In respect to video games based on comics, us gamers get the short end of the stick sometimes. There have been some mediocre games out there in recent years, the Spider-man series, Marvel Ultimate Alliance, Hulk Ultimate destruction and Wolverine Origins. And then of course are the complete train wrecks like Iron Man, Superman, and Fantastic Four. In theory these games should be fun, and cool. Who doesn't want to be a super hero and run around beating up bad guys and flying/jumping/swinging your way around huge cities?
But, what happens when you take the most human super hero, get rid of those giant open ended cities, and stick him in an asylum with his most dangerous nemesis? Absolute gold is the answer. To say that Rocksteady, the developers of Batman:Arkham Asylum, have created the most critically acclaimed super hero game in the industry to date, is no lie. The game as reviewed well, and is widely considered and fantastic take on the caped crusader. But, how will it hold up to artistic scrutiny? READ ON TRUE BELIEVERS! (I know wrong universe.)
Holy Graphical Quality Batman!
Oh how I wished the team who worked on the models and environment of this game worked on every game. The textures are beautiful, skies and vistas are enthralling, the bat cape, oh the bat cape! I think they had one person working on the bat cape for the whole development schedule! The way it moves, the way it's textured, the way light reflects off it. The cape seems to have the right weight and despite a few glitches with it clipping through things it is one of the most realistic pieces in a game to date.
The only thing I would detract from the artistic visuals of the game are that often most of the characters seem to be meat heads. Batman is so buff it looks like he would have a hard time raising his hands over his head, and so are most of the goons you come across. I wish that were the only thing, but a mechanic that is in itself interesting and quite fun, destroys a lot of the art. Detective mode covers the world in a filter meant to help batman sniff out the bad guys. It works well within game play mechanics, but it must have made all the hard working artists cry a little when they saw what it did to their beautiful landscapes.
Holy Audio Batman!
The voice actors, oh the voice actors! Forgive me if I gush but Mark Hamil and Kevin Conroy (the voice actors from the much acclaimed animated series) voice Joker and Batman respectively. And they do a fantastic job. Batman keeps a somber and serious tone, speaking confidently and quickly of a situation, Joker throws insults and jests left and right cackling all the while. It is a great take on the characters, and tugs at the heart strings of the little kid in us who used to watch the animated series.
The musical score is good as well, though not as appropriate as Mass Effect in most cases. The score is well deigned and hits the right notes between combat and exploration. It does its job well when trying to create suspenseful moments during moments when you are the predator, and causes the right amount of excitement when you are caught or in battle.
Holy overused jokes batman!
The story is very well developed. I can't say much without revealing a good amount of spoilers, but let us just say that Scarecrow couldn't have been put in a better role. And the way the story moves along despite Joker just being an ambient voice over loud speakers is a testament to the overall game. The final confrontation however, brings a lot to be desired, and left me with a bit of disappointment.
Overall this game is more than just an acceptable video game, it deserves all the credit it gets and has fantastic overall artistic value. If you haven't checked it out I recommend you do.
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