There’s a Bat in my Belfry

So recently I bought Batman: Arkham Asylum for PC, about a week ago. I just finished playing it on the Hard difficulty. And I’m simply amazed and impressed by the game. It’s not a really new game, it was released in Fall 2009, but it’s definitely a great game a play. I got interested in playing it when I saw the trailer for Batman: Arkham City

My biggest complaint about the game is that you can’t take screenshots easily (can’t use the PrtScr button). So I got no screenshots to post. D: I don’t have an Xbox controller so I had to play with my mouse and keyboard. I can tell you, the game is made to be played with a controller. I spent a good afternoon configuring my keyboard/mouse so that it would optimal for playing. Since the mouse movement is already set to rotate the camera, I put 3 of my attack buttons also on the mouse. I used the commonly used WASD for movement and the keys around them for the rest.

Batman: Arkham Asylum is an adventure game, it plays very much like Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. And also I feel it’s on the same awesomeness level as it too. I grew up watching the animated Batman series (1992-1995ish) so it was very nice to hear Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill as Batman and the Joker respectively. I think because they were already familiar with their characters, it made the experience all the better. Grappling up to rooftops and gliding down as the Cape Crusader is really fun.

Like Ocarina of Time, Arkham Asylum has an overworld that changes over time as the story progresses. There are upgrades that allow further access in old areas, unique puzzles that keep the game fresh, and freeflow combat that never gets old. Although Arkham Asylum is definitely no Hyrule, a tiny island can’t compare to the expansiveness of a whole land. And Arkham Asylum is lacking in sidequests… which isn’t too bad for a game like this. Most of the fun parts of the game are fighting the infamous Batman villians and doing the Predator Combat (basically ninja Batman mode).

The one thing I wish I had during the game (other than an Xbox controller for PC) is a on-screen map. Sure I can goto the menu and look at the map, but adventure games can get really disorienting after a fight. Also, there was no button that centered the camera to where Batman was directly looking at.

Hopefully one, if not both, of those things get improved in Batman: Arkham City. Even if neither of those things improve, the game will be great; more Batman villians will join the fray, a whole new underworld to serve justice to… I’m thinking of pre-ordering the game as it is scheduled to be released this fall. And if I do, it’ll probably be for PC (I’m too cheap to buy a PS3 or Xbox 360) so I’ll have to consider buying an Xbox controller for PC. We’ll see.

Overall I’d recommend this game to anyone, and in my opinion, its a must-play game for Batman lovers. I look forward to Arkham City when it comes out.