Batman: Arkham Asylum is a stealth action game, developed by Rocksteady Studios and released for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in August of 2009 and for Windows in September. The player controls Batman, forced to explore Arkham Asylum, where many of his enemies are incarcerated. The Joker has allowed Batman to capture him, only to reveal that he has developed a plan that can only be hatched from inside Arkham Asylum itself. It’s not long before the Joker and his thugs have overrun the asylum, and Batman must fight his way through the Joker-controlled labyrinth, battling Joker’s army as well as number of his own sworn enemies.

Players are brought up against a number of different challenges throughout the game. Arkham Asylum is, for the most part, a stealth game, and players are often hiding in shadows, waiting for a moment to strike. Many rooms are really just elaborate obstacle courses that challenge players to pick off armed guards one by one until the area is secure. Players will also find themselves in more straightforward battles, using Batman’s various skills usually to defeat a group of foes. Boss battles offer their own challenges, and between all of these encounters players are able to explore Arkham Asylum, finding hidden items and solving puzzles necessary to progress through the story.

Educationally, Arkham Asylum’s biggest strength is in problem solving. While combat is certainly part of the game, more often the focus is on puzzle-like stealth sections. Most of the game’s rooms are designed to offer the player plenty of options, and as players progress through the game and unlock more of Batman’s abilities even more options become available. Sneaking up behind enemies to dispatch them silently, hanging from gargoyles to swoop down and snatch enemies up, and throwing batarangs from a distance are all options, and each room and situation offers players new chances to experiment. Boss battles and the optional challenge rooms, unlocked as players progress through the main game, offer even more chances to try things out.

Classroom Facts

Arkham Asylum is an action game and doesn’t include many classroom facts. It does feature a highly useful map system that players are likely to consult frequently throughout the game to figure out where in Arkham they are and to locate their next objective.

Creativity & Imagination

By the Player:

Though Arkham Asylum is a linear title for the most part, there are still plenty of opportunities to go off the beaten path. Many parts of the island the asylum is on are accessible from the beginning of the game, and though players are led to their next objectives they are free to ignore this and do a little exploration if they want to.

Hidden throughout the game are solutions to various puzzles given to Batman by the Riddler; many of these are trophies simply hidden in various spots, but the Riddler also challenges Batman to pull off certain stunts or to find certain items that match up with his hints. These challenges are all optional, but many grant the player access to new challenge rooms and they all award Batman some experience points, allowing him to learn new techniques.

Players choose these techniques from a list that grows over the course of the game. None of these are necessary, and players are free to ignore them, but many make combat easier for Batman and a few give him special abilities.

Players often need to remain hidden when dealing with enemies, especially later in the game when just one powerful foe spotting Batman more or less leads to a game over every time. Any room that contains enemies is carefully designed, offering the player places to hide and ways to strike without being seen. Players need to identify these opportunities and take advantage of all of Batman’s skills to clear each room of enemies, whether stealthily or through hand-to-hand combat, and for most of the game players have a number of different choices when it comes to doing so.

By the Developer:

Arkham Asylum is a stealth game with some really interesting ideas, and it takes full advantage of the Batman license, focusing on the darker, grittier style of many of the graphic novels. Arkham Asylum is an extremely atmospheric setting, and it uses the dark tone of the Batman mythos to great effect, particularly as players wander through disheveled hospital wards as the Joker cackles over the intercom system. Arkham Asylum uses an original storyline to bring together a broad cast of Batman’s recognized villains in one place, and also includes an effective soundtrack and some pretty memorable voice acting.

As far as its mechanics, Arkham Asylum borrows from a number of genres, bringing together a brawler-based combat system, some light RPG-style leveling up and an intricate stealth system, and these different elements are brought together pretty seamlessly throughout the game. The standard rhythm of exploration, stealth and combat is occasionally broken up by a boss fight or carefully constructed puzzle, paced well enough to hold players’ interest effectively.

Business Skills

Business skills are not involved in Arkham Asylum.

People Skills

Arkham Asylum is a strictly single-player title, which limits its focus on people skills considerably. Even within the game’s campaign players don’t get to influence the progression of the plot in any way, though there is a good deal of dialogue between characters in cutscenes.

Problem Solving

Of the varied problems presented to players throughout Arkham Asylum, the most frequent are complex rooms filled with armed guards. The problem, of course, is how to take out these guards without being caught. The game gives players plenty of options; Batman might hang from one of the game’s plentiful gargoyles to catch an unsuspecting foe below, swoop down feet-first to catch a faraway guard from behind, or sneak up silently on foot to dispatch his target. These choices and more are constantly available, and players should learn to consider all of their options before acting; a small misstep can lead to a few guards being alerted to Batman’s position, and if they should be armed it becomes highly likely that Batman will be the one defeated.

When Batman is forced into combat, a simple combat system takes over. One button allows Batman to attack a nearby enemy, and as players move from enemy to enemy they can chain a flow of attacks into a combo, leading to more experience points after the battle. If an opponent is about to attack an icon flashes overhead, and players can press another button to counter that attack. Players can also jump over foes to evade attacks or launch their own from behind, and opponents wielding certain weapons will need to be stunned with a swipe of Batman’s cape before they can be attacked.

Certain other set-pieces and boss fights challenge players in specific ways, and there are too many to discuss here. In short, Arkham Asylum varies its problems throughout to ensure players are always encountering new and progressively more difficult situations.

Simulation

Arkham Asylum is not a simulation game.

Popularity

Arham Asylum has had a fairly amazing reception since its release, with reviewers praising the game’s atmosphere, voice work and mix of original mechanics. If there has been a criticism aimed at the game, it is that the hand-to-hand combat system is a little stiff and can get repetitive as the game wears on.

Extra Credit

While Arkham Asylum is a fairly violent game, it is worth noting that it stays true to the Batman mythos by not allowing Batman to actually kill any of his opponents, instead knocking them out or otherwise incapacitating them.

Controls & Options

Arkham Asylum includes standard audio, visual and control options, as well as three difficulty levels in the main campaign.

Tips

Batman: Arkham Asylum received a T from the ESRB with descriptors for Alcohol and Tobacco Reference, Blood, Mild Language, Suggestive Themes and Violence.