Delving Into The Darkness of Batman: Arkham Asylum

copyright: Batman and Batman Arkham Asylum are property of Dc Comics and Warner Brothers. Batman: Arkham Asylum is property and developed by Rocksteady games and produced by Eidos Studios

Ethics and Brevity: i have no affiliation or association with batman, dc or rocksteady, im just a fan of batman

Among the best examples of how to build a superhero game is the 2009 title, Batman: Arkham Asylum, populated by a star-studded cast featuring Mark Hamil as the chilling Joker and the late Kevin Conroy's deep and brooding Batman. The legendary writer Paul Dini, with writing credits on the established Batman animated series of the past, played a crucial part in the development of the game's story. creating a world's finest of a batman team.

    The game takes its inspiration from the Batman: Arkham Asylum comic series of the 90s, blending psychological horror and action-adventure super heroics to create a fascinating combination of genres. It introduced a new genre of gaming in the form of the superhero, starting what has become a juggernaut of a series that is only now coming to a close nearly 20 years later. So lets dive into the depts of Old Arkham Island and explore the creeping terror of Batman: Arkham Asylum

As Joker is brought into the confines of Arkham, the sinister clown seems to have an ulterior motive. As Batman escorts him through the eerie halls of the asylum, he finds himself faced with an unexpected development. With Harley Quinn taking over the comms, Joker's plans quickly unravel, as he makes his daring escape and flees into the mysterious and eerie world of Arkham. As the iconic vigilante gives chase, the dark and grim reality of the asylum sets in, as they are met with a chilling threat. As Zsasz demands attention, the fate of the innocent guard hangs in the balance as a tense standoff ensues. Step into the madness and uncover.

Batman moves quickly and nimbly, searching for a way to neutralize the tense situation. Spotting an opportunity, he swings into action, using his trusty grappling hook to shoot himself up onto a convenient ledge. While stealthily navigating closer to Zsasz, the hero is able to take him out and free the guard. But there is no rest for the vigilante, as he frantically searches through the grimly dark and grimly eerie halls of Arkham, trying to locate the devious Joker. On a videotron, Joker gloats about his ingenious escape, while Harley Quinn rejoices alongside him. Harley, with her signature sassy attitude, gloats about Joker's escape, and she also presents a tied-up politician as Joker's next victim. It's hard to ignore the iconic voice acting of Sorkin's interpretation of Harley, as her edginess adds an extra layer of personality to her character. As Batman frantically searches the sprawling asylum for his nemesis Joker, the time is ticking before the captured politician's fate is sealed. And. It's really nice to hear the original voice for Harley, and we hope that ms, Sorkin's family mourns peacefully and without any tension.

(clussy got us acting funny)

After a triumphant victory over the serial killer, Zsasz, Batman's attention turns towards securing a safe exit for him and the dying guard. Utilizing his detective HUD, he spots an air vent that could provide an opportunity for escape, but it leads to Officer Boles, who is feverishly attempting to open locked doors to release his squad from a deadly room of Joker toxin. The poison clouds the air, and time is of the essence. Acting with urgency, Batman quickly navigates through the vents above the room, providing critical assistance to the suffering squad below.

In a rush against the clock, Batman successfully rescues the squad from the devastating effects of the Joker toxin. But the room is still flooded with the toxic gas, which would ultimately threaten our intrepid hero. But upon closer inspection, he realizes the fan ventilation system has been shut down, and a batarang could unlock its activation. Quickly, he rushes to disable the mechanism, as a mysterious door opens, revealing the mastermind himself - Joker. 

The clown proceeds to gloat before the real challenge unfolds. A towering humanoid monster emerges, wielding immense strength, as it lobs dead bodies and strong punches our way.

After the thrilling battle against Joker's monstrous pet, he informs Batman of his plan to goad the hero into killing him once and for all. However, Batman is not so easily tricked, and decides to track Joker down and discover his secrets instead. Batman learns that the machine Joker escaped on is used to transport inmates of solitary confinement, but it won't activate. Luckily, Joker himself provides the solution, as their previous interactions can be replayed via videotrons. Using the whiskey breath particles in the air detected by Batman's cowl, he tracks down Officer Boles, leading to a thrilling chase, a hostage situation and even more answers.

After a captivating exchange with the Arkham guard, Harley Quinn ambushes Batman with a surprise attack that sends her soaring up the elevator shaft and out of sight. With the elevator wrecked and the area filled with dangerous Joker thugs, Batman must navigate through a labyrinth of twists and turns while fending off wave after wave of the clown's villainous fiends. As the fight rages on and Harley's fate remains unknown, Batman's resolve is tested as he forges a path towards the heart of Arkham's corruption. As we finally get out of the first set of waves of thugs, we learn of Boles' fate, Joker killed him and left him in front of the exit. 

