Batman: Arkham Asylum

Moby ID: 42258
Windows Specs
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Description official descriptions

Once again, Batman has captured and returned the Joker to Arkham Asylum. Unfortunately, the inmates have taken over and the Joker is now running the show. Play as the Caped Crusader, navigating in a 3rd person style through the grounds and collective wings of Arkham Asylum; a super-prison and rehabilitation center for Gotham's most hardened criminals.

Using a combination of stealth, detective work, and exciting combat elements, proceed toward your ultimate goal of apprehending the maniacal Joker. On the way, you'll encounter some of Batman's deadliest foes. Fortunately, you're not entirely alone, as Batman will receive assistance from the surviving guards, and information from the computer genius Oracle.

Make use of the grappling hook, Batarangs, explosive gel, zipline, electronically-assisted vision, and more. During your search, you will gain experience points from defeating opponents, finding hidden items, or accomplishing special tasks. Once you "level up" you can purchase/upgrade an ability or feature of Batman's arsenal. The game features a controllable camera viewpoint and an optional first-person view for viewing things up close.

Strewn about the grounds of the Asylum are 240 "riddles" for you to solve, courtesy of the Riddler, and a variety of achievements/trophies to unlock, depending on your gaming platform.

Spellings

  • 蝙蝠俠:小丑大逃亡 - Chinese spelling (traditional)

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Credits (Windows version)

412 People (383 developers, 29 thanks) · View all

Batman Created by
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[ full credits ]

Reviews

Critics

Average score: 92% (based on 98 ratings)

Players

Average score: 4.2 out of 5 (based on 175 ratings with 7 reviews)

Unique in many ways

The Good
I am going to do things a bit different from other times and I would really appreciate a little feedback. If anybody reads this, I would love it if you could send me a PM on this website and tell me if this new style of reviewing is better than my usual method. With that said, enjoy the review and thanks for any help you may offer:

The game is very accessible to people interested in the game, but without back-story. Only a few lore-references and useful character bios.

The combat is very smooth and fun due to the fast moves and overall intuitive controls.

Sneaking feels satisfying and tactful.

The story is well-written and additional dialogue tapes help to flesh it out a little.

Story is also well-paced.

Fun challenges to be found.

The commentary you hear characters giving changes depending on where you are and at what stage of the game.

The Bad
The Joker is not as visceral as he was in the movie.

DRM is beyond stupid.

The game is very linear, but has a lot of open areas with no enemies in it. This leaves me with an hour of work every time I come somewhere new.

Detective vision is obnoxious

Very often you need to go to insane lengths to save random characters who die a few minutes afterwards anyway.

Boss-fights aren't spectacular.

The Bottom Line
story

In this game the player takes control of Batman who has just apprehended his rival, an insane murderer called The Joker. Upon returning him to the asylum (that is located on a large) island Joker makes an escape and releases all the convicts, including some of the major villains from the Batman lore. The island quickly falls under Joker's control and it's up to Batman to punch all the villains back into their holding cells.

What is interesting is that Batman comics go back to like 1939, but the game demands little to no knowledge from the player. Instead, the game turns around the isolated event on the island and characters never really talk about events that go back too far or are unconnected to the task at hand. This is comparable to how you can play Mario Galaxy 2 and never ever have to have touched upon a NES before. For those who are interested in learning more there are a number of character bios and interviews that can be found in-game (more on that later) that flesh out the characters a bit more.

