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Here at Game-Pad, I know of at least a couple of other huge Batman fans among the staff and community , not including myself. Everybody knows Batman is as big as they come, and even fans who have never seen a Batman comic in their lives know some of his story, wide range of villains, and the ever popular city of Gotham which he protects thanks to the recent 2 movies. So with that to live up to, it is amazing we have never really seen a game to truly envision what it is like to control Batman...until now...Because Lego Batman really don't count guys .

So this is where Arkham Asylum fills this void, with a setting that fits perfectly in the Batman comic and the awesome Animation Series, combat that is fun to use, and a story that will have all fans, whether diehard or casual, enjoying every minute that they play.

Arkham Asylum begins with Batman delivering Joker back to the Asylum from which he has once again escaped. So maybe not a great idea to take him back then really! Anyways, this is the opening sequence of the game, which sees you strolling through the Asylum, making sure Joker doesn't cause a shit storm whilst in the process of being locked-up. During this 5-10 minute escorting process, you meet a number of the game's characters that are vital to how the story pan's out, without giving much away, just make a mental note of who and what you see.

Anyways, of course Joker soon escapes the clutches of the guards handling him and wreaks havoc upon the confines of Arkham Asylum.  Batman soon chases after the Joker, learning of his plans to amass an army to take over Gotham City using the inmates within the Asylum. The story is definitely one of the highlights of the game, and being penned by the writers of the awesome Animated Series, nothing gets left out or leaves you wondering what happens. There are plenty of secrets left to find out for yourselves, so we won’t engage any more talks about the story, but throughout the lengthy single player campaign Batman will spend a good amount of time saving Arkham Asylum from the clutches of The Joker.

The basis of Batman’s skill is using gadgets that he has acquired through his company at Wayne Enterprises. These gadgets play an integral role throughout the game and can be used to fight, solve puzzles or simply explore the grounds. While Batman has his standard batarang, he will also gain access to other various tools such as the Batclaw, which lets you grapple onto far away objects, Explosive Gel which allows you to place a sticky gel on objects ready for remote detonation, and the Cryptographic Sequencer that lets you bypass electric fences that would otherwise hinder your progress. Each item is fun to use on its own and the beauty of their uses comes in the fact that they could also be used in battle as well, sometimes flinging batarangs at enemies to stun them or placing explosive gel on various objects to take down enemies from afar. Also each item has a number of upgrades  available to it. For each enemy take-down, each puzzle solved etc, you gain points. These points in-turn fill up an XP bar, and once it's filled, you're prompted that an upgrade is available which then results in a wide variety to select from. But chose wisely, as some may help straight away, and some may not be used till later in the game.

While most will be satisfied with the variety of weapons at your disposal, Batman is also well known for his extensive martial arts training, and the game plays heavily on your ability to tackle thugs in hand-to-hand combat. Hitting an enemy is as simple as pressing the strike button, but then having to utilize counter abilities and combos in battle award you more points, which can then of course be used to upgrade your equipment. As you further progress through the game, groups of ten or more enemies soon feel like a walk in the park as you easily breeze through them with simple ease and perfection.

But, while unarmed thugs are easily taken care of, armed thugs pose more of a threat since gunfire can easily mow Batman down. Armed thugs must be taken down in a more strategic manner, often using the darkness to swing from the rafters and perform silent take-downs. Using detective mode allows you to scan your surroundings using a combined X-Ray and Heat Sensor vision, allowing you to see through objects and easily locate the enemies. Using this tactic is simplistic in nature but also fun to perform as you will find different ways of taking down all the enemies in the room without any of them knowing. You can hide on top of a gargoyle statue and perform an inverted take-down, hide under the vents beneath the floor to perform a ground take-down, or simply sneak up behind an unsuspecting thug to take them down silently at close range, it's all very SplinterCell indeed. The wide range of choices for each scenario is amazing, and you can always go back to the same room and figure out a different way to successfully complete the mission. I personally loved what I call "the hunt", just picking off enemies at the perfect times, then hiding away into the darkness again, only to then hunt the next thug. Really really loved it .

Because the Joker has taken over Arkham Asylum, you will constantly hear him rambling on the system’s speakers about either you or his eventful plans.  Mark Hamill (Yes, Luke Skywalker from Starwars) does a superb job of reprising his role of Joker from the Animated Series, and whether he is letting enemies know of your appearance in the same room or laughing at your previous attempts to foil his plans, The Joker always amuses with his satanic laugh and often endearing phrases. Of course The Joker is not the only villain to cross paths with Batman, as there are several big villains you will encounter at some point in the game, along with various others whom you can find by solving clues scattered around Arkham Island. But Joker's main sidekick in the game is Harley Quinn. She was once a Nurse at the Asylum named Arlene Quinn, who was the first to interview and study the Joker as a patient, and of course, became infatuated with him, falls in love, which let the bad times roll for the rest of Gotham. But you will also meet Scarecrow, Bane & Poison Ivy and quite a few other well known villains from the batman world.

