Batman: Arkham Asylum Game of the Year Edition (PC, 2010)
Graphics-8.5 Sound-8 Control-7.5 Challenge-7 Story-6.5
Level Design-7.5 Frustration-7 Fun-7.5 Originality-6
Overall Score-7.5
+
Detective mode (shows the status of enemies and lets you see them through walls, examine points of interest, see wires from devices and electronic gates connecting to switches and security control boxes, see through certain walls, see outlines of objects; similar to scanning in Outcast and Metroid Prime as well as some visors in the latter)
Camera inversion toggle, Subtitles toggle, Pretty detailed graphical settings and separate sliders for sfx/dialogue/music
Pretty good combat system (small pop-ups help with counter attack timing - similar to Spider-Man 2, can knock enemies into pits in some places, satisfying feedback, can dodge roll+vault over enemies (double-tap A and a direction or double-tap while near an enemy respectively; OoT/Prince of Persia), can do a running jump kick into enemies, can throw enemies into others and do a fast takedown move with move upgrades, basic 3 hit combos without a timing requirement which can be increased to 4 by adding a batarang move to them with an upgrade (this can also be upgraded to a double or triple batarang hit to knock down multiple enemies at once), basic multiplier system where you build up a score by not taking any hits or taking breaks in-between your attacks (can vault over enemies without breaking a combo), varying your moves gives an exp point bonus after a fight, can generally make long leaps between enemies to keep a combo chain going if you time it correctly and rotate the camera, Critical Combo Strikes upgrade rewards timing your hits well (normally you can just button mash) by doubling attack power and counting as 2 hits towards the combo multiplier - not needed in story mode on Normal but it makes combat more fun, later armed enemies (knife or shock staff) need to be stunned or vaulted over)
Skippable dialogue on a per sentence basis (usually - sometimes doesn't work in-game and during FMV cutscenes you can only skip the whole scene)
Stealth (you die pretty quickly from gunfire if detected by armed enemies - can't dodge it, can do a silent takedown move while sneaking up on enemies by crouch walking towards them, sonic batarang can be used to spread enemies out, hide beneath certain loose floor panels, 2.5D scarecrow segments)
Basic puzzle solving elements (using the gel on enemies (blow up certain weak floors with good timing to make enemies fall into pits or to knock them out, can spray it on a knocked down enemy and trigger it when other enemies come to check what happened), line launcher to reach certain riddler items (outside the bat cave and in penitentiary for example). Dr Young hostage situation, some spatial reasoning puzzles including some rooms where you can't use the grapple hook to climb, some timed rescue mission segments, basic hacking of security gate control boxes after you get the Cryptographic Sequencer)
Basic skill tree (gain exp from taking out enemies/progressing the story/doing the riddler quests and finding other items, some moves/upgrades are locked at first - need to gain certain moves and sometimes progress to a certain point in the game to unlock these (see notes))
Some cool tools/gadgets (batclaw - pull enemies towards you and make them stumble or fall off ledges+open unreachable grates and some crates, ultra batclaw allows you to pull down walls with weak spots and three enemies at a time, remote control batarang, explosive gel which you can detonate remotely after spraying it somewhere, remote control batarang, line launcher - quickly traverse long distances in a straight line by using your own zip cord (can cancel it prematurely and drop down, can break through windows, can kick enemies while riding it), sonic batarang - get the attention of the closest enemy (if upgraded it also stuns the enemy though this can only be used once per area)) and moves (ledge takedown - hop up and knock an enemy's head into a railing while shimmying, throw batarangs around corners (but not the shock one for some reason), cling to walls while sneaking)
Unlock character bios as you meet them or find riddler trophies
Some good VA (Joker - Mark Hamill, Riddler, Ivy)
Enemies talk amongst themselves if you stay back and observe them (there's also some optional lore via radio transmissions)
Slick menu design, Nice animation and lighting overall, Good art direction in terms of the surroundings and most villains
Difficulty options (easy-hard)
Good variation overall (various new enemies encountered when returning to previously visited areas, one large scale environmental change at one point in Ivy's plants mutating and growing all over the place, one stealth part where you need to move past enemies to get to a specific one and one where you can't really use the gargoyle statues as there are bombs planted on them, etc.)
