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. Jynx980
    Aug 7, 2011
    10
    An excellent game in all aspects! I'm not a huge Batman fan, but this game was so polished that I could see myself getting into the Batman world. As the name suggests, your Batman at the Arkham Asylum, returning the Joker for the umpteenth time, when he breaks free and all hell breaks loose. The inmates are released and you need to work your way through several notable characters beforeAn excellent game in all aspects! I'm not a huge Batman fan, but this game was so polished that I could see myself getting into the Batman world. As the name suggests, your Batman at the Arkham Asylum, returning the Joker for the umpteenth time, when he breaks free and all hell breaks loose. The inmates are released and you need to work your way through several notable characters before facing the Joker and his intricate plot. Some of the popular characters like the Penguin, Catwoman, Twoface, and Mr. Freeze are not in the game at all, but this was a great decision as to separate the game from the not so great movies. The story flows and is interesting and I never felt like I was doing meaningless tasks just to advance the story. Everything was connected. The graphics look great and run smoothly, I never got any stuttering even when entering a new level. Audio was just what you would expect from a Batman game, everything sounded in place. From the whiz of the grapple gun to the swish of the cape. They even got some great voice actors for the cast. Batman is Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill as the Joker, and Arleen Sorkin as Harley Quinn. These actors were from the animated cartoon series I watched from the early to mid 90's and to recognize and hear their voices just as they sounded almost 20 years ago really took me back. Those are the ones that stand out, but all of the voice acting was done well. The gameplay focuses on mostly taking down inmates but there is also a search and explore aspect. When attacking you chain together combo hits as well as countering incoming attacks. You also have several scenarios where you will have to use stealth to incapacitate thugs with guns. You can sneak up from behind and do a silent takedown as well as hang from a statue and do an inverted takedown. The combo system works well and as you gain experience you gain the abilities of an instant takedown or picking up a prisoner and using him as a projectile after connecting 5 combo hits. The controls are a bit of an issue here. When throwing a enemy you have to use the wasd controls to direct him instead of the mouse. So even if you have a shot lined up you have to direct it and it just gets confusing when your in the heat of battle. I wound up not using the throw for most of the game because of this. For the takedown you press shift and right click but you have a pretty short window of opportunity to do so and the right click is also bound as an aiming mechanism for your gadgets. So I when trying to do a takedown or contering a punch, sometimes I would be aiming my batarang for a second and then getting hit messing up my combos. These problems might be solved by using a controller but I don't have the Xbox360 controller listed in the control config and I didn't want to go through the hassle of setting up one with a PS2 controller with an adapter. The explore and collect part of the game is initiated by The Riddler who has hidden question mark trophies and puzzles across the island. The puzzles come in the form of riddles that you take "pictures" of using the detective mode to have a high tech look at your surroundings Collecting these will unlock character bios and detailed character trophies that you can look at from the main menu. There are also Arkham plaques that tell more of the history of the island and how it came to be an institution. All in all, this was a fantastic game and I highly recommend it. Even at full price you get your monies worth which is not something I felt like I have gotten in a long time.… Expand
  2. JC
    Jan 5, 2010
    9
    Waaaaay too many 10s on this list for my liking. A 10 is a perfect game that hits all the buttons and while Batman: Arkham Asylum is a really great game it does have its drawbacks. The combat is fluid and smooth, as well as the movement, grapple and gliding. The Graphics are great, the combos are excellently scripted and executed and the boss battles are unique. The game has tons of Waaaaay too many 10s on this list for my liking. A 10 is a perfect game that hits all the buttons and while Batman: Arkham Asylum is a really great game it does have its drawbacks. The combat is fluid and smooth, as well as the movement, grapple and gliding. The Graphics are great, the combos are excellently scripted and executed and the boss battles are unique. The game has tons of minigamers to enjoy, including riddler challenges and extra fight content as well as other stuff. Now for my small criticisms and why the game doesnt deserve a 10. One, the use of the detective skill is somewhat demeaning. They arent mysteries, more like follow this here, take picture, move on, Batman thinks through the rest. My 2nd qualm is the xray type vision you get. This is the single most exploitative and useful piece of equipment in the game. I love it and I hate it. It makes those beautiful takedowns too easy and I am always aware of everyone else's presence in a room. This really diminishes from the feectiveness of the challenge. Most people would say "Wlel just dont use it", but its there. I dont agree with the assessment on the voice acting as the cold comments made by Batman and the great liners made by Joker and Harley were amusing. As well, I must defend this game from the idea of no-multiplayer. What doyou want, Joker fighting Batman in 1v1? Team plays? A multiplayer for this game would have been no more then a cheesy gimmick. My only other qualm was that the storyline was somewhat short. However, this isnt the fallback of the game, its more the experience of the gamer. People new to games or whom like to take this time could easily rack up 6-12 hours of gameplay while the traditional and experienced gamer could probably navigate the game in one sitting of 4-5 hours. However, thats only a minor drawback but it would have been fun to see more content. I hope that the sequel will be of as good quality.… Expand
  3. HenrikH
    Sep 26, 2009
    8
    Arkham Asylum is a decent game, but so clearly a console port that its scores are overrated on PC. The porting is most obvious in the boss fights, when Mr. B. just doesn't do what you want him to do, standing/walking etc. when he is supposed to jump away.
  4. Ashard
    Oct 29, 2012
    10
    This is by far one of the greatest batman games ever made, with amazing voice action, controls, combat, graphics, music and story, this game is a must for any batman fan. this game truly makes you feel like the dark knight.
  5. JohnnyOnTheShot
    Mar 9, 2013
    10
    Arkham Asylum is a game that just does everything right. From the voice acting to the graphics to the attention to detail and respect to the source material to the incredible game play, Arkham Asylum is everything you want to see in a comic book game. I don't for a second understand the negative reviews... as far as I am concerned this game was perfect and a great buy on a steam sale.
  6. Jackermy
    Sep 21, 2020
    9
    This game was incredible in 2009. The graphics are cool. Atmosphere of the DC universe is great and perfect. A lot of collectibles that help us to understand lore. To be honest, I am not a big fan of Batman and DC, but it was a great pleasure for me to play this game. We got something interesting mechanics and a perfect beat`em`up system.
    So why is it not 10? Because we got some boring    This game was incredible in 2009. The graphics are cool. Atmosphere of the DC universe is great and perfect. A lot of collectibles that help us to understand lore. To be honest, I am not a big fan of Batman and DC, but it was a great pleasure for me to play this game. We got something interesting mechanics and a perfect beat`em`up system.
    So why is it not 10? Because we got some boring levels like Croc`s lair and Scarecrow`s nightmare. Also, problems with animations and stealth levels are disgusting
    I highly recommend you to play this game, even if it is 2020.    … Expand
  7. CraigS
    Dec 23, 2009
    10
    while the single player only is the only disappointment. This is an epic game and one of he best if not the best super hero game.
  8. Vix
    Nov 7, 2009
    9
    Simply the most fun I've had in a long time. Played it through three times now (well first time I didn't finish but that's thanks to the silly games for windows live losing my profile). My only gripe - would have been nice to grapple while in mid-air for a more fluid Batman experience! Still - worth every cent!
  9. DrunkGentleman
    Jun 4, 2013
    10
    This game is simply awesome.Every aspect of the game is solid,the mechanics,story,graphics and art style are all astounding and you're batman for gods sake,who doesn't want to be batman.
  10. Nojbee
    Nov 29, 2015
    9
    Batman Arkham Asylum is a really excellent game. The story and the game play are also good.
    Be the Batman is awesome. Worth to buy the Game of the year edition.
  11. ankittoms
    Jan 2, 2016
    9
    Best Superhero game ever. Excellent batman story. Dark atmosphere with excellent combat.

