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[mileS]

The delay for this game was certainly worth it thats for sure. Such an insane amount of detail and polish put into so many different parts of the game. I consider myself a big fan of Batman but thats mostly due to some of TAS and the movies (the good ones obviously ) I didn't read hardly any of the comics. That being said I was kind of worried coming into this game that I'd be slightly lost when it comes to some of the characters and villans. No worries now because the character bio's and tapes you pick up have been a great way to learn more about them. Plenty of story and details to read/listen to.

Combat is a blast. Fighting 5 or more thugs at once is so much fun. Easy to get into but it also rewards good timing and skill.

I can't believe this game was only $38 here. I'm actually tempted to go buy the PS3 version as well so I can get the trophies and play the DLC. If it wasn't on sale I wouldn't even consider buying two versions but at that price I don't feel as bad about it.

 

[Barrett2]

Wow at the Scarecrow!! I am floored by how great this game is.

 

[The Elite]

Just wanted to confirm that after you beat the game you're able to choose continue story and finish getting the riddles etc, When I beat the final boss I was at 79% without even touching any challenge levels yet (probably 20+ hours) I also had all of the upgrades.

That was an amazing gaming experience.

This is all very good news!

 

[RiotPelaaja]

As a journo who loves the game and rated it sky high, I'm glad to see that now that folks are playing the finished game, they see what the good reviews were about instead of thinking reviewers were full of shit.

Has anyone found all the Spirit of Arkham Stones yet? curious.

 

[Mailenstein]

Thanks.

You are welcome .

 

[sevenchaos]

Been a good while since a game kept me up all night.

 

[EzLink]

I had a dream last night that I built a complex ventilation system in my house so I could crawl around inside of them and sneak around to practice silent takedowns on my family :lol :lol :lol

Whooo time for another hour or so of Arkham before school

 

[quickwhips]

Well I got to Bane Last night and he kicked my ass like 5 times on hard and I stopped for the night. I'm really digging the game. Is there some easy way to beat Bane that I'm not doing? I know at one part I did something not sure what and it did a cut scene of me cutting his tubes on his back. How did I do that? :lol

 

[Volcynika]

Well I got to Bane Last night and he kicked my ass like 5 times on hard and I stopped for the night. I'm really digging the game. Is there some easy way to beat Bane that I'm not doing? I know at one part I did something not sure what and it did a cut scene of me cutting his tubes on his back. How did I do that? :lol

Spoiler

If you look at his health bar there are two breaks (small black lines in it), when you get his health down to those points (not right before it, has to be after it), you can combo him to knock off his tubes. Fighting the other goons that come in require paying attention to what attack he's using and dodging when he either rushes you or throws a rock.

 

[dolemite]

Amazon has yet to ship my (heavily discounted) copy, bastards.

 

[Vilix]

Gotta be brutally honest, the actual game is not as good as the demo. Not a bad game, but not the game I was hoping for.

 

[Double D]

Gotta be brutally honest, the actual game is not as good as the demo. Not a bad game, but not the game I was hoping for.

I was kind of feeling the same way last night. It seemed like it was just a bit too slow-paced for my tastes. I was also expecting things to happen in the order that they happened in the demo, so that kind of threw me off.

I was also really tired last night, and was nodding out while playing it, which I think contributed to a lot of this. I just got

Spoiler

outside

, and I was kind of getting stuck in places (I couldn't find that fucking painting for the life of me), but I'm really hoping my experience smooths out when I sit down to play tonight.

 

[brandonh83]

This... this is GOTY material. I know we still have Uncharted 2 and Assassin's Creed 2 and those, but this is definitely a contender. And I thought it would be merely "ok." So consider my mind blown.

 

[Dizzle24]

Wow at the Scarecrow!! I am floored by how great this game is.

Passed this last night. Holy shit it was fuck awesome.

Spoiler

Felt like Silent Hill or something...

 

[Unregistered007]

This game is more fun than Killzone and Resident Evil 5, new favorite game of 2009.

 

[Barso]

I can't wait for the PC version.
When I play the 360 version I imagine how much better it will be running at 1920x1200 with PHYSX on.
I even ordered a windows controller for this game.
World of warcraft, arma 2 and this game makes me so glad to be back to PC gaming.

 

[TheCardPlayer]

A game this huge, and this jam packed with contents...and I just started getting loading between doors after hours without a single load. And they only last a few seconds. This is amazing. How the hell did they do it?

Rocksteady just became a top dog, in the gamemaking field.

 

[THE Caffeinated]

Maaaaaaaan, I want this game so bad.

I wanna be Batman.

