Batman: Arkham Asylum

 PlayStation 3
User Score
8.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 1850 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,659 out of 1850
  2. Mixed: 150 out of 1850
  3. Negative: 41 out of 1850
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  1. AndyD.
    Sep 29, 2009
    7
    Some fantastic moments, but for the most part this is an extremely repetitive game with lazy, unimaginative level design. There are many three different enemies in the game that you fight over and over (and over and over)... even the final boss is just a ton of those enemies thrown at you. Each new item gives you a different way to aim and press A for some random effect. Only one boss in Some fantastic moments, but for the most part this is an extremely repetitive game with lazy, unimaginative level design. There are many three different enemies in the game that you fight over and over (and over and over)... even the final boss is just a ton of those enemies thrown at you. Each new item gives you a different way to aim and press A for some random effect. Only one boss in the entire game impresses... hell, there only is one thing I'd CONSIDER a boss, as it wasn't just a collection of goons. Graphics are nice and whatnot, but the gameplay leaves you wanting more. The challenges are more of the same, I can't imagine any reason to want to do them. Stealth kills are alright but again get very repetitive very fast.… Expand
  2. TornadoCreator
    Jul 15, 2014
    5
    I question sometimes, how some games get trashed in reviews for "repetitive gameplay" or "uninspired combat" while this game is praised endlessly. Whilst admittedly a fun game the flaws in this game are many and difficult to ignore. First the positives; This game is truly a realised vision of Batman. The cast of the animated show provide great voice acting, and the art style is veryI question sometimes, how some games get trashed in reviews for "repetitive gameplay" or "uninspired combat" while this game is praised endlessly. Whilst admittedly a fun game the flaws in this game are many and difficult to ignore. First the positives; This game is truly a realised vision of Batman. The cast of the animated show provide great voice acting, and the art style is very reminiscent of the show. The stealth elements are well integrated into the game also, giving it a somewhat unique feel. Special mention should be given to the Scarecrow sections, which are tense and very evocative. Unfortunately, now for the negatives; The combat in this game is sickeningly simplified, repeatedly tapping 'square' will solve most situations, and once you've learned to dodge with 'x' when an enemy telegraphs an attack you're unstoppable. Counterattacking is pointless as it breaks you combo to do so, actually encouraging button mashing over tactics. Secondly, movement and camera; you have to hold down either the crawl or run buttons to centre Batman in the screen, now while a slightly off centre over-the-shoulder camera is standard for these games, this goes way to far. Batman is fixed to the left hand side of the screen, effectively making you blind to anything coming at you from the left. Since when was Batman blind in one eye? Couple this with a walk speed that's too slow and a run speed that's too fast and you'll be squatting you way through the game as though Batman needs the toilet. The lack of a jump button and context sensitive grapple hook controls also contribute to fiddling control that really damages the experience. Next there's the boss fights, or lack-there-of. Most bosses are little more than fighting a wave of goons while the boss cackles and watches from a window somewhere. Occasionally there's a big enemy which is beaten by dodging and having them charge into a wall, a technique used more creatively a decade ago in Spider-man on the PSOne. Lastly for the negatives there's the 'detective' mode which is insultingly linear. Touted as a means to allow none-linear gameplay, all it actually does is mean you have to cover the screen with a blue filter and follow the trail of glowing orange lights to the next part of the story. There's no actual investigation, puzzle solving, or intrigue; whether you're searching for fingerprints, blood stains, or tobacco smoke, your detective mode can sense it from across the room and instantly gives you a straight line to follow. It's monkey see, monkey do.

