Batman: Arkham Asylum

 PC
User Score
8.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 3029 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2,598 out of 3029
  2. Mixed: 354 out of 3029
  3. Negative: 77 out of 3029
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  1. yokerclown
    Dec 5, 2014
    8
    Showing the fact, what games like this one, can be more for people, what were before "their own try" judging them and after "that try", they realised the real truth!..
  2. Ixoziel
    Sep 20, 2014
    3
    I really don't get the hype about this game, and I'm a huge Batman fan (and a huge gamer). The combat is horrid... it's just a button masher. It's sooooo easy. I feel like the difficulty is catered to 6-7 year olds... or maybe Dark souls just spoiled me?
  3. KAOS661
    Sep 4, 2014
    9
    Excellent is not the best word to describe this game. Epic, on the other hand, is. Great in every aspect, this game will give you a true gaming experience and you will love it even more if you are a Batman fan like me. No negative things to point out really. Best Batman game of all time.
  4. RedolfoDias99
    Aug 27, 2014
    9
    The batman game fans always want , with stunning graphics, cool plot, and awesome combat system, this is one of this gen best games.You definitely dont want to miss this one.
  5. EremitaJ
    Aug 17, 2014
    8
    It's a great game, the ambietation is good, the controls work fine and the challenges work well. The only problem is the really short camapign, but it's preatty fun. Ah, and have I mentioned the giant muscular Joker? Like... what the **** EIDOS? Joker is all about brains, not about sheer force and power.
  6. WestLil0
    Aug 13, 2014
    5
    It's good in some ways and a pain in the *** in other ways. Some of the major battles require you to work with the WASD keys in a weird action mode and it makes it even more difficult to accomplish anything, which in turn makes it frustrating. And I'm playing on easy just because I want to get it over with! If you find this game for under $20 it might be worth it, but other than that, theIt's good in some ways and a pain in the *** in other ways. Some of the major battles require you to work with the WASD keys in a weird action mode and it makes it even more difficult to accomplish anything, which in turn makes it frustrating. And I'm playing on easy just because I want to get it over with! If you find this game for under $20 it might be worth it, but other than that, the more recent Batman Gotham City is a much better version of the game series.… Expand
  7. BasilZero
    Jul 28, 2014
    9
    Game: Batman Arkham Asylum GOTY
    Genre: Action
    Developer: Rocksteady System: Steam (PC) Total Score: 90/100 Value Score: 9/10 • Story: 10/10 • Characters: 9/10 • GamePlay: 10/10 • Graphics: 9/10 • Sound: 10/10 • Music: 7/10 • Length: 7/10 • Replay Value: 8/10 • Player Value: 10/10 Pros +Has all of the DLCs that were released separately on Vanilla Batman Arkham    Game: Batman Arkham Asylum GOTY
    Genre: Action
    Developer: Rocksteady
    System: Steam (PC)
    Total Score: 90/100
    Value Score: 9/10

    • Story: 10/10
    • Characters: 9/10
    • GamePlay: 10/10
    • Graphics: 9/10
    • Sound: 10/10
    • Music: 7/10
    • Length: 7/10
    • Replay Value: 8/10
    • Player Value: 10/10

    Pros
    +Has all of the DLCs that were released separately on Vanilla Batman Arkham Asylum
    +Great innovative gameplay that mixes puzzle and stealth elements well
    +Memorable iconic characters from the Batman Universe
    +A great new original storyline added to the Batman Universe

    Cons
    -Music is great for atmosphere but not memorable
    -Game's main storyline can be beaten in a few hours
    -Some of the visuals - mainly environment designs look outdated to the rest of the game    … Expand
  8. Lex_Luger
    Jul 27, 2014
    10
    Pro:
    Great graphics,
    Great soundtrack
    Great story
    unique combat system
    lots of secrets to find

