Batman: Arkham Asylum

Batman: Arkham Asylum is an action-adventure game viewed from the third-person perspective. The playable character is visible on the screen and the camera can be freely rotated around him.[3][4][5] The player controls Batman as he traverses Arkham Asylum, a secure facility for the criminally insane located off the coast of Gotham City.[6] The opening areas of the game are linear, serving as a tutorial for the moves and approaches available to the player. Once the player emerges onto the island they can freely explore the game world, although some areas remain inaccessible until certain milestones in the main story.[7][8] Batman can run, jump, climb, crouch, glide from heights using his cape, and use his grapple gun to climb low structures or escape to higher ledges.[8]

Batman uses "Detective Vision" to solve puzzles and track enemies throughout the game. Enemies with firearms are identified by red x-ray images.

The player can use "Detective Vision"—a visual mode which provides contextual information, tinting the game world blue and highlighting interactive objects like destructible walls and removable grates, the number of enemies in an area and their status—such as their awareness of Batman's presence—and shows civilians and corpses.[8][9] The mode is also used to follow footprints, investigate odors, and solve puzzles.[3]

Batman has access to several gadgets which he can use to explore or fight. The batarang is a throwing weapon that can temporarily stun enemies or trigger remote devices. A remotely controlled version can be steered once thrown,[10] and the sonic batarang can be used to attract the attention of specific enemies wearing monitoring collars, or detonated to knock a nearby enemy unconscious. Explosive gel can be used on weak walls and floors, and can be remotely detonated—sending rubble crashing onto an enemy.[8][11] The line launcher can be used to traverse horizontal spans.[12] The Batclaw—a grappling device—can be used to interact with remote objects such as vent covers or to grab enemies. The Cryptographic Sequencer is used to override security panels, open new paths, or disable various asylum functions.[13] Some areas are inaccessible until Batman acquires the gadgets necessary to overcoming the obstacle.[14] The player is encouraged to explore the game world away from the main game to find and solve riddles left by the Riddler—who hacks into Batman's communication system to challenge him with riddles. Objects can be collected, and some of the Riddler's puzzles require the player to find areas related to the answer to a riddle and scan it with "Detective Vision".[3][8] The game world has 240 collectable items, such as Riddler trophies, chattering Joker teeth, interview tapes with some of Arkham's inmates, and cryptic messages left in the asylum by its founder Amadeus Arkham that discuss the facility's sinister history.[8] The player is rewarded for solving riddles and finding collectibles with experience points and additional game content, including challenge maps that test the player's skill at the game's combat system, character biographies, and in-game statues of Arkham Asylum's characters.[8][9]

Players can traverse enemy-controlled areas using stealth or direct combat. The game's "Freeflow" combat uses three main buttons: attack, stun, and counter.[8] The system lets Batman move quickly between enemies, chaining attacks together until all enemies are unconscious. Combining the three main abilities can keep Batman attacking while moving between enemies and avoiding being attacked himself. The more combo attacks that are chained together, the faster and more agile Batman becomes, and special attacks—such as a throw, grapple, and an instant takedown which can immediately defeat an enemy—become available. Combat is rewarded with experience points, which are used to unlock gadgets, combat moves, and health upgrades. Higher combos, a wider variety of moves, and avoiding damage delivers more points.[5][7][9] Enemy attacks are preempted with a warning icon, which indicate the attack can be countered.[3] Some enemies require different approaches to overcome; knife-wielding thugs must be stunned before they can be attacked,[7] and others must be struck from behind. Some enemies are armed with guns which significantly damage Batman.[8] Enemies react to Batman's elimination of their allies, which raises their fear level and alters their behavior; for example, they will adopt new patrol routes, requiring the player to adapt to the changing situation.[7][15] During combat, Batman's health is diminished by attacks, but is fully restored once the battle ends.[8]

