Batman: Arkham Asylum

 

 

The Full Package

So this Tuesday was the release of this shiny piece of mama. The package itself is almost 2 feet in length. It comes with the batarang, which unfortunately is plastic. And it comes with "battle damage" but it really just looks scratched the hell up. It's actually pretty disappointing. But, it is removable from it's stand, so you can have your own Batman poses with a batarang, which no one from a distance will know the wiser.

 
And it comes with a journal of Arkham inmates, bound in faux leather. Now this was the better piece. It has a bio and picture of the major and some minor villains that are on Arkham. And the Harley Quinn design is the same as old, what we loved, design. And it's even implemented in the game, when you load up the character profile menu. Maybe there was a last minute change on her design? And same goes with the Scarecrow. I actually just beat the stage of Scarecrow and let me tell you, like the movie, he becomes way creepier once the gas gets in to you.


Collector's Edition also comes with redeemable challenge maps of Scarecrow "Dem Bones", which they had a commercial for, and "Crime Alley"
The storyline is written by Paul Dini and the game really flourishes with the original voice casting of Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill, that just completes the feel of the game. I highly recommend this game, but the Collector's Edition, is left to be desired unfortunately. You can really get by with the regular version.

 

Interestingly enough this game runs on the Unreal Engine, much like the First Persion Shooter of the same name. So even though it has run games like Gears Of War, Mass Effect & Rainbox Six: Vegas, this game really pull off exceptionally.

 

The fighting controls are simple at first, but after leveling Batman he starts to implement better, faster and more wind knocking combo finishers. Right now I am enjoying Silent Takedown where I hang from underneath a gargoyle. Sounds fucking awesome right?

 

When you "die" it starts you right back to the beginning of the area you died in, it's not a hard reset to where you last were, which is convenient. And the Game Over screens are sectional to who it was that defeated you. You fall in a trap left by the Joker, he's pops in and says something. I got beat by Bane... and he took Batman over his head then broke his back over his knee.

 

If you do decide to get the Collector's Edition and you can't decide on the PS3 or 360 (if you own both consoles) I recommend the PS3 solely because of the Joker's Challenge Map where you get to fight as the Joker, the 360 doesn't include that, or maybe not yet.

 

Either way, highly recommend game. And if you would like to get a closer look into the Collector's Edition, here's a "Unboxed" vid from the guys of http://gamesand.me of Batman: Arkham Asylum for the PS3 and Final Fantasy Dissidia.