The Batman Arkham Asylum demos hit the 360 and PS3 this past weekend, and I reluctantly downloaded it just to see how it was. The game has been somewhat hyped, but with it being a “licensed game” by an unknown developer and published by the morally questionable Eidos (Tomb Raider, Kane & Lynch), I was wary because that combination has many of the signs that will often end up being a garbage title.
When I first loaded up the game and saw that it was powered by the Unreal Engine 3 (the same engine behind BioShock, Gears of War, and Mass Effect), I was already pleasantly surprised. I thought, “Hmm, this game may not be so bad after all.” The 1.5 GB demo actually showcased a lot of interesting features of the game. It opened somewhat blandly as you played Batman and easily knocked out several unarmed foes. I remember playing that scene in a Best Buy weeks back and walking away unimpressed. I should have stuck around to play further.
The next parts of the demo were what made the game a lot more interesting, as it introduced enemies with firearms (so you couldn’t just rush in and beat them down), your grapple hook (to get yourself quickly above enemies to take them down from the air), stealth takedowns, and a detective mode that functions similarly to the Scan Visor in Metroid Prime, showing you aspects of things you are looking at that you wouldn’t be able to see with the naked eye. You can even see where enemies are positioned, their panic state, etc.
After the first few rooms, the demo concluded with a room where there were five patrolling guards. The objective of the room was to clear out the guards in any way you wanted. It had elements of stealth reminiscent of Metal Gear Solid, but your objective is to take out all of the guys instead of running from them. The first two guards I easily took out with stealth kills, and the third one I used my grappling hook to reach high ground and fly in from above to knock him out. Upon taking out the third guard, the other two guards came running towards the commotion so I quickly disappeared into the dark. They began to panic, and split up, allowing me to take one out when the other one turned a corner. The last guard started really going nuts and shot at anything that was making noise like the steam pipes. This was what made me think, “Wow, I’m having a lot of fun. This really feels like Batman!” I then descended upon the final guard, knocked him out, and proceeded further before the demo concluded.
I have to say, if the demo is a strong indication of the game, it’s looking excellent. And with it coming out in two weeks, it’s definitely now on my radar. And with the fact that Batman is actually an amazing detective, this game could be like BioShock, Splinter Cell, and Condemned all put together for a package full of win. The demo was probably the best one I’ve played in a while, and has practically sold me on the game if it ends up being a good length. If you have any interest in Batman, check it out if you get a chance!
