Wasn't Expecting much but I sure as hell got it !
The gameplay consists of a range of different techniques but the great thing about this game is theres hardly and repetition and you feel as though there is something new around every blood splattered corner. Basically you have two types of fighting style sneaky and stealth like or all out fist fights, you can probably guess that the fist fighting way is way more fun but it is awfully satisfying to swoop down and take down an enemy without him even being aware of your presence. That's something else about this game you can approach anything however you want. You aren't given a way to perform things your just told where you need to go to carry on and how and when you get there is your choice. Then there's riddles. The riddler has kindly placed riddles all over the asylum for you to find which add a big chunk into this game as you are always cautious of them in every room you enter. Riddles come in 3 forms, trophies which are scattered all over, answers to riddles which are in the form of an object you must scan to decipher, and big green question marks which you have to align the dot at the bottom of the question mark with the top. You scan things by using detective mode which is another big part of this game but sometimes its just too easy to use. I say this because it tells you where enemies are and helps you track people down etc. Basically its like special forces goggles from james bond and sometimes you just end up using it because it makes things easy which kinda spoils the experience a bit.
The graphics are absolutely stunning in arkham. From every air vent and underground layer to the beautiful moonlit surface of arkham island. I love the characters they are great to look at especially one harley quinn who looks so life like its incredible and the evil joker henchmen look great when their faces implode with a kick from good ol bats. The first time i saw killer croc i was terrified that i knew i was gonna have to face him at some point. The voice acting is a joy to listen to, every time joker comes on the radio mark hammils voice sounds like music to my ears and kevin conroys batman sounds superb. I also love the way batman degrades over time as he gets rips in his cape and he grows more an more facial hair over time. It gives you a real feel that you are there and you are taking damage.
Overall, Batman - Arkham Asylum is a truly epic game and you can tell that the developers really worked hard on it. Well i believe that work has payed off as they have made a masterpiece of a game that will be remembered for years to come.