    Graphics: 10
    Game play : 9
    Combat: 9
    World Design: 9
    Content: 7
    Immersion: 10
    Story: 10
  12. TehSinastria
    Jun 10, 2016
    8
    Short review!!! ---Spoiler free---
    Nice gameplay, good graphics (since it's a 2009 game), fail ending:(...But the atmosphere on this game is just amazing. You'll feel like you're indeed in an asylum. And joker has plans for you...

    Overall: 8/10
  13. Suprizer
    Apr 18, 2023
    7
    Had little to no expectations, when i was beginning to play i thought to myself this game ain't for me i won't enjoy this. Oh boy i was wrong really enjoyed to the bone, found myself collecting riddler trophies and its the reason why this game won't get a higher rating for me, riddler stuff sucks collected all for a **** phone call.
  14. EmuChicken
    Apr 28, 2011
    9
    I was wary in the buying of this game. Checked some youtube clips... looked interesting... One word, wow!

    I stuck this one out to the end, well, the end of the story that is- and, what a ride! You ARE Batman! The one think that grabbed me, was the actual atmosphere. It brought the feeling of the newer Batman movies closer and sucked me RIGHT in! Punch, combo, boom, get the baddies    I was wary in the buying of this game. Checked some youtube clips... looked interesting... One word, wow!