The player can use predatory tactics through stealth—including silent takedowns, dropping from overhead perches and snatching enemies away, or using the explosive gel to knock foes off their feet—to tilt the odds in their favor. Some areas feature sections that require the player to use these tactics to avoid alerting the Joker's henchmen and thus failing to meet an objective. Many areas feature stone gargoyles placed high above, helping Batman remain concealed. Batman can use his grapnel gun to reach the gargoyles, giving him a high vantage point over the area and the enemies. From the gargoyles, Batman can glide down to attack enemies or hang upside down from the gargoyles to grapple a nearby enemy and leave him tethered there.[9] The player can use floor grates to attack from below, hide around corners, use batarangs to stun enemies from afar,[8] and use the grapnel gun to pull enemies over ledges.[8][9]

Arkham Asylum features a series of challenge maps separate from the game's story mode that are unlocked while playing, and others are available as optional downloadable content (DLC). The maps focus on the completion of specific goals, such as eliminating successive waves of enemies in combat, and subduing patrolling enemies while using stealth. The methods and variety of abilities used to achieve these goals earn an overall performance score that is ranked online against other players.[5][8] On the PlayStation 3, the Joker is a playable character in the combat and stealth challenge maps via optional DLC; he must confront the asylum guards and police commissioner James Gordon. The Joker has his own combat abilities and weapons, such as a handgun, exploding chattering teeth, and x-ray glasses which allow him to see opponents through walls.[16]

On compatible systems, the Microsoft Windows version uses nVidia's PhysX software engine to produce realistic, dynamic interactions with the game world. With PhysX enabled, some areas contain smoke or fog which reacts to Batman moving through it, while with PhysX disabled the fog will not appear at all. Other effects include dynamic interaction with paper and leaves, surfaces which can be scratched and chipped, and dynamic, destructible cloth elements such as banners and cobwebs.[17][18][19] The Game of the Year version features the ability to play the game in 3D on any 2D television using anaglyph 3D glasses.[20]

Mark Hamill in 2010. He reprised his role as the villainous Joker from multiple animated projects, alongside Kevin Conroy and Arleen Sorkin.

Batman: Arkham Asylum was first announced in August 2008; it was developed by British studio Rocksteady Studios under the aegis of Eidos Interactive and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment.[39][40] Eidos obtained the rights to make a Batman game in spring 2007, and approached then little-known Rocksteady after viewing the developer's prototype. At Eidos' request, Rocksteady presented their approach to the Batman license, and by May 2007, they had begun developing the game's concept, with full production beginning in September.[41][42] Writer Paul Dini (Batman: The Animated Series, Detective Comics) was first approached by DC Comics around late 2007 about the prospect of creating a story for an original Batman video game. Dini found the idea intriguing, believing that few Batman games were based on an original idea, instead being adapted from film or television. DC Comics asked Dini what his approach to writing a new Batman film or graphic novel would be, but one that was designed for gameplay. He later met with the Rocksteady team, where it was decided that Dini's ideas were in line with what Rocksteady wanted to achieve.[43] By the time Dini joined the project, Rocksteady were investigating the idea of setting the game within Arkham, and had produced preliminary designs depicting it as a huge estate on an island connected to mainland Gotham City by a bridge. The cast had not been finalized, but given the setting it was certain that the Joker would play a large role.[44] The game and story were developed together, with the limitations of mechanics requiring the story to be built around them. The core aim was to make the game engaging enough for players to spend 8–10 hours completing it, especially those uninterested in Batman-franchised media. Rocksteady would guide Dini when they thought he was writing too much story or character motivation.[43]