Another major plus is that not all the villains in the Batman lore make an appearance. Prior to playing this game, I took the time to sit down and watch "The Dark Knight", after that I looked up a list of Batman villains and found myself somewhat staggered. The game instead circles around a core group of the more interesting villains; Joker, Harley Quinn, Scarecrow, Killer Croc, Poison Ivy and Bane. The pacing is also not too bad and at the beginning you notice that Batman is struggling to get his bearings, but as time passes you will soon take out the first villain and then run them all down a lot quicker. It doesn't feel too rushed, but at the same time it never really drags on too much either. If I have to give out one complaint though, it's that Joker is not as insane as he was in the movie and comes off more as a clown. While that is certainly the idea of the character and heck he even wears clown make-up for crying out loud, in the movie he was more than just that and came off as very threatening too. He also uses guns to kill people a lot, while in the movie his kills were very well-crafted and visceral (such as ramming a man's head into a needle stuck in a table early on).

gameplay

Batman: Arkham Asylum is a very rare example of a game that brilliantly mixes combat and stealth together in one tasty soup. The reason for why Batman always appealed to me as a character is that he doesn't have superpowers, he can't just conjure webs out of the ether or turn into a green giant. Batman has to use his wits and his hard-earned combat abilities to make it through the day and that is very visible in this game too. When combat shows up, Batman stands out as an obvious powerhouse, but when enemies bring guns into the fray or alarms, you'll have to sneak through ventilation shafts and hang from the ceilings to survive properly.

While the sneaking does work really well, I often went for combat regardless of that. The reason is that the game utilizes a very clever engine that makes combat feel very flowing and natural. You don't just awkwardly string together combos, you will have to deal quick blows, switch between baddies and keep an eye out for enemies that you can counter. When punching you can also steer in a direction to make Batman leap for another enemy and this is where the flow comes in. Because you can switch so easily I managed to rack up pretty decent combos and for once enjoy a beat-em up game.

Navigating through the asylum works pretty well too, but lacking an auto-run functions is kind of obnoxious. If auto-run turned off for stealth sections, then that would make sense, but here you have to keep your thumb on the space in order to run. Especially when backtracking this can get very annoying or when you're spotted by some armed thugs and kinda want to get the hell out of the fight. Other then that, Batman uses a variety of gadgets that help him opening up parts of the asylum; a grapple hook allows him to reach ledges normally out of reach, explosive gel blows up weak walls, a claw can pull down items and that line-thingy can help you cross large gaps. There is also small computer that allows Batman to hack doors and open them up.

presentation

Batman has a problem that I run into an awkward amount of times lately and that is graphics that are simply too dark. Even when messing around with the Gamma-settings a bit, the game's environments are still so dark that I run into walls or have to zoom in if I want to see anything. The art-style is also very familiar to people who play a lot of modern games and this title seeks to recreate the realistic and gritty feel that the movie had as well. It's not too bad, but I feel like opportunities are been missed to go all-out with Joker's style.

Overall Batman does a decent job in terms of presentation, but it never rises past it. Perhaps the only remarkable points are some of the story-heavy sections that often involve Scarecrow, something we rarely see in mainstream games these days. If anything, it proves that a widely popular title (6.3 million copies sold!) doesn't need to have a tacked-on multi-player of any kind. I was however surprised when I was browsing some articles on relyonhorror.com and found that Batman was credited as an "honorable mention" among horror games. I admit that the Scarecrow sections are fascinating a way, but horror is a much different kind of sandwich, if you ask me.

One thing that I have to mention, even though it has little to do with in-game presentation, is the irritation that is caused by the DRM present in this game. I have debated with myself over purchasing this game for at least a month, not because I wasn't sure if I would like it, but because I tried a pirated copy to see if the game was fun, but ran into so many layers of excessive protection that I started to doubt if the game was customer-friendly or not. Tucked away in the smallest corner of the sales page is a note saying "4 times activation limit", meaning the game may only be activated on four different systems. This is vague at best because sometimes replacing the hardware on your system counts as a separate activation in the world of DRM and sometimes it can just mean that every single re-installation eats up another precious activation. Even when buying the game on a service as great as Steam, this rule still applies, even though it goes in against everything Steam stands for. Also obnoxious is the forced use of Games for Windows Live, which literally demands that you log into or make a Windows Live account in order to freaking SAVE your game. This is once again regardless of whether or not you are using Steam, ignoring the fact that Steam has a Cloud service and can make save-files locally on the user's system.

replay-value

Batman: Arkham Asylum actually strikes me as a game that isn't too bad to pick up and replay every once in a while. The focus on combat and the lack of expository cut-scenes makes sure that you never really have to sit through anything grating and in the few cases that the game does take away the control from you, the cut-scene that follows it can often be skipped immediately. The game also has several difficulties, so after completing it once, it can be fun to revisit if with a meatier challenge ahead of of you.

