About the game
Batman: Arkham Asylum is a 2009 action-adventure game developed by Rocksteady Studios and published by Eidos Interactive together with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. It was written by longtime Batman writer Paul Dini. In the story, Batman battles the Joker, who plans an elaborate takeover of Arkham Asylum, traps Batman inside with many of his imprisoned enemies and threatens Gotham City with hidden bombs.
It is played from the third person, with a focus on combat, stealth, detective skills and gadgets. After a linear opening that works as a tutorial, you can roam the island freely, though some areas stay closed until you reach story milestones or find the right equipment. Combat is about chaining attacks against several foes while avoiding damage, and stealth lets Batman hide and take enemies out one at a time using gadgets and the environment.
Development started at Rocksteady in May 2007 with a team of 40 that grew to about 60 over roughly 21 months. The design drew on Batman comics by Neal Adams and Frank Miller and on Grant Morrison and Dave McKean's graphic novel Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth. It was built on Unreal Engine 3. Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill and Arleen Sorkin returned as Batman, the Joker and Harley Quinn from Batman: The Animated Series.
It was released for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on August 25, 2009 in North America, August 28 in Europe and September 3 in Australia, with a Windows version in September. A demo came out on PS3 on August 6, 2009. On PS3 the Joker is playable in the challenge maps, and the game unlocked a Batcave themed apartment in PlayStation Home. A Game of the Year Edition followed in 2010 and a remastered version for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in 2016.
Reviews were glowing, with praise for the story, atmosphere and combat, and some criticism of the boss fights. Many called it the best comic book game ever made, and it held the Guinness World Record for Most Critically Acclaimed Superhero Game Ever, based on an average review score of 91.67, until Arkham City passed it.
It sold nearly two million copies in its first three weeks and 4.3 million by October 2011. Its success launched the Batman: Arkham series, starting with Batman: Arkham City in 2011.
The text above is adapted from Wikipedia and licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
What critics said
Metacritic 91 out of 100 from 70 reviews (PS3). Individual reviews: IGN 9.3/10, Game Informer 9.5/10, Computer and Video Games 9.2/10, GameSpot 9/10, Eurogamer 9/10, The Daily Telegraph 9/10, Wired 9/10, Edge 8/10.
Extra content
Challenge map packs were released in autumn 2009. On PS3 the Joker became playable in the challenge maps, a feature only the PS3 and Mac versions got.
- Joker as a playable character: The Joker playable in the challenge maps, exclusive to PlayStation 3 and Mac OS X. Announced in April 2009.
- Insane Night: Two challenge maps: Totally Insane (combat) and Nocturnal Hunter (stealth).
- Prey in the Darkness: Two challenge maps: Heart of Darkness (combat) and Hothouse Prey (stealth). In North America it was released only on PS3 and Mac OS X.
- Dem Bones: A challenge map, available as a pre-order bonus at some retailers.
- Crime Alley: A challenge map, included as a download code in the Collector's Edition.
Good to know
- A secret room in the warden's office holds hints, blueprints and concept art for the sequel. It stayed hidden for six months after release until Rocksteady revealed it.
- The PS3 version has the Joker as a playable character in the challenge maps, which the Xbox 360 version does not.
- The Game of the Year Edition came with 3D glasses, and two of its six challenge maps were left out of the North American release.
- The Batmobile and Batwing were planned as playable but only appear as scenery.
- Mr. Freeze, and a garden maze run by Poison Ivy with a Mad Hatter tea party, were considered and cut because they did not fit the tone.
- The PS3 version unlocked a Batcave themed virtual apartment in PlayStation Home.
Made by
Director Sefton Hill, Producer Daniel Bailie, Producer Nathan Burlow, Programmer Ben Wyatt, Artist David Hego, Writer Paul Dini, Composer Nick Arundel, Composer Ron Fish.
