Batman: Arkham Asylum

Best Batman game ever or a green-haired joker?

Every superhero has a past. A dark, difficult past that they normally channel into their heroic persona to fight against injustice and all that. None is darker than Batman though, who has not only had a rough ride losing his parents as a child, but has also had to endure several appalling videogame adaptations over the years with only the SNES version of Batman Returns coming anywhere close to capturing the true essence of the Caped Crusader.

As a character, Batman has limitless potential to provide deeply compelling stories across any medium. The comics are great and most of the movies are great, so why then has there not yet been a videogame that has treated Bats with the respect he so clearly deserves? We honestly don't know the answer, but it's heartening to see that the folks at Rocksteady certainly have a healthy reverence for the source material that's been so severely lacking from every other Batman game to date.

Taking its cue from the bleakly gritty Alan Moore and Frank Miller books, such as The Killing Joke and The Dark Knight Returns respectively, Batman: Arkham Asylum retains the same kind of foreboding oppressive visual style, drenched in rich detail that brings the titular facility to startling, filth encrusted life. From the very moment you set foot into Arkham's cells, not only can you almost smell the crazy, but you also get a real feel for the history of the place that has been home to Batman's greatest foes for years.

With the Joker restrained in the passenger seat, the game opens with a cut-scene where a breakneck ride in the Batmobile onto the grounds of Arkham Asylum segues into a controllable sequence that has you keeping your eye on the green-haired sociopath as he's strapped to a gurney and slowly wheeled to his cell. It's a fantastic prelude to the events that follow when inevitably the Joker manages to break free and execute his nefarious plan to seize control of the asylum with the help of the equally psychotic Harley Quinn and an army of insane inmates.

Soon, Batman finds himself fighting against the odds as the inmates are let loose and the asylum's guards are overwhelmed. The Joker is resolutely in charge throughout the game, popping up on TV screens and over speakers to incessantly taunt you as you're forced into playing by his twisted rules. Yet, any danger of linearity or repetition as you're inexorably prodded like a rat in a maze down Arkham's grimy corridors, is eradicated by a healthy dose of variety that gives Batman numerous absorbing tasks to complete and compelling set pieces to overcome.

Fighting your way through muscle-bound goons accounts for only a portion of the entire game, with Batman also drawing upon his considerable detective skills and expansive cache of gadgetry to solve certain mysteries that crop up during the course of your journey. Early on for instance, a missing guard must be tracked down by following traces of airborne alcohol residue from a discarded whisky bottle to pick up the trail. Batman has a 'detective mode' built into his cowl activated by tapping the left trigger. While in detective mode, Batman must sometimes scan crime scenes for a salient piece of evidence before being able to progress, but for the most part it's primarily used for detecting armed enemies through walls or taking helpful readings from the surrounding environment. Once enabled, you can see your environment outlined in yellow, with unarmed enemies highlighted in blue and armed hostiles coloured red, which allows you to better formulate a stealthy plan of action as the situation dictates. Batman isn't bulletproof after all; so blundering headlong into a hail of gunfire will quickly send you straight to the big batcave in the sky.

Stealth sections normally involve methodically picking off enemies one by one, and can usually be identified upon entering a room where gargoyles flank the walls. Batman uses these gargoyles to support his weight, using his grapnel gun to zip up out of sight and safely survey the area. Scanning hostiles in detective mode shows you their temperament and the weapons they're packing. Ideally, you want to make them nervous and irrational, which can be achieved in a variety of ways. Using the environment to your advantage is best though, so you can hang from a ledge waiting for a thug to walk by before leaping up and bouncing his head off the railings. Or perhaps you'd prefer to hang from a gargoyle, grab an enemy from above and hang him upside down by his ankles? Why not then cut the prisoner down as one of his friends unwittingly strolls past to really put the frighteners on them?

A full repertoire of moves makes playing as Batman an experience that's not only uniquely satisfying, but also incredibly empowering - exactly as it should be. The Dark Knight is a superhero, and in Arkham Asylum, he actually feels like one, stalking enemies with a predatory prowess befitting of the iconic character. Equally adept at both stealth and close-quarters combat, Bats gives Solid Snake a serious run for his money, able to tear ventilation grills from the walls and shuffle his way through the passages as well as perch up on high and swoop down upon unsuspecting enemies.

Not only is he also an accomplished martial artist and the world's greatest detective, Batman is a dab hand with the utility belt full of gadgets he keeps at his disposal, such as the ubiquitous batarang, the batclaw and handy spray-on explosive gel that you can use to shatter weak walls. While the batarang has obvious offensive advantages such as the ability to temporarily neutralise and disarm guards, you'll eventually be able to use it to strike multiple targets or link together combos with a quickly thrown projectile between punches and kicks.

In combat, Batman is a badass, dealing out chains of rapid, crushing blows that can be linked into fluid and furious combinations that can take out an entire gang of thugs with ruthless efficiency. Bolts of lightning above a bad guy's head indicate that he's about to attack, so you can also anticipate hostile moves and counter them accordingly to maintain an unbroken combo. Bats can also swing his cape to stun any enemies in the direct vicinity, so if things get too hectic or a maniac rushes you while brandishing a knife, you can create a little space to recoup and initiate a new assault.

Every single one of Batman's abilities is brilliantly implemented, so every single combo, gadget and sneaky manoeuvre is not only simple to execute, but also genuinely useful in aiding your mission to make it through Arkham Asylum in one piece. There's absolutely no dilution whatsoever in the recreation of Batman's moves or gadgetry and every dispatched villain earns XP that you can use as currency to purchase enhanced armour, gadget upgrades and extra combo possibilities. As such, there's a great deal of depth in developing each attribute, with Batman reaching the peak of his skills towards the latter part of the game as you continue to level up.

Arkham Asylum's engaging narrative will also keep you utterly hooked throughout, with encounters from a surprising menagerie of villains ranging from the terrifying Scarecrow to the intimidating mass of muscle that is Bane. Each acts as a strikingly different boss battle, keeping you constantly on your toes as you're left to wonder what can possibly be thrown your way next.

We'd be shot if we were to reveal specific details about the numerous boss encounters, but each one is a genuine surprise with certain villains cropping up unexpectedly throughout the game. For instance, the Riddler makes an unexpected, if disembodied appearance, issuing tasks through Batman's earpiece that encourage you to revisit and explore every inch of Arkham for clues, as you try and solve riddles pertaining to certain objects which when located unlock interesting character biographies, character trophies and extra levels for the challenge mode.

So, is Arkham Asylum finally the game that Batman deserves then? Yes. Yes it is. And a whole lot more besides. The entire production reeks of quality from the stellar voice work to the jaw-dropping visuals and intuitive control system - truly this is the Batman game we've all been waiting for.

It is to games what Batman Begins and The Dark Knight are to movies - Batman: Arkham Asylum is without doubt the most definitive videogame realisation of the character yet. It's also unreservedly brilliant to boot.

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By Richard Walker