Batman Arkham Asylum

Game: Batman Arkham Asylum
Publisher: Eidos
Format: PC, PS3, 360

Thanks to the immense success of the recent movie The Dark Knight, a more sinister Batman has found affection with the greater public.

The Gotham City Detective is a man of many sides. He is Adam West, resplendently camp and obscured by a ‘Pow!’. He is Michael Keaton’s populist action-hero, cheerily brooding and seductive. He is even the supporting cast member in Superman’s ‘golden-age’ comics, with the Boy Wonder in-tow. And then he is Christian Bale, lost in the shadows cast by his enemies’ madness; self-loathing and garrotted by the leash that chains him to sanity.

Devoted comic book fans who hang out in basement funny-book stores have long been familiar with the Caped Crusader’s more menacing personality, which Bale took from many of the recent Batman graphic novels. Frank Miller, creator of Sin City and 300, is partly responsible for the newer, darker protagonist, and along with other comic book writers, has brought to light a startling fact; The Dark Knight himself may be the very cause of his villainous foes. His celebrity might just be the driving force behind the world he so despises.

Still, the DC Comics hero is always catching his prey, and each time Batman hands a rival over to the police, they are locked away in an institution where their criminal psychosis is incubated. That place is Arkham Asylum; itself the subject of the long-awaited videogame of the same name.

If ever a game captured Batman at his darkest, it is this latest effort by developer Rocksteady. In what is best described as a noir-ish melee with lunacy, players don the high-tech cape of Bruce Wayne’s alter ego, and assume the role of a man who long ago destroyed the thin blue line. The Bat has once again collared the perversely alluring Joker, and promptly drops the grinning maniac at Arkham.

However, reunited with a cast of infamous troublemakers, Joker escapes with a band of cohorts, and unleashes a wave of crime upon the ever-suffering populace of Gotham City.

What this brutal game actually offers is a generous taste of exactly what The Dark Knight movie delivered. While not an official tie-in with the film, this staggering title certainly captures the spirit of the cinematic release, and will quench the thirst of the numerous Batfans disappointed by the fact there was no real gaming accompaniment to Bale’s slice of the silver screen.

The gameplay itself tasks players with harnessing Batman’s physical and mental agility. Of course, that means combating crime with a combination of classic detective work and unflinching violence. Bearing in mind that Batman is a hero without any actual superpowers, brawling makes up a large part of the action, and from the off the fighting pleasantly accessible and thrillingly fluid.

When you’re not fighting, you’ll also have to take advantage of numerous upgradable gadgets, from the classic Batarangs to some vision-enhancing eyewear and the ever-useful Batclaw. The pace of the game maintains a healthy speed, and exploration is always something of a puzzle of options, as you swoop and swing and make use of Batman’s range of technological wonders to move through the game world and tackle foes. There’s also a number of epic boss fights, a wealth of sleuthing to do, and a touch of good old-fashioned stealth.

Throughout the game’s huge realisation of Arkham Island, this release looks beautiful, and oozes style and atmosphere. It is consistently dark, brooding and tense, and is without doubt the finest Batman game there has ever been. The variety of interactive styles are woven together with care and skill, and the pace and tone undulates wonderfully, delivering sharp twists and surprises.

Whether a Batman aficionado or casual fan of his movie roles, there is no doubt you need to play this game. It’s is quite simply one of the best of the year.