Arkham Asylum is not simply beating up thugs and stopping The Joker’s evil plans. You will have a familiar villain contact you early on in the game to solve his riddles scattered around Arkham Island, (wonder who that could be then). So as you progress through the game, messages pop up on screen, in the form of riddles, that when solved award you with experience points and character bios. Some of the riddles talk about famous inmates at the Asylum, and with dozens of famous Batman villains placed inside the prison, there are a lot of riddles to solve and character profiles to unlock. There are also other secrets to be found as well, such as Insignias of Arkham that tell the story of the Island and interview tapes that play audio of some of the more famous villains in their psychiatric sessions, these are great to listen to, very well done, and for those who don't know the stories behind these villains they are really are worth listening to.

Finding these hidden items is as simple as running into them, but using Batman’s detective mode makes things a lot easier. Detective Mode not only allows Batman to see enemies in the dark, but it also allows him to locate grappling points, breakable glass, and other interactive objects that could have easily been hidden. Detective mode is perhaps used too much in the game and is probably one of the game’s small mishaps. If like myself, you will probably end up to keeping it on throughout the game in order to safely locate enemies up ahead or search for missing objects. In any case, as I touched on earlier, clues found and enemies defeated award you points which can be used to upgrade your suit’s armor, give you extra combat abilities and upgrade your gadgets, so it is often in your best interest to search long and hard for those clues, as they not only give you access to character bios and secrets, but points needed to make yourself stronger too.

After spending a good deal of time in the single player campaign, players can try their hand at combat and predator challenges. In combat challenges players are simply tasked with taking out waves of enemies, earning points for taking no damage and earning combo multipliers. The waves get harder as you progress, with enemies who carry stun batons requiring you to perform specific moves to take them down. In Predator Challenges, players can re-play various scenarios from the story where they are tasked with taking down all the enemies in the fastest time, earning points for specific scenarios. For example, one mode tasked us with taking down one enemy by inverted take-down, two with explosive gel being put on the window, and one by silent take-down. Figuring out the fastest and cleverest way to execute these is always a fun task and with the harder modes forcing you to stay low (as the gargoyles are rigged with explosives seconds after you touch), battling for the top spot on the leaderboards might last for months.

In addition to the standard Batman Challenge and Predator modes, PS3 owners can download the extra "Play as the Joker" content from the Playstation Network, It is 100% free, and exclusive to the PS3 (sorry 360). And I must say its very good too. I makes the option to "play as the Joker" available in the Challenge and Predator modes only, not the whole game story . As with Batman, Joker can fight & counter, all with unique Joker animations, some which are very very funny. It would have been easy to have him doing the same moves as Batman, just with a Joker skin slapped on top. But they have taken the time to get the Jokers characteristics in him fighting style, even how he walks. And of course the stuff he says while fighting. A great addition for free that's for sure.

But one thing that seems like an opportunity wasted is a multiplayer mode, as the game seems naturally fit for the idea. Similar to how SplinterCell had agents versus mercenaries, one team could comprise of thugs trying to flush out Batman and kill him while the other controls Batman as he tries to take down everyone in the room. A neat idea possibly, but perhaps the developers felt the multiplayer would distract from the single player mode, which really is the heart of the game. From the rooms of thugs to take-down, to the mad and slightly disturbing Scarecrow sections, which are some of the best in the game, very well done indeed, and extremely tense stuff.

Visually, Arkham Asylum is stunning. Each of the areas on the Asylum grounds has its own distinct look and vibe which are breathing with life. From the Medical Wing to the Botanical Gardens, each part of the massive prison is embedded with the escaped convicts and villains’ own brand of terror. The Joker casually leaves cynical smilie faces all over the walls and even the Scarecrow’s stealth level, that has you fighting off his fear gas, is beautifully created in a unique 'scare the shit out of you' kind of of way. The sound is one of the best aspect's of Arkham Asylum, as it leads to the overall effect of the game. The voice actors, most notably Mark Hamill as the Joker and Kevin Conroy as Batman, really steal the show. Other voice actors for the various other villains are equally as impressive, and even the lowly thugs and guards have their own blend of personality; just watch and listen to them scared for their lives as you are dispatching of them one by one.

So Eidos and the pretty much unknown developer Rocksteady (until now that's for sure) have given fans a reason to love Batman games again. From the very solid single player game, amazing voice acting, rewarding challenge maps and dozens of unlockable bios and collectibles, any fan or even non-fan will be hard-pressed to not give this game a try.

Only a lack of multiplayer, and over use for the need of the Detective mode bring the score down a little for me (but maybe that was just me, I'm not sure, comments please). But please don't let that deter you, Without a doubt, it really is one of the best games of the year, also one of the best single player game stories I have played In a long while.

Batman Arkham Asylum gets an official Game-Pad 8.5/10