Post by Bytor on Dec 13, 2010 14:48:21 GMT -5
-Visuals - 9.3/10
I'm going to break the graphics down into two distinct and different elements. First of all the backgrounds in the buildings and the buildings themselves are all very well rendered. The ambiance of the game is defined wonderfully by the lighting and design of the various areas of Arkham Island, and the different building you will explore, I especially liked the Botanical area, really very well rendered. The various super villains are also very well rendered, albeit in an extremely over the top way. Joker and Harley Quinn are simply awesome looking! Batman is also rendered well although his movements seem sometimes a tad stiff, not in the fights but his regular movements aren't as fluid as they could be. Now that over the top view certainly doesn't make for characters which are top of the line visually but I feel that is not a detriment at all, the designs are, I feel, wonderful for the overall ambiance of the game. Now, for a bad note, the various goons (and the guards, which reminded me of scared rabbits whose eyes are popping out, lol) pretty much all look and act alike, it's not a huge deal, but it is certainly noticeable. The second element is that sometimes the interior of some of the areas seemed to me to be a tad vague, especially the Caves and Killer Croc's Lair, while most areas looked very nice I felt these two in particular stood out as inferior. I liked the vast majority of the cut scenes as well, I felt they added a nice touch to the game, although I know some disagree with that assessment. Overall a very, very nice looking game.
-Sound- 9.5/10
Batman, The Riddler, Harley and The Joker are simply fantastic. This could be a full blown Hollywood blockbuster movie and not a video game, simply great voice acting. The background music sets the mood wonderfully without being too obtrusive, exactly how a video game should be scored!
-Gameplay- 9.6/10
The game is basically a stealth adventure game (similar to MGS series). While there is plenty of battles the majority of them are however, not necessarily the type which require a full rush head on attack. The various ways of attacking are really very neat. You can use your battarang, hang from above and do glide attacks or even hang upside down and swoop down, grab an enemy and take him back up to your perch or simply drop him. You can also stun attack an enemy or use simple attacks and combos to incapacitate the goons (the normal battle scenes are awesome as the game will go into slo-mo and show you taking the enemy down). The various attacks do require some button pushing and while it is a somewhat complex system requiring some memorization the various actions are kept relatively simple to accomplish due to the timing of the game. This is, in my opinion, the strongest point of the gameplay. Nothing is really rushed, the pace of the game will allow you to decide exactly how you want to attack and you seldom, if ever, have to decide and execute in a millisecond what you want to do. I wish more games used a scheme like this, I don't mind having to make decisions on the fly but I did enjoy being given time to make my decisions turn into an action. The various side quests, especially the Riddler challenges, are basically a whole different game. Actually I'd say solve the challenges after you finish the main storyline. The reason I say this is that the riddles take some thought and detective work, it's really tough to do patient questing and solving when you're being attacked by numerous goons, finish the game and the vast majority of the goons are gone! The data you will collect is also fun, patient interviews show you the brutality of Killer Croc and the downfall of Harley, and as you progress you will learn more and more about Gotham City's criminals, simply a great addition to the game. Detective work is a must in this game and the ways of carrying out this is done wonderfully. Basically you hit a shoulder button and Batman can spot and follow clues and possible escape routes and/or hints as to where to go next. Simply a truly great example of a well thought out game.
-Story- 9.2/10
Batman captures The Joker and escorts him back to Arkham Asylum. This is exactly what The Joker intended as he quickly takes over the island. Then the fun begins, lol. Batman must then use clever detective work to rescue Commissioner Gordon, defeat not only Joker's goons but also the various super villains who are released and roaming the grounds and eventually find a way to stop The Joker.
Overall- 9.5/10
I feel this a great "fluff" game. What I mean by that is that there is no huge convoluted RPG storyline which evolves, nor is there a need to play for 100 hours in order for everything to evolve. Instead what there is is a basic story of Batman attempting to capture the various criminals Joker has released on Arkham Island. It is not however, a huge action adventure game where the pace is break neck speed and the story is somewhat incidental, or at best takes a back seat to the action. Instead I feel the story and action are melded together, Batman must save the day, he must do it his way, using equal parts strength, intelligence and technology and there is no overwhelming need to do this except his drive to keep Gotham City safe. Whether you are a fan of Batman or not this game is simply a great game with wonderful graphics and incredible gameplay.