Batman: Arkham Asylum

[Nespresso]

Just came in here to say that the 3D holographic sleeve which comes with the GOTY is fucking sexy.

[Tunisia]

Just completed the story on Hard- and got my first 3-bat score on one of the fighting challenges! Come hither, 100%... I will get you... 93% so far, just need to 3-bat all the challenges.

[Nespresso]

Damn this game is addictive. Just locked up

Harley Quinn

which ended with the best cutscene ever "Yeah I know".

Loving all of the Riddler challenges and collectibles. I'm not even that huge of a Batfan but I read all of the biographies and listen to all the tapes (ain't I the greatest?) and they're all fun and intriguing to read and hear. Them voice actors do a great job of keeping things dark and creepy which at first I did not realize at how mature the game actually is, especially when you compare it to the animated TV series (which I never really watched so correct me if I'm wrong on that one).

So now it's off to the Botanical Gardens!

Oh and every time Scarecrow makes his entrance you know you're in for a treat. Amazing scenes.

[robdood]

What would be a better title? Gotham Asylum?

How about, 'Gotham City'?

[Boutros]

What would be a better title? Gotham Asylum?

Batman: He Will Fuck You Up

[K]

One of the best things about the game (which I hope other games copy) is the fact that it gives you a map for all the collectibles. I can’t express how refreshing this feels after something like, say, Chinatown Wars, which has loads of stuff to find but expects you to scour the map yourself like some kind of OCD-afflicted robot hoover.

I normally give up looking for trinkets after I’ve completed a game, but with Arkham Asylum I actually went back and got every single one; looking for stuff is actually enjoyable if you have a vague idea where to look, as opposed to having 1 item left to find, which could be anywhere on a map the size of North America.

[Nespresso]

Batman: He Will Fuck You Up

More like Gears of Arkham AMIRITE?

[Dudley]

Loving all of the Riddler challenges and collectibles. I'm not even that huge of a Batfan but I read all of the biographies and listen to all the tapes (ain't I the greatest?) and they're all fun and intriguing to read and hear.

They did do an astonishingly good job of making the whole universe engaging, I have no interest in Batman at all but I did everything you did in the game.

[BedroomBusinessman]

Totally rinsed this since I got it... 2 days ago! About 80% done with the collection stuff, it's really compelling, almost enjoying it more than the game. Really wish the big titans were absent from it though, started to feel like cheap bosses by the end of the game, and the last boss was terrible aswell. By far the best part was te scarecrow stuff, brought back memories of max Payne and eternal darkness, hopefully he will have survived his run in with croc for arkham city.

[Down by Law]

Same here, not a massive Bat-Fan, other than the newest films and the 90's tv show, but i finished this bad boy 100%, really enjoyed the character bios and the collectable/secret hunting. It's nothing short of a miracle the game came out soooo good, and from our own shores no less.

[Sekiro]

Just borrowed a copy - stunning game and then some!

[TheSlugFormerlyKnownAsNap]

Too bad it came out last year, otherwise it would be my GOTY for sure

Now I suppose Red Dead Redemption will have to do...

[Nespresso]

Finished it and loved it. Now I understand the batshit crazy hype levels for the second game.

Also, I loved the fact that the suit tears up during the game and Batman grows a beard overnight! Excellent stuff

[Transient Curse]

I only recently got this game, I can't believe I nearly didn't bother, it's fantastic!

[Nespresso]

Alright guys. One more challenge to go which is Shock and Awe (Extreme). I'll get it tonight. I'm sure of it!

It has taken me about two weeks now to clear all of the challenges. Proper challenge indeed!

[SnoopZakaDaVe]

been playing this the past few days, got no real feelings about batman previously but what a game, the gadgets and stuff you unlock just happen at the right times and they get you into the feel of them nicely, the graphics are great and i like the combat too - love the characters even though batman himself's voice acting maybe could be a bit better.

pleasantly surprised, i read good things but actually playing it and getting really into it when i have no previous love for batman is quite something. i love it!

[Nespresso]

Finished this 1000/1000. Oh yeah.

