[JC-Exclusive Review] Batman:Arkham Asylum

My first professional game review, u may leave some comments, TQ. Major categories for the review are Story, Graphics, Sound and Gameplay.

Scores Rating:0-2+ (Try Again)

3-5+ (Work Harder)

6-7+ (Good)

8-9 (Awesome)

9+ (Incredible)

10 (Godlike)

Intro:

No, i am not a fans of batman or DC comic. And this is the first ever in my life playing a superhero game based on comic. The nearest game close to this i have ever played is Infamous, but trust me, this is a very unique game that will certainly appeal to you in many categories.

Story:

The game starts with The Joker apprehended by the Batman and was brought to Arkham Asylum, a psychiatric hospital which imprison many criminals from Gotham. But as soon as they reached the asylum, Joker are able to escape with the help of Harley Quinn and also take control of the entire facility. You will then take control of Batman, fighting with prisoners of the hospital which are also the recent crews of the Joker that are allocated there due to a mysterious fire at Blackgate Prison and soon uncover the real truth behind Joker's plot.

Graphics:

This game uses Unreal Engine 3.5, which really doesn't disappoint anyone who plays in any platform. It focuses to portrait the dark side of Gotham and the feel of how Batman really fights the criminals. The design of the characters and the whole asylum are very good, and i like it especially when u are able to look at the far buildings of Gotham, one of them which is the Wayne Company.The animation are also quite good during battles although its not too varied but it is decent enough to satisfy the players. Though there is a downside of the the graphics which is when the characters eyes are off in certain conversation scenarios, overall it's still very good compared to many other current generation games.

Sound:

Firstly, the voice acting is incredible. Some of the voices like The Joker, Batman, Commissioner Gordon and Harley Quinn are from The Batman: Animated Series and really did their job well especially Joker, voiced by Mark Hamill.

The music and sound during combats or certain situation also intensify the actions and the gameplay of the game. One of the most interesting in this category will be the interviews tape that you can obtain during the game. The interviews explains many prisoners of the asylum such as the Killer Croc and Poison Ivy on why they are brought into the asylum and their personalities.

Gameplay:

This game is a 3rd-person action-stealth game and emphasis on stealth accept during battles with armed enemies and boss battle. The new "free-flow" combat system using three buttons which is stun, attack and takedown are fun by chaining combos but may be repetitive throughout the whole game. The combos will earn EXP which will allows you to unlock new skills or enhance weapons. Players can of course use Batman's Batarang and a few more weapons that will be introduced further in the game. Players can also activate the "detective mode", sort of like night vision goggles, which enables Batman to scan for certain objects and also enemies behind walls. It is probably used in most area and very important to scan for armed enemies to plan for a stealth kill. Players can also solve The riddler's puzzle, which you need to scan for certain objects and finding trophies. Each of this will earn you EXP and also unlock certain items and challenges mode's map. The best part of the gameplay will be the one of a kind boss battles especially for the Scarecrow battles which i do not want to spoil further. After finishing the main game mode, you can play the challenge mode where you need to clear the map in certain time by killing all the enemies of the map.

(PS3 owners gets an exclusive free "Play As Joker" Challenge Map)

Final Verdict:

I personally love playing games with excellent story and here we have a real good superhero game with good story which is not based on movie. Add on with good gameplay and engaging boss battles, this is one of the must play game of 2009.

Ratings :

Story : 9.0 - Very well told and interesting story. (Incredible)

Graphic : 9.0 - Excellent graphics. (Incredible)

Sound : 10 - Excellent voice acting . (Godlike)

Gameplay : 8.5- A bit repetitive. But the boss battles are superb. (Awesome)

OVERALL : 9.0 (Incredible)