Batman: Arkum Asylum was on the floor today to play and it’s looking great. Players will control the Dark Knight as he tries to defeat the Joker, who has managed to take over Arkham and release the dozens of inmates inside, not to mention other Joker faithful who were being transported to Arkham. Harley Quinn is along for the ride too as she will help Joker in attempting to halt Batman’s progress.
The game begins with a basic combat sequence against unarmed inmates of Arkham. Batman does not have the ability to block, but there is a fluid counter system in Arkham Asylum that works really well. Before an enemy strikes you, an indicator pops up over his head, allowing you just a moment to react by pressing Triangle to counter. Countering allows Batman to perform some really great and varied moves on his foes. However, unless you are facing basic enemies, that are not armed with guns, you will have to take care of your enemies with stealth.
The stealth element to the game, and to the Batman mythos in general, is undeniable. So in Arkham, Batman is able to take cover at corners, hide in shadows, and use his grappling hook to reach different heights and areas that give Batman a perspective and angle of attack he wouldn’t have otherwise. The Detective Mode element helps players see where enemies are. You can also see key points of interest, including grappling hook locations and other areas that are either required to advance the game or may reveal secrets.
Besides the main campaign, there are also lots of challenge modes to test your hand to hand combat fighting ability and your stealth prowess.
Not surprisingly, given all of the footage we’ve seen so far of the game, Arkam Asylum is looking great…