Once we're finally outside, we get a bigger scale on how big this world is, and how big this game is. Arkham Asylum is ran by the Asylum, as we see a group of guards outside, scared, alone, and waiting for orders on what to do next, as Joker's voice comes on the intercoms. He puts a hit on The Batmobile, we quickly rush to our vehicle and get one last piece of equipment. minor explosives to destroy walls. 

Our detective mode is once again activated, and we notice a familiar pipe on the dashboard of the Batmobile – Commissioner Gordon's. Scanning the tobacco around the vehicle, we follow the traces back to the commissioner himself. He is found unresponsive on the ground, pulled away before we can offer our help. We continue following the trail of tobacco and finally come upon the source of the screams, Dr. Crane, better known as the Scarecrow, who was once a colleague of Commissioner Gordon before he became a villain. In a dramatic shift of genres, the game transforms into a horror-like stealth mission as we navigate a swarm of cockroaches on the ground. As we enter the morgue, the sight of the bodies of our dead parents laid out in body bags hits us hard with emotional trauma. The bodies shame us for our failures and weaknesses, as the third one turns out to be the Scarecrow himself, transforming into a gigantic monster. It all seems eerily familiar to a scene from The Evil Within 2, as we try to silently navigate past the monster.

The way past Scarecrow's monstrous form is a challenging obstacle course, requiring creative use of all the skills and gadgets at our disposal. We grapple onto ledges, sneak past broken walls, and make use of our explosive Gel to create an opening for ourselves. Even the bat signal is transformed into a practical tool, which we use to free ourselves from Scarecrow's toxins. Once we escape his grips, we quickly make our way out of the hospital, only to find a taunting Joker on the intercoms. He announces that Gordon is freed but still held hostage by Harley Quinn, making this a stealth-fuelled puzzle!

Getting past the guards and releasing Commission Gordon from Harley Quinn's clutches are just the prelude to more fun when Joker announces his surprise waiting for us back in the warehouse. Gordon and Batman exchange a knowing look, and they rush back to where they encountered Bane the first time. Bane is desperate to be freed, and Joker finally agrees, releasing Bane from his restraint. What follows is the game's most exciting and challenging boss fight, as we face off against Venom-deprived Bane once again, but with a whole new level of adrenaline-pumping action!

Bane presents two distinct challenges for players in the game. The easier approach is to take him on with batarangs, stunning him and unleashing a barrage of attacks in quick succession. The more difficult route is to take up a hand-to-hand battle against Bane, using fists alone to take him down. This approach is a real challenge and is attached to an achievement, making the struggle even more satisfying upon completion. Even if you're defeated, Bane will pay homage to the infamous Knightfall scene by breaking your back, showing his dominance.

The fight with Bane in the game is a grueling and painful journey, making it all the more satisfying when the challenge is overcome. Especially when you opt to fight Bane without batarangs, making the experience even more challenging. When the epic battle is won. Batman escapes from the sewers, returning to the streets of Arkham. That's where he's met by a familiar face, the proud and relieved Commissioner Gordon. As the two old friends relive the epic battle with Bane together, they learn that Bane holds two targets for his revenge: to once again break the Batman, and to break the "Breja." Which thanks to batman, we learn means "Witch" which. i assumed would mean, Poison Ivy.. my reasoning is that well, Bane's first debut after Knightfall was a movie where Poison Ivy used Bane as a henchmen.. and well she would be the closest to be a witch.

copyright: Warner Bros

At the conclusion of Bane's epic journey to the sea, we find ourselves returning to the secret Batcave on the island to speak with Oracle. Once again, she and Bruce discuss what the best strategy to handle the situation. They also mention the whole witch thing. Batman informs us about a doctor that was working with Bane. Doctor Penny Young the woman who specializes in treating patients like Bane who are struggling with venoms like the ones he's used in the past. That Joker had her under his thumb trying to get the Venom formula. Batman laments a little, aware that he's going to need to traversal the old and decrepit sewer system. the system is a maze of old architecture and pillars. we get a glimpse of killer crock behind a wall we cannot get to. the moment is a bit crazy, but we venture on. And while the path ahead doesn't lead to the Joker or Poison Ivy like they were anticipating, it does seem to have brought them to Dr. Young. But the genre of the game abruptly switches back to a psychological horror style. The atmosphere grows unsettling, as it was during the first Scarecrow segment.

In a truly unexpected and chilling turn of events, the fear toxin sends Batman back to his youth and his tragic past when he witnessed the murders of his parents, sending the character back to that horrible moment and his childhood pain. But Bruce must shake it off and find the strength to conquer his worst fears in this nightmarish obstacle course that the toxin has created as a psychological challenge. Once he's done so, he's back on the chase for Professor Young. In this mission that makes heavy use of detective mode, Bruce must utilize his skills as a forensic scientist to find Professor Young based upon the unique fingerprints and patterns of her hand. Once you track her down and she divulges the location of the book in which the antidote formula has been hidden. However, the Joker is lurking around the whole time, taunting you and trying to thwart your progress. But despite being outplayed, you persist in the quest to track down the Joker...