Among various Neal Adams and Frank Miller-penned Batman stories, Grant Morrison's Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth was an inspiration for the game's design.[44] Producer Nathan Burlow said the narrative and atmosphere of the 2007 game BioShock influenced Arkham Asylum's design.[45] Director Sefton Hill said the influences of the gadgets and abilities that can be combined and used in different ways came from The Legend of Zelda and Metroid. The design team isolated the components that they felt made Batman, and exaggerated these elements. Design ideas which contradicted these facets of the character were dropped, and other elements of Batman, such as his refusal to kill his enemies, were strictly enforced, which provided additional challenges in allowing the player to have complete freedom in the game without transgressing on that fundamental aspect of the character.[46] Arkham Asylum was chosen as the setting because it confined the player to an area containing several enemies, whereas in an open city setting he could receive help, return to the Batcave, or otherwise be able to distance himself from his opponents.[41]

The development team wanted to include iconic aspects of the Batman mythos, and decided early on in production to have Conroy, Hamill, and Sorkin reprise their roles in Dini's Batman: The Animated Series as Batman, the Joker, and Harley Quinn, respectively. Hamill has thousands of lines of dialogue in the game, and Conroy has relatively few in comparison. After seeing character models of the Joker's Arkham Asylum appearance, Hamill decided to portray the character as dark and gritty while retaining a clownish and playful nature.[43] Although the game features references to plot events in both The Animated Series and Batman comics, the story does not directly follow any singular story or depiction of the character.[21][41]

The game took approximately 21 months to complete; Rocksteady began development with a team of 40, which had expanded to around 60 by the game's completion.[47] Combat was considered one of the greatest challenges in developing the game; the system went through three iterations. Rocksteady originally developed the game's combat as a full rhythm action game. It was later set in 2D, which involved colored circles crashing into each other during fights; the final system was based on this 2D model.[48] Combat was designed to be unique for Batman, and was given a simple control scheme to reflect the ease with which Batman can perform the moves.[49] Arkham Asylum was built on Epic Games' Unreal Engine 3.[46][50][51] Eidos president Ian Livingstone said one developer spent two years programming Batman's cape, using over 700 animations and sound effects to make it move realistically.[52]

The developers intended to use other Batman characters in the game, but these were removed when it was decided they would not work within the story. For example, Batman's enemy Mr. Freeze did not fit because the character has different motivations to the Joker. Unlike the Riddler, who is obsessed with proving his superiority over Batman, Mr. Freeze does not hold a personal grudge against Batman, and Mr. Freeze would not care about the other villains' plans. A garden maze under Poison Ivy's control was considered as a location; she could grow it in different directions. In its center, Batman would find the Mad Hatter hosting a tea-party, but the developers decided these ideas would not match the game's tone.[43] Batman's vehicles, the Batmobile and Batwing, were considered for inclusion in the game, but developing unique control mechanics and gameplay segments for them would have taken too much time, and compromised its quality; the vehicles appear in the game, but players cannot control them.[53]

Rocksteady began conceiving ideas for a possible sequel, which became Batman: Arkham City, approximately seven months before development of Arkham Asylum was completed. Rocksteady developed ideas for the sequel's story and setting so the games' narratives could be effectively connected.[54][55] A secret room containing hints, blueprints, and concept art for the next game was hidden in the asylum warden's office in Arkham Asylum.[54][55][56] The room remained hidden for six months following the game's release until Rocksteady revealed its presence.[57] Arkham Asylum's musical score was composed by Ron Fish and Nick Arundel, who also composed the soundtrack for the sequel, Batman: Arkham City.[58]

Promotion at E3 2009

Batman: Arkham Asylum was released for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in North America on August 25, 2009, and on August 28 in Europe and Australia.[62] It was released for Microsoft Windows in North America on September 15, 2009, and on September 18 in Europe and Australia.[39] A Game of the Year edition was released on March 26, 2010, in Europe and on May 11 in North America.[63][64] Feral Interactive developed a Mac OS X version, which was released on disc and as a download on November 3, 2011.[65][66] On the Windows version of the game, the developers used an anti-duplication measure that disables Batman's glide ability and causes other bugs, preventing copied games from progressing beyond a certain point. Although not the first game to implement such countermeasures, Arkham Asylum received media coverage, as this was seen as a novel method of copy protection.[67][68]