 

[neojubei]

I was kind of feeling the same way last night. It seemed like it was just a bit too slow-paced for my tastes. I was also expecting things to happen in the order that they happened in the demo, so that kind of threw me off.

I was also really tired last night, and was nodding out while playing it, which I think contributed to a lot of this. I just got

Spoiler

outside

, and I was kind of getting stuck in places (I couldn't find that fucking painting for the life of me), but I'm really hoping my experience smooths out when I sit down to play tonight.

Are you talking about the sharped dress dude in the painting? that was easy to find.

 

[brandonh83]

Wow Batman just made me feel like an asshole

Spoiler

in one of the gassed rooms, I took the Batarang and cut one of Joker's thugs hanging from a rope above the gas level and when he fell into the gas he started going nuts and Batman said "I can't let that man die, I need to clear the gas as soon as possible"

FUUUUUUCK

 

[dgenx]

I have the game but I'm not playing it cause I have to finish Call of Juarez first, I think I'm being stupid.

 

[BeeDog]

God, HMV shipped my copy yesterday, but now I seriously can't wait for it to arrive (live in Sweden). Fuuuuuuck meee, why can't I remember how long my previous order at HMV took for it to arrive? *headslam into wall* I'm getting twitchy here.

 

[MattNY]

After only about 45 minutes or so of the game, obviously I am qualified to grade it thus far.

Not being a fan of Batman, and knowing the incredibly long history of terrible comic book based video games, it is easy to understand anyone's apprehension about investing into this title.

But you would be making a huge mistake to do so.

From my little time, the thing I am most impressed with is the atmosphere. You feel like you're Batman. You feel like you're trapped in this fucking psychotic insane asylum. You feel like you are hunting down a wonderfully depicted villain in the Joker. Right from the opening cutscene, you are sucked into this place and the game grabs a hold of you and makes you apart of the world. Fan or not of Batman itself, you have to be impressed by that. There are few games that can do that, where you cease being a player and instead become apart of the game. For that alone, it makes Batman: AA worth checking out.

 

[bigdaddygamebot]

I was kind of feeling the same way last night. It seemed like it was just a bit too slow-paced for my tastes. I was also expecting things to happen in the order that they happened in the demo, so that kind of threw me off.

I was also really tired last night, and was nodding out while playing it, which I think contributed to a lot of this. I just got

Spoiler

outside

, and I was kind of getting stuck in places (I couldn't find that fucking painting for the life of me), but I'm really hoping my experience smooths out when I sit down to play tonight.

If you're talking about the

Spoiler

first Riddler "riddle"

it baff'd me too. I immediately started to head back towards the beginning because I remembered a painting of him from the beginning of the game but I couldn't get back and I was looking all around the glass-ceilinged office in the middle.

Then I Professor Layton'd it. By that, I mean Occam's razor. When I played the first Layton game, I'd get wrapped up and try to find some kind of complicated solution and then it would turn out that I over-thought it and the answer was 1 or 0.

The same goes for the first riddle.

When you got the riddle, you got it at the far end of the room, close to where the second wave of guys came out. If you're facing the door, turn right ninety degrees. You'll feel happy and stupid all at the same time.

 

[Chorazin]

Damn this game is SO GOOD. I love how you play as smart, methodical comic book Batman, not OMG I GNOS KUNG FU AND TALK LIKE COOKIE MONSTER Batman from the recent movies.

And man, the PS3 verion is packed! Not only do you get the Joker DLC, but the HD trailers and HD making-of docs are awesome, and if you're into Home you get a free Batcave Outpost apartment, which actually looks pretty cool.

 

[Double D]

Are you talking about the sharped dress dude in the painting? that was easy to find.

Yes. I realize now after the fact that it was probably simple for most people. However, I was jumping around everywhere and though it was inside the office area in the middle of the room. Again, it was probably because I was so tired.

 

[brandonh83]

Damn this game is SO GOOD. I love how you play as smart, methodical comic book Batman, not OMG I GNOS KUNG FU AND TALK LIKE COOKIE MONSTER Batman from the recent movies.

:lol I was telling my girlfriend how Arkham Asylum Batman is better performed than Christian Bale. I just don't know how Bale can be so good (American Psycho, The Prestige) and then so shitty (TDK, Terminator: Salvation). He wasn't bad in Batman Begins though, oddly enough. But I really couldn't stand him in TDK, which is one of the extreme few things I dislike about that film.

So far though, AA is a better Batman experience for me than the recent films. Not that they're alike, one is more based around the comics and such and the other is based around the more mature graphic novels, but just speaking on a level of pure preference, this is how I like my Batman shit.

 

[XanatharDeath]

And man, the PS3 verion is packed! Not only do you get the Joker DLC, but the HD trailers and HD making-of docs are awesome, and if you're into Home you get a free Batcave Outpost apartment, which actually looks pretty cool.

