Fresh impressions come from CVG today for Batman: Arkham Asylum. The best looking Batman game to date, may also be the best playing. Read on for a few new details:
For more information and a large collection of screens, head on over to our previous coverage of the title.
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Not based on the legendary Grant Morrison graphic novel of the same name, though very much drawn from that world, Arkham Asylum is a dark, brutal Batman game, played out in third-person, Resi 4-style. It's an intriguing mix of combat, stealth and detective work, though with surprisingly few of the complications you'd expect trying to blend all three.
Simplicity is the key here: combat works off only three buttons, for example - Attack, Throw and Stun. It's quick, easy, satisfying stuff, but with an added layer of depth should you wish: combo multipliers help you earn experience points, and from there you can distribute skills using a 'light' RPG-style system. Gadgets are also a key part of the game, and secret rooms inside the Asylum will reveal toys vital for your progression. Certain boss characters and enemies can only be taken down using certain gadgets. Fists won't always do.
In an interesting twist, the game features a Metroid-style visor, which allows Bats to pinpoint important information and clues, while scanning them into his database. Detective work will be the only way to advance through certain puzzles, reinforcing the development team's ambition for this not just to be a bone-breaking beat-'em-up. The environment will certainly help: the ingame Arkham is one, huge persistent location, open for you to explore at will. You can go anywhere you want, at any point in the game (even down to Batman's onsite Batcave) though the story will ultimately drive you where it needs you to go... into the arms of the game's supervillains.
The game will support a varied cast of characters that includes the Joker, Two-Face, Killer Croc, Scarecrow, the Penguin, and the Riddler.Simplicity is the key here: combat works off only three buttons, for example - Attack, Throw and Stun. It's quick, easy, satisfying stuff, but with an added layer of depth should you wish: combo multipliers help you earn experience points, and from there you can distribute skills using a 'light' RPG-style system. Gadgets are also a key part of the game, and secret rooms inside the Asylum will reveal toys vital for your progression. Certain boss characters and enemies can only be taken down using certain gadgets. Fists won't always do.
In an interesting twist, the game features a Metroid-style visor, which allows Bats to pinpoint important information and clues, while scanning them into his database. Detective work will be the only way to advance through certain puzzles, reinforcing the development team's ambition for this not just to be a bone-breaking beat-'em-up. The environment will certainly help: the ingame Arkham is one, huge persistent location, open for you to explore at will. You can go anywhere you want, at any point in the game (even down to Batman's onsite Batcave) though the story will ultimately drive you where it needs you to go... into the arms of the game's supervillains.
For more information and a large collection of screens, head on over to our previous coverage of the title.
Source