    Now if an easy, linear, and by the book comic hero game with maybe a dozen hours of content is what you're looking for, great, but if not you'll be disappointed. It's not that it's a bad game, far from it; it was a fun game for a few hours at least, but everything it's trying to do has been done better. Honestly, the Spider-Man game on the original PSOne has more varied combat, better boss fights, a stronger storyline, more varied locations, similar stealth elements, and a far better camera... and that came out more than 10 years before Arkham Asylum. That's rather sad for a game that's supposedly a pioneer of modern gaming.    … Expand
  3. JohnnyNumber5
    Sep 4, 2009
    7
    The game is good but not great in my opinion. I can certainly see why people would like it because it offers a very unique Batman experience. However, people claiming it offers the same environment and feel of Bioshock are giving the game to much credit in my opinion. The combat itself is as clunky as the demo was tedious. Punch, counter rinse and repeat. The invisible predator mode is The game is good but not great in my opinion. I can certainly see why people would like it because it offers a very unique Batman experience. However, people claiming it offers the same environment and feel of Bioshock are giving the game to much credit in my opinion. The combat itself is as clunky as the demo was tedious. Punch, counter rinse and repeat. The invisible predator mode is the best thing about the game and is the only thing that keeps it from an even lower score in my book. Another thing is that game is really easy as the puzzles are moronically simple to solve. Seriously, if you can't beat this game in under 8 hours then you are doing something wrong. It's short but doesn't offer much replay aside from the little fighting room mini game with the Joker. The musical score is amazing, voice acting is amazing, story is good, graphics are top notch but that can't save the core game from being extremely shallow and generic. The RPG system where you level up techniques using XP is as simple as it comes. Why even have it if there is no depth? Why not just automatically upgrade attributes. At the end of the day I would say Infamous offers more value for the money and a better experience. This game is really only for Batman fanboys. I can't see myself playing this after I get the platinum trophy which I'm only few trophies away from doing right now. Gameplay - 5 Story - 8 Audio - 10 replay - 7 graphics - 9 Controls - 4 Total score = 43/60 or 7.0 overall Suggestion: Only buy it if you are a hardcore Batman fanboy. Otherwise, it's a solid rental or value buy if you can get it under $39.99. This is just my opinion and I would suggest anyone interested in the game should just try it for themselves.… Expand
  4. piford
    May 21, 2013
    6
    This game is kinda overrated. People really like it because its batman. My main problem with this game is that its a beat em up that takes place in small corridors. While not terrible, I'd pass on this one. 6.5/10
  5. Nathan1963
    Sep 20, 2012
    5
    (Translate from Portuguese into English)Joguei e fiquei decepcionado,esperava muito mais desse jogo,não entendo até agora como pode ter notas tão altas ¬¬ muito superestimado,talvez o mais superestimado dessa geração,a unica coisa que me faz crer que receba notas tão altas é por causa da marca Batman,se fosse um personagem novo e(Translate from Portuguese into English)Joguei e fiquei decepcionado,esperava muito mais desse jogo,não entendo até agora como pode ter notas tão altas ¬¬ muito superestimado,talvez o mais superestimado dessa geração,a unica coisa que me faz crer que receba notas tão altas é por causa da marca Batman,se fosse um personagem novo e desconhecido não receberia notas tão altas,decepção.… Expand
  6. DeusXCom
    Oct 17, 2014
    5
    Extremely overrated. Thanks to all the hype and generally very high scores I was expecting something really amazing, but what i got was just an ok action game, where nothing really stands out and it all felt quite average to me. Visuals looks kinda bland, locations feel very samey, story is kinda there, but it's basically just hunting Joker down around the island which gets extremelyExtremely overrated. Thanks to all the hype and generally very high scores I was expecting something really amazing, but what i got was just an ok action game, where nothing really stands out and it all felt quite average to me. Visuals looks kinda bland, locations feel very samey, story is kinda there, but it's basically just hunting Joker down around the island which gets extremely annoying with his constant taunts and it's not just Joker's problem, overall most super-villain antagonists are just annoying and normal enemies are all the same hordes of thugs and grunts, from the start of the game to the end just endless groups of the same muscular thugs, that was very disappointing. The combat system is basically just a primitive button mashing, nothing to write home about. The batman himself in this game feel very empty as a character, without any sign of charisma, definitely no match for the movie counterpart. The entire game just screams bland and average to be honest and I don't really see where all the praise is coming from. What I liked however was when that tedious story mode with annoying Joker and Harleyquin finally ended, I wasn't forced to fight mindless groups of thugs and I was just there left alone to explore, to glide around, to use very cool gadgets, to search for the collectibles which contained actually more interesting story than the main story mode. That is were the game nailed it, the fact that all those gadgets actually work and are not only usable in the all around environment, but actually fun to use. It makes you feel like a batman, jumping around gargoyles, gliding in the night, searching for secrets, it's funny that I had really more fun post-end game than I did actually playing the main story, but at least I was able to enjoy some of what the game has to offer. 6/10… Expand
  7. LetoAtreides82
    Aug 21, 2013
    6
    I love the Batman movies but I couldn't get through this game, I find the combat too boring and too simple and the enemies too bland. The graphics and the art style look good and the voice acting is awesome but I see this game as a simple button smasher.

