Batman: Arkham Asylum

Over the last month or so, I've played several excellent computer games. That streak continues with Batman: Arkham Asylum. With my huge backlog of games, I'm a little late to the party. Batman: Arkham Asylum was originally released in 2009 and received many accolades. Better late than never, however. As a fan of super-hero comics and Batman in particular, I had high expectations. I wasn't disappointed. This was a game with high production values. As a third-person action-adventure game, it felt very cinematic. Some of the creative talent of Batman: The Animated Series worked on this game. The story was written by Paul Dini and voice actors Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill, and Arlene Sorkin portrayed Batman, Joker, and Harley Quinn, respectively. All of this helped to make a very polished product.

The Joker is the main antagonist but many other villains make appearances: Harley Quinn, Killer Croc, Victor Zsasz, Scarecrow, Bane, Riddler, and Poison Ivy. The plot involves the Joker taking over Arkham Asylum and threatening Gotham City. He has gotten access to Titan, a more powerful and dangerous variant of the Venom drug. With Titan, Joker has the potential to raise a formidable army. Of course, Batman is prepared to stop him. Using stealth, hand to hand combat, and a variety of gadgets, Batman makes his way through multiple buildings and foes to an eventual showdown with the Joker.

Because of the game's console roots, I decided to forgo using keyboard and mouse controls. I hooked up my Logitech RumblePad 2 game controller and it worked beautifully. Once I got the hang of the dual joysticks and learned the functions of all ten buttons and triggers, it felt like the best way to play the game. This was a great game and it easily earns a place on my list of all-time favorites.


The Joker