DEVELOPED BY : ROCKSTEADY STUDIOS PUBLISHED BY : EIDOS INTERACTIVE
WARNER BROTHERS INTERACTIVE
SQUARE ENIX
RELEASED IN : 2009
This time, let me review one of the best games of 2009(if not the best)- Batman :Arkham Asylum. I had been madly waiting to lay my hands on this one as soon as I heard Eidos was developing a Batman game. And I sure did get my hands on it, although it came to me almost a year after it's release. But the wait was worth it. Just read on.
I am quite sure that most of you have heard of Batman(come on, who hasn’t?). The legendary Caped Crusader or the Dark Knight, created by the late Bob Kane in the early part of the 20th century. Since then, the Batman franchise has grown exponentially. Initially from comics, to TV serials, to cartoons, to video games and finally Real movies. And who can forget the performance of Christian Bale and the late Heath Ledger, in the last two Batman movies. Personally, ‘The Dark Knight’ has been one of my most favorite superhero movies of all times,(though Micheal Keaton still remains my favorite Batman) and there was no way I was gonna miss a Batman game on the PC. So here is my review on it:
Graphics: 9.5/10
See the screenshots or the trailer that I have included for yourself(if you have not played the game). I don’t have words to describe the Graphics of BAA. Simply stupendous. It literally took my breath away. From the cape fluttering in the breeze, to the Batarangs whooshing past the goons, it’s all simply awesome and so realistic. Is BAA extra special? You bet it is. Am getting a bout of aphasia now. So you better check it out asap. Rocksteady studios has really outdone itself this time.
Storyline: 9/10
The main backbone of any game is its storyline. And BAA does not disappoint. With a fabulous plot, devoid of any complicated implications (save the Joker) BAA will keep all players on the edge of their seat. The Joker has ostensibly taken control of Arkham Asylum and has released most of the prisoners. He has also brought a gang of 100 plus goons to do his dirty bidding. And he unleashes his most abominable plan yet, to vanquish Gotham city. Now controlling the Batman, the player has to put an end to the Joker’s demonic plans. Along the way, you will have to deal with a host of puzzles, riddles(guess who?) and traps. And of course, Supervillains. Major amongst them are the Scarecrow, Killer Croc, Poison Ivy and Bane. We have seen the Dark Knight battle these villains so many a times on screen or in comics. Imagine how great it would feel to be able to fight them yourselves using all of Batman's abilities at your disposal.
Gameplay: 9.5/10
This is yet another factor taken into consideration while rating games. The gameplay is equally superb. You have a host of gadgets at your disposal, ranging from the simple Batarangs, to the Bat-Hook, explosive sprays, Bat-lines, etc. You will need to use the Grapple-hook throughout the game. Plus you can also glide along long distances, which is almost equivalent to flying. The combat system is quite engrossing, with a wide range of combos and high-tech arsenal to choose from. You can start out with simply kicking and punching, and go on to perform special maneuvers like Silent Takedowns, Special Takedowns, Hanging villains upside down from Gargoyles, performing a flying Glide kick, etc. Trust me; you will never get bored of it. It just feels great to beat those baddies to pulp. Plus as you defeat enemies, and solve riddles, you earn experience which can unlock newer items. But quite possibly, the biggest trait of BAA is the Detective Mode. I simply loved this one. In this mode, you can detect secret passages and hidden enemies. You can also follow the trails of different persons just in case you are stuck.( eliminates the need to refer to a walk-through which most of us do when we get stuck). In all, BAA makes a very satisfying playing experience. And you know in every other game since gaming began, you could collect items, find a secret area, collect coins etc to increase experience points. In most games, these collectibles are not related to the plot of the game and can be done without. It sometims gets boring to collect these stuff and you just get on with the main game. But in BAA, this NEVER happens. Throughout the game, you are challenged by the riddler to solve riddles scattered throughout Arkham and these riddles are REAL cool. You can't help but solve them and you gain points from that. This game is one of the few ones in which collecting Riddler trophies and secrets is as fun as the main game itself. Maybe because you feel really good as the riddler gets paranoid and irritated as you solve more of his riddles and you get a satisfaction. However, much of solution of the riddles require you to know about Batman's world so if you are not a batman fan or don't know characters and theories in the superhero's world, I dnt think you will even get a hint as to what some of the riddles may mean.
Music: 8.5/10
The music is also great. Though it may not be anything superbly outstanding, it’s still quite pleasant and mellifluous. It does blend with the mood or the tone of the game. I have played some games where an intense and serious fight sequence with a boss is accompanied by music which usually plays when Tom chases Jerry. Spoiling the mood of the game, that's utterly disgusting. But that never happens with BAA. Ok I don't claim to be some music/sound expert, so I will refrain from further comments on this one. But personally I found the sound and technical affects to be quite good. But still, a tad below Excellent.
Overall: 9/10.
Buy it, rent it, steal it(okay just kidding). Whatever you do, just get this game ASAP. Even if you are not a Batman fan, you will still love this game. (Its better than Prototype, Xmen Origins:Wolverine, and much better than Resident Evil 5- some of the games released in 2009, according to me). This(BAA) is 12-13 hours of pure fun. Blood and gore lovers, sorry to disappoint you, but this game does not contain any heavy violence or adult material (Stick to FEAR 2 if you want such games).
Batman makes a mark, which you can be sure will remain indelible for a long time.