Upgradeable life bar
When throwing a batarang you can make the camera follow it to the target
Fast travel of sorts via the line launcher gadget
Glide jumps and kicks
The Joker and the other villains taunt you in different ways after dying
Unlockable backstory and lore via the villain interview recordings
Some memorable areas (scarecrow segments - map becomes temporarily unavailable and the game messes with your sense of place+adds surreal horror elements to freak you out (also does a fake glitch+game over sequence which is pretty trippy and funny - similar to MGS) - good sense of vulnerability here)
Some good bosses (Bane, Ivy - have to use two different gadgets here, penitentiary "mini-boss" with the electric floor traps, mounting the second mini-boss (mutant thugs) to make them fight each other and the third one to make it fight regular enemies)
Cool how Joker often comments via the loudspeakers around the asylum (taunts, jokes, flavor comments, "public announcements" while in the outdoors hub area which might be a Jonestown reference, there's also a a brief encounter with Killer Croc (on the other side of a locked door with a window) before facing him properly at one point; makes the world seem more alive and him more active as a villain) - later used in Sonic Colors
Many hidden items (riddler trophies, interview tapes, spirit of arkham messages)
Challenge modes (21 short levels in total - scored and/or timed melee combat and stealth challenges, melee combat ones are generally 3 rounds long, survival mode; decent)
Play as Joker in an DLC challenge mode (see below - didn't work for me; seems to play the same but has unique animations)
+/-
Pretty much linear structure (get access to a hub area outside of the asylum after the first sub area but can only do the following areas in a set order, can rescue the three doctors in the medical facility in any order and do the two pump rooms near the caves later on in either order, many optional riddler quests (find and scan or pick up objects based on clues for bonus exp and comments by the riddler) and lore items (spirit of arkham short story bits - also gives some exp), )
Auto-save w/ frequent checkpoints (can reload from the last one at any point, single save slot only, unlimited lives)
2D map system (auto-mapper - each room/sub area's layout is revealed as you enter it, shows doors and layouts but doesn't mark locked doors/electronic barriers/switches/riddler trophies/ventilation cover grates/breakable walls, can find a secret map in each area but it only reveals the riddler trophy locations)
Partial HP regen after each fight (depends on your performance and how many enemies were taken out?)
Some aim assist when throwing batarangs without manually aiming
Semi-interactive intro cutscene (can only walk around and trigger some NPC comments while the scene plays out for about 10-15 mins in the beginning; similar to Half-Life)
Almost everyone looks like a bodybuilder and somewhat rubbery and/or somewhat sweaty/oily
Very over the top and "badass" dialogue
Can hit enemies while they're down with RT+Y (very forgiving hit detection on this move - if you stand about 2m away from a knocked down enemy then Batman automatically glides towards them quickly and performs the move which looks pretty funny)
180 degree quick turn and FP view are mapped to L3 and R3 (thumb stick buttons) respectively
The game is forgiving about falling into pits and gas hazards - can just hit R1/RB to get back up
No real urgency to some early situations where the game tells you that you have to hurry (such as the guard clinging to a ledge in the beginning) - some timed segments later on such as in the mansion and penitentiary though
Killathon element in some rooms (have to take out all enemies to progress)
No need to deal with security cameras, have to get the upgrade and build up a combo meter/multiplier to 8 hits to be able to throw enemies - can be reduced to 5 hits with an upgrade
The Inverted Takedown move (string up an enemy below you while hanging from a gargoyle statue) isn't stealthy - cool move though and can be used to lure enemies as well as scare them by cutting the rope holding the enemy as they discover them
Remote Control Batarang is fun but its use is situational at best
Can't use the grapple hook on enemies (can use the batclaw which is gained a few hours into the game)
Enemies are fairly easy to shake by using the grapple hook and tend to forget to look up afterwards
Platforming is similar to Ocarina of Time - if there's no pit to jump across then you perform a roll move instead (can do a jump kick while running though)
You can use the grapple hook while on lower ground below a ledge but not while standing on a ledge near it and at the same height unless you're in a room with multiple gargoyle statues - sometimes annoying but also used for some basic platforming puzzles (in the medical facility for example)
No skill tree respec (not really needed unless perhaps if you consistently pick the non-melee combat upgrades and avoid the lifebar upgrades as well)
Can't cancel a punch into a counter attack
Very few shortcuts
No invisibility or cloaking gadgets
Some of the music sounds a lot like tenser moments in the Lost TV series OST
Some delay when using a grapple hook during which you can't cancel it - can be bad when being shot at
Can't use gadgets while in ventilation shafts
The Croc fight/escape segment is creative but a bit drawn out and you suddenly die in one hit here
Detective mode is a bit too good in that you can spot every enemy from very far away and through walls+very easily spot breakable walls (then again some stealth segments would be frustrating without it)
You don't get to properly fight Scarecrow after finishing the small 2.5D stealth segments with him (in the last one you fight some enemies followed by a cutscene with Batman turning the spotlight at him and a bit later he's killed off by Croc instead)
The game goes into FP view in the visitor room next to the penitentiary and doesn't let you scan or use items (seems you're only supposed to go here for some additional Joker dialogue in-between sub areas) - this room leads to an arena for the finale (the preceding fights are good but I expected some sort of "dungeon" area before the last boss)