[Oracle]

Just completed this, I loved parts of it but hated the fighting can't quite see the love for the fighting system?

Also anyone else getting tired of the unreal engine? The bits with the Titan thugs reminded me of the blind locust things.

[Vemsie]

Just completed this, I loved parts of it but hated the fighting can't quite see the love for the fighting system?

Also anyone else getting tired of the unreal engine? The bits with the Titan thugs reminded me of the blind locust things.

I think the fighting is brilliant. Totally nails the feeling of being Batman. It's fast, it's fluid and every move has real weight behind it. The fact that everything is context sensitive keeps it reall fluid and cinematic and you have a lot of options at your disposal. It's really fun to master and while it is not the deepest fighting system ever (though far better in that regard than most games, especially since there is a real rhythm to it), it is probably the best looking.

Also: http://kotaku.com/5682214/new-batman-comic-influenced-by-batman-video-game

[womblingfree]

I've got to buy thi9s again it's just brilliant. I think this and Uncharted 2 are going to be my Christmas purchases for the second year in a row.

[Unofficial Who]

Totally rinsed this since I got it... 2 days ago! About 80% done with the collection stuff, it's really compelling, almost enjoying it more than the game. Really wish the big titans were absent from it though, started to feel like cheap bosses by the end of the game, and the last boss was terrible aswell. By far the best part was te scarecrow stuff, brought back memories of max Payne and eternal darkness, hopefully he will have survived his run in with croc for arkham city.

Something that's been overlooked is how amazing the sound is. But it's most noticeable in the Scarecrow levels.

When he casts his bright gaze on you, you can almost feel it from that crackling noise.

I almost didnn't bother because a game set in an Asylum would be all corridors and sewers.

I was so wrong, it's got some amazing level design and the setting is really well done.

[zy]

Thanks, forum. Like Tssk, I would have overlooked this. Even the TV ad made it look like a dire cash-in. Picked up the GOTY Edition for £14.99 after seeing the love on here but have only just got around to playing it. To some mockery, it must be said, when the missus stumbled upon me sitting in the dark in headphones and 3D specs, but I thought the effect worked well enough for me to stick with it for the duration. Will sample the colours, spec-free, when tackling it on Hard.

Superb game, and love the combat enough to play the challenges for fun. It's modestly crumbly in the sense that you're occasionally disadvantaged by the camera, or by the continuous in and out of slo-mo animation that means an attack comes too fast or too slow when considering a counter. The directional aiming of your next attack doesn't always pick out the enemy you wanted in busy challenges, and I still find the Batarang to be a really awkward and unnatural component of a continuous combo. But it is utterly kick-ass, ego-pumping stuff.

The only major dips for me came around Croc's Lair, which I found tedious, and the anti-climax of the clumsy final boss fights.

A quick word on Paul Dini's script. I enjoyed the Batman animated series but always thought it promised far more than it delivered, which I put down to the constraints of remaining a US kids' TV show. Well, he gets the freedom to kill people and cuss like a trooper here, and it's still no more ambitious. It works solidly for a game, no question, and way above what I was expecting, yet often remains workmanlike. And the interview tapes all suffer from a System Shock 2 syndrome of "Wait... What are you doing?... Aaargh! *static crackle*" conclusion. A small step forward, no more.

Notced that I only have five Achievements to go. Managed most of the Invisible Predator challenges on first attempt, not worrying about the clock. Think Rumble in the Jungle (Extreme) will fold next but Shock and Awe (Extreme) is giving me conniptions. You know, it's a while since I've had to put real practice into a combat system.

[Superunknown]

Also anyone else getting tired of the unreal engine? The bits with the Titan thugs reminded me of the blind locust things.

Not sure what a sub-boss battle design has to do with the Unreal engine? I doubt Epic have added a "dodge the mini boss" template into the developer tools.

