Batman: Arkham Asylum Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I just picked up the game a little while ago so these are just my first impressions. I'm not going to discuss in depth gameplay or graphics; these things have been covered to death in the past couple of months. So to get it out of the way, it's a great game, especially if you're a batman fan and it looks great on the PS3.

The meat of this review will be focusing on the collector's edition and it's contents.

First off, the box for it is huge! Not obnoxiously huge, but substantial. The case that holds everything is a nice plastic batarang shape with sturdy feeling hinges. They did a good job there. Inside foam pieces keep everything from moving around.

As stated on the message boards, the batarang is in fact plastic and it is attached to the stand, though it doesn't look like it would take much effort to detach it. It looks like there's just a small tab holding it in. I would have been much happier with a metal version, even if it drove the cost up a bit. Also of note, the batarang (at least the one I got) has what appear to scratches all over it. I'm not sure if this is normal, but this is how mine showed up. I'd be interested in hearing how others' batarangs are condition-wise. Also, I was under the impression it was a gray color. It's actually black.

The leather bound book is decent in quality but the pictures make it look more substantial than it actually is. It's actually quite thin. The book inside is nice though, with matte pages and lots of pictures. Great for reading up on arkham's finest criminals.

As for the game package, they really dropped the ball on this one. I was expecting a nice case, like those that come with metroid prime trilogy or resident evil 5. Not so, you get a cheap looking and feeling cardboard outer sleeve and inner sleeve that holds the game and bonus DVD. Again, I'd have gladly paid more for a metal case. Or even just the regular game case with a slip case for the DVD, like the fallout 3 collector's edition. Being a collector in the truest sense, I removed the DVD and game and put them in standard ps3 cases and put the cardboard case back in the box to prevent any damage to it. Cardboard cases for games are extremely primitive in my opinion. They show wear way to easily.
The discs themselves are also non-standard in that they both look like old film reels and are labeled as disc one and two. Again, give me the retail game and the bonus DVD separate. I might just pick up the retail game later on and put the collector's edition back in the box.

All in all, I love the game but feel iffy about the collector's edition contents. If they would have just included the retail game and not the cheap cardboard box and colorless discs I'd probably have been satisfied. As it is now, I don't regret the purchase at all, I just feel a bit let down by the contents. It'll bug me until I buy the retail version of the game and I know it's just more money thrown at the game but I'm extremely anal about keeping my collectibles in pristine condition.

So my verdict:
The game gets a 5/5. It's a great game and even more so if you're a batman fan.
The collector's edition content gets a 3/5 for being average. The game's packaging is what really let me down here.
So the average is 4 stars and my score overall. If I were reviewing just the game it would get 5 stars.

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Product Description:
Batman: Arkham Asylum is a single player, third-person action/adventure in which the Dark Knight is forced to take on his greatest challenge yet when he is trapped by arch rival, the Joker, within Gotham City's facility for the criminally insane, Arkham Asylum. A blend of exciting arcade style combat and stealth mechanics packed with amazing graphics in a moody, immersive setting, Batman: Arkham Asylum offers diverse gameplay options that push the envelope for all action, adventure and superhero games.

Kick it in combat gameplay.
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And stealth action.
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Match wits with The Joker.
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Utilize utility belt gadgets.
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Take on dangerous bosses.
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Batman: Arkham Asylum features an original story penned exclusively for the game by famous Batman author and five-time Emmy award winner, Paul Dini, whose credits include "Lost" season one and "Batman: The Animated Series." As the game begins Batman is personally delivering his nemesis, The Joker, to the asylum at Arkham Island, but he is uneasy. Although the Arkham asylum is well fortified, he has a nagging feeling that all is not well, which proves to be the case when seconds after turning The Joker over to the guards, the master criminal breaks free of his captors. Even more surprising than this quick turn of events is the revelation that it was never The Joker's intent to escape the vault-like facility, but instead to trap Batman there. Surrounded by an asylum full of dangerous criminals, many of which he put there and all at the beck and call of the Joker, can Batman survive and discover what is behind the Joker's intricate plot?

Gameplay
In Batman: Arkham Asylum players strap on the gadget-heavy utility belt of the Caped Crusader. Gameplay here is a combination of both the knuckle crunching rush of hand to hand combat as you take on the hordes of thugs that infest Arkham Asylum, and stealth gameplay in which you must dispatch individuals from the shadows. Players can expect an engrossing single player campaign in which Batman continually moves forward to face the henchmen, bosses and traps that The Joker has set for him. With regards to opponents, in addition to The Joker who you will hear more than you see, the dark walls of Arkham also hold familiar villains from the the Batman criminal universe including Harley Quinn, Victor Zsasz and Killer Croc, that you will have to deal with, but don't expect a one-dimensional experience. As players progress from environment to environment within Arkham they will have to use varying combinations of muscle, detective skills, gadgetry and a certain degree of light RPG-like leveling of Batman's skills, arsenal and physical characteristics to survive and discover what The Joker's underlying scheme is.

In addition to the story-driven single player campaign Arkham Asylumalso contains various additional play modes. These include an arcade styledcombat mode where players accumulate points by engaging hordes of thugsin a hand to hand slugfest across a series of maps, in which Batman'sphysical strength and agility play a major role. The key here is to chaintogether as many attacks as possible due to the fact that with each successfulcombo players increase the point multiplier associated with their actions.The game also features a time-based stealth mode where players must honetheir ability to strike silently from the shadows. This gameplay, referredto as 'Invisible Predator' utilizes the Dark Knight's skill with gadgetslike the grapple tool, batarang and explosives. These allow for vertical/horizontalmobility, the ability to quickly strike from above and at a distance andto take out enemies and create distractions, even through walls. But rememberthat Batman works solo and is not superhuman. Your enemies will congregatearound trouble areas and work as a team against you, so you must besilent, plan your attacks wisely, strike quickly and discover the valueof encouraging fear within enemies.

Key Features

Utilize the unique FreeFlow combat system to chain together unlimited combos seamlessly and battle with huge groups of The Joker's henchmen in brutal melee brawls.
Investigate as Batman, the world's greatest detective, by solving intricate puzzles with the help of cutting edge forensic tools including x-ray scanning, fingerprint scans, 'Amido Black' spray and a pheromone tracker.
Face off against Gotham's greatest villains including The Joker, Harley Quinn, Victor Zsasz and Killer Croc.
Become the Invisible Predator with Batman's fear takedowns and unique vantage point system to move without being seen and hunt enemies.
Choose multiple takedown methods, including swooping from the sky and smashing through walls, and use the predator camera get a closer look at the action.
Explore every inch of Arkham Asylum and roam freely on the infamous island, presented for the first time ever in its gritty and realistic entirety.
Experience what it's like to be Batman using batarangs, explosive gel aerosol, the Batclaw, sonar resonator and the line launcher.
Unlock more secrets by completing hidden challenges in the world and develop and customize equipment by earning experience points.
Enjoy complete superhero freedom in the environment with the use of Batman's grapple to get to any place you can see, jump from any height and glide in any direction.

PlayStation 3 Batman: Arkham Asylum Collector's Edition Bonus Items Include:

Waynetech Batarang Storage Box.
14" In-Game Design Batarang (stand attached).
Dr. Young's Journal (50 page full color character encyclopedia).
2 Sleeve DIGI-Pack Including:

Game
Behind the scenes 5 chapter series DVD, including: interviewswith Mark Hammil and Kevin Conroy.

Collector's Edition Challenge Map DLC.
PlayStation 3 exclusive Joker Challenge Map DLC.
Joker voice over performed by Mark Hammil to accompany the bonus Jokercontent.
Manual.

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