Batman Arkham Asylum- IGN impressions of the first two chapters

IGN has played the first two chapters of Arkham Asylum, here are there impressions:

We actuallypreviewed this a few months ago, but this time it was just me and the action; I didn't have to worry about anyone trying to point out anything. Honestly, the opening is a bit of a gamble for the game. For just under seven minutes, all you do is walk with some guards escorting a Hannibal Lecter-like shackled Joker deeper and deeper into the insane asylum. Sure, this gives you plenty of time to absorb the story from surrounding conversations (hundreds of the Joker's men have been relocated to Arkham after a suspicious Blackgate Prison fire, the warden's trying to make a name for himself to bolster a mayoral run, etc.) and listen to the Joker ("Need to take my temperature? I'd be happy to drop my pants."), but it's definitely a slower way to introduce the title.

What it does do is give you a sense of the desperate, dark and dank conditions at Arkham as well as the uneasy feeling Batman has about the Joker's re-admittance that builds to the crescendo moment of Mr. J dropping the guards and Batman smashing through the viewing glass to pursue the maniac. This leads to swarms of baddies coming out of their cells -- Harley Quinn and Joker are in control of the prison's electrified doors -- and Batman opening up a can of whoop-ass.

I've said it before and I'll say it again -- fighting's a blast in Batman. Usually when you're just hitting one button to attack, things can get stale, but so far Batman keeps it pretty entertaining. On top of the fact that the vicious punches and kicks look different and devastating, things are kept interesting because enemies are coming at you from all sides. Once you get a feel for the mechanics, you'll chain attacks together as you wail on one guy, flick the joystick so you're beating on a guy who was behind you, and then pop back to finish off the first guy. When I got these basics down, I was dropping in counter attacks (a Spider-Sense-like graphic goes off over an opponent's head when he's about to swing) and stealing away bad guys' clubs to bring them to their knees. Of course, just because a guy is down doesn't mean he's out. You'll need to leap on top of dazed folks for ground takedowns (such as slamming heads into the floor) so that they don't get back up.

All that stuff is great and is probably my favorite part of the game so far -- well, aside from the fact that the talent from Batman The Animated Series, including Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill and Arleen Sorkin, are back as Batman, the Joker and Harley, respectively. But what I found interesting on my first playthrough is that the stuff surrounding these fights wasn't nearly as exciting as the fights themselves. Batman actually looks a bit stiff as he walks the halls of Arkham, and the transition between these frantic fights and slower sections of scouring empty hallways for Riddler trophies and crawling through the endless heating ducts were a bit jarring. Back inHil's E3 preview, he talked about something being a "bit off," and I feel it too in the pacing and presentation.I also noticed how graphic the game was my second time through the first two chapters. It's not super-bloody like X-Men Origins: Wolverine, but there are dead bodies in the halls, the Joker's men blowing away cops, and Gordon calling Harley a **** -- this shouldn't be confused with the cartoon by fans. On top of that, there are also a few subtle things players will begin to notice. Sure, there are a couple different takedowns for when you creep up behind a villain and choke him out, but Batman also takes off grates for the ducts he's crawling through differently depending on if there are people around (he'll kick'em out of his way when he's alone and slowly/silently move them to the side when he's got a baddie in front of him).

This silent but deadly approach plays into just about everything in the game, but specifically it popped up when I was chasing down Harley and Gordon. Harley had the Commissioner stashed in a lookout booth above this multi-tiered room in Arkham. With Mr. J's men roaming the floor, Harley was threatening to ice the Commissioner if anyone spotted Batman. Watching the bad guys roam the area via my detective goggles -- which turn everything blue and highlight bodies -- and then coming out of ducts and blind corners to take down bad guys was great. Plus, if you fail, you get to watch Harley kill Gordon.

IGN

There is more at the link. One more month to go. I need this game.

Looks amazing, one of my most looked forward to games this year.

Looks amazing, one of my most looked forward to games this year.

Oakfront

not sure what to make of that preview, they dont make it sound too great. this was one of my most hyped games too

I'll need to play teh demo. They should just release the first chapter as the demo as it sounds really neat.

Wow this game is looking and sounding great. Having those who did the voices on Batman: The Animated Series, such as Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill, and Arleen Sorkin, reprising their roles for this game is a HUGE plus for me. This game has now gone from a rental to a purchase for me. I can't wait to play it.

I can't wait for this game. Although that preview. They said the gameplay was great and fun to play bit it felt like they were a bit negative about the game as a whole. Maybe it's just me. I'm still getting it though.

Sounds a lot like Batman Vengeance in terms of vocal talent being used in the game. Although it's obvious, you might want to put a spoiler tag. I don't really care much for spoilers but reading that last sentence about Harley kind of ruined it for me. :(

I've been playing the in-stores-only demo at Walmart for a few weeks now, and I can definitely vouch for how fun the combat is. It's all very simple and intuitive; no complicated move lists to remember, but at the same time it remains challenging enough to make you feel really accomplished after taking down a whole room of bad guys.

In fact, its so fun, that I'm really not looking forward to the stealth/corrider crawling at all, especially if it breaks up the action as much as IGN are saying. Then again, I never thought I'd enjoy a 3D beat-em-up either, so maybe they'll surprise me.

Interesting write-up, but the combat system doesn't sound all that great to me. Still, I'm a big Batman fan, so if there is a demo and it impresses, I'll pick up Batman on day 1.

Interesting write-up, but the combat system doesn't sound all that great to me. Still, I'm a big Batman fan, so if there is a demo and it impresses, I'll pick up Batman on day 1.

CarnageHeart

Actually, the combat is amazing and captures the feel of how Batman fights in the comics. You can literally chain your combos forever, obliterating an entire room of thugs in seconds.

"But what I found interesting on my first playthrough is that the stuff surrounding these fights wasn't nearly as exciting as the fights themselves. Batman actually looks a bit stiff as he walks the halls of Arkham, and the transition between these frantic fights and slower sections of scouring empty hallways for Riddler trophies and crawling through the endless heating ducts were a bit jarring. Back inHil's E3 preview, he talked about something being a "bit off," and I feel it too in the pacing and presentation."

You know, I'm so sick of these "critics" and their incessant nitpicking.

Gee, you mean to tell me the exploration isn't as exciting as the combat and action sequences? And how is that different from every other game ever made?

Also, his talk of the presentation being uneven is ridiculous. This game looks amazing graphically and artistically and moves at a brisk, consistent frame rate to boot.

I really don't understand what it is that these fools even want anymore. We are going to be getting a Batman game that finally does just about everything right, including stealth, free roam, combat and a great story with an exemplary cast and yet this douche feels the need to whine because Batman moves a tad stiff or because the exploration isn't as intense as the combat. Granted, most of the preview was positive but seriously, why even put that pissy little statement in there? To show how discerninghis taste is?

This game looks like something pretty special but I have this sinking feeling thatsome critics are going to be overly harsh because this isn't a FPS or a sandbox game with the scale of GTA. Regardless, the demo alone has blown my mind and I look forward to the full retail version.