The game however offers little in terms of customization and while it is possible to get upgrades for Batman, you get enough points to get everything that's available to you. Even if that was not the case, the upgrades don't really make much of a difference to the gameplay, so it's unlikely you're experience will differ that much from the first time you played.

collectibles!

Though the Joker is your main target throughout the game, there is a very large side-story on the side which involves "The Riddler". As the name implies, this villain is obsessed with Riddles and would very much like to test his wit against Batman's detective skills. His challenges come in several different kinds, the most prominent of which are the actual Riddles. Every time you enter a room where a challenge lies, you get a message containing a riddle. You then need to look for the item that the riddle refers to and use detective vision to capture it. Detective vision is a mode in which you get a colored filter over the screen, all the enemies show their skeletons (X-ray) and important items start to glow. It sounds interesting, but since you pretty much need to have it on all the time to spot Snipers, weak walls and receive general information, it feels like something that should have been implemented better, preferably in the regular HUD.

Aside from the riddles there is also a large amount of collectibles that you can find; "Arkham statues" that reveal a large part of the asylum's background story are hidden in secret locations, Interview tapes are character-specific recordings that flesh out the villains a bit, Joker Teeth are obnoxious buggers that you can destroy and the trophies are more or less filler content. This brings the total of collectible items to 240. To make this more do-able, the game provides you with constant commentary from Riddler himself, which is very enjoyable. What starts out as arrogant comments soon turns into disbelief as you slowly solve each and every single riddle.

That's where the in-game content ends, but outside of the story, there is also a challenge mode. Personally I have always resented these modes and this particular one is a clear example as to why. The challenges all exist outside of the story and contribute little to nothing to the narrative or experience of the game. All they do is put you in a room with a few baddies and say "Hey, hope you mastered the mechanics. Good luck". There is not even a set goal, you sort of need to get a certain amount of points in order to get the best ranking and if you don't get the best rankings, you won't be able to get a 100% save. I have always stood by the notion that getting a 100% should always be a case of will; I was willing to spend hours scouring every last nook and cranny for the collectibles, I was willing to see the story through to the end, I was willing to go through the many fights just to get all the upgrades. Challenge modes aren't about will, but more about skill, which is a completely different kind of virtue. If a casual player were to put in all the hours to get the items and even complete the game, then he or she will run into a brick wall, just because they aren't capable of putting together endless combos with varied attacks.

recommendation

Before we finish this up, I would like to remind all readers that I would really appreciate feedback on this new style. You can send me a PM on this website or my Backloggery account of the same name, thanks once again for any help you can offer. Back to the important things though: a recommendation. Well, fans of the Caped Crusader are certainly in for a treat with this one, but like I said before, you don't need to be a fan to get into this game. The combat, decent presentation and good integration of the story make this a very appealing game for the mainstream-gamer and the extra content offers a nice challenge for the Completionists out there. Casual players are also not excluded, but not particularly played to either.

Windows · by Asinine (957) · 2012

I'm Batman

The Good
I got sucked into the game, I almost forgot what time is it. The gameplay is really awesome, the combat mode is really addictive, makes you want to fight a lot of enemy and not getting hit the same time. The graphics too is astonishing, the story is good. All the thumbs I have is all up, yeah!

The Bad
The only down of the game is that I didn't get to fight the other enemies like Mr. Freeze, Catwoman, The Penguin, and other major villains. Also didn't get to ride the Batmobile and the Batjet. Other than that, no more.

