Batman Falls Prey to Overhype in "Arkham Asylum"

This season, Batman faced one of his greatest enemies - overhype. For months now, his latest console adventure Arkham Asylum has been touted as something of a gaming milestone, a refreshing take on the Batman mythos with awesome, addictive game play. Advance buzz described it as unique, incredibly fun, and leagues ahead of other Batman games. Forum gamers and professional reviewers alike hopped on the Bat-wagon to sing its praises. So, where did they go wrong?

The Good

Being completely fair and unbiased, some elements of Arkham Asylum must be acknowledged with appreciation. First, the inclusion of Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill as the voices of Batman and Joker was nothing short of genius. Many of today's adult gamers were raised on the 90's Batman Animated Series, which set a high bar for quality writing and execution in animation. A bar that still holds true today, in fact. To them, these voices are iconic, and hearing them in the game helps to create an authentic atmosphere. Then the portrayal of Arkham itself, while somewhat repetitive after continued play, is suitably dank, dreary, and creepy. There's no doubt the game is impressive to look at. And not to be forgotten is the theme itself - Batman plunging into Arkham to cross swords and wits with his arch-nemesis. It's an idea that grabbed the imagination of gaming and comic fans alike.

The Bad

While the game skillfully captures the mood of Arkham and presents some great ideas, the execution of your adventure as Batman quickly falls flat. Arkham Asylum has been presented as a game that makes you feel what it's like to be Batman. Yet for all these claims, the player is left with very few real choices to make. Despite the included "Detective" mode, which helps sniff out useful items and strategies, the game experience is decidedly formulaic and trite - a cocktail of repetitive "run here, crawl through here, grapple here, fight these thugs, pick up a clue" choices, which aren't really choices at all. The fact is, with this game you're on the rails and can do nothing but follow exactly where they lead you - like a much darker, prettier Super Mario Bros.

Why Everyone Else Is Wrong

Just about every other reviewer will be singing this game's praises, even though it does nothing to deserve such accolades. Why? For a couple of reasons. First, we all really want a great Batman game. Especially people like me - fans of both comics and games. It frustrates us that no one has seemed to crack the code on how to create an immersive Batman experience. So when someone comes out with a new idea - and a beautifully rendered one at that - we tend to hero worship and overhype in our excitement. Second, whether they'll admit it or not - and they won't - many reviewers fall prey to the pack mentality. If the first reviews are glowing, more often than not any subsequent opinions will mirror what was initially postulated, regardless of its inaccuracy. Because most reviewers don't want to lose cred when everyone else purports to love a new title, and they don't want to be the sole voice of dissent. Well, here's the voice of dissent, and trust me - I'm right and they're wrong.

Bottom Line

For your money, there are much better games out there than Batman: Arkham Asylum. Gamers wanting a truly immersive experience would be better off spending their money on titles like Fallout 3 or Mass Effect, or saving for the much-anticipated Dragon Age: Origins. But if you simply must have a Batman game for the sake of having a Batman game, well....don't say I didn't warn you.