I meant to have my post about Batman on TV up before this one but since I’m still working on it, and because today is Batman Day, I’m putting this one up a little early.
Yes, there have been numerous Batman video games over the past couple of decades, but really, this series is the only one that matters. Nothing else comes close. And as gamers everywhere anticipate the Dark Knight’s next-gen debut in 2015 with Arkham Knight, let’s take a look back at this series, starting with the first game to actually make you feel like you were Batman.
Arkham Asylum (2009)
I was on vacation in the States when Arkham Asylum came out. I remember walking into an HMV with the intention of simply checking out the game box. I couldn’t do that, because they were sold out. When I came back home, it was sold out. Everywhere. It stayed that way for at least a few weeks, and when I finally got my hands on the game, it didn’t take long to understand why. This was the Batman game I’d been waiting for. A dark, atmospheric descent into Gotham City’s favorite nuthouse, Arkham Asylum allowed me to do so many of the things I’d seen the Caped Crusader do in film and animation. I had the grapple gun, I could glide for long distances with my cape, I beat down a room full of enemies in one sustained freeflow of movement (a brilliant in-game example of the character’s gracefulness and brutality). I struck fear into the hearts of the cowardly and superstitious (I’m not just using that turn of phrase – enemies actually got scared), I analyzed clues, followed evidence trails, solved riddles, and I confronted my nemesis and my demons.
And I actually wasn’t even all that impressed by the game’s story (despite the fact that it was written by the great Paul Dini), which speaks to how strong the game was on the gameplay side. The story functioned well enough as a means of allowing me to do Bat-things and encounter some familiar bad guys, and the game did so many things right that I was able to overlook weaker moments, such as walking (slowly) through a maze of sewer tunnels and fighting a mutant-sized Joker at the end. What an anticlimax that was.
It didn’t matter. The rest of Arkham Asylum was such a blast to play and sold so well that a sequel was inevitable. I wasn’t sure how Rocksteady Studios would be able to top it.
Arkham City (2011)
I’ve already described the many ways in which Arkham Asylum allowed you to be Batman, but that was all within the confines of an island separate from the rest of the city, and really, what’s Batman without Gotham City? Rocksteady’s next game was an attempt to drop the Dark Knight into an open world setting in the form of a walled off section of the city where criminals were imprisoned, but free to do as they wished. After a fantastic opening sequence that sees Bruce Wayne intentionally getting himself thrown into this prison (from which the game’s title takes its name), you too are free to do as you wish. Despite the map not being as outright massive as a Liberty City or Italy in the 16th century, there is plenty to do in Arkham City, and if I haven’t mentioned this enough times already, you do it as the Batman.
Arkham City felt like a natural next step for the series, one that didn’t see any significant changes to the way you played as Batman, but refined all the things I loved about the first one. The combat system was fleshed out and made deeper and better, the expanded setting allowed for a lot more traversal which was a joy, and the boss battles were improved (mostly — there were still some stinkers in there). However, the story once again proved to be a disappointment. In Hugo Strange we had an intriguing villain whose master plan was shrouded in mystery, and that turned out to be a good thing, because when said plan was set in motion and the “real” bad guy revealed, I was not impressed. And the disparate story threads failed to come together in any meaningful way. The most memorable thing about the story was the ending, but it didn’t feel particularly well earned, done more for the shock value than because it was the right ending to this story.
But this shouldn’t dissuade you from playing Arkham City, which functions beautifully as a game if not as a great Batman tale. I spent a lot of time playing this game. It offers as complete a package as you can find for a single player experience, and it’s one of the few games I still return to every now and then if I feel like beating up some thugs or just taking a nighttime glide.
Arkham Origins (2013)
There was a lot of disappointment on the interwebs following the announcement that the next game in the Arkham series wasn’t being developed by Rocksteady. Almost immediately gamers had decided that Arkham Origins, a prequel in the series’ timeline, wouldn’t be as good as its predecessors, which had set the bar pretty damn high. I actually wrote a post on another blog noting the ways in which the switch in developer did not mean instant doom, and the reasons why we should have been excited for its arrival.
Did the game live up to expectations? Yes and no.
In terms of gameplay, Origins was almost identical to Arkham City, which at times gave the game an overly familiar feeling, but the tweaks and additions the team at Warner Bros. Montreal made hindered my overall enjoyment. Combat felt ever so slightly off. The new crime scene investigations were half-baked; a neat way of playing a sequence that could’ve been a simple cutscene, but a disappointment because they did all the work for me. Navigating certain environments felt repetitive because many rooms looked the same. And there were several bugs and glitches, which was especially noticeable because the earlier games had been so polished. All the things I loved about the previous Arkham titles I loved a little less. The game was still fun to play, but could also be a little frustrating this time around.
On the other hand, Arkham Origins managed to correct pretty much everything I didn’t like about the previous games, starting with the story. This turned out to be a strong early-career Batman tale, depicting a younger and less refined Batman and his first encounters with a number of key figures in the mythology, including the Joker. I’m not the biggest fan of cutscenes in games. If I’m not interested in a story, I tend to check out during cutscenes. That didn’t happen my first time playing Arkham Origins. The meetings between Batman and Joker, Batman and Gordon, and scenes between Batman and Alfred were given the weight you should expect from such moments, and even though such encounters have been depicted in the past, they felt fresh here, because they were connected by an honest-to-goodness character arc. Batman’s stubbornness and reluctance to trust anyone is the throughline of the game’s campaign, and as events play out, he comes to the realization that in order to accomplish his mission, he’s going to need help. It’s simple but it’s clear, and the game never forgets that.
It’s the little details that allow Arkham Origins to rise above its flaws. The opening cutscene reflects a photo of young Bruce and his parents in a dinner tray cover. Alfred calls in while you’re on patrol to wish you a Merry Christmas (the game takes place on Christmas Eve). There’s a great sequence in the middle of the game that takes you into the Joker’s mind after he first meets Batman. Even the game’s trophies contain references to important parts of Batman lore. I consider the score composed by Christopher Drake (who’s done the music for a number of animated Batman films) to be the best of the series. Another improvement over earlier games is the boss battles, with the best being an early duel between Batman and Deathstroke that tests your timing and reflexes.
If only the controls and other gameplay additions were as well modulated as they were in Arkham City. As it stands, Arkham Origins is absolutely still worth playing for Batman fans, and I enjoyed my time with it despite its quirks.
Oh, and there’s also multiplayer. It’s crap.
R Y V I E W S 