This is not going to be one of those reviews which overly gushes praise for a game which is received it ten times over. If you want that, I would suggest going to your local metacritic and having your score fetish satiated. This review is more of a 'splitting of hairs' perspective. In case you did not know, Batman: Arkham Asylum is a great game. If you are a fan of the comic and especially the animated series, then this piece of work made by Rocksteady, will more than likely exceed your expectations. However, for those reading this review months or years after Arkham Asylum's release, you are the consumer who may have slightly clearer vision. During media hype, games journalism tends to gloss over issues in some of the most well constructed games. Taking in the awesomeness of Batman: Arkham Asylum, let us discuss the issues in this well made, but slightly flawed masterpiece.
UnReal Thick Neckery & Bosom Buddies
Granted the Unreal Engine is quite the useful tool in this current age of Western made video games. The richness and use of colors in Batman:AA are some of the best I have seen in any game this generation. The art direction needs awarded for making prison cells and morgues look 'lived in'. All of the little nooks and crannies in every square inch of every building on [and in] Arkham look to be meticulously crafted. It is disappointing to see characters like Batman or Commissioner Gordon go through this Human Growth Hormone art style. which is only balanced by the Blackgate inmates who apparently have all been hitting the gym awfully hard [prior to any experiments being exacted upon them]. The hulk and bulk is a trademark of the UnReal Engine. Plenty of gamers are going to let the great gameplay and clever story overshadow this glaring blemish. It would have been nice to see a more naturalistic looking comic book hero [yes, I am aware of the irony].
An argument could be made in the case of Harley Quinn, that her new 'tarty look' is not that big of a stretch from what fans of the franchise are use to seeing. To this, I bend. Harley Quinn's character is light-heartedly dark and whimsical and out of everything Batman: AA did correctly, Quinn's style was executed extremely well. So she is showing a little more thigh than normal and her chest seems to have a fresh coat of Vaseline; I'm no prude! However, in the case of the self-proclaimed 'feminist with a green heart', putting Poison Ivy in a two-sizes too small business shirt [and by god...she can only seem to get one button to fasten] is a bit too much. What is too much? Putting a couple leaves over Ivy's nether regions and passing said leaves off as panties, yeah, that is too much.
Given that Batman: AA is rated 'T' for Teen, it is [and isn't] surprising that a game of this magnitude took so many liberties with how far it was willing to go. The game is dark, alludes to death and heinous murders, committed by heinous murderers. So it is even more of a slap in the face when we get such well crafted character development and environmental design only to be followed by tits and muscle necks. Not to mention anyone who was not a villain, had some of the worse lines and even worse cg acting. You stare into those characters eyes, and it feels as if a mannequin is staring back at you.
Big Build Up, Small Let Down
As stated before, Batman has an immense amount of replay value. If the Joker is your white whale in this game, then the Riddler places a close second as a character of just as meaningful importance. There is a certain amount of RPG-ness about this game, specifically when you are trying to figure out the Riddler's clues and collect his trophies. Since Paul Dini did such a great job writing the script. Coupled with the outstanding voice actors for Batman and some of the villains from the Animated Series it was the biggest punch in the stomach to play what felt like a realistic/interactive graphic novel only to realize that there is very much a video game at the end.
Don't worry about spoilers, I do implore that you play this game. The boss fights in Arkham Asylum are fun, videogamey, but not in an annoying way. I say videogamey in the sense that there is usually one or two tricks in which you have to take down an enemy and if you do not figure out said trick(s) in time...boom...your back is broken. The Scarecrow, Killer Croc, Poison Ivy and Bane are the biggest highlights of the game. Given all of their back stories prior to fighting them, in some cases you actually feel kind of bad for knocking them senseless.
In the case of the very final boss, it speaks of 'budget & time issues' to me. Let's be honest, earlier this year did anyone think Batman: AA was going to be anywhere near decent? Probably not. When you make it to the end of this adventure...this story, you get the impression that someone shoved a video game in your nice little movie. It sticks out as the biggest blemish on the game. The ending is not catastrophic or worth starting a nerd-petition for, but had the rest of the game been of this low caliber it would not have stuck out so much.
Due to the great success Batman: AA is suffering from, I feel it only right to give a big "Kudos!" to Rocksteady. I am sure we will see great games and great stories from them in the future. I only hope they learn from their mistakes as well as their successes.
Sidenote: This Is A Critique Of The PS3 version of Batman:AA
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