After much anticipation , this past Friday the Batman : Arkham Asylum demo was let loose on XBLA , PSN , and PC . The latest game featuring Gotham City's notorious Caped Crusader was originally planned for this past June , but was delayed by publisher Eidos Interactive ( now a part of Square Enix Europe ). Delays in the gaming industry typically mean one of two scenarios : ( 1 ) the game encounted serious technical issues or a change of scope during development resulting in a longer production cycle , or ( 2 ) the publisher is a perfectionist and extends the production cycle to give the developer more time to squash bugs and polish the game . In Batman : AA's case , it looks to be the latter and the results show .

Set in Gotham City's island prison for the criminally insane , Arkham Asylum , the game is a moody , third-person brawler developed by U.K . based Rocksteady Studios and and produced in conjunction with Warner Bros . Interactive and DC Comics . Since the images and trailers released thus far for the game have mostly been from the PS3 version , that's the platform I decided to download the demo . Let's see what it had to offer .

The game begins by immediately setting the mood with a panoramic CG video of a dreary-looking Gotham City experiencing a violent thunder storm . The always maniacal Joker has devised yet another elaborate scheme in attempt to destroy his arch nemesis Batman . This time , the Joker has intentionally fallen captive to the Dark Knight and is escorted to the maximum security jail for the criminally insane -- Arkham Asylum . Once inside , the Joker's plan unravels as his criminally insane , would-be-girlfriend , Harley Quinn , takes control of the asylum's security defenses . Before Batman can react , the Joker brutally assaults his prison security escorts and manages to release the inhabitants of the asylum while simultaneously trapping Batman and Commissioner Gordon inside . With a whole slew of super-villains on the loose , Batman must try survive the horrors of Arkham Asylum in his attempt to thwart the Joker's latest diabolical plan .

Powered by the Unreal Engine 3 , Batman : AA is a graphical feast for those that love dark , atmospheric games such as Dead Space or Bioshock . The amazing lighting and environmental effects results in some eye-popping luster and gives the game a definite Dark Knight feel . The voice acting is extremely well done and features the voice of Mark Hamill from Star Wars fame , and Kevin Conroy who reprises his role as Batman from animated films and television series . Unlike many of the previous Batman video games , this game is based on more than 70 years of Batman mythos , meaning the story and characters feel like they were lifted directly from the comic book pages .

Combat is based on a new , dynamic physics system known as FreeFlow and is tight and intuitive . Working like a natural chaining combo system , attacking using FreeFlow allows Batman to kick , punch and incapacitate multiple enemies in one fluid motion . As you brutally pound your opponents your HUD will display your combo count and awards you experience points based on how well you have performed . It's a pretty satisfying combat system , albeit a little repetitive after awhile .

No Batman game would be complete without some high-tech gadgets and this game certainly gets its fill . During the demo only a handful of Batman's arsenal is available including his Batarang , Grapple Gun , and Detective Visor . The visor is particularly neat and allows Batman to enter Detective Mode which gives him intel on the number of hostiles in the room , and highlights points of interest . There are many times where entering the mode is essential to progress making it one of your most utilized and important abilities .

The gameplay is quite diverse and features moments of all-out assault , strategic use of your detective skills , and a stealth-mode known as Invisible Predator . Often times you'll find yourself in situations where you are out-numbered and out-gunned , leaving you no choice but to use the shadows and high vantage points to gain the advantage over your foes . For example , in your first boss fight against the homicidal Zsasz you're required to use your Grapple Gun to swing between wall-mounted gargoyles , eventually positioning Batman in the right spot to take him down using a devastating Glide Kick or with a toss of your Batarang .

All in all , it was a solid demo and my impression of the game was quite good . There was a number of unlockables and modes that were visible in the demo but unavailable for play . This includes the Challenge Mode which consists of replayable stages unlocked in the story mode and can be played in two ways. The first is a combat challenge where you use Batman's FreeFlow fighting to take down an onslaught of enemies . The second is a predator challenge where the goal is to use your predator skills to silently take down your opponents without being seen . Also included in the game are dozens of character bios and trophies that shed light on the heroes and super-villians in the game , providing plenty of replay value ( and more than likely , achievement points ).

It looks like the game officially releases on August 25 , 2009 giving you a solid two weeks to download and try out the demo . If you're a PS3 owner , it looks like that version is going to be featuring an exclusive playable Joker to be used in the Challenge Mode . I'm not sure how big of a differentiator that is , but I'll take all the additional free content that's put in front of me . If would love to hear what your impressions of the demo are, so if you've tried it out let me know what you think in the comments section.

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Batman : Arkham Asylum official demo trailer:

Message Edited by PaulH on 08-12-2009 12:26 AM
Message Edited by Laura on 08-21-2009 02:55 PM