    I stuck this one out to the end, well, the end of the story that is- and, what a ride! You ARE Batman!

    The one think that grabbed me, was the actual atmosphere. It brought the feeling of the newer Batman movies closer and sucked me RIGHT in! Punch, combo, boom, get the baddies from above, glide down THWACK!
    Upgrades are available for better armor, etc.. They didn't really feel like they had much of an effect, but some the weapons that are weened into your inventory as the game progresses kick ass ;>

    Graphic-wise, this game really shines. I'm not too sure how it looks on a non-nvidia card (the game uses the .. uhm Nvidia graphics ... physics thing to enhance smoke and adds tile effects), but even without the extra physics- it plays VERY well.

    As BenW mentioned in his review, "Definitely the best Batman game out there". The others that Ive played outside this one are pretty cack. (not tried the Sun Tzu one tho!)

    + Graphics
    + Plays very well
    + Batman

    - Fights get a little repetitive as the story draws to an end    … Expand
  15. Mephistodrizzt
    Aug 12, 2010
    10
    As a batman fan i have to say i felt like batman while i was playing this game. It' so obvious that this game has created with batman love. Graphics are extraordinary and voices are brilliant. And game is long enough "of course it's always not enough if you like this game" and you want to play it again. Combat system is different from the arcade games we are used to. It' so fun to kick 8As a batman fan i have to say i felt like batman while i was playing this game. It' so obvious that this game has created with batman love. Graphics are extraordinary and voices are brilliant. And game is long enough "of course it's always not enough if you like this game" and you want to play it again. Combat system is different from the arcade games we are used to. It' so fun to kick 8 henchmen's ass at the same time. Beating them in the hard mode without getting a single hit satisfies the player. And this game has given the needed worth to the gadgets. Predator rooms may be boring at the beginning but after some time it complicates and it becomes interesting and fun to play. Riddles expands the games playing time of course and they can become really challenging. Atmosphere of the game can lessen in the middle of the game but the game is interesting enough and something takes your interest somewhere else for sure. And the only downside of the game that i can find are cut-scenes. This game offers you to become batman himself. I can easily say this is the best hero game ever.… Expand
  16. Cheeseman
    Dec 8, 2010
    10
    I just want to say that this is easily the best game that has ever been released that features a superhero. The story is incredible, the voice acting is phenomenal, the atmosphere is dark and beautiful and the combat system is unique and challenging. I have played the game 4 times over and received 100% in all of the different challenges, and still I go back and play it every once in aI just want to say that this is easily the best game that has ever been released that features a superhero. The story is incredible, the voice acting is phenomenal, the atmosphere is dark and beautiful and the combat system is unique and challenging. I have played the game 4 times over and received 100% in all of the different challenges, and still I go back and play it every once in a while to beat my already high scores. If you like Batman, if you like games, if you like adventure, if you like incredibly crafted story, or if you are just looking for a good time, I would highly suggest this game since it is hand down the best in its class.… Expand
  17. Datapotomus
    Aug 18, 2011
    8
    On a whole this game is excellent. It gets you into the story and keeps you there until the game ends. I loved the controls even though I used an Xbox 360 controller on my PC. I would recommend this highly to anyone who wants a good single player action game.

    My only real complaint is that someones I would get lost, and would have no idea where I needed to go. A couple times it did    On a whole this game is excellent. It gets you into the story and keeps you there until the game ends. I loved the controls even though I used an Xbox 360 controller on my PC. I would recommend this highly to anyone who wants a good single player action game.