    The combat looks so goofy to me, you smash one or two buttons and Batman's delivering kicks and punches from everywhere. Batman is    I love the Batman movies but I couldn't get through this game, I find the combat too boring and too simple and the enemies too bland. The graphics and the art style look good and the voice acting is awesome but I see this game as a simple button smasher.

    The combat looks so goofy to me, you smash one or two buttons and Batman's delivering kicks and punches from everywhere. Batman is supposed to be one of the greatest martial artists ever but the moves he makes in this game look so unrealistic and illogical.

    I played for about 3 hours before I couldn't force myself to play any longer, and then I watched a few Youtube videos from the walkthroughs and wasn't impressed at all by the upgraded weapons and skills you get at the later levels, the combat still looked incredibly simple and the enemies look just the same.    … Expand
  8. ec
    Aug 25, 2009
    6
    I played the early demo months ago, as well as the more recent version. (mechanically they were about the same) the game has nice visuals, and hit a home run with the voice acting, bringing back familiar personalities from the animated series. all that aside, the game is just ok. there are some glitches (characters floating in the air, collision issues), and some bad camera angles, and I played the early demo months ago, as well as the more recent version. (mechanically they were about the same) the game has nice visuals, and hit a home run with the voice acting, bringing back familiar personalities from the animated series. all that aside, the game is just ok. there are some glitches (characters floating in the air, collision issues), and some bad camera angles, and the fight mechanics are kind of boring once you realize that repeated hitting the counter button will instantly return all attackers blows, preventing you from ever getting hit. it's got the look of the hardcore batman game we've been waiting for, but the feel of kiddie tv spin-offs we've already had.… Expand
  9. skim123
    Oct 18, 2011
    6
    This game is very overrated. The reviewers only gave it such high scores because they were too distracted by the visuals and appeal of the "Batman" brand. The gameplay itself is just not that challenging, interesting or enjoyable. If this exact game had been released as a new character, it wouldn't have received such high scores. WAY TOO MUCH of the game consisted of repetitive, mindlessThis game is very overrated. The reviewers only gave it such high scores because they were too distracted by the visuals and appeal of the "Batman" brand. The gameplay itself is just not that challenging, interesting or enjoyable. If this exact game had been released as a new character, it wouldn't have received such high scores. WAY TOO MUCH of the game consisted of repetitive, mindless button mashing. The fighting sequences were just so repetitive and dumb. I don't see how a game that has so much button mashing could get such high scores. There were entire 5-10 minute stretches of this game where all I did was mash attack buttons until my thumbs were tired - how is that interesting or enjoyable? I liked the stealth sections, because at least then I had to think and use some strategy...I wish more of the game relied on stealth and strategy, and less of it relied on mashing buttons - a monkey could do that crap. I wish game developers would stop dumbing down their games just to appeal to the limited abilities of 10-year-olds and mentally challenged adults.… Expand
  10. JohnS.
    Sep 19, 2009
    6
    I was a bit let down by it. After reading all the high scores I expected so much more. It was fun, but NO WAY a 9 or 10 score that it got. I can see a Batman comic book fan drooling over it, but the game was simplistic, button mashing, with stupid AI. Having to play sooooo much in that
  11. MarkC
    Sep 2, 2009
    6
    Over4all this game ended up being very disappointing and defiantly not worth as high of an average as it has. Overall the game looks and feels polished, but the game after a while just seems ok. The hand to hand combat, although fun, is incredibly easy and becomes boring after a while. As long as you can hit square a few times and triangle when the big symbol appears that the enemy is Over4all this game ended up being very disappointing and defiantly not worth as high of an average as it has. Overall the game looks and feels polished, but the game after a while just seems ok. The hand to hand combat, although fun, is incredibly easy and becomes boring after a while. As long as you can hit square a few times and triangle when the big symbol appears that the enemy is attacking, you will always very easily wipe the floor with the enemies. The stealth is a bit more better, except if they spot you you can just zip up and almost instantly lose them. Apparently they are incapable of looking up, even when it is a well lit room. Add on top of than annoying boss fights and a slapped on challenge mode, and you get a very mediocre game.… Expand