The Bottom Line
A-must-play game, the experience is awesome especially when fighting enemies, the flow of animation during combat mode is seamless. Just be careful not to be addicted. =)

Windows · by Valroman Francisco (30) · 2009

Building A Better Batman Game

The Good
From Rocksteady, who previously released Urban Chaos: Riot Response, Comes Batman: Arkham Asylum. Batman is of course one of the most popular comic book characters of all time, with some 80 years of history. Yet oddly, most Batman game are just not that good.

And out of those most are based of a movie or the animated series. Of the few that are based directly on the comics, pretty much none are any good. Can Rocksteady turn the tide?

The Man Who Laughs…

In Batman: Arkham Asylum, we find that Batman has just captured the Joker again. He returns the clown prince of crime to the infamous Lovecraftian asylum. After a badass and lengthy intro, The Joker escapes. Now Batman is to be the guest of honor in the madman’s homecoming party.

And The Batman, will be in for a long night. He will also face the likes of: Bane, Killer Croc, and Poison Ivy. Just to name a few.

No prior knowledge of Batman, is required to enjoy the game. But for those who are long-time Batman fans, the game will be an additional treat. As there are many references, that only Batman fans would get. These often revolve around obscure Batman characters that have not been seen in years. Or recent infamous ones, like Hush.(Sorry, to find out more, you will have to play the game.-MM-)

Oh, and did I mention that the game was written by Paul Dini? Who was a writer on the animated series, and has written Batman comics as well?

The World’s Greatest Detective

There are various modes of play in Batman. One you will use often is detective mode. In this mode you can track clues to find your next objective. See which enemies have guns and plan your attack accordingly. See which walls can be destroyed and find hidden paths and items.

The game contains some 240 riddles. Given by none other than The Riddler himself. These involve: finding hidden riddler trophies, to solving riddles, in which you must scan the area, once you think that you have worked it out. By doing these you not only increase your completion percentage, but you can also unlock character bios, some 40 in all, as well as character trophies, these are highly detailed and use the in- game graphics. There are also achievements to be had.

The combat, in off the chain. And looks great, almost like it was choreographed. You can attack, stun, and counter. And when you have to fight 10 or more enemies you can easily take them down, because you are Batman. There are also various “takedowns”. In and out of combat. From stealth, to inverted. Speaking of stealth. It works like this…..

Stealth, is called: “invisible predator” mode. In these set pieces, you have say six armed goons, and it is up to you on how to take them out. One of the most useful and just downright badass ones, includes inverted takedowns. In which Batman, strings foes up with his grapple gun. You can also sneak up behind them, for a silent takedown. Or you can grab them with your grapple-gun and pull them down. There are just tons and tons of ways to do this.

You also get to play with a lot of cool gadgets. Like: batarangs, explosive gel, and a grapple gun, among others.

You basically get to be the reason why they are afraid of the dark. Which is too cool.

The graphics are great, and use the Unreal engine. Believe it or not Arkham Asylum, kind of resembles Bioshock’s Rapture. This game also proves that multi-platform games do not have to take a backseat in the visual department. The lighting is great, as are the rag-doll physics. Batman, and all the inhabitants of Arkham look great, many classic villains sport a new creepy design, like the Scarecrow, and Killer Croc.

The music is great, and fit’s the game perfectly. The sound effects are also very well done. But it the voice actors that steal the show. Reprising their roles from the legendary animated series, are Kevin Conroy as Batman, and Mark “Skywalker” Hamill, as The Joker. And they do a stellar job. And while this game is NOT based on the T.V. series many other actors from the show reprise their roles.

This game was clearly made by people who have a passion for the character, and I hope to see more Batman games from them in the future.

The Bad
The Killing Joke

This may seem strange. But I actually wish that the game was longer. I have already finished it twice!

The difficulty selection is unbalanced. Easy is almost no challenge at all. While Medium and Hard, are too difficult. Why is this so common in videogames?

Almost all of the bosses in the game have the exact same strategy, which is disappointing. (To say the least.-MM-) The only boss fight that strays from the norm, is the one with Poison Ivy.

