Directed by Sefton Hill, Paul Boulden and Jamie Walker
Written by Paul Dini
Narrative Designed by Paul CrockerWritten by Paul Dini
Based on the DC Comics Characters Created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger
Developed by Rocksteady Studios Ltd
Published by Eidos Interactive and Warner Brothers Interactive
EntertainmentProduced by Nathan Burlow and Matt O’Driscoll
Associate Produced by Joe Best, Scott Burfitt, Gerald Smith and Nathan Whitman
Art Direction by David Hego
Stunt Performance by David Newton
Batman Combat Performance by Marcus Shakesheff
Lead Animation by Zafer Coban
Character Design by Andrew Coombes
Original Video Game Score Composed by Nick Arundel and Ron Fish
Kevin Conroy ... Bruce Wayne/Batman
(Voice)
Mark Hamill … The Joker (Voice)
Arleen Sorkin … Harleen Quinzel/Harley
Quinn (Voice)
Kimberly D. Brooks … Barbara Gordon/Oracle
(Voice)
Cree Summer … Dr. Penelope Young (Voice)
Tom Kane … Commissioner James Gordon
(Voice)
Wally Wingert … Edward Nygma/The Riddler
(Voice)
Dino Andrade … Dr. Jonathan Crane/The
Scarecrow (Voice)
Steven Blum … Waylon Jones/Killer Croc
(Voice)
Tasia Valenza … Pamela Lillian
Isley/Poison Ivy (Voice)
Fred Tatasciore … Bane (Voice)
Danny Jacobs … Victor Zsasz (Voice)
Tom Kane … Warden Quincy Sharp (Voice)
Duane R. Shepard Sr. … Arkham Security
Head Aaron Cash (Voice)
Danny Jacobs … Arkham Security Guard Frank
Boles (Voice)
Adrienne Barbeau … Dr. Gretchen Whistler
(Voice)
Kimberly D. Brooks … Dr. Sara Cassidy
(Voice)
Wally Wingert … Dr. Adrian Chen (Voice)
Keith Ferguson … Dr. Stephen Kellerman
(Voice)
Tom Kane … Arkham Security Guard Louie
Green (Voice)
Chris Gardner … Arkham Security Guard
Henry Smith (Voice)
Steven Blum … Arkham Security Guard Ian
Kennedy (Voice)
Roger Rose … Arkham Security Guard William
North (Voice)
Chris Cox … Arkham Security Guard Eddie
Burlow (Voice)
Chris Gardner … Arkham Security Guard Zach
Franklin (Voice)
Steven Blum … Arkham Security Guard Jordan
Fraser (Voice)
Wally Wingert … Arkham Orderly Bob Johnson
(Voice)
Danny Jacobs … Arkham Orderly Robert
Stirling (Voice)
Tom Kane … Amadeus Arkham (Voice)
Kevin Conroy … Dr. Thomas Wayne (Voice)
Tasia Valenza … Martha Wayne (Voice)
Kimberly D. Brooks … Young Bruce Wayne
(Voice)
James Horan … Jack Ryder (Voice)
Keith Ferguson … TV Voice (Voice)
Adrienne Barbeau … Arkham Asylum PA
(Voice)
Upon apprehending the Joker once more, Batman returns the Clown Prince of
Crime to the notorious Elizabeth Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane. But what
begins as a procedural drop off turns into a night of madness when the Joker
escapes custody and takes control of the Asylum as a means of unleashing his
latest plan to destroy all of Gotham.
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Video games of pre-existing properties are among the most notorious for
their simultaneous shortcomings of quality in the gameplay and lack of faith to
the source material. From film franchises (“Star Wars,” “Indiana Jones,” “Terminator,”
“The Matrix”) to cartoons (“Looney Tunes,” “Disney,” “Hanna Barbara”) to comic
books (“Superman,” “Spider-Man,” “X-Men” and, yes, even our dear Dark Knight),
the attempts to translate to the realm of video games have been incredibly
numerous and yet, admittedly, it’s astounding how many of them are created and
released to much disdain. You certainly never see them topping the game sales or
critics’ charts.