  12. ChristopherP
    Aug 29, 2009
    6
    Lacks exciting gameplay to complement the Unreal Engine 3 and great voice acting. The combat is cinematic but shallow, and worse, terribly repetitive and pretty much unchanging. You fight the same enemies over, and over, and over, throughout the entire game, up until the final boss. Heck, the boss fights are even recycled. How many Bane-style bosses, who are all taken down identically, do Lacks exciting gameplay to complement the Unreal Engine 3 and great voice acting. The combat is cinematic but shallow, and worse, terribly repetitive and pretty much unchanging. You fight the same enemies over, and over, and over, throughout the entire game, up until the final boss. Heck, the boss fights are even recycled. How many Bane-style bosses, who are all taken down identically, do you have to fight using the exact same tactics? You'll know exactly what I mean when you get to the fifth one, and then several more after that. The game is wonderful from a graphics and sound standpoint, but fails at gameplay, and thus is not even close to the game it could have been. Disappointing.… Expand
  13. jamesh
    Aug 31, 2009
    6
    I too thought the game was quite boring. I just felt there was too much of crawling through duct work and messing with his special detective vision and way too little action. The enemies are easy to defeat and the AI is unintelligent. Batman actually moves like he is wearing a rubber suit that restricts his mobility, unless you
  14. ZubairL.
    Sep 21, 2009
    7
    Okay quickly... Arkham - Pro's: Intro scenes are truly cinematic, I was in awe at at how polished and detailed it was.Thereafter a short tutorial on how to do take downs etc and it really is quite immersive in that dark Gothic way, they really got the atmosphere right and u really do feel like Batman.Bosses look phenominal! Take down moves are finished off in a slo-mo matrix-ish Okay quickly... Arkham - Pro's: Intro scenes are truly cinematic, I was in awe at at how polished and detailed it was.Thereafter a short tutorial on how to do take downs etc and it really is quite immersive in that dark Gothic way, they really got the atmosphere right and u really do feel like Batman.Bosses look phenominal! Take down moves are finished off in a slo-mo matrix-ish style and look good.Combat feels meaty or with some weight to it. Cons : -Boss fights are lame. -Henchmen all look the same and you beat them way too easily. -Majority of the game you find yourself grappling from gargoyle to gargoyle trying to be stealthy or crawling through ventilation ducts. -Arkham looks good intially inside and out however,everything starts to look the same eventually. Overall,high on exploration and stealth, low on action and if I were a critic, I'd give it a 70 out of 100 and not the 90's it has been handed out.… Expand
  15. davenbettridge
    Sep 5, 2011
    7
    Batman Arkham Asylum is a fun and worth while single player game managing to make good use of the Batman francise. The game play is fairly fun but eventually becomes too much of a button masher, while it does look cool to bash the crap out of a mob of bad dudes it unfortunately runs on autopilot most of the time. The story is pretty basic but works decently, the main problem I have with itBatman Arkham Asylum is a fun and worth while single player game managing to make good use of the Batman francise. The game play is fairly fun but eventually becomes too much of a button masher, while it does look cool to bash the crap out of a mob of bad dudes it unfortunately runs on autopilot most of the time. The story is pretty basic but works decently, the main problem I have with it is the same problem I have with most comic book 'franchises' in that as it is a franchise there never seems to be an end, we know that batman is never going to die (if he did they will just bring him back to life), he will never totally defeat his enemies either, they will always come back again and again which does water down the story's significance. Recommened.… Expand
  16. mattonify
    Jul 7, 2011
    5
    I'm sorry but there's really only a one good thing about this game, its story but that is truly captivating but when you have finished that you know where all the hidey holes are, you know where all the routes through are and i have just put it down and not played it for months.
  17. Deusex
    Aug 11, 2014
    7
    This game is fun and satisfying, although has a few flaws that keeps it from being great.
    Pros-
    - combat, it's fun, fluent, and addictive - graphics, are nice with some great use if colour - stealth, Is great, and also satisfying. - gadgets, fun gadgets to use. Cons- - story, while it's not bad, it's very predictable. - navigation, you get lost in this game a lot, the Map is    This game is fun and satisfying, although has a few flaws that keeps it from being great.
    Pros-
    - combat, it's fun, fluent, and addictive
    - graphics, are nice with some great use if colour
    - stealth, Is great, and also satisfying.
    - gadgets, fun gadgets to use.