You never get to fight alongside NPCs (true to the character but seems artificial at times)
Can't cancel a roll animation to climb something
External control config besides camera inversion
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Some interface/control issues (no mini-map and can't move while checking the map screen, automatic slow-motion at the end of melee combos, sometimes repeats tutorial messages or shows them after you've clearly learned a move already - these are pretty subtle though and don't pause gameplay, sometimes inconsistent dialogue skip (B) - during certain sentences during dialogue it doesn't work and it doesn't work while listening to the spirit of arkham messages or interview tapes (skips the whole message however you can listen to these while playing), can't place markers on the map - doesn't mark breakable walls and ventilation cover grates for example, can't see the requirement for unlocking a not yet available move/upgrade in the waynetech submenu and the menu doesn't wrap around when browsing it, breaking through ventilation cover grates and breakable walls with the ultra bat claw is a bit slow (short cutscene followed by a button mashing QTE and then another short cutscene), can't examine certain locked doors when first encountered - intensive care lobby, using the follow cam when throwing a batarang takes you out of detective mode (sometimes the game takes you out of it after a fight as well), the game is a bit inconsistent about using the grapple hook in that it sometimes lets you use it without looking at the target destination and sometimes makes you look at it, sometimes the left stick also controls the camera while crawling in tunnels/ventilation shafts so you need to just press upwards with it and use the right stick to steer while in them, sometimes can't hop over a smaller obstacle for seemingly no reason (intensive treatment northern exterior for example), a bit too easy to get stuck on obstacles when moving around - can screw you over during stealth segments, inconsistent button mapping for scanning when the game goes into FP view during investigation scenes - A button here when it's LB otherwise, sometimes overly picky or inconsistent positioning requirement when doing an inverted takedown (mansion) and for various riddler quest objects ("subject too small"), opposite camera controls during the scarecrow 2.5D stealth segments, can't cancel a silent takedown or move while doing it - would've been good for if you're being noticed during it, the camera sometimes changes angles when using the grappling hook to climb a gargoyle statue, can't throw a shock batarang or use the batclaw around corners while sneaking, if you press jump down/let go while shimmying then nothing happens)
Overly limited climbing and grapple hook usage at times (can only use them at spots marked by the game and in some spots it seems like you should be able to use the hook but can't, can't climb more complex terrain like mountainsides, can't swing around freely while connecting the hook to an object, at some points outdoors it looks like you should be able to latch onto a ledge but you can't)
Sometimes overly obvious navigational hints (can't turn them off) and the early riddler side quests are too easy
The "detective work" aspect is too on rails and basic - the game just tells you where and what to look for and then you follow a metaphorical bread crumb trail in detective mode to the next objective
Mostly uninteractive environments (can't examine most doodads like books and statues)
Can't save manually while in a neutral/safe area - can be a bit annoying when you need to take a break and aren't sure when the game last saved but it's never that far to the next checkpoint
Can't hold on to exp points to unlock a more advanced move sooner
Unskippable boot up logos and a few shorter cutscenes
Can't grab enemies like in older beat 'em ups such as Streets of Rage - only as a takedown move during a combo chain
Too many key gates early on
Facial/dialogue animations look a bit dated overall, Sometimes lacking rain effect (looks like a shallow layer on top of the graphics at times, when Batman is standing outside of the asylum in the beginning and it's raining he doesn't get wet - does later on though), Models sometimes clip through each other or through walls, Some silly VA (spirit of arkham)
A few invisible walls
Can't drive the batmobile or batwing - latter could've been used to fast travel out of certain buildings since it breaks through glass in one cutscene
A few overly empty areas (caves, mansion exterior)
Can't interrogate the enemy you save in the patient observation room in medical
Batman sometimes performs moves that the player can't during cutscenes (Bane finisher move with the batmobile, Batman calling the batwing to drop off the line launcher while in the botanical gardens - it would've also made more sense for him to remember the line launcher the first time you encounter a place to use it if he had it since before the game)
Some upgrades aren't that useful/overly situational (Multiple Frequency Detonator, Auto Proximity Detonator, Crytographic Range Amplifier is only good for solving certain riddle quests, Crytographic Power Amplifier - hacking is already easy)
Some trophies are placed in an annoying way (right at the edge of an area where nothing else is)
The tower sniper AI is pretty dumb (on Normal at least)
Harley Quinn is pretty annoying here
Sometimes uneven difficulty (pretty tough Croc's lair segment, easy to save Dr. Young when she's held hostage in the mansion compared to the rest of this area)
The game is a bit inconsistent about where you can make use of the Cryptographic Range Amplifier
Overly simplistic gate control box hacking with the Crytographic Sequencer item
