In short, pretty much all the fighting is handled with two buttons and timing. Combat is perhaps the weakest of the three due to Rocksteady's "button-mashing" approach. Making your way through the story, three types of gameplay quickly become apparent: combat, stealth and exploration. Either way, for those who are hardcore fans of the franchise, it's a nice touch. A multitude of other villains are referenced in various ways, even though they don't actually appear in person. Sure, you'll encounter The Joker and Harley Quinn, but you're also going to run into the likes of Bane, Killer Croc, Poison Ivy, Scarecrow and Zsasz. You can finish the story mode without completing a single one of the Riddler's tasks, but those who take the time are rewarded with extra experience points for in-game upgrades and unlocked challenge maps to play separately from the adventure.Ĭharacter-wise, Batman: Arkham Asylum is packed with fan service as Batman faces off against more than just one big name in the franchise. Some of the riddles are plainly obvious, while others will require a slight bit of head-scratching before the solution presents itself. Nearly every area has at least one riddle that must be solved by taking a picture of the described area or object. Most of these are simple "find the hidden trophy" exploration jobs, but the most satisfying are the riddles. Not everyone likes the continuous hand-holding, however, and that's where the Riddler's side missions come into play.Īlthough he never directly appears in-game, the Riddler visits Arkham in spirit, taunting you with secondary objectives. Getting from objective to objective is as simple as looking for the flashing exclamation point on your map. Objectives are always presented in a linear fashion so there's never a question of what you're supposed to be doing next.
If you're the type of player who likes to stick to the story, Batman: Arkham Asylum has you covered. Perhaps it was a simple misprint, but when a game features the PhysX logo on the box we expect the game to support PhysX, especially since Sony announced PhysX SDK support for the PS3 a few months back. Sadly, PhysX support appears to be PC-only, which means no volumetric fog, detailed cloth animation or random destructible items such as paper and tiles. One point of disappointment here was the promise of PhysX support on the back of the box, but no implementation of PhysX in-game. It all makes for good visuals, even if things do look a bit plastic at times. This is an island that was crafted with a purpose and you're going to see it all, from the high-tech penitentiary to the crumbling sewers underground. Yes, there are architectural similarities, but nothing ever feels like a cut-and-paste job here. For example, wandering through the medical facility is a wholly different experience than checking out the botanical gardens. The overall architecture is suitably gothic, yet each interior is appropriate to its function.
Each building is distinct and packed with detail.
#BATMAN ARKHAM ASYLUM PS3 REVIEW FULL#
Playing as Batman, it's up to you to discover the motivation behind The Joker's plans all while dealing with an island full of psychopaths who all have it out for the Bat.Īrkham itself is as much of a character as anyone you'll encounter.
With the help of his part-time lover Harley Quinn, The Joker has taken control of Arkham and trapped Batman, Commissioner Gordon and the staff inside. The story kicks off with Batman returning The Joker to the asylum, only to discover that it's all an elaborate ruse. The game keeps you focused, and while it may feel a bit constrained at times, what it lacks in raw area is made up for in spades by an amazing level of detail. You can see Gotham in the distance, but you'll never actually go there. Set on Arkham Island, the entire course of the game takes place within the grounds of the asylum.
But it's also a finely polished adventure that, aside from a few minor blemishes, is one hell of a ride. It may have voice actors reprising their roles.
#BATMAN ARKHAM ASYLUM PS3 REVIEW LICENSE#
Batman: Arkham Asylum may have a license attached. As a result, developers simply "go through the motions" when churning out a game with a license, and the creative juices are reserved for original IP. Like it or not, licensed games typically sell based on the name more than anything else.
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