Arkham Asylum Demo

just popped this on download of the PSstore... and I'm pleasantly surprised :O! Even more so that there's not a thread on this here Interhood :dan:

Don't get me wrong, with any superhero related media I'm always a tab sceptically. Sometimes it's done right (see: Spider man 2 and X men legends 2) but more often than not the mention of 'superhero' and 'game' tend to make people recoil in horror, like you've dropped trow and produced a great big steaming turd on their favorite coffee table. (See:Superman 64 and every other spider man game other than the aforementioned produced to cash in on the terrible films). This mixed with the fact I've always had a love/hate relationship with the caped crusader made me pay no attention to the game after early screen shots, thinking the game nothing more than a bastardization of The Dark Knights' theatrical success and the controversy surrounding the late, great Heath Ledger.

I mean where had this game been hiding? It seemed to spring out of the woodwork's faster than stories of Heath Ledger's depression, no less than a month after the theatrical release, Warner announced it's partnership with Eidos in producing the game, with the peculiar choice of none other than Luke Skywalker himself, Mark Hamill voicing the Joker. Having not seen Hamill since his role as 'Cock-knocker' in the movie Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, I was not very enthusiastic.

Though my skepticism over the game seems to have been misplaced. It isn't the usual pish that we get thrown whenever Spidey takes a spin around the city, what is delivered in the demo was a fun, stealth orientated action game that's in the same vein as Splinter Cell with an almost Resident Evil level of eeriness. Mixed with a fluid combat system that tips a hat to the matrix in its slow motion final blows. What's nice is that the combat is also very simple, consisting of uncomplicated bash of the square button, just like the old days... Batman can also initiate special attacks such as silent take downs and gliding kicks, though through use of the grappling hook, the ability to hang enemies from overhead gargoyles to send enemy heartbeats racing is a very nice feeling. Take THAT crime.

The grapple isn't the only gadget you're equipped with in the demo however. You also get to play about with the game's 'Detective Mode', a Metroid Prime like interface to your visor. This allows you to see enemies and vantage points from which to strike down on the Inmates of Arkham. While not essential in taking down the inmates, the game wants you to favor this stealthy approach by giving Mr. Wayne very low health, making the batman as susceptible to bullets as puppies are to the wheels of speeding cars. Although saying this, the guards in the demo seem to focus more on the 'man' part of our heroes name and don't think to look up, even when you're grappeling noisily inches from their generically mo hawked heads.

The Batfan favorite, the Batmarang also makes an appearance for dealing with small enemies, feeling very similar to using the boomerang mechanics and aiming Link has enjoyed since Ocarina of Time. However, playing around with this led me to realize one of the most disappointing aspects of Demo, the lack of interaction with the scenery. Throwing batmarangs at fire extinguishers, walls and even computer screens wielded no satisfactory carnage and seemed a bit pansy when dealing with the enemy guards. Even running around the level, other than items to grapple onto (which are luminous orange in detective mode...) and glass that the game tells you can be broken by a button action, the scenery is non-interactive, adding to the ever foreboding feeling that Batman is on a very linear ride to see everyone's favorite green haired jester.

Despite this, the game play is fun, the atmosphere is right and the voice acting is surprisingly well done. Though the demo is more to wet the appetite than to seek critical acclaim (which it certainly manages), the short blast of game play doesn't give insight to how the feeling of being a billionaire playboy with only his gadgets, smarts and strength in his favor to thwart evil will remain enjoyable before you realize you're a man with no super powers prancing around in Lycra.

I found the demo to be pretty uninspired and repetitive. As much as I love slow-motion it's getting old. Fast. After Xmen: Wolverine I'd rather not see super heroes beating up bad guys in anything less than 60fps.

Other than that the combat lacked anything resembling depth. Where's the skill? If I want to just tap square and watch Batman kick ass I might as well watch the Dark Knight and wiggle the controller occasionally. Same amount of involvement.

And the stealth elements felt like MGS extra lite. One again I fail to see how that gameplay aspect will be able to entertain me over and over for 10 hours plus. If it even lasts that long, I guess games these days aim to be shorter than your average movie.

And how weird doesn't it look when Batman's sprinting?

Not floating any boats in this pond.