Some trial & error (can't use a counter attack to stop knife attacks - the pop up is the same symbol but red, can't scan the spirit of arkham message while freeing the guards from harley quinn under a time limit in the penitentiary, last part of the Croc segment where the camera shows only what's behind you)
Repeats the teeth enemies too much and there's no challenge in taking them out
Can't let the warden Sharp impersonator in penitentiary out after exposing him even if you try to
Not enough melodies/pop progression/hooks in the OST
Some of the mini-bosses are too similar
One or two more melee combat moves and enemy types+some more involved mechanical/logical puzzles wouldn't have hurt (the interview tapes or spirit of arkham story could've also been used for some optional puzzles)
Underused pushing and pulling of crates (only used once)
So-so final boss (starts off fine but it's silly how the joker falls for the same stupid trick three times and disappointing that you can't land the final blow in-game (happens in a cutscene instead), kind of easy as well)
Batman's final line vs Joker isn't that good
The ending feels rushed (doesn't show what happened to the asylum or any sort of reflection from the characters) and ends with a cheesy cliffhanger where Croc survived and got hold of the mutating virus
No reward for getting 100% besides "achievement unlocked"
Sometimes an enemy can get a cheap hit in as it starts readying a blow from off screen so you don't see that you need to us a counter attack rather than punch them (rare though)
Notes:
-Skill tree progession requirements: Combo boost requires combo takedown which requires combo throw, triple batarang requires twin batarang, sonic shock batarang requires sonic batarang which requires getting to the point where enemies wear suicide collars), Multiple Frequency Detonator requires Explosive Gel and rescuing Dr. Young the first time, Cryptographic Range Amplifier and Proximity Amplifier require getting the Cryptographic Sequencer
-Original ver. is from 2009
-Have to be crouching to jump down and grab a ledge
-Joker DLC files (was previously PS3 and MAC exclusive, didn't work for me): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9C369MTrFug
Bugs:
-Sometimes hectic music plays while nothing is really happening
-Hit detection bug around a ledge at one point during the scarecrow segment
-Some dialogue scenes trigger a bit later than they should
Comment:
So I've been playing Batman: Arkham Asylum (GOTY Edition) lately and I'm about halfway through it now, maybe a bit more. It's a semi-MV game of sorts, being structured like Zelda, almost completely linear, and basically using 3D Zelda's jump mechanics, though the platforming is a bit more involved at times like in WW or TP. Most gating is also key gating though I recently got the line launcher and it seems to have some interesting uses (there's also a basic hacking mini-game but it's more of a thing that feels cool to do than any kind of challenge).
One of its biggest strengths is the characterization of the villains, and the near constant presence of the Joker (voiced by Mark Hamill), who comments on things via the loudspeakers of the asylum like you're in Jonestown or something. Aesthetically it's quite impressive too, with a unified but still varied look as you explore the various asylum buldings and garden, though it's funny how almost everyone looks like a bodybuilder and some of Batman's grunts are hilarious. I was also impressed with the scarecrow segments, which seem to take a page from Silent Hill 2 as well as some 2.5D platformers, and do a good job of retelling parts of Batman's backstory while keeping you mostly in-game.
The combat is actually pretty involved contrary to my first impression of it, and the feedback when hitting enemies is really good. I'm getting better at stringing combos together, though the automatic slowdown is bothering me a bit at times. The stealth/trapping aspect is also good, with a decent variety to how you can take out enemies, and it's cool both how you can stand back and listen in on enemy conversations as well as observe how they get more and more freaked out as you start taking parts of a group of guards out or scaring them. So far the game feels kind of divided into stealth, platforming/exploration and beat 'em up segments without that much overlap besides hook shotting around during the first though, and the stealth takes a lot more time for me than the rest. I should mention the game has a few control/camera and interface issues, though nothing game breaking (for example I had to look up the requirements for the locked upgrades, it's a bit too easy to get stuck on certain walls and smaller obstacles while moving around, and the camera control reverses during the scarecrow segments).
There's also a light puzzle element in finding riddler trophies or objects to scan, and how you take out certain enemy groups or traverse certain areas. Not that challenging overall and sometimes the game is too picky about how you're looking at something you want to scan, or places something far from the main path for no reason, but pretty fun still.
The game has a decent map system though it's in 2D and doesn't mark nor let you mark locked doors/barriers, security boxes, breakable walls or ventilation grates so you have to memorize their locations if you want to get everything and there are a lot of them (though the scanning feature does help a lot with spotting them quickly). While there are sub area maps you can find, these only show the location of the riddler trophies and scannable objects.
As I said it's basically linear, which is a shame when you have a nice hub area structure laid out, but when backtracking for trophies or sub goals (the game sometimes makes you go back to previously visited areas to progress the story) you'll sometimes encounter new enemies, there's a large scale environmental change at one point, and the game introduces new mechanics at a pretty steady pace so it rarely feels repetitive.
I'd say all individual gameplay aspects here are solid if not top tier, and as a whole it's a really fun game. With a bit more open endedness, map markers and a few control/interface tweaks it probably would've been a fave.