    My only real complaint is that someones I would get lost, and would have no idea where I needed to go. A couple times it did become frustrating. However, I still loved the story.    … Expand
  18. Treeroy
    Dec 31, 2012
    9
    As a standalone game, it is truly brilliant, although it does have some noticeable flaws. However, I would recommend Arkham City, its successor, over this because it surpasses it on nearly every level.
    I am hardly the world's greatest Batman fan, so I was cautious at first, but I found the game absolutely stunning. It has a very solid overall feel to it in that it is very polished and the    As a standalone game, it is truly brilliant, although it does have some noticeable flaws. However, I would recommend Arkham City, its successor, over this because it surpasses it on nearly every level.
    I am hardly the world's greatest Batman fan, so I was cautious at first, but I found the game absolutely stunning. It has a very solid overall feel to it in that it is very polished and the gameplay is tight. It simply never lets itself up at any point. The story is engaging (though I personally preferred Arkham City's), the stealth mechanics are excellent, the missions are designed very well, and the voice acting is top notch (Star Wars fans should take note that Mark Hamill seems to be speaking half the time you're playing). More importantly, though, it makes you feel like Batman. You can take on loads of enemies in a brawl, use a small variety of gadgets to help you through the levels, yet you are not invincible - this means you have to use Batman's traditional stealth in order to take on armed enemies.
    The combat system, though good, can be frustrating at times, because the counter mechanic feels very broken. Thankfully, it is fixed in Arkham City and your problems of failing to counter when clicking the button are all gone. Another problem I found in this game - though many may not care - is that it is very linear. Another combat problem is that taking on enemies from a high point, or from underground, is broken as a result of this being a PC port - I have the game on PS3 as well, and it works fine on that. Again, this is all fixed in Arkham City, so the cool takedowns where you pop up from underground and grab an enemy, or when you hang an enemy from a ledge, are back in the sequel. There are no side missions at all and there is no open world feel, despite you having the ability to wander around the island as you wish. I guess I'm just a fan of non-linear games, so Arkham City's sidequests and exploration are of much appeal to me.
    Ultimately, this is a fantastic game but has a few important flaws. All is solved in the sequel, so if you must choose between the two I'd go for the second one. Regardless, this game is top quality.    … Expand
  19. crimsondoor
    Apr 22, 2019
    9
    One of the best first installation of an action adventure series in recent years, adapted from comics no less! The freeflow combat system, originated from the AC series, is already perfected in this first game. You also get some gadgets for personalised fighting styles. Scripted stealth events and investigations are more emphasised in the first game during which you have to use theOne of the best first installation of an action adventure series in recent years, adapted from comics no less! The freeflow combat system, originated from the AC series, is already perfected in this first game. You also get some gadgets for personalised fighting styles. Scripted stealth events and investigations are more emphasised in the first game during which you have to use the Detective Mode for clues, but the Mode is so powerful (you can see through all obstacles, find all the thugs in the room and the clues are highlighted) that I think all players spend most of time in it. As much as I love this game, I have to give this game 9 instead of 10 because of this flaw. Fortunately it is tuned down in the sequel. Graphics and controls are very nicely optimised for PC.

