The GameOn Magazine - Free Special Editions Batman: Arkham Special Edition | Page 40

BATMAN: ARKHAM - SETTINGS
Batman: Arkham Asylum
Arkham Asylum is one of the most iconic
locations in comic book lore. The psychiatric
hospital has been the backdrop for countless
Batman adventures as well as the home for many
of his legendary villains. This made it the perfect
setting for London-based Rocksteady Studios’
debut action title featuring the Caped Crusader.

buildings, these locations are connected by
open grounds that come with their own set
of challenges such as sniper inmates and
mutated plant pods. Since the entire game
takes place over the course of one night,
outdoor areas are just as dreary as the
interiors, resulting in a dark and gloomy
atmosphere that is perfectly Batman.

For a game set entirely in one location, there is
a great deal of variety to the environments in
Arkham Asylum. Whether exploring Intensive
Treatment’s claustrophobic corridors, the
overgrown Botanical Gardens or the dingy
Underground Sewers, each area feels unique
and, most importantly, believable. This sense
of authenticity is mainly due to the staggering
amount of detail that was put into the world,
with each scene containing dozens of easter
eggs, riddles, and other elements that fill in the
history of Arkham Asylum and its inhabitants.

Batman: Arkham City
The level of quality achieved by Rocksteady’s
portrayal of the asylum, both visually and in
terms of level design, is highly commendable.
But having already created such a perfect
and complete rendition of Arkham Asylum,
the question remained - where do you set
the sequel? The series’ intricate level design
and enclosed stealth arenas put a totally
open city, à la Spider-man 2, out of the
question, but there simply aren’t any other
locations in Batman’s mythos that offer the
same scale and variety of Arkham Island.
In the end, Rocksteady contrived a middle
ground between the two: a cordoned-off

While most of Arkham Asylum’s action
takes place inside the complex’s various
40 • GameOn Magazine

Batman Arkham Special Edition