Batman: Arkham Asylum

[flabbyjack]

Attention: Apparently there is a released 7-hour full playthrough video of the Arkham Asylum game.
Request: Linkage?

 

[Unkillable Cat]

I wouldn't list a Penny Arcade strip as a credible source...even if it told me that water was wet and the sky was blue.

 

[Satori (original)]

Not sure about a 7 hour long playthrough but this guy has several gameplay vids including a Scarecrow and Bane bossfight vid.

http://www.youtube.com/user/PS360HD#pla ... 5kleRrwRAc

 

[Unkillable Cat]

Not anymore, it seems. Eidos are taking this "We are cunts" act all the way.

 

[Deleted member 7219]

I've just tried the demo on the Xbawks. You guys are saying its too easy, and while it doesn't take long to take the bad guys out and the detective mode is basically a cheat, Batman can't take many bullets before dying. Compared to the kevlar he wears in The Dark Knight, its like he's wearing plastic in this one. Try running up to a guard with a machine gun, or grappling a gargoyle while in their line of sight, and you're going to die, simple as that. So it seems like this game is encouraging stealth.

I might get the PC version if I read some good reviews. It's going for £25 on Play.com.

 

[Satori (original)]

XBOX version has leaked.

 

[yes plz]

It was released on the consoles today. Won't be out on the PC for another 20 or so days 'cos of some PhysX faggotry.

 

[CrimsonAngel]

I am getting the PS3 version for the Joker Missions.

 

[Satori (original)]

Doesn't really look all that impressive, linear, button mashing, hand holding and a few queer things such as getting experience for bataranging chattering teeth toys.

http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p ... BC11DEBE76

 

[HanoverF]

That guy playing is really freakin dumb.

The first two boss fights are pretty fun.

 

[Satori (original)]

Also, this is the final boss

Spoiler

http://i25.tinypic.com/2cwv6uq.jpg
It's the Joker hopped up on Titan, a superdrug similar to Bane's Venom. I think most fans of Batman will agree that the Joker would never put any drugs into his body especially this type of shit. I have no fucking clue what Dini was thinking.

 

[yes plz]

That's... not the Joker, is it?

 

[Vaarna_Aarne]

Also, this is the final boss

Spoiler

http://i25.tinypic.com/2cwv6uq.jpg
It's the Joker hopped up on Titan, a superdrug similar to Bane's Venom. I think most fans of Batman will agree that the Joker would never put any drugs into his body especially this type of shit. I have no fucking clue what Dini was thinking.

Spoiler

Worst news about the game I've seen thus far. He's way too intelligent and obsessed with style to settle for anything that vulgar and straight-forward as a Venom-derivative. Not to mention perfectly capable of taking out someone like Alexander Luthor without any shit like that. If this i's true, definately :declineofdini:

 

[Forest Dweller]

I watched a few reviews, and parts of the game sound interesting, but...

Is the whole game dark? Maybe it's a silly thing to be concerned about, but I think I'd get very bored going from one dark room to another dark room for the whole game.

 

[Admiral Rimjob POOBUM]

http://dickensurl.com/bf26/Take_nothing ... etter_rule

hm yes

 

[Forest Dweller]

Oh my god.

Yeah, think I'll pass on this one.

On a side note, what's with the Batman franchise stealing names from the Cthulhu mythos?

 

[Vaarna_Aarne]

On a side note, what's with the Batman franchise stealing names from the Cthulhu mythos?

I think that's a question for Bob and Gil. They started doing that, everyone that followed them continued the tradition. Actually, now that you asked, I want to know what started it in the first place.

 

[Hoaxmetal]

Somehow I've only noticed using Arkham Asylum from Lovecraft.

 

[Hümmelgümpf]

http://dickensurl.com/bf26/Take_nothing_on_its_looks_take_everything_on_evidence_Theres_no_better_rule

hm yes

Good gods. Here, let me save this thread:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7W3sU3pvJ-w

 

[Gragt]

PUMMEL PUMMEL PUMMEL

 

[Mangoose]

Hard mode sounds interesting... No more "icons" telling you when to counter. Bullets kill you very easily.

 

[am0k]

The game is awesome. Fuck you whining motherfuckers.

 

[dipdipdip]

From the demo, it really does seem like the game is going to be a very linear game filled with constant hand-holding and cut and paste corridors that lead you directly to the next cut scene and subsequent bossfight before the game ends at around the five hour mark, or whatever, but I have to say, owning the xbox 360 version, the game opens up quite a lot.

The Arkham grounds are pretty huge -- way, way bigger than what I'm used to when it comes to dealing with modern games with their cramped, consolitis-afflicted enviornments -- and you are encouraged to explore the environments to find the hundreds of "Riddler Trophies" and riddle solutions. These riddles are usually pretty cool, as they involve you discovering nice fan-service-type references to Batman-universe characters. By doing so, you unlock character bios and Smash Bros.-style trophies. I mean, the least these comic book-based games can do is provide fan service, but there's only a few games that actually get it right. Neversoft's Spider-Man for the ps1 had nice cameos from characters like the Punisher and Daredevil, and you had a neat easter egg where going off the beaten path you would stumble upon Green Goblin's secret lair. Arkham has tons of moments like that. So, again, there is waaaay more exploration involved than the demo would have you believe.

Games are rarely ambitious in scope or design these days, but I have to say, Arkham Asylum is one of the few mainstream-oriented games to have surprised me recently.

 

[Metro]

On the one hand, despite flaws in the simplistic game play, it is commendable they actually got Paul Dini for the story and a significant amount of the original voice actors from the 1990's series. On the other, from what I've seen from walkthroughs there are only about four or five notable villains that make an actual appearance in the game itself. Maybe they're saving the rest for DLC or sequels but, overall, it is fairly disappointing. Especially when a lot of the pre-release hype/publicity I saw hinted at a dozen or more potential villains.

 

[Annie Mitsoda]

Things I Didn't Like:
* the camera (manageable but irritating in certain situations)
* one returning sequence that had insta-death bits

Things I Loved:
* EVERY-FUCKING-THING ELSE

Don't pirate this game because 1) that's a shitty thing to do and furthermore 2) because Rocksteady needs to get more money to make more stuff like this. I've worked with the Unreal 3 engine, and the fact that they can get it to do things like OH I DON'T KNOW realistic looking water environments that aren't all goddamn gray and brown AND fluid enjoyable melee combat with like 10+ dudes is nothing short of AMAZING from a developer's perspective. From a player's view? It's just fucking FUN AS HELL.

Seriously. I even hate the character designs (except Commissioner Gordon, Batman, and the Joker), but the models are rad and the environments are beautiful (if a bit cliche in places, but hey, that's Arkham for you). It has a Metroidvania kind of feel, and I played it for like 15+ hours, got all the Riddler clues, and was still only at 84% completion when I beat it.

Game is good. Buy this game. They made stealth feel awesome, that's worth it if nothing else. Give to the devs yer moneys, you won't regret it.

P.S: also, I'm glad they kept the villain guest list narrow - I feel like to do otherwise would be to lower them to guest slots or try to wedge them in where they don't belong. The Penguin doesn't belong in Arkham, for example - he's a businessman and a racketeer.

P.P.S: And the original series VO is so awesome it makes me squeal with happiness. If I met Mark Hamill, no force on earth could prevent me from hugging him. My own willpower to not fangirl at him would snap like a dry branch, and like The Many I would probably slur I'M SORRRRRIEEEEEE before I squeezed him in a joyful embrace, to celebrate him being so, so very awesome.