Level Design-7.5 Frustration-7 Fun-7.5 Originality-6
Overall Score-7.5
+
Detective mode (shows the status of enemies and lets you see them through walls, examine points of interest, see wires from devices and electronic gates connecting to switches and security control boxes, see through certain walls, see outlines of objects; similar to scanning in Outcast and Metroid Prime as well as some visors in the latter)
Camera inversion toggle, Subtitles toggle, Pretty detailed graphical settings and separate sliders for sfx/dialogue/music
Pretty good combat system (small pop-ups help with counter attack timing - similar to Spider-Man 2, can knock enemies into pits in some places, satisfying feedback, can dodge roll+vault over enemies (double-tap A and a direction or double-tap while near an enemy respectively; OoT/Prince of Persia), can do a running jump kick into enemies, can throw enemies into others and do a fast takedown move with move upgrades, basic 3 hit combos without a timing requirement which can be increased to 4 by adding a batarang move to them with an upgrade (this can also be upgraded to a double or triple batarang hit to knock down multiple enemies at once), basic multiplier system where you build up a score by not taking any hits or taking breaks in-between your attacks (can vault over enemies without breaking a combo), varying your moves gives an exp point bonus after a fight, can generally make long leaps between enemies to keep a combo chain going if you time it correctly and rotate the camera, Critical Combo Strikes upgrade rewards timing your hits well (normally you can just button mash) by doubling attack power and counting as 2 hits towards the combo multiplier - not needed in story mode on Normal but it makes combat more fun, later armed enemies (knife or shock staff) need to be stunned or vaulted over)
Skippable dialogue on a per sentence basis (usually - sometimes doesn't work in-game and during FMV cutscenes you can only skip the whole scene)
Stealth (you die pretty quickly from gunfire if detected by armed enemies - can't dodge it, can do a silent takedown move while sneaking up on enemies by crouch walking towards them, sonic batarang can be used to spread enemies out, hide beneath certain loose floor panels, 2.5D scarecrow segments)
Basic puzzle solving elements (using the gel on enemies (blow up certain weak floors with good timing to make enemies fall into pits or to knock them out, can spray it on a knocked down enemy and trigger it when other enemies come to check what happened), line launcher to reach certain riddler items (outside the bat cave and in penitentiary for example). Dr Young hostage situation, some spatial reasoning puzzles including some rooms where you can't use the grapple hook to climb, some timed rescue mission segments, basic hacking of security gate control boxes after you get the Cryptographic Sequencer)
Basic skill tree (gain exp from taking out enemies/progressing the story/doing the riddler quests and finding other items, some moves/upgrades are locked at first - need to gain certain moves and sometimes progress to a certain point in the game to unlock these (see notes))
Some cool tools/gadgets (batclaw - pull enemies towards you and make them stumble or fall off ledges+open unreachable grates and some crates, ultra batclaw allows you to pull down walls with weak spots and three enemies at a time, remote control batarang, explosive gel which you can detonate remotely after spraying it somewhere, remote control batarang, line launcher - quickly traverse long distances in a straight line by using your own zip cord (can cancel it prematurely and drop down, can break through windows, can kick enemies while riding it), sonic batarang - get the attention of the closest enemy (if upgraded it also stuns the enemy though this can only be used once per area)) and moves (ledge takedown - hop up and knock an enemy's head into a railing while shimmying, throw batarangs around corners (but not the shock one for some reason), cling to walls while sneaking)
Unlock character bios as you meet them or find riddler trophies
Some good VA (Joker - Mark Hamill, Riddler, Ivy)
Enemies talk amongst themselves if you stay back and observe them (there's also some optional lore via radio transmissions)
Slick menu design, Nice animation and lighting overall, Good art direction in terms of the surroundings and most villains
Difficulty options (easy-hard)
Good variation overall (various new enemies encountered when returning to previously visited areas, one large scale environmental change at one point in Ivy's plants mutating and growing all over the place, one stealth part where you need to move past enemies to get to a specific one and one where you can't really use the gargoyle statues as there are bombs planted on them, etc.)
