I got to play through the opening level of Batman: Arkham Asylum at E3 2009, and I can report that it really does play out every bit as much fun as it looks!

What I was most struck by was the developers’ attention to getting the game right. Since, unlike so many past Batman games, Arkham Asylum is not a movie tie-in, it’s not beholden to any set narrative or production design, so the developers were free to create their own version of Batman, and their own story. One aspect of the Batman character that’s often overlooked is his status as the “world’s greatest detective,” but even this is not overlooked in the game, giving you plenty of opportunities to put Batman’s deductive reasoning skills to the test.

The version they chose is a Batman influenced by the comics, cartoon, and yes the Christian Bale movies. The voice actors will be familiar to fans — all of the actors from the TV cartoon series are here in their familiar parts — but the look and feel of the game is decidedly more grown-up and realistic. It’s also absolutely gorgeous, with amazing textures on every surface, and it’s just plain fun to see all of these familiar characters rendered in such fantastic detail, yet with new twists for added realism. One nice twist is that since the game’s story unfolds during a single night, Batman and his foes will gradually take on damage to their costumes — damage that will then last throughout the remainder of the game. So you’ll go from a pristine Batman at the beginning to a banged-up Batman at the end with slashes, tears, and holes all over his Batsuit.

The story goes that when the Joker is being transfered to Arkham Asylum, he turns the tables and unleashes a master plan that finds Batman trapped inside the maximum security facility — complete with a rogue’s gallery of Batman’s greatest foes waiting inside. Batman works through much of the game to find and fight his way out of the prison, and once he does, he has all of Arkham Island to contend with, too, as the Joker has taken control of the island, and Batman has to put him back behind bars.

The gameplay is fun and cinematic, since Batman has tons of capabilities, including kung-fu moves, gadgetry, and stealth movements — and the game really shines when those various capabilities are combined. Slow-mo occasionally takes over when you manage a particularly impressive take-down, and the animations and rag-doll physics are all top notch. Not enough can be said about the graphics which are really spectacular.

Most importantly, the story seems to be one that’s worth telling. It’s big enough in scale and drawn in such striking detail that it could easily be the next Batman movie. At the very least, it will satiate fans’ appetites until the next movie does arrive. But more than that, I was impressed enough to say that it’s going to be the first time fans will really get to experience what it’s like to be the Dark Knight.

Images: Copyright 2009 ©Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment.

Post from: EveryJoe

E3 ‘09: Batman Arkham Asylum impressions

Taken from the E3 2009 show floor on Tuesday, June 2nd. Much more to come throughout the week!

The Stay-Puft Marshmellow man from Ghostbusters, right outside the convention center to promote the new video game.

Ecto-1 from Ghostbusters.

LEGO Universe promo poster. Sadly, the game is not playable on the show floor.

Eidos booth.

Xbox booth.

Beware the Rabbids!

A mech thingamajig from James Cameron’s Avatar.

EA Games booth.

A Prius 3 promoting The Sims 3, in South Hall. (Note the floating green crystal.) Appropriate, no?

Warner Bros. Interactive promo area for Lord of the Rings: Aragorn’s Quest.

Inside the Batman: Arkham Asylum demo area. Kind of sums up all of E3!

Holy E3 Expo, Batman!

Nintendo’s booth.

The first-ever concert held live and in a persistent MMO game. In this case, the band is The Dares, and the game is Free Realms.

DJ Hero being demoed at Activision’s booth.

Post from: EveryJoe

E3 ‘09: Sights from the Show Floor

It may be a bit disappointing that the next Metal Gear game will be hitting the iPhone instead of the PS3, but hey, at least we get a little MGS in our LittleBigPlanet. In the meantime, check out the latest PlayStation headlines, which cover a few interesting upcoming games.

• After learning about the first level pack for LittleBigPlanet yesterday, which was Christmas themed, a new Metal Gear Solid 4 pack has been revealed. SnakeBoy!
• Though Sony continues to deny it, an unnamed publisher has said that the next iteration of the PSP is definitely in the works.
• Check out these videos of Noby Noby Boy. I’ve watched them all, and I’m more confused than ever.
• If those recent Resident Evil 5 screens got you excited for the game, you’re in luck, as Capcom has confirmed that a demo of the game will be coming early next year.
• It looks like Mark Hamil aka Luke Skywalker will be lending his voice talents to Batman: Arkham Asylum as the Joker. This is a good move, as Hamil also voiced the same character in the Batman animated series.

Post from: EveryJoe

Today in PlayStation: December 17, 2008