And so, just as you have finally tracked down Doctor Young, who we learn that yes Joker was paying her to make the formula, but she started to regret it and send the money back and end the work with the Joker. But you can never tell the Joker no. which is why he's trying to track her down again, we thankfully save her, and we acquired the essential knowledge needed to find a way out of the nightmare that the fear toxin has created, a bomb explodes, knocking the hero unconscious. Once awakening, it's time to face down the thugs sent by Harley Quinn, as they try to rough you up. After defeating them, you bump into a distraught Poison Ivy, who is pained because the plants are being affected by Joker's big scheme. You try to reason with her, but to no avail. The villains seem to have all the cards stacked in their favor. It seems that Harley Quinn has a vast army of crazed lunatics at her disposal, ready to challenge you in an electrifying battle. They put up a tough fight with their unpredictable behavior, but eventually you defeat them. However, even after Harley Quinn is trapped in a cell, that doesn't mean it's safe to relax. You must now race to find Joker in the botanical gardens, where he awaits you with a smile and a devious plan in mind.

We pursue Joker further into the depths of Arkham Island, we find ourself deep into the gardens,  we find joker kidnapped more doctors. when we free them we learn of a secret lab where theyre making Venom serum. once we enter the door, we corner and ambush him. But the Joker is full of surprises, always seeming one step ahead of us. The villain pulls out a dart gun from his pocket and shoots it into the goons he has brought with him. The darts activate a variant of the Bane venom, turning the thugs into titans. The fight with the Bane-esque versions of the thugs is no easy task, as their power levels have been boosted tremendously. You can use them as a tool to ride on their backs like a bull, if you can avoid being knocked off.

Our dashing caped hero has managed to ride the titan thugs like a bat cowboy, bringing a end to their venom-fueled power and destroying the vats. Reinvigorated, the hero returns to Oracle, where they provide a quick recap of what has occurred. Once Oracle is up to speed, they guide the cape- donning adventurer toward the whereabouts of Ivy, who is still anti-human and pro-plant. But when told of the danger the plants are facing, Ivy reluctantly decides to put her prejudice aside and lends her help to our capes hero in their quest to cure the venom. We also get the most useful item outside of bat-a-rangs and explosives gaining the zipline shooter giving us the ability to travel massive amounts of distances between batman and crevices. 

The cure for the venom is located in Killer Croc's cave. But the situation has become complicated, as Ivy has been tricked and injected with the venom serum by the Joker. Even as the island is overrun by crazed lunatics and massive titanic plants, we must find a way to reach the cave. Getting there is no easy task, with a biometric scan of the warden the only way to gain entrance. Thankfully, we have the support of a few comrades we have rescued along the way. But it's still a dangerous situation that requires all kinds of skills and determination to navigate.

The game continues to throw hurdles our way with the situation only getting worse. Joker begins sticking it to us by rigging the gargoyles with explosives and sending wave after wave of thugs at us. As we begin to survive the onslaught, the game suddenly glitches out, presenting us with a fake restart. But it's a bait and switch as Joker is driving the Batmobile and bringing Bruce into Arkham. As Bruce struggles, he's met with Harley Quinn and a doctor in the process of evaluating him and prepping him for the asylum. And the doctor? is scarecrow. 

The game takes a twisted turn as Scarecrow seems to analyze and examine you, only to have Joker pull out a gun and shoot you in the head! This prompts a "false game over" screen to appear. But as you instinctively hit the "retry" button, Batman pushes himself out of the grave, only to awaken to a bizarro world of Batman-esque men in cages and another Scarecrow obstacle course. You're unable to interact with these strange Batman doppelgangers, so you're only able to make progress by pressing forward in the gauntlet of challenges ahead.

The course is a challenge in every sense of the word, mocking and commentating with a hand puppet that apparently the Joker took or was given by the Batman villain the ventriloquist. This time, however, the light at the end of the tunnel is a boss battle. You must fight off hordes of skeletons and hit a light switch, ultimately winning the fight and revealing Scarecrow. He's in your grasp but manages to slip away and escape into the sewers, just out of your reach.

As you once again corner Scarecrow, he threatens to unleash his fear toxin into the sewer water below. Thankfully, Killer Croc has other plans and manages to drag Scarecrow into the water, presumably taking him out of the equation for good. 

