Why Batman Arkham Asylum is Brilliant

I committed a crime. No, I didn't stab a granny or not recycle a milk carton. I didn't play Batman Arkham Asylum for 2 years since its release. TWO YEARS? I hear you shout from the roof tops of hatred (?). However, after delving into AA and completing it, I can safely admit that I was an idiot. I wasted TWO YEARS playing other crappy titles. when I could have been taking out henchman, well, like Batman. So as you can gather, I like Batman Arkham Asylum and I truly believe that it deserves more credit that it was given, here's why:

Ridiculously detail

Rarely are us gamers treated to such a highly detailed world. The world you walk around breaths and feels just like it has been ripped out of a comic. The sadistic screams, the words scratched into the wall, the remains of a body, the world is chock full of little details that make the game, as a whole, feel entirely alive. The game may be quite linear and simple in places, but the pure breadth of detail is mind blowing.

One for the Fans

Much like the meticulous attention to detail, Rocksteady have rammed Arkham Asylum with nods to Batman's other darkest villains. The references aren't forced upon you, with some requiring a surprising amount of exploration to discover, meaning that Rocksteady are adding these gems in for themselves, not just us, showing their real passion for the material. Whether it be the eerie puppet of Scarface or the dismantled soldiers of Humpty Dumpty, each reference is executed with passion and detail, resulting in a beautifully crafted comic book world.

Simple but Sweet

Much like me, Batman Arkham Asylum is not exactly the most intelligent game out there, but what it does, it does very well indeed. Whilst most comic book games copy and paste God of War's concrete gameplay style, AA is not afraid to be different. It simplify's the combat, but like all good systems, it is easy to learn, but near impossible to master. Consisting of only 3 buttons (and occasionally a fourth) the combat relies heavily on timings. Watching Batman leap around the screen, countering moves and destroying henchmen is a thing of beauty, an experience that makes you feel like you are Batman, not controlling him on screen. It goes to show, a deep combat system does not always mean enjoyment when playing.

Its dark, but funny, cheesy, but serious.

This is a point that only I seem to pick up on, but let me explain myself. The word 'gritty' is thrown about a lot in games, and normally it means that the game is slightly dark and someone dies. However, Batman is very gritty. The setting is dark but still manages to seem alive and colourful whilst Batman's enemies are actually skilled and aren't afraid to feed Bats with lead. But, look past the exterior and AA becomes quite cheesy. The storyline isn't exactly Shakespeare and there is fun to be had in places. Harley Quinn raises a few laughs and if you take you time to listen to guards conversing , some humorous lines to pop up. Once again though, with every joke or witty comment, a Scarecrow meeting or Lunatic scream whips you back into reality. 

Revitalising a whole genre

This is the biggy for me. Batman Arkham Asylum was highly praised for its setting, characters etc, but not many reviews picked up on how Batman made the superhero game suddenly cool again. Yes, many claimed it to be the greatest superhero game of all time, but to be honest, was there much competition? Before AA the comic book genre was abused, acting as money grabbers to screamy movie fanboys. But, now Batman has come along, the comic book game is now cool. Rocksteady showed that if you take time to research your material, make real innovations and think about the world and its place, then you can have a 10/10 hit on your hands, critics and commercial alike. Although not many recent superhero games have bucked the trend by taking full inspiration from Rocksteady, there a few games that are certainly better than before, Captain America for example. Batman Arkham Asylum won many GOTY awards and so it deserves them, but when a game can revitalise a whole genre and style of games, then that it certainly something special.

There we go. I know its late, two years in fact, but I just wanted to express my surprise and amazement at AA. It was a incredible experience and I do believe that it deserves more credit than it was given. Anyway, Batman Arkham City is tantalizing close, so lets wait and see what Rocksteady and deliver second time round, when expectations are shy high.....