Upgradeable life bar
When throwing a batarang you can make the camera follow it to the target
Fast travel of sorts via the line launcher gadget
Glide jumps and kicks
The Joker and the other villains taunt you in different ways after dying
Unlockable backstory and lore via the villain interview recordings
Some memorable areas (scarecrow segments - map becomes temporarily unavailable and the game messes with your sense of place+adds surreal horror elements to freak you out (also does a fake glitch+game over sequence which is pretty trippy and funny - similar to MGS) - good sense of vulnerability here)
Some good bosses (Bane, Ivy - have to use two different gadgets here, penitentiary "mini-boss" with the electric floor traps, mounting the second mini-boss (mutant thugs) to make them fight each other and the third one to make it fight regular enemies)
Cool how Joker often comments via the loudspeakers around the asylum (taunts, jokes, flavor comments, "public announcements" while in the outdoors hub area which might be a Jonestown reference, there's also a a brief encounter with Killer Croc (on the other side of a locked door with a window) before facing him properly at one point; makes the world seem more alive and him more active as a villain) - later used in Sonic Colors
Many hidden items (riddler trophies, interview tapes, spirit of arkham messages)
Challenge modes (21 short levels in total - scored and/or timed melee combat and stealth challenges, melee combat ones are generally 3 rounds long, survival mode; decent)
Play as Joker in an DLC challenge mode (see below - didn't work for me; seems to play the same but has unique animations)
+/-
Pretty much linear structure (get access to a hub area outside of the asylum after the first sub area but can only do the following areas in a set order, can rescue the three doctors in the medical facility in any order and do the two pump rooms near the caves later on in either order, many optional riddler quests (find and scan or pick up objects based on clues for bonus exp and comments by the riddler) and lore items (spirit of arkham short story bits - also gives some exp), )
Auto-save w/ frequent checkpoints (can reload from the last one at any point, single save slot only, unlimited lives)
2D map system (auto-mapper - each room/sub area's layout is revealed as you enter it, shows doors and layouts but doesn't mark locked doors/electronic barriers/switches/riddler trophies/ventilation cover grates/breakable walls, can find a secret map in each area but it only reveals the riddler trophy locations)
Partial HP regen after each fight (depends on your performance and how many enemies were taken out?)
Some aim assist when throwing batarangs without manually aiming
Semi-interactive intro cutscene (can only walk around and trigger some NPC comments while the scene plays out for about 10-15 mins in the beginning; similar to Half-Life)
Almost everyone looks like a bodybuilder and somewhat rubbery and/or somewhat sweaty/oily
Very over the top and "badass" dialogue
Can hit enemies while they're down with RT+Y (very forgiving hit detection on this move - if you stand about 2m away from a knocked down enemy then Batman automatically glides towards them quickly and performs the move which looks pretty funny)
180 degree quick turn and FP view are mapped to L3 and R3 (thumb stick buttons) respectively
The game is forgiving about falling into pits and gas hazards - can just hit R1/RB to get back up
No real urgency to some early situations where the game tells you that you have to hurry (such as the guard clinging to a ledge in the beginning) - some timed segments later on such as in the mansion and penitentiary though
Killathon element in some rooms (have to take out all enemies to progress)
No need to deal with security cameras, have to get the upgrade and build up a combo meter/multiplier to 8 hits to be able to throw enemies - can be reduced to 5 hits with an upgrade
The Inverted Takedown move (string up an enemy below you while hanging from a gargoyle statue) isn't stealthy - cool move though and can be used to lure enemies as well as scare them by cutting the rope holding the enemy as they discover them
Remote Control Batarang is fun but its use is situational at best
Can't use the grapple hook on enemies (can use the batclaw which is gained a few hours into the game)
Enemies are fairly easy to shake by using the grapple hook and tend to forget to look up afterwards
Platforming is similar to Ocarina of Time - if there's no pit to jump across then you perform a roll move instead (can do a jump kick while running though)
You can use the grapple hook while on lower ground below a ledge but not while standing on a ledge near it and at the same height unless you're in a room with multiple gargoyle statues - sometimes annoying but also used for some basic platforming puzzles (in the medical facility for example)
No skill tree respec (not really needed unless perhaps if you consistently pick the non-melee combat upgrades and avoid the lifebar upgrades as well)
Can't cancel a punch into a counter attack
Very few shortcuts
No invisibility or cloaking gadgets
Some of the music sounds a lot like tenser moments in the Lost TV series OST
Some delay when using a grapple hook during which you can't cancel it - can be bad when being shot at
Can't use gadgets while in ventilation shafts
The Croc fight/escape segment is creative but a bit drawn out and you suddenly die in one hit here
Detective mode is a bit too good in that you can spot every enemy from very far away and through walls+very easily spot breakable walls (then again some stealth segments would be frustrating without it)
You don't get to properly fight Scarecrow after finishing the small 2.5D stealth segments with him (in the last one you fight some enemies followed by a cutscene with Batman turning the spotlight at him and a bit later he's killed off by Croc instead)
The game goes into FP view in the visitor room next to the penitentiary and doesn't let you scan or use items (seems you're only supposed to go here for some additional Joker dialogue in-between sub areas) - this room leads to an arena for the finale (the preceding fights are good but I expected some sort of "dungeon" area before the last boss)