    Cons:
    Repetitive combat
    Weak boss fights
    a little on the short side
  9. debigman
    May 22, 2014
    10
    There really is no other score appropriate for this game. I don't hand out many 10's, but this game deserves it. Beautiful textures, smooth gameplay, tight controls, and a good storyline make this a must-buy.
  10. TheWhiteRose000
    May 15, 2014
    10
    A really amazing game with loads of replay value in it.
    Amazing storyline, Id say great character development but its a Batman game.
    Batman is already well developed and they captured that perfectly.
  11. ChaosontheMoon
    Apr 17, 2014
    6
    In general a good start for a batman series, but the controls in general feels sometimes like playing with broken fingers.
    The area is small and the quest is let you run always across it :-( .Fighting is funny when you are familiar with controls once. Batman looks dangerous but in fact he is a ****
  12. dyspeptic
    Apr 15, 2014
    7
    Last Played: March 2014 (with XBOX controller)
    PROS: + Who doesn’t want to be Batman? + Fighting system has its moments, though also has frustrating times. + Feels like a Batman movie/comic.
    CONS: -Way shorter than expected (~15 hours first time playthrough). – D-pad inventory selection clunky at best. –Some frustrating sequences. REVIEW: When a game this highly rated goes on sale for    Last Played: March 2014 (with XBOX controller)
    PROS: + Who doesn’t want to be Batman? + Fighting system has its moments, though also has frustrating times. + Feels like a Batman movie/comic.
    CONS: -Way shorter than expected (~15 hours first time playthrough). – D-pad inventory selection clunky at best. –Some frustrating sequences.
    REVIEW: When a game this highly rated goes on sale for $5, who can resist? I had very high expectations for this game, and looked forward to “being” Batman. And if we are being honest, that is really the main point in playing a Batman game, so the fact that this one does a really good job making you feel like the “caped crusader” is commendable. Since Batman relies on non-lethal force, this game puts an understandable emphasis on hand-to-hand combat, which is for the most part fluid and rewarding (though button-mashers will probably find it hard). Players also get to sneak up on the baddies and knock them out one at a time-it is pretty gratifying to listen to the others get increasingly panicked as you nab them one by one. Also-the story, while patchy, is at least not outrageously dumb (“Injustice”, anyone?), or at least it isn’t too dumb for characters that normally exist in books with fewer than 1,000 words.
    Unfortunately, I still think this game has been overrated-or maybe it was just judged against other independently developed games, I don’t really know. Firstly, unless you insist on getting all of the collectibles (this game has an absurdly large number of them) this game will not take more than 15 hours to beat on a normal difficulty, even on the first run through. The areas are re-visited with different bad guys to help make them seem different, but really the maps are kind of small, so recycling them still gets noticeable by the end. Secondly, some of Batman’s gizmos are kind of useless, but this is actually a good thing, because switching between active gadgets using a poorly integrated D-pad is actually a huge pain, so the less you have to switch, the better. Finally, this game has some frustrating sequences. Not the “man, I’m not good enough and I need to practice to beat this awesome game” kind, the “wtf how did that guy kill me now I have to do the whole 5-minute thing over again” kind. Furthermore, although the sneaking “predator” combat mode is cool at first, there simply aren’t enough options for sneaky takedowns to make the later sequences fun-you can either use the 1-2 vents in a room or the 5-6 ceiling grapples to remain unseen and late in the game one of the options is removed from this list, which makes the exercise kind of a chore.
    I guess what it boils down to are a few questions you need to ask yourself: Do I want a game that will make me feel like Batman? Do I mind a small map if there are new enemies to give it variety? Is this game on sale? Depending on how you answer these, Arkham Asylum may be a good buy.    … Expand
  13. TheSwagMaster
    Apr 9, 2014
    10
    All I really have to say is, and all I REALLY need to say is... This game defiantly deserved its GOTY award. This is one of my favorite series, and this game in particular is my favorite so far.
  14. verglia
    Apr 1, 2014
    10
    He is strong without super powers.That's why we all love him.Top 10 of all times for me is here.Great story,great gameplay,great joker too,what do you want more?PLAY IT!!!!
  15. AliveSirus
    Feb 24, 2014
    9
    The first game of the Arkham franchise. Batman Arkham Asylum concentrates on the Asylum and how everything really works there. It's the only place in Batman's universe that is only known as a place where all criminals go when apprehended by Batman. RockSteady Studios decided to have the game take place so all of us gamers and Batman lovers will know what Arkham Asylum is capable of and howThe first game of the Arkham franchise. Batman Arkham Asylum concentrates on the Asylum and how everything really works there. It's the only place in Batman's universe that is only known as a place where all criminals go when apprehended by Batman. RockSteady Studios decided to have the game take place so all of us gamers and Batman lovers will know what Arkham Asylum is capable of and how the house rules is unique compared to your usual prison. Going straight to the game play, it is an Action Adventure game. You, playing as the Dark Knight himself, will have all of the gadgets to strategically take down thugs and bosses. The game is easy for casual players, even on Hard mode, casual players who are looking for challenges can make it through, especially when you're familiar how the game play goes.

    Note: I will not state specifics here to avoid spoilers so discover it yourselves guys!

