow boss fights that make the story much more engaging as you look into some of Batman's greatest fears. You'll have to play to see what I mean.
Lasting Value/Buy or Rent: Times are tough...why spend money that you don't need to? Although this game is incredible and you may want to play it again at some point down the road, please do yourself a favor and rent it. There is no sense in buying a game, spending 50-60 bucs when you will beat it within a few weeks (if you're slow) and never pick it up again. With no multiplayer, Arkham Asylum just doesn't make a good investment. Rent it, beat it, and milk it for all it's worth, then return it to the rental shop and save yourself 40 plus bucs.