[zy]

I say, that four-round structure on the combat challenges really separates the men from the mentals. Left this for a spell after I made the top 200 on the Intensive Treatment leaderboard while working out those 5k variation x9 bonuses; but the number of times I've now come close to smashing my record before screwing up and crashing in flames is ridiculous. Shock and Awe (Extreme) still laughs in my face, but if it took VN1X two weeks then I may never have the time to plug away repeatedly until I 1000/1000 this. I'm 43 years old, for chrissakes. I have responsibilities.

I finally sussed the Batarang -- you use it after a Batclaw to (a) cut down a crowd to reach a thug grabbing a gun, or (b) to drop the Batclawed enemies for two to three sequential Ground Takedowns, and subseqent kilo-points. Still, the frequency with which my 'instant takedown' wrestle move cleverly singles out the ordinary thug standing between a knifer and a baton berk inspires magnificent cynicism.

I also finished story mode on Hard with only half the upgrades. Stopped using gargoyles and sonic batarangs after getting the hang of up-close methods. I was saving all four armour upgrades for the final bosses, having noticed that using one in mid-battle restores your health bar. After working out that you run rather than dive to avoid Poison Ivy's missiles, I only spent a couple to breeze through the bosses.

A truly special thing about this game: the design itself keys into the notion that the Batman is Bruce Wayne's revenge fantasy. It nails the idea of creating a vigilante myth in order to turn corrupt Gotham on its head, so that the criminals become those who fear to walk the streets at night. But you're a superhero with feet of clay, when it comes to concealing that you're not actually invisible or invincible. They've *got* it, and I appreciate that.

[Leccy]

Yep, another here that loves the fighting system. Makes you feel like you are controlling an agile and immensely strong character, which fits the Batman perfectly.

[TheSlugFormerlyKnownAsNap]

Thanks, forum. Like Tssk, I would have overlooked this. Even the TV ad made it look like a dire cash-in.

I truly think it's one of the best games of this generation. I've played through the thing three times, and it never ceases to amaze. I would have cut out the Croc's Lair level though, that was the only bit of the game that wasn't any fun at all.

[Kinketsu]

I truly think it's one of the best games of this generation. I've played through the thing three times, and it never ceases to amaze. I would have cut out the Croc's Lair level though, that was the only bit of the game that wasn't any fun at all.

The Killer Croc bit wasn't great, but as I recall it didn't last very long at all, a small part of the game. I just notice it gets brought up an awful lot, all the boss battles are fairly bad, but because they were over fast so they didn't really leave a bad taste in my mouth about the game, they were mostly forgettable. I do obviously hope they have fixed them for the new one but boss battles in general are usually crappy because they kind of break the reality of the game a bit in stuff like this and Yakuza.

[alxbly]

Okay, so have started playing this again, for the third time. I've never really got very far in previous playthroughs... I got it for PS3 when it first came out but just didn't get the feel for it and ended up selling it. At the end of last year I got it for Xbox (only £12!) but got no futher than before. This time I have got a wee bit further; I've fought

scarecrow

and have made it out of the sanitarium. The combat still hasn't clicked yet but I wonder if I've maybe made this more difficult for myself... I just finished Assassin's Creed Brotherhood which has similar controls but is a different style of combat.

Anyway, the sheer amount of praise this game gets makes me want to press on to see the good stuff. But, after playing for about two hours I'm still not feeling it. Anyone else get this?

[b00dles]

Do you even remotely like Batman? Because it's the best 'being Batman' game ever made.

The combat (fist fights) is all about rythm and the stealth bits are just that, use the height and ducts etc and sneak about, being the Goddamn Batman.

Maybe it's just not for you, personally I'd say it was WAAAAAY better than Brotherhood but different strokes for different folks and all that.

[alxbly]

I didn't mean one was better than the other; I've not played enough of Batman to be able to make a fair comparison. I really just meant that because both have similar mechanics, and because I only just finished Assassin's Creed, I'm instinctively playing the combat in a similar way. That's probably why the combat in this hasn't quite clicked for me yet. I'm not saying the game is shit, just that I don't yet have the feel for it.

Apart from that, yeah, doing the stealthy shit from the gargoyles and yeah I like Batman. Now I'm off in search for the Batcave under Arkham.