    Moving on... the story of the game itself is really detailed, perfectly narrated, and very dark and it points specifically in Arkham Asylum. The Lifespan of the game is somewhat great, you have achievements, riddles, trophies, unlockables and story tapes to find in the game which can make you busy throughout.

    Overall the game itself is great, mechanics wise its simple, audio and voice narration is well-done by Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill, and the story is well polished. A must have!    … Expand
  16. Daw11
    Feb 23, 2014
    10
    Arkham Asylum is definitely one of the best game of this genre. I played it at hard difficulty and it took me more than 15 hours to complete all levels. The gameplay is simple but really funny and except for some boss fights the game is generally pretty easy.
  17. Nataraja
    Feb 16, 2014
    8
    This is a great game with good graphics and a good story line. The combat is fluid and fun but occasionally will got unresponsive. At first the voice acting is stiff and really is off the mark. This improves during the game and the uniqueness of the challenges make up for the false start.

    Sound is tremendous, atmosphere is superb, and its hard to tear yourself away to do things you    This is a great game with good graphics and a good story line. The combat is fluid and fun but occasionally will got unresponsive. At first the voice acting is stiff and really is off the mark. This improves during the game and the uniqueness of the challenges make up for the false start.

    Sound is tremendous, atmosphere is superb, and its hard to tear yourself away to do things you really need to do... AFTER the first part is concluded that is.

    I will say that if you don't play this and its superior follow up, City, you are missing a great action/stealth/exploration/combat/gadget series and should really give it a try - even if you are not a Batman fan - which to me is unthinkable!    … Expand
  18. Krizuwe
    Jan 22, 2014
    8
    Uno de los mejores juegos de la generación, apartado gráfico, historia y jugabilidad impresionantes. Es un juegazo, los combates, la acción y el doblaje hacen de este juego uno de mis favoritos, una joya, lo recomiendo totalmente, imprescindible. Sin lugar a dudas junto al City y al Origins estamos ante para mi una de las mejores sagas de esta generación.
  19. Buhadog
    Nov 25, 2013
    8
    I will have to agree that this game is amazing, both from graphical and gameplay standards. Instead of praising it like most reviews do, I will instead focus on some problems I had with it:
    I've tried to play this game on the ps2 controller I've plugged into my pc and I've had so many troubles with it that I've started playing on the keyboard instead (basicly most actions wouldn't work    I will have to agree that this game is amazing, both from graphical and gameplay standards. Instead of praising it like most reviews do, I will instead focus on some problems I had with it:
    I've tried to play this game on the ps2 controller I've plugged into my pc and I've had so many troubles with it that I've started playing on the keyboard instead (basicly most actions wouldn't work despite being mapped to the propper button).
    The combat is not as fluid as it could have been, the counters sometimes wouldn't work).    … Expand
  20. csabber
    Nov 24, 2013
    9
    In 2009, Rocksteady Studios, a video game studio with virtually no history restored gamers' hopes all around world with Batman Arkham Asylum. The UK based studio revived a genre long forgotten and delivered a superhero action game which is worth every cent you spend on it.

    Yes, yes, there hasn't been a shortage of superhero games in the 21st century, but none of them really delivered on    In 2009, Rocksteady Studios, a video game studio with virtually no history restored gamers' hopes all around world with Batman Arkham Asylum. The UK based studio revived a genre long forgotten and delivered a superhero action game which is worth every cent you spend on it.

    Yes, yes, there hasn't been a shortage of superhero games in the 21st century, but none of them really delivered on its potential. And there is a bunch like the Iromnan or Superman games that aren't even worth talking about. Batman always had the better track record when it comes to games, but Arkham Asylum fires on all cylinders. Great graphics, incredible sound effects, a mad story and the little details will engage gamers and not only Batman and superhero fans.

    The game takes place on the famous Arkham Island where an Asylum has been build many-many years ago for the worst criminals Gotham can offer. It happens that The Joker has been captured by the Bats and taken in, but the Dark Knight suspects there is something going on in the background and takes his nemesis in himself. Shortly after a riot is started and The Joker gets loose. Now it's clear that the clown has something on his mind and Batman has to stop him. The story is intense and interesting as Bruce Wayne slowly puts together the pieces of Joker's grand plan. As you progress several of Batman's greatest foes will try to stop you, most notably Killer Croc, Poison Ivy or Bane, but others are introduced too. Some of them get bigger space others are bit players, but the point is that they are in the game and by their presence they make it richer.