You never get to fight alongside NPCs (true to the character but seems artificial at times)
Can't cancel a roll animation to climb something
External control config besides camera inversion
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Some interface/control issues (no mini-map and can't move while checking the map screen, automatic slow-motion at the end of melee combos, sometimes repeats tutorial messages or shows them after you've clearly learned a move already - these are pretty subtle though and don't pause gameplay, sometimes inconsistent dialogue skip (B) - during certain sentences during dialogue it doesn't work and it doesn't work while listening to the spirit of arkham messages or interview tapes (skips the whole message however you can listen to these while playing), can't place markers on the map - doesn't mark breakable walls and ventilation cover grates for example, can't see the requirement for unlocking a not yet available move/upgrade in the waynetech submenu and the menu doesn't wrap around when browsing it, breaking through ventilation cover grates and breakable walls with the ultra bat claw is a bit slow (short cutscene followed by a button mashing QTE and then another short cutscene), can't examine certain locked doors when first encountered - intensive care lobby, using the follow cam when throwing a batarang takes you out of detective mode (sometimes the game takes you out of it after a fight as well), the game is a bit inconsistent about using the grapple hook in that it sometimes lets you use it without looking at the target destination and sometimes makes you look at it, sometimes the left stick also controls the camera while crawling in tunnels/ventilation shafts so you need to just press upwards with it and use the right stick to steer while in them, sometimes can't hop over a smaller obstacle for seemingly no reason (intensive treatment northern exterior for example), a bit too easy to get stuck on obstacles when moving around - can screw you over during stealth segments, inconsistent button mapping for scanning when the game goes into FP view during investigation scenes - A button here when it's LB otherwise, sometimes overly picky or inconsistent positioning requirement when doing an inverted takedown (mansion) and for various riddler quest objects ("subject too small"), opposite camera controls during the scarecrow 2.5D stealth segments, can't cancel a silent takedown or move while doing it - would've been good for if you're being noticed during it, the camera sometimes changes angles when using the grappling hook to climb a gargoyle statue, can't throw a shock batarang or use the batclaw around corners while sneaking, if you press jump down/let go while shimmying then nothing happens)
Overly limited climbing and grapple hook usage at times (can only use them at spots marked by the game and in some spots it seems like you should be able to use the hook but can't, can't climb more complex terrain like mountainsides, can't swing around freely while connecting the hook to an object, at some points outdoors it looks like you should be able to latch onto a ledge but you can't)
Sometimes overly obvious navigational hints (can't turn them off) and the early riddler side quests are too easy
The "detective work" aspect is too on rails and basic - the game just tells you where and what to look for and then you follow a metaphorical bread crumb trail in detective mode to the next objective
Mostly uninteractive environments (can't examine most doodads like books and statues)
Can't save manually while in a neutral/safe area - can be a bit annoying when you need to take a break and aren't sure when the game last saved but it's never that far to the next checkpoint
Can't hold on to exp points to unlock a more advanced move sooner
Unskippable boot up logos and a few shorter cutscenes
Can't grab enemies like in older beat 'em ups such as Streets of Rage - only as a takedown move during a combo chain
Too many key gates early on
Facial/dialogue animations look a bit dated overall, Sometimes lacking rain effect (looks like a shallow layer on top of the graphics at times, when Batman is standing outside of the asylum in the beginning and it's raining he doesn't get wet - does later on though), Models sometimes clip through each other or through walls, Some silly VA (spirit of arkham)
A few invisible walls
Can't drive the batmobile or batwing - latter could've been used to fast travel out of certain buildings since it breaks through glass in one cutscene
A few overly empty areas (caves, mansion exterior)
Can't interrogate the enemy you save in the patient observation room in medical
Batman sometimes performs moves that the player can't during cutscenes (Bane finisher move with the batmobile, Batman calling the batwing to drop off the line launcher while in the botanical gardens - it would've also made more sense for him to remember the line launcher the first time you encounter a place to use it if he had it since before the game)
Some upgrades aren't that useful/overly situational (Multiple Frequency Detonator, Auto Proximity Detonator, Crytographic Range Amplifier is only good for solving certain riddle quests, Crytographic Power Amplifier - hacking is already easy)
Some trophies are placed in an annoying way (right at the edge of an area where nothing else is)
The tower sniper AI is pretty dumb (on Normal at least)
Harley Quinn is pretty annoying here
Sometimes uneven difficulty (pretty tough Croc's lair segment, easy to save Dr. Young when she's held hostage in the mansion compared to the rest of this area)
The game is a bit inconsistent about where you can make use of the Cryptographic Range Amplifier
Overly simplistic gate control box hacking with the Crytographic Sequencer item
