Took the 1.5 GB demo of Eidos’s much-anticipated take on the Caped Crusader for a spin over the weekend. I really liked it, but I’m not totally sold.
I’m all about Batman, and have been longing for any kind of sweet Dark Knight video gaming that I’ve embraced such iffy stuff as The Rise of Sin Tzu. Arkham Asylum, when it was first revealed, showed big promise, and judging from the brief time I had with the demo, it looks like it might live up to the expectations.
First off, the production quality is top-notch. Built on the Unreal Engine, the game sports some impressive graphics. Batman looks great, gray tights and all, and his surroundings are well-detailed (though the relentless Arkham venue could grow tedious, but rumor has it there will be other settings Bats will be gallivanting off to).
Though the combat is essentially one-button based, I found it fun and viscerally satisfying. Dudes gang up on Batman, and send out a quick signal before attacking, allowing for a sweet counter. Last guys standing are dispatched off with a cinematic flair. Simple? Yep. But I had fun.
The stealth/detective stuff is handled well and very Splinter Cellish. A full-on assault of armed bad guys means death, so you’ll have to swing around up top, glide kick, silent KO or hang upside down and pimp-slap your opponents into submission. I liked what I played but feel I’ll need more time with the system before landing on a full verdict.
Lots of questions remain, of course. How will the boss fights be handled? Is the game too claustrophobic and linear? Will combat get old? We’ll know eventually, but as of now I’m still excited for what I hope to be the greatest virtual outing of the greatest superhero ever.
By Dave Johnson
I’m in love with the game, and i can’t wait t oget my shiny fully loaded – batarang included – version come August 25th. If i have one complaint it’s that the game’s structure feels a little TOO structured. Almost like the game is broken up into “puzzle rooms” it’s not a major flaw by any stretch, just kind of a “thing”.
It could be worse dude, it could be like i commented the other night. Batman takes out a wave of machete weilding inmates, interspersed amongst them, a slight peppering of ranged attackers, taking the occasional potshot at Batman with rifle fire. This is followed by one or two stronger inmates, armed with two blades and the ability to block, followed by a combination of shield wielding bruisers, long range grenadiers, or even inmates with thermoptic camouflage that can only be seen in “Detective Mode”.
Passivhaus is emerging as the aspirational darling or solution. ,