Batman: Arkham Asylum

1. Certate0

   Apr 30, 2012

   10

   Brilliant game that had me hooked untill completion. Great graphics and gameplay, heaps of hidden content. The story and atmosphere are spotBrilliant game that had me hooked untill completion. Great graphics and gameplay, heaps of hidden content. The story and atmosphere are spot on and the gadgets are great. I played with keyboard and mouse, occasionally switching to 360 controller for different combat situations (which the game did on the fly - no menu). I'm not much for sneaking around, but this game made it fun and wasn't overdone. Combat worked very well and Batman seamlessly took on large groups of enemies. Boss battles were challenging and fun. Top game… Expand

   • 0 of 0 users found this helpful
2. DanielP

   Sep 22, 2009

   10

   I haven't like Batman ever. But thanks to HALO effect with Nolan movies, I tried this game, and I was knocked down! This game have I haven't like Batman ever. But thanks to HALO effect with Nolan movies, I tried this game, and I was knocked down! This game have absolutely best athmosphere since first STALKER, even Dead Space hadn't better. I'm stunned with graphic orgies in quite old Unreal Engine, I'm stunned with dubing, I'm simply huge impressed. Bravo Epic, this is epic game.… Expand

   • 1 of 2 users found this helpful
4. 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 BatmanAn 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

   • 26 of 30 users found this helpful
5. seifershneider

   Feb 16, 2017

   9

   This game is a true homage to the Dark Knight. Batman Arkham Asylum is a game that delivers an amazing experience. The gameplay is very easyThis game is a true homage to the Dark Knight. Batman Arkham Asylum is a game that delivers an amazing experience. The gameplay is very easy to access and is quite enjoyable. Rockstady passion for the DC hero can be felt through the graphics, the sound, the environment, and the quest. It is true that the story line takes place in a relatively confined environment (the Arkham Asylum), and that the boss fights could have been more spectacular, but these small drawbacks don't hinder an other wise exceptional experience. It is aesthetically superb with a great Gothic vibe. (yes even in 2015, the game has graphically aged pretty well). I am looking forward to jump on Batman: Arkham City!
   
   Verdict: A… Expand

   • 0 of 0 users found this helpful
6. nietzfk

   May 20, 2023

   8

   I'm crazy. I've played many times. I played as a kid too. I wish this line was continued.

   • 0 of 0 users found this helpful
7. AbeMC

   Jul 10, 2017

   8

   Smaller and more intimate than any of its successors, Arkham Asylum thrives on its story, atmosphere and punchy free-flow gameplay. WhileSmaller and more intimate than any of its successors, Arkham Asylum thrives on its story, atmosphere and punchy free-flow gameplay. While missing the blatant heroics of Arkham City and Knight (and Origins), Asylum uses its smaller scope to provide a plethora of intricate details that would be lost in a larger game. A video-gaming classic.
   Total size on my hard drive: 8 GB
   You can view the opening of the game here.
   
   ++ No more Games For Windows Live (GFWL). It is gone.
   
   + Though older now, Arkham Asylum still looks great (Unreal 3). And, being older, it’s fairly easy to crank up the fancy settings.
   + Great voice-acting. Many major characters from Batman: The Animated Series are here, headlined by Hamill and Conroy, and includes Arleen Sorkin’s only appearance in the Batman games as Harley Quinn (Sorkin was replaced by Tara Strong for Arkham City and later installments).
   + Great soundtrack. Not as heroic as Arkham City’s, but darker and more moody.
   + Great atmosphere. Reeks of macabre gloom.
   + A large gallery of rogues in spite of being the smallest Arkham game (Poison Ivy, Scarecrow, Bane, Joker, Zsasz and others).
   + The first iteration of the rhythmic Arkham combat is very satisfying, though with fewer gadgets and special moves compared to later games.
   + Packed with trivia and collectibles. Be sure to randomly scan with X-ray vision every now and then; you never know what you might discover. Refreshing to have some that are NOT Riddler-related.
   
   +/- Decent story. Once the Joker takes over, the momentum doesn’t slow until the end of the game. A few things might not make sense if you think about them too much, though.
   +/- Many narrow corridors make some levels feel very restricted.
   +/- Can be confusing to navigate. Sometimes you’re supposed to turn around and backtrack, but nothing tells you to do so.
   +/- Challenge maps are indeed challenging, but there aren’t as many as in later games. Still great for practicing the combat.
   
   - Backtracking. There is a lot of it. Clear an area, proceed on, get a new gadget, go back and – whoops, there are new thugs in the room, time to clear it again.
   - In what becomes a recurring theme in the Arkham games (except Origins, which was created by a different studio), boss battles are lack-luster. Usually they involve a horde-mode of some kind; others require spamming batarangs and dodging.
   - The final boss fight happens from a locked camera perspective. Not sure who thought that was a good idea.
   
   Arkham Asylum is easily the game that will be remembered for redefining Batman in the genre. While later games in the franchise scale great heights of impossible heroism, it’s Arkham Asylum that remains the preferred choice if you just want to “chill with Batman” without the fate of all of Gotham (and perhaps the world) hanging in the balance.… Expand

   • 0 of 0 users found this helpful
8. ThorUgur

   May 23, 2021

   0

   This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game is the worst game i ever played everything in this game is disgusting do not buy it it doesn’t worth you money and time… Expand

   • 0 of 8 users found this helpful

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