Ralston Valley [e]Xpress Newspaper

Cover art for the Video Game

 REVIEW: Batman Arkham Asylum. With Batman’s popularity at an all time high thanks to the major success of last year’s blockbuster film The Dark Knight expectations for a video game starring Batman himself have never been higher. “Batman Arkham Asylum” has been amongst all top 10 lists for video games since the day of its release. Aside from the fact that the Joker, the number one villain of all time is in the game many features have been introduced to make the gameplay go far beyond what anyone has ever seen.

                Story:  For people, who have the game or have heard news of it, you play as the The Dark Knight himself and you begin the story when Batman is returning Joker to Arkham after a violent episode at City Hall. While being escorted back to his cell, the Joker manages to break free, kill a few guards and staff members, kidnap the Warden of Arkham, and take over the entire island in a matter of minutes with help from, Harley Quinn. Now it’s up to Batman to not only stop Joker, but to save Gotham city from a horrid end.           

Gameplay: Many features have been introduced that have proven to be addicting, including Eye popping graphics and hours of gameplay. Included as a special for the fans are the original voices by Kevin Conroy as Batman and Mark Hamill as Joker from the animated series. The new free-flow combat system allows you to fight groups of villains with ease. With only a few presses of the button, Joker’s goons will get their bells hung before they even hit the ground. You can practice this by playing the challenge modes. Batman’s classic weapon, the Batarang, along with many other gadgets (you can earn them later on in the game) are always at your disposal for quick takedowns or clever distractions to get your enemy. Alongside the Joker and his goons are famous villains from the TV show which include: The sexy Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn, Ingenious Riddler, behemoth Killer Croc, the maniacal Scarecrow, and the steroid maniac, Bane. To end the gameplay features, there are also side missions to solve riddles and find artifacts set by the Riddler to unlock Character Bios (which include villains from the TV and the comic book series) and new challenges to not only master your stealth and combat skills, but to compare your high scores so you can show anyone else who’s constantly mocking you.

Closing Comments:
Batman Arkham Asylum is the greatest comic book videogame of all time. This is an adult Dark Knight story that is well-told, packs some truly fun gameplay elements, has top notch voice talent, and feel like its part of Batman canon. “Batman is an addicting action game and the graphics are amazing!” said Nicholas Tangsrud. To nitpick, the cut scenes could’ve looked better and that the AI was a bit more responsive, but those are just tiny flaws that shouldn’t distract you from the big picture.

Rocksteady nailed what Batman is supposed to feel like. Batman fans, rejoice!