…Okay, look, we got off on the wrong foot there. I said some things I now regret. I expressed skepticism towards you and your ability to carry my beloved Dark Knight to his first victory in the video game world. I was calloused, even foolish, maybe I was afraid to be hurt; honestly, it kind of reads like a Jane Austen novel now. Can we put this behind us, Rocksteady? Can you forgive me?
Yes, I will admit it: “Batman: Arkham Asylum” is an amazing gaming experience. I said it wasn’t going to be on several occasions, and now I look like an idiot. Why didn’t you tell me that you were going to be this incredible? You could have put out a tighter, more polished demo, or explained the “Freeflow Combat” system in terms that didn’t make it sound like utter BS. Or you could have just shrouded the whole thing in complete secrecy, that would have been fine. What you did scared the hell out of me: you made a bunch of vague references to the player “feeling like” Batman, with no quantifiable explanation for how that would occur. And there were a lot of gargoyles where no one would reasonably build them. It sounded like a bad “Splinter Cell” clone set in a “Bioshock” rip off with an oversimple combat system tacked on. I was worried.
How was I to know that when I picked up the game, every word of your promises would turn out to be true? That you actually did find a way to capture the feeling of being Batman, and that this transcendent experience stems not from any one thing, but a careful summation of the entire experience? What mere mortal could look upon another third-person Batman game and anticipate success? Sure, your voice acting pedigree was great, but so was “Batman Begins: The Video Game’s.” And it’s not like the brain trust behind “The Animated Series” hadn’t tried to make a solid Bat-game before, with results that never rose above middling.
And speaking of the past, look at yourselves, Rocksteady. You guys had made one game before this, and it was a mediocre, disposable first person shooter where you run around Los Angeles beating up protesters. I mean…I still don’t understand how that same company put out a product on this level, so how could I have been expected to process it then? Big-name licenses have always gone to little-respected developers who absolutely waste them, and you must see how this looked like more of the same.
Sigh.
All of this is pointless, though, because you beat me. I tried to read your playbook, but you called an audible on the line of scrimmage. What’s incredible about your success is that no one knows exactly why the game is so good. No single part seems easily identifiable as the cause, on paper it almost sounds kind of cliche, and yet the whole package clicks into place with an almost alarming ferocity. It’s not just good, it’s great. It’s compelling, it’s beguiling, it’s fascinating, it’s addictive. I coyly implied that some of the early reviewers could have been paid off on the grounds that their praise was unspecific, but now I see that they were grappling to define something beyond quantification. Sometimes in the design of a game, when you build on a solid foundation, you find yourself with something so sturdy that it’s almost alarming. “Batman: Arkham Asylum” is a testament to playing by the rules, observing the lessons of the past, sticking with fundamentals. You really do make me feel like Batman when I play this game, Rocksteady. I have no idea how you did that.
Still, the innovation is there, especially in the incredibly nuanced Freeflow Combat system, which has gone from being the source of my greatest skepticism to my favorite single thing about the game. Here is a system that kills two birds with one stone, simultaneously creating a significant challenge and a sense of almost godlike strength. With almost no practice, you can leap into a room full of thugs and put them down. That’s awesome. But at the same time, you’d have to be content to do it very poorly, and that is normally unacceptable, because the player senses the potential for an absolute beat-down to take place. It’s infuriating to get hit when you know you didn’t have to be. Also adding depth as the game progresses are new types of enemies who require special tactics, or a few guys with guns added into the mix. Now you’ve got to think tactically, and the game is very open to let you resolve the situation your way.
The reason I was doubtful of AA’s combat is that I had always assumed a complex, move-specific system a la “Ninja Gaiden” or “Devil May Cry” was the only really deep combat structure that could be made. But this game takes a page from “Super Smash Bros,” in that what it really demands from you is on-the-fly reasoning. You’re not being asked to throw a punch, Batman will handle that, but you are expected to figure out who should get it and when. You have to prioritize targets, improvise to the situation, respond to unexpected threats. The nuances of timing your strikes so that you can flow from enemy to enemy, building momentum and mopping the floor with bad guys, are wonderful. Quite possibly, we’re dealing with the most all-around satisfying hand-to-hand combat ever made. Its mixture of hardcore depth and pick-up-and-play accessibility is nothing short of stunning. And almost every time I get in a fight, Batman does a move or two I’ve never seen before.
Right. Well I’d love to keep chatting, but…uh…I’m going to go play some more.
PS: Those of you who’ve never played, here’s a video sample of the combat. The thing to remember while watching is: anyone, and I mean anyone, would be capable of this level of play within ten minutes.
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