Batman Arkham Asylum

Batman Arkham Asylum opens with several minutes of a glorious cut scene. It can't be skipped. And I've seen it three times and still not been bored. In fact, this reminds me of what makes this game so good; you never have to see the same scene more than three times in a row. As an action adventure, it is so well balanced, I never died more than three times in a scene.



It is the balance that makes this an outstanding game. One aspect of balance in the game is in its Gothic humour. It is dark, but it knows the inherent silliness of a man in black pants. Another balance is with its judicious map directions. Unlike action games of the past, you aren't forced to artificially extend the life of the game by ambling around directionless; you always know where you need to go next (albeit for one section where I walked past a door and ten minutes into the game.)

Another balance, and perhaps the best for a TeacherGamer, is that the games saves a preset points (like in the COD series). This is the only way for action games to proceed, I think. It divides the game into discernible set-scenes that seamlessly integrate into the next. When I think that adventure games (starting with God on the Amiga) consisted of finding a key for a door, and repeat, I admire how richer and, simply, more fun adventures games have become.

PCGamer suggests that busy professionals should consider playing games on the easiest setting to complete story. Harder levels of difficulty are either for replays, or for veterans of the genre (or series). I can't even remember whether Batman even had a level of difficulty - I remember that it was an immensely achievable game. It can be clocked in under ten hours of gameplay. The boss battles are varied yet clockable. There was no sense of a lucky win.

Anyone who plays this game, though, will recognise what all gamers aspire to: the feeling that you actually meant to control the actions unfurling on the screen. When you single-handedly fight a dozen hired goons at once, blocking multiple kicks and punches while slamming titanium boots to faces, all through the judicious use of two buttons, you know you are playing an exceptional game. Watching Batman cursorily cracking his knuckles, after knocking out a vicious pipe-wielding goon, never gets tiring.

RPG elements are thrown in with the sense of improving Batman's armour or fighting skills. These, generally, level your character in line with the difficulty of the game. Some extra elements - like a grappling hook - are added to allow you to revisit previous scenes and reach higher levels. But these elements exist to serve, rather than than detract, from the action of the game.

For a game that is so regularly cheap on stream - £5 in the last sale - this is the pinnacle of well-balanced action gaming in 2011 so far.