A Collector's Edition containing the game, a 14-inch (36 cm) replica of Batman's batarang, a behind-the-scenes DVD, a leather-bound 48-page book about Arkham's inmates, and a code to download the "Crime Alley" challenge map was released.[69][70] Pre-ordering the game at some retailers allowed access to the "Dem Bones" challenge map.[28][71] The Game of the Year version was initially announced for release only in Europe, Asia, and Australia, but a North American release was later added.[72][73] The Game of the Year version includes the game, support for TriOviz 3D visual effects, two pairs of themed 3D glasses, and the six released DLC challenge maps—two of which were omitted from the North American version.[20][63][64] A version of the game for the Nintendo Wii was in development by Red Fly Studios before being cancelled.[74]

Batman: Return to Arkham, developed by Virtuos, features remastered versions of Arkham Asylum and Arkham City using the Unreal Engine 4 for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Additionally, both games include all previously released downloadable content, and feature improved graphics, upgraded models and environments, and improvements in the lighting, effects and shaders for both games.[75][76] Originally intended for release in July 2016,[75][77] the collection was delayed indefinitely in June that year in order to give the development team "additional time to deliver a polished Batman Arkham game experience."[78] The collection was released on October 18, 2016.[79]

Batman: Arkham Asylum received critical acclaim.[98][99][100] Aggregating review website Metacritic gave the Xbox 360 version 92/100,[90] the PlayStation 3 version 91/100,[89] and the Microsoft Windows version 91/100.[91] The game held the Guinness World Record for "Most Critically Acclaimed Superhero Game Ever" based on an average Metacritic score of 91.67,[101] until it was succeeded by Arkham City.[100]

Arkham Asylum was called one of the best comic book superhero games ever made. Edge magazine said it was "by some distance the best superhero game of modern times",[2] IGN's Greg Miller called it "the greatest comic book game of all time",[1] and Eurogamer's Dan Whitehead called it "the best superhero game bar none", and wrote that it has "excellent visuals, a compelling story and superb voice acting." Whitehead also wrote, even without the iconic superhero, it would be a polished and engrossing game featuring compelling story and superb voice acting.[8] PSM3's Andy Kelly wrote, "Rocksteady have struck the perfect balance of giving you the confident power of a superhero, but with enough weaknesses to make the game challenging; a remarkable feat of balancing and design".[23] Wired's Chris Kohler said that the game's strength lies in its tight script and masterful acting, making what could be a generic game captivating.[24] 1UP.com's Thierry Nguyen gave the game an A−, stating that Rocksteady "manages to combine combat, stealth, storytelling, and cartoon voices into the best digital Batman simulator we've seen to date."[92]

Several reviewers compared Arkham Asylum to other games—including BioShock for its ability to deliver a unique adventure and establish a connection with the game world, and its innovative ideas;[94] The Legend of Zelda for its adventuring style;[93] Metroid for its world layout;[24] and Resident Evil and Tomb Raider for its classic action-adventuring that acts as a true hybrid of brawling, stealth, and platforming.[8]

The game world's design and the game's attention to detail were well received by critics. Game Informer's Andrew Reiner said the game's setting had a taut and mesmerizing atmosphere, and was a place of wonder and inexplicable horror.[94] Miller called it the right mix of creepy and cool, and appreciated the gradual damage reflected on Batman's suit as the story progressed, but said that pixelated CGI and lip synching issues diminished the presentation.[1] Whitehead said that the impressive animation makes Batman feel alive, but wrote that the world itself was lifeless and lacking in interactive objects. He criticized segments in which character logic was sacrificed for video game tropes, citing repeated use of poison gas and electric floors as obstacles.[8]

