Madhouse Mania

A review of Batman: Arkham Asylum

It's always refreshing to see a video game break the odds.

In 2007, a studio by the name of Rocksteady decided they wanted to make a video game based on a superhero- and not just any superhero. They wanted to make one about the world's greatest detective, the Caped Crusader, The Dark Knight.

I am, of course, talking about Batman.

Batman video games had been made before, but they were mostly movie related. The issue with video games being released with movies is that they are oftentimes very rushed because the marketing team wants to get the product out as soon as possible while there's still hype for the film. Some of them are bad, most of them are okay but none of them were great until Rocksteady came along.

Rocksteady really wanted to put their best foot forward with such a popular intellectual property. The game spent two years in development while they worked out a new combat system and created a story that was worthy of the comic book hero. They even brought in the voice actors and writing team from Batman: The Animated Series, a show that had been extremely popular in the late 90s and was widely considered as a fantastic Batman adaptation. Rocksteady wanted to take that and make it playable. It received high acclaim from critics and fans alike, winning multiple awards and becoming a staple of the console generation.

When the game released in 2009, I had just started to get into console gaming. I had always liked Batman but didn't really know a lot about the hero himself. I knew the basics and nothing more and I was OK with that. And then, I remember watching my dad play the first section of Batman: Arkham Asylum. Almost immediately I was intrigued. I asked my dad if I could have a turn and he said I would be allowed to create my own save, so I didn't mess with his game. Looking back, I'm not even sure if he finished the title… but I certainly did. It didn't take me long to become hooked. The combat was fun and even the stealth missions were more intriguing than they were frustrating.

At the beginning of the game, Batman has captured the Joker and has taken him to Arkham Asylum in hopes that he will be rehabilitated. Almost immediately, Joker breaks loose and traps both Batman and Commissioner Gordon on Arkham Island. Joker kidnaps the commissioner and eventually reveals his plan to use a drug called Titan to create an army to help take over Gotham. The Clown Prince of Crime also enlists other rogues from Batman's long line of villains to try and stop The Dark Knight. These include Killer Croc, Bane, and Poison Ivy. In classic comic book fashion, Batman must defy all odds and stop the Joker before his evil plan can come to fruition.

One of my favorite things about this game is the sheer amount of Batman lore that the player experiences. I had never read any Batman comics and only knew a couple of his villains. Playing this game got me interested in exploring his story even further and actually helped me become a bigger Batman fan. The game has character biographies that you can unlock which gives a brief snippet about characters in Batman's world and tells you how long they've been around in the comics. When I did finally start getting into comics, the first hero I asked for was Batman.

When it comes to gameplay, most of it actually revolves around solving puzzles and figuring out routes through the asylum. You also have to take out Joker’s goons which often happens in the form of free flow combat. This is a particular type of combat system where instead of taking on one enemy at a time Batman can move through groups of enemies with more fluidity using martial arts and gadgets.

The Line Launcher acts as a zip line, and is just one of the many gadgets Batman uses to navigate the asylum.

There are also the Predator sections which is their version of stealth. I've never been a huge fan of stealth gameplay (mostly because I'm terrible at it) but playing these sections as Batman felt different. Batman prefers to strike from the shadows rather than brawling in the streets, so it felt more natural to take the stealth approach.

There is one more section of gameplay that I felt deserved its own paragraph and that is the Scarecrow sections. For those who may not be aware, Scarecrow is a Batman villain who uses fear toxin to cause his victims to hallucinate their greatest fears and drive them insane. The premise alone is enough to creep me out and playing the actual sections is no different. Batman must hide behind crumbling pieces of architecture as a giant Scarecrow searches for him. At the end of every course is a giant stoplight which Batman must use to destroy the Scarecrow hallucination. Although it does add quite a bit of variety to the gameplay, it definitely raises the scare factor. I played this game multiple times as a child and always dreaded the Scarecrow sections. I've never been a fan of horror movies, so it doesn't take much to scare me. Playing through it almost fifteen years later, I still got chills down my spine.

Scarecrow knows how to make a terrifying impression.

In 2016, the game was remastered for PS4 and Xbox One as part of the Return to Arkham collection. I was thrilled to have the game on newer consoles, as my older consoles were no longer available to me. As I played through, I remember feeling like a kid again. The controls were familiar, and I loved the stroll down memory lane.

Overall, I absolutely love this game. It was one of my first steps into the world of gaming and holds a special place in my heart. I loved the sequels even more…but perhaps that’s a story for another week.

This post was written by Vanessa Hart, creator of Deep Dive Gaming.