    Cons-
    - story, while it's not bad, it's very predictable.
    - navigation, you get lost in this game a lot, the Map is almost useless, and throughout the story the maps landscape changes, and paths get blocked.
    - boss battles, is the worst part of the game, even the great combat can't save it.    … Expand
  18. MrManga
    Jan 15, 2021
    6
    Fine world building and a decent story, many intressting characters but clunky controls and sometimes quite bad combat, dodge put you in harms way more times then it helps.
  19. Schism78
    Jul 24, 2018
    7
    A very good Beat 'em up, and i'm not fan of the genre
    The game that made you feel really like batman, the combat maybe was somewhat repetitive and the map very small, but it is one of the few games about super heroes that are well done
  20. awayka
    Sep 27, 2019
    7
    Минус игры в том, что ее рисовали, старались, а в итоге проще проходить в постоянном
    Detective Mode, где цветокоррекция совсем другая. Ну и сюжет предсказуем после 10% игры.
  21. heinigerjackson
    Mar 6, 2019
    7
    Great story, great atmosphere, great voice acting
    ok combat, a dated look, and mediocre boss fights
  22. geo333
    Sep 16, 2022
    7
    This is the second game I played from the Arkham Series and it's a solid batman game that would preview the later games. It's fun and enjoyable to play; so for any Batman fan like myself growing up, it's a solid fun game.
  23. skskskddd
    Apr 2, 2021
    7
    I think its a very good game. BUT this was my first experience in Arkham Games and i get bored in the beginning. The plot wasn't so interesting, the bosses were awful and the characters nothing special. The only good thing was Joker and Batman moves.
  24. Jackthegamer
    Sep 15, 2022
    6
    Batman Arkham Asylum is ok. Fighting is fun, story is good as well as the characters
  25. YokoHugo
    Jul 29, 2022
    7
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Awards & Rankings

10
#10 Best PS3 Game of 2009
7
#7 Most Discussed PS3 Game of 2009
5
#5 Most Shared PS3 Game of 2009

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
91

Universal acclaim - based on 70 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 70 out of 70
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 70
  3. Negative: 0 out of 70
  1. Playstation Official Magazine UK
    90
    The whole game is a class act. The fighting is sophisticated but arcade-addictive, the visuals are stylish, and the Lara-like exploration is smartly done. Plus the DC heritage feels all-encompassing like a big blanket. Arkham Asylum is comfortably the best comic book game that PlayStation's ever had, and is up there with the system's best actioners, full stop. [Sept 2009, p.95]
  2. Game Informer
    95
    Batman: Arkham Asylum is this year's "BioShock," not just from the connection established with the world, but from its ability to innovate where new ideas are needed, and moreover, deliver an adventure unlike any other. [Sept 2009, p.82]
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  3. Playstation: The Official Magazine (US)
    100
    Yes, this is the Batman you've been waiting for...It's a wonderful experience, beginning to end, never taking the easy or familiar route, and infusing each shift of the story with original ideas that cut no corners. [Oct 2009, p.70]
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