He has a multitude of names — Batman, the Caped Crusader, the Dark Knight, Bruce Wayne — and is one of the world’s most iconic superheroes. For almost 85 years, Batman has fought to keep the streets of Gotham City safe.
In his tireless campaign against crime, Batman has faced a litany of colorful foes who now make up a recognizable rogues’ gallery, such as the Joker, Penguin, the Riddler, Bane, Mr. Freeze and Poison Ivy.
But, thanks to his famous no-kill rule, Batman needs somewhere other than the cemetery to deposit said villains. While average villains such as Joe Chill are sent to Blackgate Penitentiary, most of the Dark Knight’s adversaries are sent to Arkham Asylum.
The Elizabeth Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane, simply referred to as Arkham Asylum, is where baddies like Two-Face spend their time between jailbreaks. Batman has been leaving villains here for 50 years.
The comics have given the readers glimpses into the institution, but given the medium, audiences never had a chance to fully explore Arkham Asylum. That is, until the 2009 release of Batman: Arkham Asylum.
Developed by Rocksteady Studios, the title follows Batman (shocking, I know) as he deals with the Joker trying to take over Arkham Island. The player takes control of Batman as he explores the island, looking for information on the Joker’s plans and stopping all of the bad guys who are working with the Clown Prince of Crime.
And honestly? It’s unsettling. I assume that most people would pick up a Batman game and think it was going to be a simple game about gliding down from buildings and breaking a few jaws. While those are aspects of the game, they are not its focus.
The player explores all of the buildings on Arkham Island such as Intensive Care and the Penitentiary. Every location is haunting in its own way.
Sometimes, there’s just nothing. The player has to frequently move down abandoned halls. If they’re lucky, there will be a little spray paint from the Joker. But most of the time, it plays music that would not be out of place in an elevator, as if to affirm that Batman should be alone here.
The Joker leaves presents for Batman all over the place. In particular, he loves leaving dead people for the Caped Crusader to find.
My favorite parts of the game, however, come in rooms full of armed thugs. The goal of these rooms is to take out each of the goons without any of them finding the player.
It’s intense to hide behind corners and perch on gargoyles while watching men with guns go about their business, just hoping that Batman will show up.
If they see the player, all of the foes will start pumping as much lead into the Dark Knight as they can. Stealth is essential to keeping him alive.
But unlike other games with stealth mechanics, there are consequences to all of the player’s actions. If an unconscious body is discovered (remember, Batman doesn’t kill), then the rest of the thugs will become nervous and on edge, making it harder to approach them.
Batman: Arkham Asylum delivers on a promise of half-a-century: exploring this location is every bit as offputting as it should be. The action segments in this game are also phenomenal, but I wanted to focus more on the atmospheric aspects of this title.
I give this one a 4/5. The fact that this ended up launching an excellent trilogy of games is merely the icing on the cake.
Tolbert can be contacted at [email protected]. Tell him your favorite Batman villain.
