Arkham Asylum

Been a while since I've been on here, due to me leaving the Imperial Valley Press and beginning my new job as a freshman Algebra teacher at a local high school. But I'll try to keep up and give you all something to read from time to time =)

So. Big Batman game. Arkham Asylum. Good things have been said, but were they suitable or embellishing remarks?

Let's put it this way. I have never played a video game this good. Ever. Don't misunderstand me, here: this isn't simply the best superhero game I've ever played. It's the best video game period. =)

Game developer Rocksteady did a fantastic job of blending the Batman mythos with stunning gameplay that combines brutal action with stealth and even puzzle-solving.

The storyline is nothing short of epic. The Joker escapes from captivity on Arkham Island and then very cleverly unleashes his plan, which I won't divulge here for spoiler reasons ;p

As the game progresses, you readily gain various gadgets, each befitting the Dark Knight. Some items will be unlocked once you reach a certain point in the game (such as the Explosive Gel), while others, such as the Sonic Batarang, can be earned when you ugrade Gotham's Greatest Detective using experience points.

The all-out action parts of the game, where you take on 20 thugs or more, are brilliant. The free-flow combat system is beautiful to behold and to use, with just a single face button each to strike, counter and stun (using your cape, of course!) Building up huge strings can be simple at times and challenging at others, with various enemies wielding different melee weapons making things interesting.

Just as fun, however, are the truly awesome stealth sections, where you must take the Caped Crusader and sneak up on machine-gun or shotgun-toting baddies who can quickly make mincemeat out of our hero, in a nice realistic touch to the game. Setting traps and utilizing vantage points to pick apart your enemies is ridiculously cool, with each of the remaining bad guys getting more and more freaked out as you quietly subdue their cohorts. Truly a blast!! ;)

The little details in the game are just icing on an already-delicious cake. Solving the Riddler's, er, riddles - which are voluntary, by the way - involves you taking pictures of different hints and nods at famous and not-so-famous Batman villains. For example you might need to take a picture of Two-Face's abandoned prison cell, or a photo of the lesser-known Scarface. Also, Batman's suit and cape get all kinds of jacked up throughout the game, giving Arkham Asylum a very realistic vibe ;)

All things considered, there is nothing about this game that I wouldn't recommend! Play it to remember how video games ought to feel like and to have hope for future video games based on comic book characters ;)

Comments

[chin]

super awesome game, but not a very good ending. also I wanted to get 100% and when I was down to the last riddle I found out that you need to get 100% on the challenges too...so I am stuck with 85%. haha.