And why haven't you take a picture of this yet ?

 

[Stuneseht]

Is it safe to call this game this year's Dead Space?
In other words, a game that no one really expected to be good, but actaully turned out to be game of the year material?

 

[Biff]

I love love love the stealth portion of the game. Here's a (probably obvious, sorry) tip regarding inverted takedowns:

Spoiler

Only one baddie can be 'hung' from a gargoyle. I was frustrated that his comrades would gather underneath, but there was no way to takedown a second one with the original guy hanging there. Then I realized you could batarang the rope of the first guy! He'll drop down, and you can hang another baddie from the same gargoyle.

So yeah, impressions. Amazing game, I feel dirty getting it for $40 CAD. In my opinion, second all-time best superhero game under Superman 64.

I love the old school formula of explore, baddies, explore, boss. The graphics in the cutscenes are very impressive - they make the boss fights that much better. While fighting feels rewarding, I do wish it had a bit more depth to it beyond timing perfections. But other than that, the fighting mechanics really make you feel like Batman. There's nothing better than seeing 8 unarmed guards ahead in detective mode, and just sprinting into the middle of the melee fully knowing you are the fucking Batman and will have little trouble being so greatly outnumbered.

I'm really impressed with the riddles. They are preventing me from just running through the game - I'm actually having just as much fun exploring all areas of a level to find solutions and trophies.

 

[Taurus]

Ok, that's it.

Getting this game is the first thing to do on friday when I get home.

 

[Chorazin]

:lol I was telling my girlfriend how Arkham Asylum Batman is better performed than Christian Bale.

Kevin Conroy IS Batman to me, just like Mark Hammil is the Joker. Whenever I read the comics, those are the voices in my head. It comes with growing up with Batman: TAS, I guess.

Which, if you haven't seen, GO! GO NOW!! Then, immediately after, you start Batman Beyond.

And why haven't you take a picture of this yet ?

If no one has by the time I get home tonight I will.

 

[bigdaddygamebot]

Is it safe to call this game this year's Dead Space?
In other words, a game that no one really expected to be good, but actaully turned out to be game of the year material?

Already said this to a couple friends.

Dead Space did a few things better than Arkham but there are also a few thing Arkham does that are significantly better than Dead Space.

It might be because I'm working through my backlog and have almost finished Assassin's Creed but I find myself wishing at times that Batman was as agile as Altair. Not being able to run/leap over benches or tables bugs me although I DO like the fact that there isn't a jump button in Arkham.

 

[LiquidMetal14]

Which, if you haven't seen, GO! GO NOW!! Then, immediately after, you start Batman Beyond.

Go watch Batman TAS Season's 1-3 first!

 

[DKehoe]

Has anyone tried out the Scarecrow challenge map? I ordered from Game here in the UK especially to get it as well as the PS3 version for playing as Joker

 

[TheExodu5]

I can't wait for the PC version.
When I play the 360 version I imagine how much better it will be running at 1920x1200 with PHYSX on.
I even ordered a windows controller for this game.
World of warcraft, arma 2 and this game makes me so glad to be back to PC gaming.

Yeah, I have the PS3 version, but I went back to the PC demo just to compare for the hell of it. Wow, what a difference. :lol

Too bad I can't take screenshots...they turn out black for some reason. Had the same problem with RE5 benchmark.

The textures in the PC version are unbelievably good. Nice to have higher quality textures in the PC version for once...usually they use the exact same assets.

Myself, even though I have a GTX 275, I'll be playing with PhysX off just so I can maintain that sweet 60fps.

 

[Zeliard]

Is it safe to call this game this year's Dead Space?
In other words, a game that no one really expected to be good, but actaully turned out to be game of the year material?

It reminded me exactly of Dead Space.

 

[cjdunn]

From my little time, the thing I am most impressed with is the atmosphere. You feel like you're Batman. You feel like you're trapped in this fucking psychotic insane asylum. You feel like you are hunting down a wonderfully depicted villain in the Joker. Right from the opening cutscene, you are sucked into this place and the game grabs a hold of you and makes you apart of the world. Fan or not of Batman itself, you have to be impressed by that. There are few games that can do that, where you cease being a player and instead become apart of the game. For that alone, it makes Batman: AA worth checking out.

This. This so much. In many places, but especially the medical center, Rocksteady has successfully created a horror survival feel that's really difficult to pull off.

Wrecked Bane's shit last night. I'll probably do nothing but challenges tonight.

 

[Stuneseht]

It reminded me exactly of Dead Space.

ok, I'll definitly purchase this game today.