“Tell me something. You’ve never let me catch you this easily. What’re you
really after?”
Following his defeat at Gotham City Hall, the nefarious Joker (Mark Hamill)
is captured by Batman (Kevin Conroy) and brought back to Arkham, much to both
the relief of Commissioner Gordon (Tom Kane) and frustrations of newly
appointed warden Quincy Sharp (Tom Kane yet again; as with most video game
projects, a number of the voice actors pull double, triple and sometimes even
quadruple duty!).
During a passage of handling while in transit, Batman watches helplessly as
the Joker breaks free and murders his escorts, retreating into the bowels of
the Asylum with the caped crusader in hot pursuit. But the night is just
beginning as a number of Arkham’s most notorious inmates – including the Scarecrow,
Killer Croc, Victor Zsasz, Poison Ivy and the Riddler – all use the Joker’s siege
for their own respective opportunities to defeat Batman as he fights his way
through Arkham Island to stop Joker’s schemes and take back the Asylum.
“He’s out of control. He’s trying to prove something. I’m not sure if I can
stop him this time.”
“Silly Bat, I don’t want to escape. I’m having way too much fun!”
As documented in my friend Captain Logan’s review of the game, Alfred
Hitchcock claimed that drama was life with the boring portions removed…and it
could be argued that with video games, those portions are reinstalled.
This approach of making an invested effort also gives “Arkham Asylum” an
added layer with the subsequent need to texturize and develop every reachable
nook and cranny of the Island and its structures. Arkham is composed of five main
environments: the Intensive Treatment building, the Medical Facility, the old Arkham
Mansion, the massive Penitentiary and the lush Botanical Gardens. The island is
further realized with a maze of subterranean caverns, chambers, sewers and
catacombs beneath the Asylum…as well as an aforementioned Batcave hidden as a precautionary
measure.
“It’s best to plan ahead for situations like this.”
These questions are posed and Batman is challenged throughout the game but
it’s easily most directly depicted through the three interactions with the Scarecrow as
you find yourself influenced by Crane’s infamous Fear Toxin.
To start, the game performs a self-aware glitch effect and appears as
though it’s been forced to restart all the way back at the opening cinematic.
Brilliant.
This all culminates in the final Fear Toxin level as Batman rises from the
dead and wanders through a hallucinogenic Arkham populated with various, insane
Batmen either cowering in corners, swinging fists at imaginary foes or feasting
on rats.
“Detective Mode” is an invaluable asset to Batman’s mission. Played as a
portrayal of what Batman sees through the state-of-the-art lenses embedded in
his cowl, “Detective Mode” re-creates the environment in a simulated blue
landscape (following certain trails calibrate the vision in assorted alternate colors like green and purple), highlighting non-lethal targets in blue and armed targets in red
that, given the proximity, can be seen through walls and air vents. This allows
you to track movements and plan out tactics for combat and stealth approaches
alike. Whether it’s a matter of incapacitating armed henchmen first or making
sure you’re undetected in an area, it’s a necessary tool that once again gives
you the ability to think and strategize as Batman himself would in the field.
Admittedly, “Detective Mode” can be interpreted as a potential crutch that
gamers could easily rely on too heavily but as long as you incorporate it into
the gameplay as needed, it’s a good bit of fun.
Given his ties to the comic book world, Dini also uses a number of great
storytelling devices and nods. The most present is the idea of Batman’s access
to data and assistance from his comm-link connection to Oracle, who
periodically guides you on given objectives by pulling up Asylum schematics or
offering information she’s dug up on Joker that fills Batman in on the plot as
it unfolds.
Ultimately it concerns Batman fighting to stop the Joker from developing
and using a mutagenic compound called Titan, an advanced form of Bane’s Venom
formula that he’s manipulated an Arkham doctor named Penelope Young to concoct
for him. With Titan, he plans to create an army of steroidal-enhanced monsters
that he’ll unleash upon Gotham City. Thank God the game isn’t really about that
story so much as it’s about you working to prevent that plan from occurring.
