Best Batman game created is a fluid delight

Batman: Arkham Asylum (PC, PS3, Xbox 360; Eidos; rated teen)

Batman knows something is amiss as he escorts the Joker (voiced by Mark Hamill) into Arkham Asylum, Gotham City’s institution for the criminally insane. When the Joker springs a trap on Batman—locking the superhero in with the inmates—and takes the warden and Commissioner Gordon hostage, Batman knows there’s more to the story. And the story told in this game, from writer Paul Dini, is original and compelling.

In Batman: Arkham Asylum, you get to play as the Caped Crusader, and it is simply a delight. Without resorting to complicated button combinations, the developers at London, England’s Rocksteady Studios have made the hand-to-hand combat—Batman doesn’t wield firearms —dynamic and exhilarating. Batman’s movements are rendered with fluidity and grace. He floats from one move to the next, the spinning kicks, straight-arms, and counterattacks sliding together in a powerful, dexterous dance. Even his cape is flowing and voluminous, despite the fact that simulating the natural movement of cloth is one of the most difficult things in animation.

But Batman isn’t always throwing punches. Enemies with guns can tear him apart, so they have to be dealt with using stealth techniques, like quietly hanging from a gargoyle and snatching up a thug. To uncover clues and track the bad guys, you’ll have to use the superhero’s deductive skills, which are enhanced by an alternate view called detective vision mode. As he moves through Arkham, Batman comes up against the likes of Scarecrow, Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn, and Killer Croc.

In this game, the island facility of Arkham is a character of sorts as well. The mansion and secondary buildings that were converted into the psychiatric hospital have their own story and secrets, which Batman uncovers as he works to thwart the Joker. Additional play modes called challenge maps are unlocked as you progress through the game. The PS3 version includes the ability to play as the Joker in eight challenge maps, which are available as free downloads.

The atmosphere of Batman: Arkham Asylum is dark and gothic, and the vivid character design is straight out of the DC comics. This is easily the best Batman game yet created, and one of the best action-adventure titles available. Rocksteady has given us all good reason to slip on the cowl and step into the shadows.