Review: Batman Arkham Asylum (PC)

Batman: Arkham Asylum is a great leap in the right direction for games based on any graphic novel superhero and the good old PC has the ultimate version.

After a rather lengthy introductory stroll through Arkham Asylum's gloomy interior Batman's nemesis The Joker escapes, disappearing further into the bowels of the island, daring Batman to follow and stop him from taking over. It's a fabulous beginning and draws you immediately into the game world. And what a world it is, full of twisting, dank corridors forming the arteries of the asylum that link the wonderfully designed areas in a way that never feels too contrived, letting you explore enough to feel free as you skulk through the shadows.

There is so much to see and do in Batman: Arkham Asylum that you will be kept busy for quite some time; especially if you want to solve all of The Riddler's 240 puzzles as you follow the main story line, the majority of which are genuinely fun and interesting to solve-the others being a case of collecting Riddler trophies. I have been playing games for a long time and this is the first time I have ever really felt compelled to collect or find all of a game's hidden secrets. That's no mean feat for this reviewer.

The main story though, involves the recapture of The Joker and taking back control of the asylum before it's too late. To do this you will have many of Batman's skills available to you-just not all at the beginning. You have to earn those amazing and extremely useful toys by dancing as The Joker pulls your strings-at least until you can break free of his diabolical plans and become the bat in his ointment.

Batman fights his way through Arkham with great aplomb, frustrating the baddies with ease as you string together killer fighting moves with simple clicks of the mouse buttons. The left button launches a punch at your enemy and can be followed by greater and more varied attacks by timing your subsequent hits with the same button whilst using the right button to counter attack when fighting more than one foe. An icon lights above the head of the next attacker, giving you the split second chance of a great looking counter before you fly back into the fray, all in such fluid style that you can't help but smile as your chest swells with pride. Add this to smooth camera control-again via the mouse-and the fighting is spot on. For once a multi-platform game has great controls on the humble PC.

But that's not all. You can also glide and learning your new skills as you progress gives a great feeling of achievement since just about every tool in your utility belt is supremely useful, be it the trusty Batarang, the exploding foam or the ever useful grapple. Some of them are upgraded later on in the game, opening up new avenues of exploration. Rocksteady has created a fun, ever changing game world full of variety, both because of the gadgets at your disposal and the different ways they can be used, to the fighting styles of the denizens you must confront throughout.

Not that it's all fighting and exploration either. There are even stealth sections where silent take downs are the order of the day, rooms full of poisonous gases that need to be cleared by thinking outside the box, platform sections to rival Lara Croft and unlockable information on just about every opponent Bruce Wayne's alter ego has ever faced including 3D renditions viewable through the main menu. Phew! I need to take a breath of air-as you will too, when you realise that on top of all that, as you complete sections of the game you get extra content in the form of fighting and stealth arenas, where stringing combos together and speedy silent knockouts let you rise up the online leaderboards.

Batman: Arkham Asylum is a beautiful game. The visuals are stunning, well thought out and a joy to traverse. The sound is atmospheric, meaty and enjoyable to listen to thanks to the wonderful job the cast of voiceover actors have done. Mark Hamill in particular does a tremendous job as The Joker, bringing both smiles and shivers in equal measure and the music sets the scene perfectly every time.

There are so many points that make this a great game, from overheard conversations to the obvious fear of the average thug as he realises you are taking down his partners in crime one by one. I really can't think of any bad points worth mentioning. Seriously.

Buy this game. It's as simple as that. It's a masterpiece of design from concept to execution and is my game of the year so far.