Batman: Arkham Asylum

So, regardless of my previous post, I did go back and finish this game. Yes, it's that good.

The story is that Arkham Asylum goes to hell and Batman has to save the day. Quick to pull you in, and let you loose and get a feel for how you're Batman.


The controls are solid, with everything keeping you immersed and actually believing you are Batman. Even the mini games work out well, which was completely unexpected. It's unexpected in that there actually was a mini-game, and that they didn't pull me into a separate non-Batman experience to eat up time (Eg: BioShock, Alice: Madness Returns, etc.)

The graphics are amazing, and they used the Unreal engine really well for this game. Cookie cutter enemies you say? Yep, those are henchmen, and you kill many, many of them. The fact that they only look different based on what type they are is extremely helpful when you're fighting 20 of them, and need to pay special attention to particular types. Like the ones with pointy objects, or the other ones that shoot other smaller objects at high velocities.

The sound effects are spot-on, allowing you to hear the thuds of the punches and even the cracks of the ribs/skulls as you deliver the finishing blow. The voice acting was absolutely amazing. I don't think I would have enjoyed it enough to give it another shot if it wasn't for Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill. Then again, I can't imaging any Batman show/game without those two. They're just that good at delivering their characters.

The few things I didn't like about the game were the redundancy of the fights, as far as when you fight a bunch of mobs with a few stronger mobs. You end up doing it quite a few times before the game is over. I understand that you need filler, but the other unique fights, or encounters that are in the game were extremely entertaining. Even the sneak-around-and-take-people-out-silently "fights" were still more entertaining -- even if I did have to die ten times to get past one... Yep, I was doing it wrong.

If you haven't picked this up yet, then you are as bad as I am about playing games when they come out. Go pick it up and play it! Controller required.

I've heard the sequel is even more amazing, and I can't wait to start on it.