Looking at what I’ve got on the TV cabinet, I haven’t been playing a lot of PS3 games since February this year, and that was the Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 I was on then.
One title whose development I’ve been following though I haven’t been especially interested in before is Batman: Arkham Asylum. Super-hero-based game titles don’t usually do very well critically, and Asylum isn’t the first nor will be the last title to be based off one of DC Comics’s most famous and popular properties.
Asylum has just bucked that trend; it’s pretty much surpassed all expectations of a trite and superficial super-hero game title that’s both faithful to the source material, has great game play, and very high production values.
For those of us unfamiliar with the title hero, Arkham Asylum in the comic book series refers to the institution for the psychopathic criminals of Gotham City, and the place was also included as set scenes in the two recent Chris Nolan Batman movies. The most famous inmate, as the comic book series goes, is The Joker. In this game title, Bats is first seen offloading Joker yet again into the Asylum, but suspects something is amiss as the villain has given himself up too easily this time. Sure enough, a trap is sprung, and Joker and his minions take over the asylum – and you, as Bats, has to take back the mental hospital.
Truth to tell, the story for this title isn’t anything one hasn’t already seen countless times in the comic books already. The characters, their dispositions, and the general demeanor of the asylum is this sense is faithful to the source material. The Joker is deranged, Oracle is the resource and information locater and communicates with Bats via communication interlink, Commissioner Gordon looks stressed but soldiers on, and Bats is… Bats.
And talking about the caped crusader, Bats never utters an unnecessary word or sentence in the dialog script. But when he does talk, he oozes the familiarity for fans of the character. He displays the usual disgust and condescension towards thugs. At one point after dispatching another four goons, he snorts to the guard he’s rescued “I eat these for breakfast”. The story for the game is written not by a nobody but well-known Batman: Animated Series producer and writer Paul Dini, so it’s no surprise. As a bonus, the key voice actors from the popular animated TV series return to their roles for the game: and they include Kevin Conroy and Mark “use the force, Luke” Hamill as Bats and Joker.
But what’s special about this game is that your role as Bats isn’t merely as some karate and martial arts street fighter who’ll wade through armies of goons with just his fists. Bats here plays as detective to look for clues at crime scenes, lurks in shadows, perches on overarching pillars, and employs and arsenal of gadgets that aren’t all solely centered on improving his fighting prowess. Interestingly, these non-combat portions aren’t all that difficult. In fact, hints helpfully pop-up, and when Bats is killed or fails in some mission, the reloading screen will tell you what you need to do to pass the objective you just failed in. While the challenge level – especially in these non-combat segments – is pretty much reduced, you also never feel stuck or lost as to what you need to do next.
The visuals are top-drawer, though it apparently wasn’t making use of some new-especially created in-house engine but Unreal Engine 3. I didn’t see a lot of fancy lighting tricks, lens flare, smoke or distortion effects (yeah I’m thinking of Killzone 2 for some reason now LOL) – but just amazing art in every aspect of the title’s visuals.
The accolades from game review sites and magazines have been continuous since the title’s release on 25 August. In fact, Batman: Arkham Asylum now holds the new Guinness World Records for ‘Most Critically Acclaimed Superhero Game Ever’. The last couple of months of 2009 is going to be good for PS3 gamers, what with Uncharted 2 about to be released too.:)
(Pictures from Gamespot)
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