Kaptain Kaviar wrote:I found the demo to be pretty uninspired and repetitive. As much as I love slow-motion it's getting old. Fast. After Xmen: Wolverine I'd rather not see super heroes beating up bad guys in anything less than 60fps.

Other than that the combat lacked anything resembling depth. Where's the skill? If I want to just tap square and watch Batman kick ass I might as well watch the Dark Knight and wiggle the controller occasionally. Same amount of involvement.

And the stealth elements felt like MGS extra lite. One again I fail to see how that gameplay aspect will be able to entertain me over and over for 10 hours plus. If it even lasts that long, I guess games these days aim to be shorter than your average movie.

And how weird doesn't it look when Batman's sprinting?

Not floating any boats in this pond.

It still makes me want to play the finished game, just not on release

Someone pointed out that the true Batman option of not killing (well, it pretty much is) the room full of guys at the end was absent.

Looks to be a generic action game mishmash with a nice Batman skin.

I thought the demo was good. I'm pretty sure that in the full game the combat will just get really, really boring. In the demo it was fun but there was very little depth to it. Fortunately though I'll be able to borrow it off a mate

I hate superheroes. I don't mind comics, but the concept of super heroes just fails to interest me.

Thought the demo was pretty, good, but i imagine the main game will be much, deeper... not in the sense of the combat or anything, but of the environment. I am hping the gae will be great, and will most certainly be buying it.

Possibly on my ps3

This is fantastic.

my copy should turn up tomorrow, ordered it when drunk, oh dear

The finished game is far better than the demo let on. Its unbelievable, frankly.

things I liked:

the fluidity of combat
the graphics
the atmosphere
the character design

things I didn't like:
the simplicity of combat
the cut scene animations
batman's voice and looping cape animation

Feels like an 8/10 from the demo.

played it for ages yesterday, got to say it is a lot lot better than i was expecting (didnt play the demo)

It really is fantastic. Scarecrow, Joker and Harley are particularly awesome, but Poison Ivy, Bane, and Killer Croc are all brilliant too.

The Scarecrow sections have been the highlight of the game so far. They're incredible. Anyone who has played them will know what I mean.

Yep, completely, its a proper mind fuck the first time it happens.

Its a fantastic adventure game, im hooked in it more so than any other game for aaages.

The Riddler stuff is all pretty amazing too

Yeah septula I know what you mean. Didn't know what was going on! Just finished it on hard. The last fight is reeeally hard I thought, but still an incredible game. A 9/10, well worth playing by anyone.

WOW WOW WOW...

Hang on a minute. Who else is finished this? And if they are, please tell me they saw the awesome CGI clip at the end of the credits???

ivys pissin me off, probably cos ive been drinkin but never mind!

just finished it, only on normal like but good for me! oh and i think i know what you mean jamie

Yeah Ivy was pretty difficult. The guys who run at you really annoyed me. Its pretty tough on hard though, you should try it out.

back in work later but definitly gonna have a crack at it, only got like 30 percent of the riddler stuff though, might carry on me game to get the rest first

Spoiler:

I don't know how you're doing that spoiler thing, but I'll just do it this way....

Yep thats what I'm talking about, but I'm pretty sure it was Scarecrow? Also Jim Gordon's radio said something about a bank robbery involving Harvey Dent just before Batman went back to Gotham...Hopefully a sequel will incorporate both!

And on the Riddler subject, I hardly got any of that too? How the fuck do you do them??

This looks enticing, but I'm not paying full price for a short single player experience. See you at the bargain bins Batman!

i have 102/240 of the Riddler stuff on my first runtrhough, i want another hundred on my next one (though on hard...).

Spoiler...

Scarecrow and Bane? I thought it was Croc! Saying as he never shutup, and we never killed him, and it was in the ocean and all... But i dunno, Gordon DEFINATELY mentioned Harvey Dent robbing a Bank, but if we think about it, like, Penguin, Riddler, Catwoman, Raz Al Ghul, Two Face, there are just as many villains still left, surely, SURELY, they'll make a sequel?

best pic i can grab

Spoiler:

oh and for spoiler stuff just click on others and its in the drop down

or just [spoiler] message here [/spoiler*] without the star