    This game might not be as polished as its sequel Arkham City, but it is ultimately a better game IMO. The way I see it, Asylum is made for hardcore Batman fans while City is made for mainstream gamers. You get a bunch of references of the Arkham Asylum comic. The attention to detail is amazing, like the art style and animations of the characters, which are very faithful to the original work. The game is dark and is designed to make you feel isolated and helpless in a locked down Asylum. City doesn't have the same atmosphere. Also, Asylum's level design is better than City's, which is a great example why open world doesn't work as well as closed world IN MOST CASES (read, I said "in most cases". Biggest doesn't always mean better. Only in a few limited cases open world works out, which sadly only consists of a tiny percentage of the number of open world games.). In the end though, both are great games so you should play them both. Paul Dini did a great job on the script of both games.    … Expand
  20. xboy1024
    Oct 27, 2010
    10
    This is a fantastic game. I liked every single moment what i`ve spent playing this game!
  21. BenW
    Nov 15, 2009
    7
    Definitely the best Batman game out there. I was lured by the high scores this game achieved in the reviews as I normally avoid syndicated games like the plague. However this game is good, the graphics and atmospherics as exciting and very DC comics. The animations are excellent and the backdrop enguaging. The game play however is good, but inflexible and linear. Once youve played the Definitely the best Batman game out there. I was lured by the high scores this game achieved in the reviews as I normally avoid syndicated games like the plague. However this game is good, the graphics and atmospherics as exciting and very DC comics. The animations are excellent and the backdrop enguaging. The game play however is good, but inflexible and linear. Once youve played the game for a few hours, you get the idea. The setup with its central area and riddler clues to pick up is a bit like Tony Hawks skating for Batman fans. Its good, but its not Half-life 2.… Expand
  22. NathenS.
    Oct 12, 2009
    9
    This game doesn't come close to being "over rated" by any means at all. The high scores are well deserved and you can't go wrong with as far as i'm concerned the original batman's animated voice actors. And not to be a critic of a critic but I found the controls to be very simple from the start and the scarecrow area of the game may have been found tedious by some but This game doesn't come close to being "over rated" by any means at all. The high scores are well deserved and you can't go wrong with as far as i'm concerned the original batman's animated voice actors. And not to be a critic of a critic but I found the controls to be very simple from the start and the scarecrow area of the game may have been found tedious by some but I thought it gave it a classic feel in overcoming an old foe of batman. Also remarks about the AI in terms of the enemy not being able to see batman when hes right in front of them at times, but really? It's the Dark Knight and when combined with I don't know darkness he shouldnt be to easy to spot. Another possibility to such a minor complaint could possibly be to an easy gameplay setting, the AI will tend to look like an idiot in such cases.… Expand
  23. ColbyA.
    Jan 6, 2010
    7
    I have a hard time rating this game, because I find it utterly boring - like most console games. But, in all honestly, it's good for what it is. Graphics are good, it's true to Batman as a character (i.e. he doesn't kill anyone, just KO's them), and it has a bunch of fun gadgets to use. My complaints with the game, however, are that it focuses to much on boring, I have a hard time rating this game, because I find it utterly boring - like most console games. But, in all honestly, it's good for what it is. Graphics are good, it's true to Batman as a character (i.e. he doesn't kill anyone, just KO's them), and it has a bunch of fun gadgets to use. My complaints with the game, however, are that it focuses to much on boring, repetative collection side-quests (that are often ridiculously difficult to solve), some of the boss fights are unfair and unbalanced (and often tricks aren't explained until you miraculously figure them out after dying 20 times), and regular combat is reptative and you are forced into VERY unbalanced fights with no weapons other than your fists against 5 or more enemies. There are a number of choke points I ran into where I simply couldn't get past 5 to 8 enemies that all attacked me at once because mastering the fighting system is a challenge for all but the most veteran of players with all but the fastest reflexes. Difficulty curve was, simply, a little to challenging. I also really, really, really hate completing a section and being forced to revisit it for an old gadget that was impossible to access the first time through, or simply to try and track down a boss for a third time. Revisiting old sections is really boring, and you have to do it ALOT with this game.… Expand
  24. JeffA
    Nov 27, 2009
    7
    Great looking, but I got bored with it. Totally linear, repetetive - buttom mashing dumb but cool looking combat. Overrated. Very consoley!
  25. JoaoMarcosE
    Dec 27, 2012
    10
    What an awesome game! The story is fantastic, the gameplay is really good and you really can feel yourself entering the world of Batman. The villains are really well developed and the combat is very fun. The Riddle quests are really challenging too, and is a good thing to go out of the primary campaign objectives. Besides that is a huge evolution in the games of super-heroes in general.
  26. 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!!!!
  27. Dalek
    Jan 6, 2011
    10
    What can I say? This game brings back nostalgia. The voice acting is perfect, graphics are nice, gamplay is nicely deisgned. I have played this game 4 times because its that good. The only flaw that people would say is Games For Windows Live, as always. A problem that needs to not excist anymore.
  28. PalladiumGM
    Mar 11, 2011
    10
    It's just amazing. I bought it because of a temporary price drop on Steam and it's the best gaming suprise I've ever had. PC is the definitive platform and the gameplay is smooth and satisfying. You'll replay it at least twice. What started as a $10 whim is now on my all time best list and I've pre-ordered Arkham City.
  29. NateS
    Oct 6, 2009
    9
    Probably one of the best games this year. Rocksteady studios has created an almost perfect super hero game and the spotlight is now shining on them. Everything from Freeflow combat to Silent takedowns makes you feel like you are in the dark knights boots. The replay value in this game is probably one of the best reasons to have this game. Silent Predator, and Freeflow combat challenges Probably one of the best games this year. Rocksteady studios has created an almost perfect super hero game and the spotlight is now shining on them. Everything from Freeflow combat to Silent takedowns makes you feel like you are in the dark knights boots. The replay value in this game is probably one of the best reasons to have this game. Silent Predator, and Freeflow combat challenges makes this game very replayable especially with leaderboards. Also the most recent free download content made it even better with an infinite freeflow combat challenge and an extra silent predator map. The only reason i didn't give this a perfect score is, 1. the A.I. isn't too bright. You could take someone out while you're in their peripheral vision and their partner would completely ignore you. 2. No manual save point. I would like to go back and fight bosses just for fun, but with the auto save feature once you're done a boss you won't see them until you run through the game again. If you are a fan of action, or even espionage games Batman: Arkham Asylum is definitely a must buy!… Expand
  30. fuwaneko
    Jan 2, 2010
    10
    Simply the best game in Batman series. And one of the best 2009 games, even better than almighty Modern Warfare 2. The game may be linear but it has very different gameplay at every level, so don't bother with other comments claiming boredom
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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 »