Batman: Arkham Asylum Preview

An actually good Batman game is like the holy grail of videogames.

They’ve been making ones featuring the Dark Knight since just about the dawn of the medium. Most have been wretched, but a few weren’t bad. But that’s about as high praise as I’m willing to give out. OK, LEGO Batman was cute, but it’s not the Batman game everyone truly craves. The one that will truly captures the essence of the caped crusader and provide a truly great platform for his actions while looking totally freaking awesome is the one I’m talking about. Is Batman: Arkham Asylum that one?

Before I go anointing a game I haven’t even personally put my hands on yet, let’s examine the most obvious facts: just look at it. The game is beautiful. A very nice application of the Unreal engine makes everything glisten and move and the character models look realistic yet unrealistic. They are true comic book characters come to 3D life, rippling with muscles, and fantastically proportioned. Batman is a freak, and looks like he should be playing defensive end for the Steelers (or Cardinals, please don’t send me hate mail). This is definitely not Christian Bale.

This entire game is more of a throwback to the original Batman than any of the newer Dark Knight stuff anyway. Well, maybe not all the way back to the goofy 1960’s Batman. But a truly “classic” feeling Batman at his comic book heights. It should remind you a lot of the animated series, with which it shares its voice-acting cast, Batman: Arkham Asylum is written by the same guy as well, Paul Dini. Nice credentials all around, but nothing will slap you in the face as hard as the character design. That credit goes to WildStorm, which is kind of a big deal. At least that’s what GameSpy’s Gabe Graziani told me, and he’s a nerd so I trust him.

In addition to the awesomely buff B-man, there’s a gargantuan version of Killer Croc (like 12 feet high and rising) who will snarl at you with a set of teeth bigger than you are. A little later on you’ll run into Harley Quinn who’s about to step out to some slutty Halloween party, and you’ll even an appearance by a gruesome Victor Szasz. We’re promised that this is only the tip of the iceberg as far as cameos go, but they wouldn’t tell us anymore at this point. Fanboys will surely rejoice at each one, even the third and fourth tier dudes.

Then of course, there’s The Joker. Batman’s ultimate nemesis and your main villain in this game. The story begins with an in-engine cut-scene showing you, Batman, putting the collar on The Joker and dragging him back to Arkham Asylum as we’ve seen many times before. Arkham is intense. Huge and gothic, but with a modern super-max mentality. Hannibal Lecter would not get out of this place. Once you get there you get to take a leisurely stroll with the Joker – strapped into a robotic gurney – and a bunch of armed guards who look like they could join any of your finer virtual military organizations. The C.O.G., Rainbow Six, whatever. It’s an interactive cut scene as you walk alongside, listening to the Joker ramble and getting introduced to new characters you’ll meet again. Because tonight, Batman is locked in Arkham Asylum with the craziest villains in all of Gotham, and they have a plan to get him for good. Hijinks are about to ensue.

There are three basic elements to the gameplay, or “pillars” as the marketing-ese goes. The first is the combat system, officially known as FreeFlow (yes, really), that allows you to juggle up to fifteen different enemies with kicks and punches, building up experience points by seamlessly bouncing off of swarming enemies. But I can’t say much more about it since I didn’t get to actually play it myself. But I wanted to, believe that.

The second pillar has an official name too: Invisible Predator (copyrights are no laughing matter, people) but it’s easier to think of it in terms of Batman acting like Batman. Using all of his cool classic tools like the Batarang and the Batclaw, you stealth around rooms taking out unsuspecting guards. But don’t forget, you’re Batman, so instead of hiding behind crates, you’ll be lurking in the rafters and climbing the walls, waiting for your chance to glide down on a guy using your cape for drag, or maybe string some dude upside down from an indoor gargoyle. Indoor gargoyles? Are they just messing with the mental patients? That’s cold-blooded.


Batman shows off his martial arts skills.

The last pillar, or column or tentpole or whatever it is, is all about Batman’s prowess as, apparently, the World’s Greatest Detective. I dunno, I’d probably take Sherlock Holmes. It’s “no [bleep] Sherlock”, not “no [bleep] Batman” after all. But Holmes didn’t have the cool forensic mode that Batman does. It’s an entire view – looking a bit Tron-like, but that always works – where you can gather information about your environment, including secret things, clues to help you solve mini-quests and other objectives.

Like I said, we didn’t get any real hands-on time with the game, so a lot of our questions and curiosities were left unanswered. That’s OK, we will surely be seeing much more of the game in the coming months, but this first look feels very promising. A lot of the right elements seem to be in place, and there are still a lot of things to reveal – like more villains you’ll encounter – but we’re officially looking forward to committing ourselves to the Asylum this Summer.

Looks really good.....I hope it doesn't suck!!!!