 

[Vilix]

I was kind of feeling the same way last night. It seemed like it was just a bit too slow-paced for my tastes. I was also expecting things to happen in the order that they happened in the demo, so that kind of threw me off.

I was also really tired last night, and was nodding out while playing it, which I think contributed to a lot of this. I just got

Spoiler

outside

, and I was kind of getting stuck in places (I couldn't find that fucking painting for the life of me), but I'm really hoping my experience smooths out when I sit down to play tonight.

I searched high and low for that fucking thing. I knew what he was talking about. I just couldn't find it. I ended up having to mute the tv just to shut the guy up. I did end up finally finding it. I also found myself nodding off during the game. I'm found the game to be...well...boring. But, it's still early. I'm definately going to finish it.

 

[brandonh83]

All right, so I'm at the

Spoiler

Scarecrow

part and it's so fucking amazing that I feel like throwing up. Usually whenever I encounter things that are awesome, I'm like wow this is awesome, but this, I'm so owned by this that I feel somewhat ill. So not only does it have incredible graphics and butter-smooth gameplay and great characters old and new, but it's also artistically competent and unique with unexpected twists everywhere. This shit is the real deal.

edit: this part has more creepiness and atmosphere than Dead Space could have ever dreamed of, but I'm one of the few that was very disappointed with that game so maybe I should hush, but this game is SMOKING Dead Space so far.

 

[stupei]

Damn, this game rocks. There was like ten goons blocking my path (right after talking to

Spoiler

Poison Ivy about a cure

), and I was like fuck it, let me see if this works. So I

Spoiler

ziplined right into/through them all and knocked em down like bowling pins

. And as I was speeding towards them, one of the goons cried out "What the hell is he doing?!" which made it all the more satisfying.

This game sure knows how to make you feel badass.

One of my favorite aspects of the game as well. :lol

Think I'm almost at the end and suddenly I'm reluctant to move forward. Don't want it to be over. Time for a break and then I'll probably come back to do some collectibles before finishing it off.

 

[XanatharDeath]

If no one has by the time I get home tonight I will.

Thanks, I can't wait to see this !

 

[Zeliard]

The animation in this game when you're fighting is so damn nice. They captured the feel of Batman whooping ass in combat so gloriously. I can't imagine him fighting any differently when he's surrounded than devastatingly countering whatever is thrown his way.

 

[Ptaaty]

edit: this part has more creepiness and atmosphere than Dead Space could have ever dreamed of, but I'm one of the few that was very disappointed with that game so maybe I should hush, but this game is SMOKING Dead Space so far.

I find it hard to believe any game can have more atmosphere than Dead Space could ever dream of....maybe you should hush

 

[brandonh83]

I find it hard to believe any game can have more atmosphere than Dead Space could ever dream of....maybe you should hush

eh most horror games I've played had far better atmosphere IMO. Dead Space has pretty graphics and nice lighting but it takes more than cool bells and whistles to get under my skin and Dead Space continuously failed to do that for me. it just never did anything exceptionally creepy, at least in my experience. the most it did was just the tired and typical creepy whispering and loud jump scares. I don't recall it doing anything besides that. it was a game that tried to pay so much homage to stuff like Ridley Scott's Alien and Event Horizon that it failed to do anything original or unique with its material while this game so far has so much more going on, it feels like a world populated with detail and there are new and interesting things at almost every corner. Dead Space was just corridor after corridor, all highly similar to one another, with the same creatures performing the same BOO! effect all throughout. it just felt stale and redundant to me. it wasn't a bad game but I certainly didn't join in all the hoopla either.

anyway, back on topic:

Spoiler

"Has-Bane"

ROFL :lol

 

[dark10x]

I find it hard to believe any game can have more atmosphere than Dead Space could ever dream of....maybe you should hush

I have to agree with brandonh here. I loved Dead Space as a game, but felt that it fell flat on its face in regards to atmosphere. Turning off the awful musical cues helped a bit, but it still never really did anything for me.

 

[Sanjuro]

I wish Robin or Nightwing had some sort of role.

 

[witness]

Has anyone tried out the Scarecrow challenge map? I ordered from Game here in the UK especially to get it as well as the PS3 version for playing as Joker

Its very cool looking first off, and its a very hardcore map. Its a 1 hit kill map so you have to be damn good to get far.

 

[The Bookerman]

Well I just finished it. GOTY for me. Definetly.

It surprised me. All those riddler challenges are awesome. Well done. He pissed me off whenever I picked one up, I wanted to go for more, to shut him up. :lol

Also

Spoiler

all of those spots(3 of 'em) with Scarecrow definetly made the game feel more epic

Well Done Eidos and Rocksteady.