Batman Arkham Asylum Review

Batman Arkham Asylum ScreenshotBatman Arkham Asylum begins with the end of another hero’s chase that resulted in the capture of arch-rival the Joker. This time the task seemed too easy and the hero suspects that the Joker has some ace up its sleeve. Like always, this evil villain’s plan soon goes in progress and he attempts to take control of Arkham cities Asylum, the sanatorium for highly dangerous and insane criminals. It’s up to Batman to save the city, where the adventure then percolates through the huge complex – which includes six large buildings full of laboratories, dungeons and secret passages – and thwart the criminals plans, from other illustrious comic villains such as Bane, Poison Ivy, Scarecrow and the Crocodile.

On his journey through the dangerous halls of Arkham, the player must divide their attention between three basic aspects. The first is the combat system that is so easily accessible, that it may seem simplistic and silly at first, but soon reveals far more absorbent with the introduction of armed villains, which require a more strategic approach. Batman may strike, counter-attack, stun and use some special moves. Pressing the punch button carelessly often works, but to get the best out of combat – and earn more experience points which guarantee equipment upgrades – it is essential not to interrupt your combos and aim the attacks with precision and perfect timing.
Arkham Asylum Cover

One more point is the need of staying invisible. Batman is still a common man and even with his armored suit, he is able to die by taking a sharp burst of gunfire. So it’s important to walk quietly in the shadows, to address the armed thugs on the basis of the scare. The game gives the player lots of freedom to plan their attack and the hero can, for example, land on the enemies to hit them with a well-aimed kick or hook any bad guys with his bat-hook.

Given the disappointing hindsight of previous games starring Batman, Batman Arkham Asylum is surprising. It is Dark Knight’s final game, which not only provides mechanical and solid ambiance, but also honors the complex and intricate mythology of the hero.

With first class production, Batman Arkham Asylum is easily one of the most interesting and engaging games of 2009, whether you’re a fan of the character or not. You can purchase the game, along with other ps3 games at this deals site: PS3-deals.co.uk

Introduction and My History with Gaming

This is my first post on the recently acquired domain of PeyoteTapes.com. I want to start a blog about all things that interest me. Whether that is gaming in the form of Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, or computers and music. See the sky is the limit when it comes to writing and I don’t like to tie myself down to just one subject. So, here comes the braingasm as I introduce myself.

My Start with Gaming

I started off console gaming with the Sega Genesis back in the early 90′s. Not only was I huge Sonic fan, but I grew to appreciate some favorites like ‘Cool Spot’ and ‘Double Dragon’. I spent countless hours with my cousin trying to master each level before we couldn’t play anymore. Don’t get me wrong, this wasn’t the only thing I did, but it sure as hell was a ton of fun and took a lot of my time.

Sega Genesis

Nintendo 64

Christmas of 96 (I believe) saw me opening a brand new Nintendo 64. I received Wayne Gretzky’s 3D hockey and 1080 snowboarding. Once again, these were both tremendous titles and I found myself playing for hours and hours. Eventually, Goldeneye 007 was released and gaming was reinvented forever. I remember battling my friends on split screen multiplayer, where we attempted every scenario and battled on each and every level. This game was so groundbreaking and mind blowing at the time, we thought it couldn’t get better. That is until I purchased my next system.

The Sega Dreamcast

I was the ultimate Sega fan boy growing up and couldn’t stand the fact that I missed out on the Saturn. My redemption came in the form of the Sega Dreamcast.

Dreamcast

The first time I saw this system was at an exhibit in the Epcot area of Disney world circa 1998. I knew right then and there that I had to start saving. I spent the whole summer cutting lawns and walking dogs to scrape up enough money for the coveted Sega Dreamcast.

My efforts were rewarded and on September 9th, 1999 I received my very own Dreamcast. Only one other kid in the school had one, so we were sure to trade some games and join forces to battle it out on multiplayer. Everything about the system had me in total awe from the groundbreaking graphics, to the well designed controller and interfaces.

I had a lot of memories on the Dreamcast…most of which were playing Toy Commander or NFL2k. I hope Sega is able to make some systems again in the future, they had some really great ideas.

Enter the Microsoft Xbox

The original Xbox was another system I wanted for a very long time. I remember when the demo kiosk was setup at the local target, and how amazing I thought the console was. The controller seemed similar to my dreamcast controller with a more efficient layout, and the graphics were out of this world.

Original Xbox - Limited Edition Launch Console Signed

I was lucky enough to receive an Xbox system for Christmas of 2001, complete with three games and two controllers. I received Halo, Project Gotham, and NFL Fever 2002. Each game won a special place in my heart.

Halo was yet another ground breaking experience. For some reason, I was uaware of the hype surrounding the game and didn’t know what to expect. My cousin came over and we decided to give the co-op a shot.

Approximately 11 hours later and the campaign was finished. Our minds were blown, and we were both fans for life.

Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Gaming Today

After playing and owning the original Xbox for years, I decided to purchase the Xbox 360 instead of the PS3. I felt that blu ray was something that I did not need, and that the Halo franchise was to good to pass up. Not only that, but I was already a live member, my friends at various colleges also choose the 360, and I was not living the wealthiest of lives.

Xbox 360 Arcade GameStick

I’ve had a 360 ever since and wouldn’t change that for the world. I have since picked up a slim PlayStation 3 because I saw it over on this Video Game Deals site on sale. I still use both systems and have friends on each. I still love the Halo franchise, but due to the stresses of work and graduate school, I do not have as much time to play as I once did.

My Xbox 360 games collection (March 2009)

Nevertheless, I am still a gaming junky and enjoy reading the latest news and following the latest Xbox 360 deals on Game Exchange and Amazon. I’m proud of my gaming history and can’t wait to have a son who enjoys gaming as much as I once did. I think when fun is kept in moderation it can provide a good balance in life. I can’t wait to see where technology is going and have no doubt that video game console manufacturers will continue to impress with new graphics and technology. The Kinect looks wonderful, and I can’t wait for the launch of the rumored Xbox 720 and PlayStation 4. Once again, I’m sure my mind will be blown and that I will get sucked back into the gaming trap.

I appreciate you for reading my post here on peyotetapes.com. God bless.