I have been waiting quite some time to get my hands on the game. Now that its been a few months, it was readily available from Gamefly, and I got it in yesterday. Ive put a few hours into it, and so far it has been an impressive blast.
For anyone living in a hole who doesnt know the basic premise of the game, the Joker takes over Arkham Asylum and its up to Batman to stop him. This is one of the most realistic Batman games Ive ever played, in the sense that it “feels” more like Batman. Its not a side-scrolling beat-em-up…its Batman going toe-to-toe with gun-wielding psychopaths. The game understands that Batman cannot win a gunfight head-on, so the gameplay requires you to be stealthy, a la Metal Gear Solid.
As you control Batman, you use his grappling hook to reach high vantage points. From there, you can swoop upon your enemy with a gliding kick, or grapple him up as he walks by, or silently drop behind him and perform a silent takedown, so that he does not alert his friends to your presence. Stealth is a necessary aspect of the game, because if you mess up and a few gun-toting enemies find you, they will do quite a bit of damage.
The game also allows Batman to use an array of gadgets, all with different, unique uses. So far Ive found batarangs, which are used to take out foes momentarily from a distance, and an explosive gel which is used to blow up weak sections of wall. Behind these walls could be any number of the games collectibles, which range from Riddler trophies to tapes of the asylum’s mental patients (which are great to listen to…its cool to listen in on the conversations between Harley Quinn and Joker when she is still a doctor) to the encrypted messages of Amadeus Arkham. Also throw in the fact that many of the rooms contain a “riddle” from the Riddler, and you basically have to figure out how the riddle is represented in the room. All of these actions and more are performed using the “detective mode”, which gives Batman a new view of his surroundings, allowing him to pick up clues and other essentials.
Of course there is a lot more to the game, but I will get into that once I complete it and write up a full review. For now, let it suffice to say that this game is a must play for any Batman fan, and is quite fun even if you are not. I highly recommend checking it out, but I dont recommend buying it, for as far as I can see so far, there is a very limited replay value. Still, the awesome gameplay, visuals, and voice overs make for a nearly flawless story/gaming experience.
