The Joker: Eidos InteractiveThis game is better than The Dark Knight (the movie, not the comic.) There, I said it. I know I’ll get a lot of flak for this, but it’s true.

For years, we’ve had to suffer through Batman games that were worse than the idea of putting nipples on the Batsuit. Miss after miss, Batman was due for video game redemption. Well, good news everyone, Eidos has answered the bat-signal. There’s so much to praise, and as a true Bat fan AND gamer, lots to nitpick about.

You start off hauling the Joker into Arkham where he’s taken to the most secure location. A quick escape, and he’s in control. Without spoiling too much, Joker traps Batman in Arkham and throws everything at him.

The first thing I noticed is that they brought back most of the voicing cast from Bruce Timm’s Animated Series, and yes, MARK HAMILL is the Joker once again (tied with Nicholson’s rendition for the best Joker in my book). As the storyline unfolds, the length and the plot twists give it an eight-issue mini-series feel, something along the lines of epic. The story line provides a ton of fan service, and truly is the high point for the game.

The gameplay is nothing new, a combination of stealth and combat with a hint of puzzles. The stealth is truly awesome and really helps Batman "be the night”. You’ll spend a lot of time in air ducts and perched on ledges or gargoyles waiting to strike. Being stealthy leads to silent takedowns, awesome glide kicks, and the satisfaction of justice, but if that doesn’t work, Batman has enough moves to take out the entire UFC crowd.

The only thing that bugged me is the weird bullet time that happens when a baddie gets the final boot to the head - it interferes with chaining your combos at times. That may be a weak point to pick at, but the acrobatic ass kicking was so awesome, it turned me into a brainless button masher.

What helps differentiate gameplay from, let’s say Splinter Cell, are Batman’s beloved gadgets. Batarangs, exploding gel, bat-claws, and a few other surprises help you get the job done. It gets even hotter when you get to throw THREE batarangs at the same time.

One gadget that’s not on your belt is Detective Vision. Here, Batman is able to see important things of notice, including enemy locations and their heartrates, unstable walls, and control panels.

Despite the praise, there are some things that really managed to knock Arkham Asylum down a couple of pegs from perfect though. I really felt like my hand was held most of the time, and Detective Vision made me feel a little dirty at times for letting me know exactly where to go, who to hit and what to do. Also if I ever got into a bind, the top of the display would tell me what to do if I really didn’t get it the first 100 times.

The story is very tightly wound, until you hit the second half of the game. I’m not saying it sinks into limbo, but it takes a short dive to include monotonous tasks that seem like overextended mini-games. These lengthy and boring parts sadly helped to dull the potential greatness of a couple of key villains. Be prepared to be underwhelmed.

One more thing - for a guy that’s responsible for the safety of Gotham, Batman sure walks too damn slow.

As far as cameos and surprises go, the game runs the gamut. You don’t get to drive any vehicles, but a couple make guest appearances, as well as about 15 of Batman’s best from his rogue gallery. Penguin, Mr. Freeze, Killer Croc, Two-Face and many more show up in one form or another. The Riddler makes a pretty crucial and cool addition to the gameplay in the form of Riddler’s Challenge, which is basically a bat-themed I Spy.

Another great addition to Arkham, are the challenge rooms. When you’re done with the story mode, test your predatory skills and compete on the leaderboards.

As a side note, you PS3 owners get to play as the Joker, something that’s sounds sinisterly great.

All in all, the game manages to showcase what makes Batman shine. From his trademark gadgets, to a frighteningly faithful incarnation of the Joker, the game knows exactly how to make a comic book fan happy as well as truly entertain a gamer. It’s a definite buy and, with additional downloadable content on the way, will have a lot of replay value. So hunker down, grab the controller and save Gotham!
Find Batman: Arkham Asylum at Game Crazy, Game Stop, on Amazon.com and other video game retailers.