Hands-on: Batman: Arkham Asylum

We’ve heard it before, and you’ll probably hear it until the end of time: licensed games suck. Apart from the Holy Grail of nostalgia, N64’s Goldeneye, all games based on movies, television, books or cereal packaging are doomed to failure. Well, 2009 has something to say about that. So far Wolverine and Riddick have proved to be pretty damn good, and August’s Batman: Arkham Asylum is set to continue the trend of pleasantly surprising summer blockbusters.

The fact that it doesn’t adhere to the plot of a film gives it the liberty to craft its own unique story with the pace of a game in mind. Written by Lost and prolific comic writer Paul Dini and featuring voice talent from Mark Hamill (The Joker), Kevin Conroy (Batman), and Arleen Sorkin (Harley Quinn), who have all worked together on the Batman animated series, it’s one of the first proper attempts of bringing the comic lore to a game. And it shows; the impressive opening ten-minute walkthrough, as Batman takes The Joker to be imprisoned, is a slow but superbly paced introduction to the complex’s imposing presence, laden with security and beastly inmates, with the cast brought to life with some excellent animation and stunning visuals as the two bicker with one another.

Of course, The Joker busts loose and Arkham Asylum becomes his new stalking ground, consistently menacing and dripping with The Joker’s brand of dark humour, and the place you'll be trapped in for the entire game. Chattering teeth scurry around across corridors like rats, neon-green graffiti becomes scrawled over posters, and bursts of manic laughter come through loud speakers to taunt you. Like Resident Evil 5 or Dead Space, the viewpoint sits from over Batman’s shoulder, controlling with tight and responsive tank directions through the linear and almost claustrophobic halls.

As a result, the heavy atmosphere lends itself to a slower pace of play. While there are bouts of hand-to-hand combat, emphasis is placed on stealth takedowns, where higher ledges can be used to scope out sentries before silently gliding down and bringing them to an immediate halt. While not every room offers it, this degree of verticality when taking on enemies from above - whether it be through flight or by hanging upside-down and dragging them into the rafters - as well as exploring towering environments with the grappling hook, makes exploration more of a puzzle then a generic brawler, something that suits the Caped Crusader well.

Gadgets fuel progression through the complex, with batarangs used to disable faraway traps and a visor that highlights points of interest and enemy conditions (showing their weapons and their state of mind - from nervous to excited, or just plain unconscious) which become vital for planning the next assault. A detective element is also added by scanning items; one example has you follow a boozed-up thug through the labyrinth corridors, but by scanning his used whiskey bottle found in an office, you can trace his scent through the air, pointing to the way ahead.

The toys at your disposal also pave way for opening up previously inaccessible areas, such as explosive gel that can knock down walls, and a series of riddles left behind by the Joker. One provided was "I saw it, do you see it?", solved through scanning a see-saw, unlocking bonus material outside of the main campaign. Additionally, interview tapes with notorious inmates flesh out the narrative and add reward to the exploration, and a series of challenge rooms make full use of the combat - a three-button system that relies on combos and counters for fast and snappy take-downs - that scores attempts and posts them on online leaderboards.

It’s these aspects that open up the progression just enough to make it not feel completely linear, and makes up for the lack of multiplayer (which by Resident Evil 5’s DLC attempt, is a wise move). The most reassuring thing about Batman: Arkham Asylum is that isn’t defined by its licence. By itself it looks to be a gripping, atmospheric adventure with a refreshing change of pace, and the fact that it makes such reserved and thoughtful use of the lore makes it an incredibly tantalising package. Assuming gadgets are put to clever use and the pacing holds strong, this could quite easily be one of the best games of the summer.

Batman: Arkham Asylum will be released for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC on August 28.