Arkham Asylum is one of the best action adventure games you can get, even if you are not a fan of Batman.
Arkham Asylum's plot is best described as unpredictable. If you have never paid all that much attention to the Batman lore, you will probably not be all that aware of a Arkham Asylum; if so, all the better! The asylum is beautifully dark, grim and melancholy. This is a place that has lost all of its sense of self over the years and the atmosphere is thick with tension, the very nature of the asylum being unnerving and erratic. This, of course, makes it a fitting stage for the upcoming battle between the Joker and Batman. The clown runs the joint and, while he rarely appears in person, his presence is always felt over the intercom and through events in the game. But if you ever feel a detachment from the loveable clown and need something to take your mind off of it, there is a wealth of other information up for grabs on the island. Spread all over the place by the master of riddles, the Riddler, prison interview tapes that describe some of the more intricate details of the various super villains on the island, back story on the island itself, dozens of sometimes hilarious conversations from the clowns inmate goons and 240 riddles to solve makes many of the steps that you take on the island feel as fresh as it did when you first started.
The combat system is simple to use, difficult to master. It relies mostly on the usual beat em up tactics, as in you a button to counter and a button to attack. Icons appears over enemies heads when they are about to attack, so it is never really all that complicated to get into the swing of things. The game throws a few extra obstacles your way, such as enemies with knives, electric prods, and a handful of super villain highlights, and melee combat can often be predictable despite the wide variety of attacks and combination Batman can use. Inmates never really switch up their tactics and rely on the same old same old to defeat Batman. Bosses attempt to switch it up a bit, but they are few and far between and suffer from the predictability that the regular enemies do. On the other hand the stealth missions, rooms that have multiple gun wielding enemies that will destroy Batman if spotted, is a very nice change of pace from the regular combat. It really feels like you are a predator watching and waiting for its meal to slip up so you can swoop in for the kill, as they quiver in their boots after initially boasting about the fame they would receive after they, personally, took down the bat. Combat in Arkham Asylum can be a little repetitive, but a wide range of different play style ranging from outright abrupt to being as stealthy as possible, prevents it from feeling drawn out or tedious.
Outside of battle, Batman distinguishes himself as more than just muscle and brawn. Fresh from the Batcave, Batman has many tools at his disposal. Of note is his grapple, which allows him to grab a hold of a solid surface and pull himself to it, making it an easy matter to traverse the island. As he advances, other tools become available that will play a part in his adventures on the island. This whole system – how Batman moves and how his gadgets incorporate into it – feels incredibly easy to use. With a single push of a button, Batman could be gliding through the air to a safe perch or gliding from the top of a high structure. Batman and his tools almost becomes second nature and the environment is very streamlined. The ease of movement is one of the high points of Arkham Asylum, though it is inhibited by the general tight space of the asylum at some points.
As a great detective, Batman is also capable of using Detective vision, a special ability that allows him to see through structures and bodies, illuminating objects of interest. This special vision is crucial to the task at hand and it is a little hard to imagine the game without this ability, as it allows at-a-glance access to enemy locations and more. It is disappointing that they could not have implemented it a better way, however. The game looks beautiful and it is a little annoying feeling that you feel like you are missing something if it is turned off.
Not many video games based on super heroes can boast a high level of quality and many fail to live up to their source material because they rarely seem to transition from print or video to the world of gaming very gracefully. The good news is that Arkham Asylum has, for the most part, dodged a bullet here. A well crafted battle system, a noticeably drab and dark storyline, collectibles that add to the experience, and a general level of brilliance all make Batman: Arkham Asylum a must play for anyone who enjoys a good action adventure game.