Re-Reviewed: Batman: Arkham Asylum set the stage perfectly

Batman: Arkham Asylum remains one of the all-time great video games.

When it comes to the greatest Batman video games of all time, the conversation starts and ends with the Arkham franchise. And it was the first game in that series, Batman: Arkham Asylum, that set the stage for everything that was to come after it.

While some of the games in the series that succeeded the first game eclipsed the original, that doesn’t change the fact that Arkham Asylum was the benchmark they were judged by. This game was one of the most Batman experiences of all time.

Heading for Arkham Asylum

Prior to their jump into the world of the Caped Crusader, almost no one knew who Rocksteady Studios was. This developer only had one game to their name before Arkham Asylum and it wasn’t particularly well-received.

But 2009 turned them from an unknown quantity to one of the biggest players in the game. A subsidiary of Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, Rocksteady was charged with developing a new Batman game.

This wasn’t the first Batman video game ever made, and it wasn’t the last. There had been numerous games featuring the Dark Knight, some of them much better than others. That doesn’t change the fact that a new Batman game comes loaded with preconceived notions.

Batman is a character that’s closing in on a century of history at this point. And fans are extremely possessive of him. As such, trying to do anything with the character is always loaded with expectations. Delivering on them can be daunting.

Exceeding any and all expectations

Arkham Asylum didn’t so much meet expectations as it blew them completely out of the water and into the next county. This third-person action-adventure game perfectly encapsulated what it means to be Batman as he fought for his life against impossible odds.

One of the smartest moves the game made was bringing in Paul Dini. He has written numerous comics books and animated series for both Marvel and DC. But he is best known for the highly influential and acclaimed show, Batman: The Animated Series.

Taking that a step further was the voicing. Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill, and Arleen Sorkin respectively voiced Batman, Joker, and Harley Quinn. In Batman: The Animated Series, these three talented actors played the same characters, lending more authenticity to the game.

On top of all of that, everyone involved in the development of Arkham Asylum mined some high-quality comic books sources for inspiration. While it’s not based on anything in particular, the influences of icons like Neal Adams and Frank Miller are quite evident.

Why Batman: Arkham Asylum holds up

Batman: Arkham Asylum was originally released for the PS3 and Xbox 360 in 2009. Gamers are now two console generations removed from that era, not to mention a few more entries in the Arkham franchise. Yet, this game remains the standard-bearer.

This was the game that started it all. It gave fans a fluid combat mechanism that incorporated Batman’s gadgets in a fashion that fans had long dreamt of. They could finally fight an army of goons single-handedly and come out on top.

But the game was also well-balanced. More than fighting, there was also detective work to do. Arkham Asylum put Batman’s mind to work as well as his formidable fighting skills. Plus, the gadgets, the vehicles, and everything else were done to perfection.

Without the success of Batman: Arkham Asylum, the franchise would have ended there. It is responsible for giving fans so much great Batman gameplay after it while remaining something worth going back to once in a while when the nostalgia monster strikes.