The Dark Night, The Caped Crusader or plain old Batman. It is a safe call to say Batman is one the most recognizable comic book characters created. Most people will have a good memory of Batman in one form or another. You might have gotton your Batman fix through the original comics. You might have watched animated series after school. or you might have watched any of the blockbuster movies in the franchise.
One would think a game based on a franchise with such history would automatically be a success, but time after time this recipe has failed. Many comic and movie tie in games have failed to live up to the high stands of the title in question. Transformers and Spider Man I’m looking at you.So after downloading and installing my copy of Batman: Alkam Asylum I tried to clear all my bad memories and start afresh with high hopes.
After a quick Story introduction I Learn that the Joker has handed himself in to batman who is quickly escorted to Alkam Asylum Island, Where he escapes and takes over the Asylum with the help of some buddy’s. You play Batman trying gain control of the Asylum this is as far as I will go with the plot not wanting to spoil it too much.
I have been playing the PC version on 47” Full HD LCD TV and let me tell you this is one sexy game. The asylum is amazing really capturing the feel of a Batman moving or comic. From the dark rooms with long hallways and high ceilings, paper and filing cabinets spread all over and high ledges and gargoyles for batman to swing and hide in. On the flip side to the dark settings you will finds yourself in beautiful well lit gardens full of colour, as well as wide open spaces between the asylum buildings lit only by the moon or in dripping wet underground caves & suers. Really I can’t stress how much the settings make the game and just how important they are to the game play. You will constantly be looking for some where to hide or a high vantage point to swoop down from. I promise once you have finished the story you will be going back just to explore.
The settings make you believe you are batman but it is the story and the voice acting that will have you sitting down for hours on end.
They have strayed away from retelling the most recent movies, given then self the freedom to tell their own epic story. Fans will be excited to learn that the game's main characters are voiced by actors from the DC animated universe, namely Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill, and Arleen Sorkin reprise their roles as Batman, the Joker, and Harley Quinn, respectively. The voice acting of the Joker and Harley Quinn and the rest if the character is very creepy at times and will have you sitting on the edge of your seat, second to this the lip syncing is the best I have seen in game.
A Batman game would not be so without all the gadgets and I am please to say the game play is heavily centered on this and it works really well. You will find self constantly using your grappling hock to get up high, so you can swoop down from the dark or swing from ledge to ledge. There are 2 combat systems to master in game, hand to hand combat and predator mode. Combat is base around mouse clicks that at 1st seam simple and under whelming, Build combos by using right clicks to attack and left clicks to counter. But after a few fights you learn that there is much more skill and depth, gained through unlocks to your suit, equipment gadget and special movies. To unlock these upgraded you will need to perform big combos that will accumulate XP that will then be used to buy upgrade’s. Predator mode is the 2nd combat system which is based on stealth. When in predator mode batman views in x-ray vision reveling where his pray (attackers) are hiding, from here you are able to pick enemies off one by one. You can do this by doing silent take downs, swooping in from the shadows or using gadgets such at the batmerang or grappling hook. I really feel like the game me the freedom to be Batman.
For me the besting thing about the game play is the amount of freedom in game. There are all ways a few ways to get around a few ways to take out enemies. The story and game is set out, but it never fells like this when playing. As well as this there are always new things to find new things to discover weaver it be charter profiles, riddles from the Riddle or new hiding placing the list is endless.
There is only really two let downs for me in the game. This come in the form of boss fights. They are very repetitive and ever to easy or too hard, and not had allot of thought. The one exception to this is the Scarecrow in counters which I’ll let you discover. The 2nd being the i did not get the chance to drive the batmobile:(
That it’s for me now Thanks for reading my thoughts and I’d like to hear what you think of the game.
Disclaimer: I have paid for this game with my own money; have made this post for my own enjoyment.
Darkone
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