E3 2009: Day 1 - Batman: Arkham Asylum Impressions

So I just got my hands on time with Batman: Arkham Asylum for the PS3. Eidos has taken an IP that has never seen a quality video game and given it it's first dose of awesome. I was given a choice between playing one of two challenge maps or the first 20 minute section of the single player campaign. Being the story geek that I am, I was really curious to see how the story objectives unfolded so I went with that option. After a lengthy gameplay session, I came away impressed and still looking forward to this ambitious new title.

The demo consisted of the opening sequence of the game in which the Joker has escaped his captivity and released the criminals inside the Asylum. The demo introduced the combat system very quickly, which allows players to combo punches, kicks, counters, and takedown attacks using the face buttons. The combat seemed very fluid and reminiscent of Batman’s style and flows nicely because of the assisted targeting system. The combat animations were very smooth and felt kind of sticky as Batman would seem to target and attack the closest target. Next, I tackled the Bat-a-rang controls. By simply holding the L1 button, you could target enemies by moving the cursor over them and tapping the R1 button to throw. It felt good and seemed like it would be used in multiple ways throughout the game. I would have liked having the ability to target multiple enemies at once but that may come into play later in the game.

After taking a romp through an air duct, I ran into a security guard who informed me that Zsaz had escaped his cell and was holding a guard hostage in the electric chair. A few minutes later, I found myself overlooking a room with the crazy bastard who was rambling on about how he was going to push the button if he saw anyone approaching. At this point, the game introduced Detective vision and grappling. By tapping a button, the screen turned into what looked like X-Ray vision, making all enemies appear as skeletons and key objects in the environments glowed red. A simple tap of R1 allowed Batman to grapple onto a statue attached to the ceiling. This animation reaffirmed that this game looks beautiful. It was a beautiful, single motion as he grappled onto the object and pulled himself up. From there, a single tap of R1 allowed me to swing from Statue to Statue undetected. After positioning myself behind Zsas, a “Glide Kick” prompt appeared and allowed me to glide down in classic, Batman style and take out Zsas with a single kick. After that, another prompt instructed me to perform a ground takedown, which consists of Batman punching the poor fellow in the head.

After Zsaz had been taken care of, I found myself in another room filled with 5 enemies. This was obviously a chance to test out the stealth gameplay. In a matter of minutes, I was able to takedown 3 of the guys with stealth takedowns by sneaking and grappling around the room. The last two patrols needed to be separated. Luckily, they wandered directly underneath me as I perched on a gargoyle statue. I finally had a chance to use the “drop” prompt, which allowed me to hang upside down and wait for unsuspecting prey. As the last of the two guards passed beneath me, a new takedown prompt appeared and a single tap of the triangle button allowed me to drop down and pull him into the rafters where I dispatched him with style. The last guy panicked but was quickly dispatched with another well-placed glide kick. The room opened my eyes to the possibility of how fun these challenge rooms could be. The way in Batman can navigate the environment and mess with the minds of his enemies is exactly what a Batman game should be.

After one more room that emphasized the ways in which stealth gameplay can work, I was done with the demo and treated to a cutscene in which the Joker released a rather fierce looking foe on Batman. The game seems to run as smooth as all of the footage I have been seeing and I firmly believe that this is the Batman game that everyone has been waiting for. The game will be hitting store shelves on August 25th and I encourage everyone

-Nick