Some trial & error (can't use a counter attack to stop knife attacks - the pop up is the same symbol but red, can't scan the spirit of arkham message while freeing the guards from harley quinn under a time limit in the penitentiary, last part of the Croc segment where the camera shows only what's behind you)
Repeats the teeth enemies too much and there's no challenge in taking them out
Can't let the warden Sharp impersonator in penitentiary out after exposing him even if you try to
Not enough melodies/pop progression/hooks in the OST
Some of the mini-bosses are too similar
One or two more melee combat moves and enemy types+some more involved mechanical/logical puzzles wouldn't have hurt (the interview tapes or spirit of arkham story could've also been used for some optional puzzles)
Underused pushing and pulling of crates (only used once)
So-so final boss (starts off fine but it's silly how the joker falls for the same stupid trick three times and disappointing that you can't land the final blow in-game (happens in a cutscene instead), kind of easy as well)
Batman's final line vs Joker isn't that good
The ending feels rushed (doesn't show what happened to the asylum or any sort of reflection from the characters) and ends with a cheesy cliffhanger where Croc survived and got hold of the mutating virus
No reward for getting 100% besides "achievement unlocked"
Sometimes an enemy can get a cheap hit in as it starts readying a blow from off screen so you don't see that you need to us a counter attack rather than punch them (rare though)
Notes:
-Skill tree progession requirements: Combo boost requires combo takedown which requires combo throw, triple batarang requires twin batarang, sonic shock batarang requires sonic batarang which requires getting to the point where enemies wear suicide collars), Multiple Frequency Detonator requires Explosive Gel and rescuing Dr. Young the first time, Cryptographic Range Amplifier and Proximity Amplifier require getting the Cryptographic Sequencer
-Original ver. is from 2009
-Have to be crouching to jump down and grab a ledge
-Joker DLC files (was previously PS3 and MAC exclusive, didn't work for me): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9C369MTrFug
Bugs:
-Sometimes hectic music plays while nothing is really happening
-Hit detection bug around a ledge at one point during the scarecrow segment
-Some dialogue scenes trigger a bit later than they should
Comment:
So I've been playing Batman: Arkham Asylum (GOTY Edition) lately and I'm about halfway through it now, maybe a bit more. It's a semi-MV game of sorts, being structured like Zelda, almost completely linear, and basically using 3D Zelda's jump mechanics, though the platforming is a bit more involved at times like in WW or TP. Most gating is also key gating though I recently got the line launcher and it seems to have some interesting uses (there's also a basic hacking mini-game but it's more of a thing that feels cool to do than any kind of challenge).
One of its biggest strengths is the characterization of the villains, and the near constant presence of the Joker (voiced by Mark Hamill), who comments on things via the loudspeakers of the asylum like you're in Jonestown or something. Aesthetically it's quite impressive too, with a unified but still varied look as you explore the various asylum buldings and garden, though it's funny how almost everyone looks like a bodybuilder and some of Batman's grunts are hilarious. I was also impressed with the scarecrow segments, which seem to take a page from Silent Hill 2 as well as some 2.5D platformers, and do a good job of retelling parts of Batman's backstory while keeping you mostly in-game.
The combat is actually pretty involved contrary to my first impression of it, and the feedback when hitting enemies is really good. I'm getting better at stringing combos together, though the automatic slowdown is bothering me a bit at times. The stealth/trapping aspect is also good, with a decent variety to how you can take out enemies, and it's cool both how you can stand back and listen in on enemy conversations as well as observe how they get more and more freaked out as you start taking parts of a group of guards out or scaring them. So far the game feels kind of divided into stealth, platforming/exploration and beat 'em up segments without that much overlap besides hook shotting around during the first though, and the stealth takes a lot more time for me than the rest. I should mention the game has a few control/camera and interface issues, though nothing game breaking (for example I had to look up the requirements for the locked upgrades, it's a bit too easy to get stuck on certain walls and smaller obstacles while moving around, and the camera control reverses during the scarecrow segments).
There's also a light puzzle element in finding riddler trophies or objects to scan, and how you take out certain enemy groups or traverse certain areas. Not that challenging overall and sometimes the game is too picky about how you're looking at something you want to scan, or places something far from the main path for no reason, but pretty fun still.
The game has a decent map system though it's in 2D and doesn't mark nor let you mark locked doors/barriers, security boxes, breakable walls or ventilation grates so you have to memorize their locations if you want to get everything and there are a lot of them (though the scanning feature does help a lot with spotting them quickly). While there are sub area maps you can find, these only show the location of the riddler trophies and scannable objects.
As I said it's basically linear, which is a shame when you have a nice hub area structure laid out, but when backtracking for trophies or sub goals (the game sometimes makes you go back to previously visited areas to progress the story) you'll sometimes encounter new enemies, there's a large scale environmental change at one point, and the game introduces new mechanics at a pretty steady pace so it rarely feels repetitive.
I'd say all individual gameplay aspects here are solid if not top tier, and as a whole it's a really fun game. With a bit more open endedness, map markers and a few control/interface tweaks it probably would've been a fave.