As a result, what could’ve been a rather hokey idea is turned into a simple
backdrop for an involving character study that takes place before that scheme
could be hatched. It’s not the genuine plot of the game itself but rather just
another one of the Joker’s deadly antics that you have to hinder.
“It’s just a twisted diversion. The real action’s on Arkham.”
The narrative does introduce a number of secondary characters though, some of which are quite worthwhile in varying degrees. There’s Arkham Security head Aaron Cash and Quincy Sharp, who’ve probably become as synonymous with Batman’s supporting cast as characters like Chief O’Hara or Leslie Thompkins in previous iterations.
“You need to stop this now. Before it goes too far.”
“Stop? But everyone’s dying to see what I do next.”
Arkham’s set pieces, with its labyrinths of holding cells, elevator shafts,
catwalks and corridors is rendered in a wonderfully moody array of texture and
lighting. I was genuinely creeped out by the Penitentiary segment of the game
once the Joker unleashes the more stark-raving mad lunatics in head gear and strait
jackets.
There’s also the intimidating story point of having to enter the ominous
sewer dwellings of Killer Croc and I gotta tell ya, the first time I played
that level was in the dead of night and the echo of Croc’s hisses were
downright scary! The confrontation with Croc is also a great example of using
the idea that Batman can’t (and shouldn’t) engage in a battle with all of his
foes the exact same way. Croc’s lair is constructed with a series of floating
planks that you have to crouch and walk on with subtlety and finesse so that
you Croc can’t determine your location. You can’t just confront him as a
combatant, he’s too deadly. So the game once again creates a scenario that
makes you work harder, think things out more so that you have no choice but to
behave as Batman would.
The game’s score, composed by Ron Fish and Nick Arundel, is as brooding and
bombastic as our hero. I’m a real fan of the claustrophobic track that plays
repeatedly whenever you enter the Intensive Treatment Lobby and all of the
driving material used during the fights and physical encounters very menacing
and pulsating.
I really love the track from the 2nd Scarecrow encounter, with
the tinkering notes of sadness and heartache as Batman transforms into young
Bruce Wayne kneeling over his parent’s bodies. There’s also great string work
in quieter moments like when Batman’s in the Batcave or right after an
objective has been accomplished. Other moments, like this great one when Batman
has to glide through a cliff side after Poison Ivy’s Titan-enhanced plants
destroy the Batcave, has a tremendous use of chorus and it’s very effective.
“Can you hear me Batman? I know you can.”
From a collection of patient-interview tapes documenting conversations with
Pamela Isley, Jonathan Crane, the Joker and Nygma himself to various items and puzzles
that when scanned reward you with dossiers on Batman characters like Alfred, Commissioner
Gordon, Penguin, Catwoman, Black Mask, Ra’s Al Ghul, Killer Moth, Clayface and others
to a series of stone carvings supposedly left throughout the Island by fabled
and demented founder Amadeus Arkham, the Riddler’s challenges provide a
fulfilling side-story that tests Batman’s thoroughness and patience (as well as
yours as a player).
“Showtime, Batman!”
“I’ll never let you win. Never.”
Ultimately, “Batman: Arkham Asylum” is a classic tribute to the world of
Batman while also forging a bold new dynamic for the process of adapting film,
TV and comic book properties for the video game medium. It’s arguable that even
with its sequels, it has yet to be surpassed and it’ll be interesting to see if
Rocksteady or any other developers and publishers use it as a template for
adaptations in the future. I’m sure they will and, probably, already have.
“It's over, Joker.”
“Over? Why my dear, delusional Dark Knight...it hasn't even begun.”
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Chas Blankenship's "Bat-Mania" is proud to present "Batman: Arkham Asylum" - The Video Game Movie...an edited feature length presentation of the entire game story through cinematics and gameplay.