Batman: Arkham Asylum Review

With its 13th anniversary just around the corner Rocksteady’s “Batman: Arkham Asylum” set the pace for many games in the action-adventure genre. Although now over a decade old, Arkham Asylum kickstarted a gaming franchise that is still loved by many fans.

By creating a fresh story featuring the Caped crusader as well as a unique setting and iconic cast of villains, Arkham Asylum provides the perfect video game package for Batman fans old and new. So, let’s look back at exactly what makes it one of the best-regarded games of all time.

A Dark Knight

One of the best elements of Batman: Arkham Asylum is its plot. The original, fast-paced and concise nature of the narrative allows the game to hold a candle to some of the best Batman stories of all time. The game takes place over a single night where after bringing the Joker into Arkham Asylum, all hell breaks loose. What ensues for the world’s greatest detective is a night he will surely never forget.

As a player, you spend the night rounding up and facing off against some of Batman’s most iconic villains. During this, you also uncover a plot of corruption and conspiracy at Gotham’s favourite mad house.

The reason why the game's story is so engaging is due to its accessibility, as even playing it as an eight-year-old I was able to grasp exactly what was going on. However, that doesn’t mean there weren’t aspects for older Batman fans to enjoy. The game features several easter eggs and lots of world lore, that allow you to be steeped in the Gothic setting of Arkham Asylum.

The team at Rocksteady did a masterful job of being able to create a game that pleased long-time fans and was able to introduce a new generation to the world of The Batman.

Street Level

Okay, so now to the gameplay. This is the first game to feature the “Arkham Style” rhythm-based combat, with the initial version that appears in this game ageing fairly well.

While the brutality of each strike makes you feel like you are breaking the bones of an escaped joker goon, dated camera controls, as well as imprecise combat animations, do take their toll. However, besides these minor issues, the combat holds up exceptionally. With the intuitive combat system and the upgrades that become available to you throughout the game, fighting only gets better.

One aspect this applies to most is the combat takedown skill that when paired with the critical strike upgrade lets you gain the ability to take down enemies every second hit. Without going too far into it, by the time you get to the end of the game, you’ll be able to take down some of the Heavy hitting thugs with ease.

The stealth system implemented in the game by Rocksteady is also great. It works in tandem with the rest of the game's rhythm-based combat, letting you take down multiple enemies through walls, while perched upon gargoyles, or when you’re looming right behind some unsuspecting thugs.

Overall, for the first attempt at Rythm-based combat, it still holds up really well. The team at Rocksteady managed to create a system that is fun, fluid and just good as when it originally was released.

The Rogues Gallery

The villains of Arkham Asylum are part of what makes the game what it is. Batman’s rouges gallery is part of some of the game’s most memorable moments. Featuring characters such as Killer Croc, Poison Ivy, the Joker and Scarecrow, each boss fight utilises some of the game's best mechanics to make each fight have a unique flavour.

The mission against Killer Croc involves you traversing the sewers deep beneath Arkham taking advantage of the game’s stealth mechanics. When fighting against Poison Ivy in a multistage boss battle, she throws waves of hypnotized guards at you, testing your combat skills and combo abilities. Each one of these villain fights takes what you’ve learned in the game so far and puts it into practice. All the boss battles also take place in environments that best match the Villains style and theme.

The only point in which these Boss fights fail to impress is in the case of the Joker. Although he is the game's main antagonist the final fight against a pumped-up Joker (who is Bane’s drug Titan, to take on a hulking form), falls flat on its face. There is no satisfying challenge in taking the Joker down instead, the fight feels boring and repetitive. To be honest this feels like the only misstep Rocksteady made was one that could have been avoided.

Inmates Take Over The Asylum

One of the key “characters” in the game that often is overlooked is that of Arkham Asylum itself. Being a key part of the Batman mythos, Arkham Asylum is the perfect setting for the game. With its gothic visuals and moody lighting, Arkham takes on a creepy feel that allows you to immerse yourself within the setting. The winding interior corridors of Arkham Asylum further the claustrophobic nature of the game, creating a sense of tension, as Batman may not be the only thing stalking the corridors of the asylum.

Final Thoughts

Overall, thirteen years after its original release “Batman: Arkham Asylum”, still holds up as one of the best superhero games ever made. It ticks all the boxes with its gameplay. Although it has since been surpassed by several sequels, it still built the foundations for rhythm-based combo combat. The setting and the plot of the game are fantastic, taking players through a who's who of familiar batman characters, while also providing an engaging plot that hooks you in from the opening cutscene. Although it has flaws, Batman: Arkham Asylum is a game that captures the essence of Batman, creating an original story that has its own special place in the character's history.