First release in the Arkham series, Batman: Arkham Asylum begins as you, the Dark Knight himself, escort your long time adversary The Joker, into Arkham Asylum for his rehabilitation. All goes well; The Joker is reformed and begins life anew as a productive member of society, and Batman is praised for another good deed for Gotham. Yeah, right. Batman actually walks right into an elaborate scheme puppeteered by The Joker to take over Arkham Asylum. The Joker escapes the custody of the guards right infront of Batman’s eyes and proceedes to turn the order of the island into chaos in seconds. Not only has every patient been set loose, but a fire at the pennitentary prompted the transfer of dozens of inmates to the asylum just recently. On top of manic patients, violent goons, and taunts from the Riddler, there is also a mystery unfolding around the island itself and the asylum’s founder Ammadeus Arkham. In fact, the mystery of Arkham has more of a story than the game itself which is mostly a beat ‘em up. I say that without critisism. What is the Batman without beating ‘em up? Combat is easy, leveling up is fair, and exploring is rewarding. Arkham Asylum is home to many classic Batman villans and, therefore, has an all-star cast. Killer Croc, Poison Ivy, Scarecrow, Harley Quinn, Clay Face, with references to other characters, friends and foes. Some of the collectables you find are records of the asylum’s patients, giving you insights into their private sessions with doctors that probably violate some kind of HIPPA guidelines but are super interesting to listen to nonetheless. The stand out part of the game, in my opinion, is the multiple Scarecrow segments. Suddenly, at the effects of Fear Toxin, you are no longer confidently roaming the halls of Arkham. You are platforming along ruins, trying to avoid the the killer gaze of the Scarecrow Panopticon. Super fun, I wish it was a mini-game.