You're now making your way through the sewers, with the walls covered in vines and bulbs filled with venom toxins. The journey between each bulb is a horror show all its own, as wrong moves lead to the water below becoming an immediate threat. Killer Croc can come from below at any moment to take you out of the game. And just when you think he's had enough, he pops up unexpectedly like Nemesis from Resident Evil and bursts through a wall to devour you. The only solution is to hit his collar with a bat-a-rang to shock him and return him to the vile waters below.

When we've had enough of the venomous atmosphere, we rush back to the safety of the bat cave. As we make our way, the waters below stir and Killer Croc tries to hunt us down. But batman's prep time comes in clutch and the explosives get the job done, sending Croc back into the sewers. Back in the bat cave, Bruce tries to make a serum for the venom, only for us to find one of Ivy's vines crashing into the computer. All we have now is a limited supply of the antidote. That means it's time to find Ivy and save Arkham and Gotham.

But first, a quick detour as the sewers are flooded with venom toxin. This course will eventually lead to Gotham Harbor, causing a big issue for the city. Oracle is quick to provide a solution, letting us know that there are three pumps that need to be turned off in order to prevent titan-ification. The pumps are locked behind several gauntlets of goons, but it's an easy fix. However, the Joker is pissed about Batman stopping his plans, and he hits back with more waves of goons. With the titan-ification threat looming, we must tread carefully and remain vigilant.

It's a simple battle, as Ivy lures us in with her hypnotic voice and commands her vines to draw us in. Once we arrive, she's mad with power, claiming the plant life wasn't in pain, but rather evolving into its next stage. But, the fight is simple, she slams her vines on the ground. and makes more vines to grab you. but when she does this you get a small opening to throw a bat-a-rang at her to go for the end game. It's a test of patience rather than an actual boss fight. But, in the end; she is ultimately engulfed in a giant plant bulb and vine, with the fight playing out as a test of patience rather than brute force. One must simply wait for her to expose herself and toss a bat-a-rang to achieve victory.

Once Ivy is defeated, we make our way to the final bout, where Joker awaits us. His puppet companion from the ventriloquist is by his side, taunting us with its creepy voices. Joker continues to employ his usual tactics, bombarding us with waves of thugs and titans, all while dangling the barely conscious commissioner Gordon above us. It's time for the main event, as the Joker taunts us and dares us to face him head on.

The scene plays out with the Joker lowering commissioner Gordon on a rope, his venom toxin gun aimed at the helpless man. He pulls the trigger, 

prepared to end Gordon's life, but Batman leaps into action and saves the day. Joker continues to mock him, trying to taunt the Dark Knight into finally succumbing to the toxin. But the Joker takes things to a whole new level, spraying himself with the venom and becoming a towering titan of destruction.

 With the Titan Joker on a rampage, the stakes have been raised and Batman must find a way to stop this monster before it's too late. 

The final boss fight is straightforward and not very difficult. With Titan Joker attacking you, the big bad will occasionally throw a tantrum when you hit him enough times, summoning a wave of thugs to attack you. Take advantage of this distraction by using the bat claw to bring him down from the skies and back to your level. After defeating the thugs, he will eventually return to taunt reporter Jack Ryder, which you can use to bring him back down with the bat claw yet again. It's a rinse and repeat process, with Batman delivering the final blow via an explosive gel-enhanced punch.

The epilogue is concise but sets the tone perfectly for the next adventure. Gordon is debriefing with Oracle, when Batman emerges from the shadows. It seems there's an APB out for Two-Face's robbery of the Gotham bank, as the camera slowly pans to the ocean, where Bane's body washes up onto the shore, alive and his hand still gripping a box of Venom toxin. as it fades to black

Odds-n-ends:

The acting and writing are wonderfully well done, conveying an authentic sense of heroism and Batman. The atmosphere is dark and dreary, matching the tone of the comics' depiction of Arkham Asylum. The world is built up to a grand scale, with powerful moments and high stakes consequences that truly bring the story to life. Even when minor characters from the comics or animated series make cameos or become significant plot points, no one feels overlooked. It's a comprehensive take on the Batman universe, with a deep respect for its source material and a joy in the story of hope and perseverance.

Mechanics:

The game is packed with dynamic features and mechanics that make it one hell of a fun time. From unlocking doors and hacking into machines, to throwing bat-a-rangs, placing liquid-plastic explosives to blow open walls, and zip-lining and grappling around, the game is a truly engaging experience that will keep you on your toes. It also has a compelling story with a lot of love and care for the Batman franchise, making it a winner all around.

combat: 

the combat in the game is very fluid, using punches, kicks, and weapons like bat-a-rangs and and grapple hooks

Overall:

The game is great! It has a beautifully dark story that exudes genuine admiration and love for the Batman character and franchise. As if that wasn't enough, you have the added benefit of getting eye full of that sweet, sweet Harley Quinn clussy. 10/10 for sure!