The combat system was well received for the simplicity of its implementation, allowing players to use it effectively without learning complex combinations of special moves, and the emphasis upon timing and flow to create fluid, graceful, and satisfyingly brutal attacks. Reviewers said that the combat remained challenging with the inclusion of more difficult-to-overcome enemies, and better use of combat was well incentivized without punishing those unable to master it.[8][9][2] The design of stealth and the wide variety of methods available to disable enemy opponents were praised. Computer and Video Games' Andy Robinson wrote that it is a "thinking man's stealth game" that is the centerpiece of the game,[9][102] and Edge said that the stealth offering was thrilling. Others wrote about the way in which enemies react with fear to the elimination of their allies,[96] but some reviewers criticized the AI for allowing Batman to easily escape when discovered, and for being oblivious to Batman's presence.[2][103] Whitehead said that stealth was not as directly rewarding as combat, citing difficulty in controlling Batman at close quarters and the inconsistent contextual actions.[8]

Arkham Asylum's boss fights were criticized, with many reviewers labeling them as the game's biggest failing. Reviewers found that the battles often rely on old-fashioned, tedious, and repetitive game tropes that required the player to learn and repeat monotonous routines—some of which, in the case of Bane, had already been employed on lesser enemies—or to confront repetitive attack patterns and one-hit deaths.[8][9][14][2] Reviewers generally agreed that the fights were anti-climactic to their build-up spectacle.[8][9][14] The final boss fight with the Joker was singled out for vapid gameplay,[9][2] a battle with Killer Croc was labeled boring and overly long, and the reviewers said these should not have been in the game.[24] However, the fear toxin-induced hallucination segments of Scarecrow's battles were almost unanimously praised as some of the game's best and most cerebral moments for their fourth wall manipulation, subversion of the game's established narrative and expectations, and meta-textual influences that were compared to the battle against Psycho Mantis in 1998's Metal Gear Solid, and 2002's Eternal Darkness.[8][24][104]

The main voice cast—including Conroy as Batman, Sorkin as Harley Quinn, Valenza as Poison Ivy, and Wingert as Riddler—was well received,[8] but Hamill's performance received consistent praise, with reviewers commenting upon his excellent inflection and timing on a cackling, maniacal performance that steals the show.[9][24][1] Nguyen said that Dini and Hamill's Joker was the best depiction of the character outside of The Killing Joke and Heath Ledger's incarnation in The Dark Knight (2008).[92]

Arkham Asylum's success launched a series of Batman: Arkham sequels, beginning in October 2011 with Batman: Arkham City. Set one year after the events of Arkham Asylum, it is the direct sequel to the earlier game. It was developed by Rocksteady Studios, and distributed by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment.[178][179] Manipulated by Hugo Strange, Gotham City's mayor Quincy Sharp closes Arkham Asylum and Blackgate prison, and converts a section of the city's slums into an open air prison known as Arkham City, to house all of Gotham's criminals.[180] While a wary Batman watches over the activities in Arkham City,[181] the Joker is dying from his consumption of Titan.[180][182] The sequel introduces several new characters—including Hugo Strange, Robin, Catwoman, Ra's al Ghul, and Mr. Freeze—to the series. A limited, six-issue comic series, also titled Batman: Arkham City—bridging the plots of Arkham Asylum and Arkham City—was written by Paul Dini and featured art by Carlos D'Anda. The first issue was released on May 11, 2011.[183][184] A third installment of the Arkham series (not developed by Rocksteady), Batman: Arkham Origins, was released in October 2013, featuring a story set before the events of Arkham Asylum.[185] A narrative sequel to Arkham City, Batman: Arkham Knight, was released on June 23, 2015, and is the series' concluding chapter.[186][187]

Writer Grant Morrison said the game was the inspiration for their Batman Incorporated comic book. They said they wanted to "capture the feeling of the Batman: Arkham Asylum game ... When I played that game, it was the first time in my life where I actually felt what it is like to be Batman ...  We are now the heroes, and we can look through their eyes."[188]

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