Batman: Arkham Asylum now available
Batman: Arkham Asylum is finally in stores to the delight of Dark Knight fans across North America. Now those who have tried the demo on Xbox Live and PlayStation Network can really see what happens when they run headlong into that boss fight with Killer Crock. My opinion on the game (check out our freshly published Batman: Arkham Asylum Review), based on the demo is a big fat question mark. On the one hand you have an incredible cast doing the voice-over work for the game (Batman, Joker and Harley Quinn from the original animated series) stylized and context sensative content, cool bat gadgets and gameplay that is as smooth as silk; and on the other hand you have gameplay that feels like an overabundance of hand-holding and a bizarre art style that makes Harley Quinn look like she just jumped off the operating table after a boob job.
That aside, if you haven’t heard anything about Batman: Arkham Asylum, it was developed by Rocksteady Studios, based on DC Comics’ popular comic book license and co-published by Eidos and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. The game tells the tale of a harrowing night in Arkham Asylum after The Joker and Harley Quinn spring a trap on the Dark Knight. Trapped, Batman will have to face off against his most dangerous enemies and their henchmen to bring The Joker and everyone else to justice. That old saying “the lunatics are running the asylum” is apropos in this situation.
Players will have access to a special bat suit feature called Detective Mode, which provides real-time data on the environment and the people in it, as well as a targeting system to make melee attacks, grappling and gadget use easier to handle. As I mentioned, much of the combat in the game is situational; for example, Bats might use a great height to hit a target with a glide kick or to snipe with the batarang if he so chooses. He’ll need all the help he can get as he takes on The Joker and Gotham City’s most notorious villains, including Harley Quinn, Bane, Killer Croc, Poison Ivy and Scarecrow.
Batman: Arkham Asylum features an original story by Paul Dini, Batman author and five-time Emmy Award winner whose credits include Lost season one and Batman: The Animated Series - which would explain the attachment of all those wonderful voice actors.
PS3 players will also be able to take control of The Joker in eight Challenge Maps as he battles wave after wave of enemy do-gooders. The Joker Challenge Maps are available now as free downloadable content through the PlayStation Network. In addition, the PS3 version of the game unlocks the Batman: Arkham Asylum Batcave Outpost in PlayStation Home, an exclusive personal space available to those who purchase the game for the system. The Batcave Outpost comes with the BATMOBILE, BATWING, and tons of other great features, allowing fans to call the BATCAVE their own home within Home. Sorry, no extras for Xbox 360 players.
Batman: Arkham Asylum is rated “T” for Teen and is available for Xbox 360 and PS3 for the suggested retail price of $59.99. It will also be available for Games for Windows for the suggested retail price of $49.99 on September 15, 2009.
