Showing posts with label batman. Show all posts
Showing posts with label batman. Show all posts
Batman: Arkham Asylum
Platforms: PC, XBox 360, PS3
Just what's going on here anyway?
Arkham Asylum has been taken over by inmates led by Joker. Your job is to retake the Asylum.
Is it FUN?!?!?!
Batman sure has cool toys! You can zipline around, use the Batclaw to grab things (or enemies), spray explosive gel to detonate walls (or enemies), and of course you get your trusty Batarang which can be upgraded to throw three at once and/or a couple of varieties of "special" Batarangs. Other than in combat, the game doesn't allow much creative use of these gadgets... but hey, the combat sure can be fun. You can also swoop out of the air for an assault, pick up enemies and throw them at other enemies, and string enemies upside-down from gargoyles. If you're bored of all that and stuck for new ideas, the Predator challenges provide several interesting suggestions.
Meanwhile, you can try to find trophies left by the Riddler, Chronicles of Arkham (which get downright disturbing, especially told in that clinical, bored voice), Joker teeth to smash and riddles to solve. The more familiar you are with the Batman franchise, the easier the riddles will be for you, although aligning those *&#%ing question marks can be annoying...
Is it interesting?
It's hard to find a creepier setting than an asylum, especially one that's trashed and appears abandoned except for various groups of people who want to murder you. It's a decent story and I think it manages to stay true to the spirit of the Batman franchise. The voice acting is quite good, especially Mark Hamill as Joker (who also gets all the best lines).
Will it make me want to throw my controller through my TV... again?
The aforementioned question mark riddles might, but otherwise this game is nigh on idiotproof. You get a map from the start and you can find maps showing the locations of all the Riddler's stuff. At times there are even arrows painted on the walls or floor to show you which way to go. The game opens with the usual sort of tutorial about how to do what, but then throughout the game it still tells you what buttons to press and when. If you die somewhere, the post-death screen will usually give you a hint about how to beat that area.
Will this game consume my life?
Only if you want it to. Tracking down the Riddler's 240 items can take time, and there are also sixteen Challenges which you can do. Half of them are combat (stave off four waves of attackers) and half are predator (where the room is full of guys with guns and you have to take them out one by one). There's no multiplayer option as far as I know.
Do I want to spend that much of my life with these people?
So, who else besides me likes Joker more than Batman? Batman is pretty true to Batman, in this game; I mean, he's very serious and heroic, but not awfully interesting. Joker is, as always, psychotically comic. Bratty Harley Quinn, supercilious Riddler, Scarecrow, Poison Ivy, Commissioner Gordon and Oracle also make an appearance. Sadly, Catwoman sits this one out.
Is it worth it?
Yes, unless you totally hate Batman, in which case you're probably not reading this review anyway.