The Bottom Line
A thrilling adventure into the heart of darkness. Even non Batman fans will love this game.(I know a few, and they love it.-MM-) And for fans it will be a real blast, what are you waiting for? Go and pick up one of the best games of 2009!

Xbox 360 · by MasterMegid (723) · 2009

[ View all 7 player reviews ]

Trivia

1001 Video Games

Batman: Arkham Asylum appears in the book 1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die by General Editor Tony Mott.

Batcave

The idea of a secondary Batcave in Arkham Asylum first appeared during the No Man's Land saga.

Batman: The Animated Series

Batman, Joker and Harley Quinn are voiced by Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill and Arline Sorkin respectively, who reprise their roles from the critically acclaimed Batman: The Animated Series.

The story is written by Paul Dini who, as well as having contributed to the comics, was a writer on the series.

PlayStation Home

Inserting the game into your PlayStation 3 console will unlock a PlayStation Home exclusive personal space called the Batcave Outpost Apartment. The space includes a replica of Bruce Wayne's underground lair, including famous items such as the Batsuit, Batmobile, and Batwing.

References

If Batman is killed by Bane, one of the death cut scenes shows Bane breaking his back. He also taunts Batman during battle, yelling "I will break you" and making a kneeing motion. This is a reference to the Knightfall storyline, where Bane actually broke Batman's spine.

References to Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth

The game references Grant Morrison's Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth several times: * Amadeus Arkham, the asylum's founder, is mentioned and has a bio. * The insect motif that appears on the "Spirit of Arkham" artifacts is inspired by the book. * In the garden, there is the statue of Saint Michell (an angel with a spear). * There is also a reference to the gory demise of Amadeus' wife and child. * And finally, the basic premise of the book is the same (the Joker takes over Arkham and its inmates, including several Bat-villains, run amok).

Awards

  • 4Players
    • 2009 – #6 Best Game of the Year (Readers' Vote)
    • 2009 – #3 Best Trailer Cut of the Year
  • AceGamez
    • 2009 - Game of the Year
    • 2009 - Xbox 360 Game of the Year
    • 2009 - Best Music & Sound
    • 2009 - Best Gameplay
  • Cheat Code Central
    • 2009 - Best Licensed Game
  • Game Developers Choice Awards
    • 2010 - Best Game Design
  • GamePro
    • 2009 - Best Licensed Game
  • GameShark
    • 2009 - Xbox 360 Game of the Year
    • 2009 - Best Line
    • 2009 - Best Boss
    • 2009 - Worst Boss
  • Gamespot
    • 2009 - Best Atmosphere (Editors' Choice)
    • 2009 - Best Atmosphere (Readers' Choice)
    • 2009 - Best Use of a Creative License (Editors' Choice)
    • 2009 - Best Use of a Creative License (Readers' Choice)
    • 2009 - Best Sound Design (Readers' Choice)
    • 2009 - Best UK-Developed Game (Readers' Choice)
  • GameSpy
    • 2009 - The Atmospheric Intensity Award
    • 2009 - The Bag of Tricks Award
    • 2011 – #1 Top Superhero PC Game (together with Batman: Arkham City)
  • GameTrailers
    • 2009 - Best Action/Adventure Game
    • 2009 - Biggest Surprise
  • IGN
    • Best PC Action Game (Editors' Choice)
    • Best PC Action Game (Readers' Choice)
    • Best Xbox 360 Story (Editors' Choice)
    • PC Award for Excellence in Sound (Readers' Choice)
  • Machinima
    • 2009 - Best Animation
    • 2009 - Best Art Direction
    • 2009 - Most Compelling Character (for the main antagonist The Joker)

Information also contributed by Big John WV and Caelestis.

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Contributors to this Entry

Game added by Doppelgamer.

Macintosh added by Sciere. Windows added by Sicarius.

Additional contributors: Mark Ennis, Paulus18950, Cantillon, Patrick Bregger, Starbuck the Third, FatherJack, Kennyannydenny.

Game added September 22, 2009. Last modified February 21, 2024.