P.S.(SPOILER)- The game is probably gonna have a sequel as well. According to the ending, ie. But then again, maybe not. It all depends on the makers. After all, Max Payne 2 was supposed to have a sequel made. But it never did. I'm still waiting for it. Rather the developers made a mess out of Alan Wake(or some horror crap). Keep your fingers crossed!
I am quite sure that most of you have heard of Batman(come on, who hasn’t?). The legendary Caped Crusader or the Dark Knight, created by the late Bob Kane in the early part of the 20th century. Since then, the Batman franchise has grown exponentially. Initially from comics, to TV serials, to cartoons, to video games and finally Real movies. And who can forget the performance of Christian Bale and the late Heath Ledger, in the last two Batman movies. Personally, ‘The Dark Knight’ has been one of my most favorite superhero movies of all times,(though Micheal Keaton still remains my favorite Batman) and there was no way I was gonna miss a Batman game on the PC. So here is my review on it:
Graphics: 9.5/10
See the screenshots or the trailer that I have included for yourself(if you have not played the game). I don’t have words to describe the Graphics of BAA. Simply stupendous. It literally took my breath away. From the cape fluttering in the breeze, to the Batarangs whooshing past the goons, it’s all simply awesome and so realistic. Is BAA extra special? You bet it is. Am getting a bout of aphasia now. So you better check it out asap. Rocksteady studios has really outdone itself this time.
Storyline: 9/10
The main backbone of any game is its storyline. And BAA does not disappoint. With a fabulous plot, devoid of any complicated implications (save the Joker) BAA will keep all players on the edge of their seat. The Joker has ostensibly taken control of Arkham Asylum and has released most of the prisoners. He has also brought a gang of 100 plus goons to do his dirty bidding. And he unleashes his most abominable plan yet, to vanquish Gotham city. Now controlling the Batman, the player has to put an end to the Joker’s demonic plans. Along the way, you will have to deal with a host of puzzles, riddles(guess who?) and traps. And of course, Supervillains. Major amongst them are the Scarecrow, Killer Croc, Poison Ivy and Bane. We have seen the Dark Knight battle these villains so many a times on screen or in comics. Imagine how great it would feel to be able to fight them yourselves using all of Batman's abilities at your disposal.
Gameplay: 9.5/10
This is yet another factor taken into consideration while rating games. The gameplay is equally superb. You have a host of gadgets at your disposal, ranging from the simple Batarangs, to the Bat-Hook, explosive sprays, Bat-lines, etc. You will need to use the Grapple-hook throughout the game. Plus you can also glide along long distances, which is almost equivalent to flying. The combat system is quite engrossing, with a wide range of combos and high-tech arsenal to choose from. You can start out with simply kicking and punching, and go on to perform special maneuvers like Silent Takedowns, Special Takedowns, Hanging villains upside down from Gargoyles, performing a flying Glide kick, etc. Trust me; you will never get bored of it. It just feels great to beat those baddies to pulp. Plus as you defeat enemies, and solve riddles, you earn experience which can unlock newer items. But quite possibly, the biggest trait of BAA is the Detective Mode. I simply loved this one. In this mode, you can detect secret passages and hidden enemies. You can also follow the trails of different persons just in case you are stuck.( eliminates the need to refer to a walk-through which most of us do when we get stuck). In all, BAA makes a very satisfying playing experience. And you know in every other game since gaming began, you could collect items, find a secret area, collect coins etc to increase experience points. In most games, these collectibles are not related to the plot of the game and can be done without. It sometims gets boring to collect these stuff and you just get on with the main game. But in BAA, this NEVER happens. Throughout the game, you are challenged by the riddler to solve riddles scattered throughout Arkham and these riddles are REAL cool. You can't help but solve them and you gain points from that. This game is one of the few ones in which collecting Riddler trophies and secrets is as fun as the main game itself. Maybe because you feel really good as the riddler gets paranoid and irritated as you solve more of his riddles and you get a satisfaction. However, much of solution of the riddles require you to know about Batman's world so if you are not a batman fan or don't know characters and theories in the superhero's world, I dnt think you will even get a hint as to what some of the riddles may mean.
Music: 8.5/10
The music is also great. Though it may not be anything superbly outstanding, it’s still quite pleasant and mellifluous. It does blend with the mood or the tone of the game. I have played some games where an intense and serious fight sequence with a boss is accompanied by music which usually plays when Tom chases Jerry. Spoiling the mood of the game, that's utterly disgusting. But that never happens with BAA. Ok I don't claim to be some music/sound expert, so I will refrain from further comments on this one. But personally I found the sound and technical affects to be quite good. But still, a tad below Excellent.
Overall: 9/10.
Buy it, rent it, steal it(okay just kidding). Whatever you do, just get this game ASAP. Even if you are not a Batman fan, you will still love this game. (Its better than Prototype, Xmen Origins:Wolverine, and much better than Resident Evil 5- some of the games released in 2009, according to me). This(BAA) is 12-13 hours of pure fun. Blood and gore lovers, sorry to disappoint you, but this game does not contain any heavy violence or adult material (Stick to FEAR 2 if you want such games).
Batman makes a mark, which you can be sure will remain indelible for a long time.
P.S.(SPOILER)- The game is probably gonna have a sequel as well. According to the ending, ie. But then again, maybe not. It all depends on the makers. After all, Max Payne 2 was supposed to have a sequel made. But it never did. I'm still waiting for it. Rather the developers made a mess out of Alan Wake(or some horror crap). Keep your fingers crossed!
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