#literally had a used copy for xbox in 2013 and i just ignored it for a decade. incredible

[stoupax]

I'm twelve years late but wow Dishonored is good

[ramblesandmumblesofanerd]

Batman: Arkham Reviews Part 5 - Arkham’s Legacy

As said before when this series began, superhero games were thought impossible if not a rare occurrence. If the general story and graphics were not flawed, then you can bet that the mechanics and controls were broken beyond repair, and that is not including the glitches that could run rampant while playing. Even modern games, such as Marvel’s Thor and Iron Man movie tie ins were thought inferior by fans and critics alike. It would appear that this would be a repetitive cycle until Rocksteady gave DC Comics fans “Batman: Arkham Asylum” in 2009, leading to a series that, while flawed in some respects, provided fans like myself a fantastic story with twists, turns and surprises. For those who have not seen my previous blog entries explaining what I mean, allow me to present you with the TL;DR Edition of my Batman: Arkham Reviews.

In 2009, Batman: Arkham Asylum was released by Rocksteady Studios on the PC, Playstation 3 and XBox 360. This dark, gritty story took place in the titular criminal institution which had been taken over by the Joker and his fellow super criminals, who Batman must defeat in order to restore order and prevent a possible catastrophe using his skills in combat and stealth as well as a variety of gadgets he will acquire throughout the night. The story starts very simple, but throws a surprising curve-ball that makes you feel like if Batman fails, the consequences will be massive. The setting helps create an ominous feeling, as if there is more to the iconic asylum that meets the eye, which there is now that the Riddler has added a ton of collectible secrets for you to find and solve. The mechanics of the game feel solid, especially in free flow combat, where Batman can go from one thug to the next knocking them down with ease, and the gadgets feel more like helpful tools rather than a hindrance or an Easter egg. The villains are all in top form, with the Joker being the best of the bunch as he constantly taunts you in hilariously twisted ways, which is all the more humorous when you realize Mark Hamill is the one providing his iconic voice for the Clown Prince of Crime. The only thing I can possibly complain about is the final boss fight of the game, but I did enough of that in my actual review of the game. In spite of that, however, the game is fantastic and paved the way for a series of fantastic sequels...and one subpar prequel, but we’ll get to that one in a moment.

Imagine my surprise in 2011, when Batman: Arkham City was released for PC, Playstation 3 and XBox 360. The premise of Arkham Asylum being shut down while the former Warden and his psychiatrist take positions of power and create a hellish prison city took my by surprise and certainly piqued my interest, especially with the super-villains being at each others throats. This created an amazing story that took Arkham Asylum’s story and multiplied everything we loved about it by ten, with Batman having to explore an area twice the size of the previous game in order to stop the villains from killing one another and defeat the man behind Arkham City, Hugo Strange. The city is immense, giving way to thugs and super criminals alike hiding around every corner, either shooting up a conversation about how much the city sucks or ready to ambush rival gangs or the Dark Knight himself. This is not a problem, however, as the combat mechanics have been improved and the Caped Crusader’s arsenal of non-lethal gadgets has been updated and expanded as well, allowing Batman to perform more moves and take-downs than in the previous game. And, just like the previous game, the story starts small, but expands into what feels like an apocalyptic scenario, which is not made any better by the amount of criminals the player will deal within the main story and side missions, from crazed killers to obsessed madmen. Top it off with Mark Hamill once again providing his talents for The Joker, and you have an amazing sequel that literally left you wanting more. Too bad we had to play Arkham Origins before we got another sequel.

Batman: Arkham Origins was a prequel made by Warner Brothers Games Montreal and released in 2013 for PC, Playstation 3 and XBox 360. A game that is almost completely non canon to the lore established by Rocksteady, it features an angry Black Mask setting a bounty on Batman which eight assassins gladly take the challenge of collecting. This leads a young, irrational Batman to defend himself not only from super criminals in the main story, but also some lesser thugs in side missions and the currently untrustworthy GCPD, including a dedicated Lieutenant Jim Gordon. Unfortunately, the setting, while expanded, does feel very copy and paste from the previous entry, as Arkham City’s map is used alongside another map accessible by tedious bridge or fast travel plagued by irritating loading screens. The mechanics and gadgets are pretty much exactly the same as they were in previous games with minimal innovation thrown into the mix, which is quite disappointing. There is also a variety of glitches and bugs that honestly should have been dealt with in Quality Testing before the game was released, in spite of how minimal they are. Thankfully, the story, while flawed, does stand up to a degree, and the voice talents do actually provide a memorable performance, especially Troy Baker doing his best impression of Mark Hamill while attempting to sound much younger than the character we’ve seen in previous games. The game is not perfect, by any means, but once the flaws are either dealt with or ignored, it can be pretty fun. But for those who wanted a sequel rather than a prequel, thankfully one came two years later.

Arkham Knight is the final installation in Rocksteady’s trilogy of Batman video games, released in 2015 for PC, Playstation 4 and XBox One, and is the first of the series to hit Next Gen consoles until Batman: Return to Arkham was released a year later. With the events of Arkham City leaving a lasting mark on Batman and his rogues gallery, the villains decide enough is enough and begrudgingly put aside their differences to kill their enemy, with the Scarecrow leading the campaign alongside the namesake of the game, the Arkham Knight. Now, Batman must don the cowl one last time to fight off the insanity and wrath of foes both old and new. This story once again ups the ante by escalating the scale of danger Gotham is in, with Scarecrow planning to flood the city in his most powerful Fear Toxin yet and destroy the Batman’s legacy alongside the Arkham Knight, a vengeful enemy who brings an entire army that is armed to the teeth with guns, swords and unmanned military vehicles. The map is entirely new and looks amazing thanks to the Next-Gen graphics, and the lack of loading screens or fades to black definitely helps the player remain immersed in Gotham. The mechanics have been updated to the nth degree, allowing the player to perform even more moves than before, and use even more gadgets that always come in handy during the main story and side missions. Speaking of, one of two things that players might complain about is the Batmobile, which unfortunately does feel like it is being forced down your throat, as certain missions cannot be done without it. The other complaint is that of the Arkham Knight himself, as the mystery behind his identity does, unfortunately, die out long before the actual reveal. These are legitimate complaints, but I can personally ignore them and find myself enjoying this game for what it is; a definitive conclusion to the Arkham series, a long story that I have enjoyed to this day.

If you are a Batman fan, you will enjoy this franchise of video games immensely in spite of some of the flaws you may find along the way. Arkham Asylum provides a brilliant start, giving players an in depth look at the dark side of the iconic criminal institution and the madmen that have been locked away by the Dark Knight. Arkham City ups the ante by widening the area the player can freely explore and increasing the amount of danger and drama they will encounter throughout the main campaign and side missions. Arkham Origins, while a poor attempt to keep fans satisfied until the finale was released, does provided players with certain entertaining elements, but anyone who chooses not to play the game will not be chastised for their choice. Arkham Knight, while flawed, wraps up the series with a neat little bow and feels like a solid way to conclude Rocksteady’s Batman series...at least until the rumored new game in the series supposedly made by Warner Brothers Montreal, the creators behind Arkham Origins, is confirmed.

Until then, never stop rambling, TM