    The graphics are decent, but there are flaws here and there. Batman and The Joker look superb, but detail of minor characters aren't on that level and some even look ugly. Other than that, the island is looks beautiful and from the distance you can see Gotham, the city of sins. The game is very well optimized on the PC so gamers with older rigs won't have problem running it.

    Even tough the island isn't overwhelmingly large, there is a lot to do. The main campaign will take around 8 hours to finish plus you can solve the puzzles and collect the question marks The Riddler left for you. By doing those you unlock character profiles, concept arts and more, so it's far from time wasting. Also by specific scanning stone tables on the island you can unlock recordings that tell you about the story of Arkham Asylum narrated by Amadeus Arkham himself. Probably the most interesting collectibles are the patient interview tapes that are scattered around the island. Some of the villains were interviewed in the facility and you can listen to these well composed dialogues. If you want to complete the main story with all the collectibles you will spend around 14+ hours on the island. When this is done you can try challenge missions where you have to beat scores by beating thugs. Sounds interesting and it adds to the game. This is the place where you can perfect you combat skills as the challenges get more and more difficult. The other half of them puts you in rooms where you have to complete 3, mostly skill-based tasks.

    With the near perfect free flow combat Arkham City is a near perfect game that finally delivers not only to fans of the genre but also to Batman and superhero fans. In fact, those who are not really in comic books should consider this game for first. It's a joy to play every second of this game. Arkham Asylum set the bar for every single superhero game that comes after 2009. It's a benchmark and an example to follow for every publisher and developer.

    Rating: 90/100; Replay Value: 3/5; To Beat: 8 hours (main campaign), 14 hours (campaign with collectibles); Played on: normal.    … Expand
  21. sengork
    Nov 24, 2013
    9
    This is the best implementation of batman the character I've ever played. The nightmare scenes are a great and unexpected touch to this game. One star off for the game being incapable of loading levels so you can revisit some of the highlight areas (Scarecrow).
  22. markwhitton
    Nov 20, 2013
    10
    Batman Arkham Asylum was one of the freshest, most interesting and action packed surprises of my entire gaming life! The fight system used in this game shocked me as to how flawless the movements looked as the combination of attacks used was insanely smooth… Seriously, a truly fantastic combat system… That aside the story was fascinating, the graphics were flawless and the environmentsBatman Arkham Asylum was one of the freshest, most interesting and action packed surprises of my entire gaming life! The fight system used in this game shocked me as to how flawless the movements looked as the combination of attacks used was insanely smooth… Seriously, a truly fantastic combat system… That aside the story was fascinating, the graphics were flawless and the environments were large (but not too large), detailed and well presented! The game as a whole was amazing and was an experience I never expected from a video game under the Batman name! Well worth the play; even if you don’t really care for Batman as a character!… Expand
  23. curv4k
    Nov 18, 2013
    0
    Batman AA is like every other button smasher I've ever played since the original NES. Kick, punch, roundhouse kick from one badguy to the next. Boring and cookie cutter. What happened to creativity?
  24. Undersky
    Nov 11, 2013
    8
    My only complaint is that the game was too short!

    But what keeps me from giving this game a 10 is the static camera in some parts, I'm ok with Scarecrow levels having static camera (you can't turn with mouse) I think it should be that way, fits well the challenge, however, Ivy and Joker-on-steroids fight could have used the free camera, doesn't feel the same when you not playing with a    My only complaint is that the game was too short!

    But what keeps me from giving this game a 10 is the static camera in some parts, I'm ok with Scarecrow levels having static camera (you can't turn with mouse) I think it should be that way, fits well the challenge, however, Ivy and Joker-on-steroids fight could have used the free camera, doesn't feel the same when you not playing with a game pad control...

    All in all, great game, Joker does his show apart and the various challenges scattered around the island make the game interesting.

    It's constantly on sale with 75% off on Steam, don't think, just buy it's worth!    … Expand
  25. lutteres
    Nov 9, 2013
    8
    BAA is an amazing game, with AAA voice acting, impressive visuals and addictive gameplay.
    I only have 3 complaints:
    What made this game so addictive to me was the stealth portions, where I was required to dispatch the bad guys silently. But unfortunately, I couldn’t use this approach every time. In most cases you are thrown in to a situation where there is no stealth approach to take. I    BAA is an amazing game, with AAA voice acting, impressive visuals and addictive gameplay.
    I only have 3 complaints:
    What made this game so addictive to me was the stealth portions, where I was required to dispatch the bad guys silently. But unfortunately, I couldn’t use this approach every time. In most cases you are thrown in to a situation where there is no stealth approach to take. I just think, a Batman game shouldn’t be just a simple beat em up, and at times it felt that way.
    Story mode is a tiny bit too short (completed the story mode in ~12 hours). But you can still squeeze 3 times that amount by gathering all the collectibles, resolving riddles and doing all the challenge modes, but I’m not the kind of person to spend hours searching for extra-stuff in a game. But if you have the time and patience for it...
    The BAA Story, despite being well written, isn’t the most creative for a video game.

    Sound 10
    Presentation 10
    Characters and Story 8
    Gameplay 8
    Value 8    … Expand
  26. Roichante
    Nov 7, 2013
    5
    This game is really fun but Windows Live is terrible to navigate through and because of a glitch in windows live i could never save the game it would always go the beginning so i had to play all in one insane session. Because of that 5/10 otherwise it would have been 9/10.
  27. thedrummer100
    Nov 7, 2013
    10
    This game is amazing, there is no reason that you shouldn't get it. Its overall an amazing game that takes you by surprise. With the current Humble Bundle, you get this game for as low as a dollar.
  28. Parthros
    Nov 6, 2013
    10
    I got this game around two years after it came out, the same time I got Arkham City. I chose to play Asylum first, then City on the suggestion of my brother who had played both of them. When you play Asylum before City, you think to yourself, "How could City POSSIBLY improve on this? It's perfect!" If you play City first, you'll feel a little restricted, but it's still an amazing game.I got this game around two years after it came out, the same time I got Arkham City. I chose to play Asylum first, then City on the suggestion of my brother who had played both of them. When you play Asylum before City, you think to yourself, "How could City POSSIBLY improve on this? It's perfect!" If you play City first, you'll feel a little restricted, but it's still an amazing game.

    I definitely recommend this game to all Batman fans.    … Expand
  29. gyrate
    Nov 6, 2013
    10
    I enjoy this game it's the darker side of Batman. There are not a lot of super hero games out there worth playing so this is going to get a higher rating than perhaps it should. It's an older game and not very open world, but you can explore. You just can't go scaling rocks like you're in Skyrim or taking the wrong path around a tree. There will be none of that. You can't jump at all forI enjoy this game it's the darker side of Batman. There are not a lot of super hero games out there worth playing so this is going to get a higher rating than perhaps it should. It's an older game and not very open world, but you can explore. You just can't go scaling rocks like you're in Skyrim or taking the wrong path around a tree. There will be none of that. You can't jump at all for some odd reason. The camera has issues at times where it won't be where you desire. Still the environment and graphics are well done. You feel as though you are taking part in the comic book. The main characters are perfect and the people you are fighting are no pushovers. My biggest criticism is that I can't save where I'd like so I have to repeat things that were a chore which I felt should have been a save point. For the price you can get this game it's silly to say anything negative at all, but I'll offset that with a 10. Hopefully this pushes others to try to compete in comic book heroes and we get something amazing. Until then this game is king.… Expand
  30. QuitBeingStupid
    Oct 30, 2013
    9
    Great graphics. Love the sandbox environment and a strong storyline for the backbone as well. Love the different gadgets and are plenty to actually feel like it's a full utility belt. Also the easter eggs are a big enough bonus to make then worth going after. The only real knock is that I find the fighting system a slight bit cumbersome and sluggish. Maybe it's my system. Maybe not. Once IGreat graphics. Love the sandbox environment and a strong storyline for the backbone as well. Love the different gadgets and are plenty to actually feel like it's a full utility belt. Also the easter eggs are a big enough bonus to make then worth going after. The only real knock is that I find the fighting system a slight bit cumbersome and sluggish. Maybe it's my system. Maybe not. Once I try it on my new system I will either bump this score to a 10 or leave it at a 9 if nothing changes.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

1
#1 Best PC Game of 2009
7
#7 Most Discussed PC Game of 2009
9
#9 Most Shared PC Game of 2009

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
91

Universal acclaim - based on 29 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 29 out of 29
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 29
  3. Negative: 0 out of 29
  1. GameDaily
    90
    The result is so good that we're declaring it an easy 'Best of' contender for 2009.
    Read full review
  2. Cheat Code Central
    92
    I can say with confidence and cannot stress enough, Batman: Arkham Asylum is, without a doubt, the best Batman game ever created. It does more than give you the Batman game you want, it gives you a video game that you could play repeatedly, even if it didn't have the caped and cowled Dark Knight in it.
    Read full review
  3. Play Magazine
    90
    There isn’t a single element of Arkham Asylum that isn’t polished to the utmost degree.
See all critic reviews »