The GameOn Magazine - Free Special Editions Batman: Arkham Special Edition | Page 6

I AM BATMAN
There are many reasons to enjoy the Batman:
Arkham series of games: A well-rounded
combat system, a cast of excellent supporting
characters, a rich open world, an abundance
of side-activities and many more.
For me though, there is one aspect that
makes the experience so epic for me, and
that reason is a simple one: I am Batman.
Both Arkham Asylum and Arkham City
really let me walk a mile in the boots of
the Caped Crusader, the Dark Knight, the
World’s Greatest Detective. It goes so much
further than the skin of the character, the
way he looks and the way he moves. For
me, the thing Rocksteady have nailed on
the head is how it feels to be Batman.
Controlling the Batman just feels right, as you
run through the streets, scale sheer surfaces,
glide amongst the rooftops and rappel between
buildings. The sense of maneuverability
is dead on; not quite superhuman, but
6 • GameOn Magazine

the kind of feat only achievable by a
human being with the right tools, training
and at the peak of physical ability.
The gadgets also provide a great deal of
depth to the experience. Solving puzzles and
following clues in detective mode changes
the pace of proceedings, providing a more
thoughtful aspect of gaming amongst the
high adrenaline combat and tense stealth
sections. Tools such as the remote control
batarang, disruptor and grappling hook
provide you with the tools to cope with
any situation and make up for Batman’s
lack of ‘traditional’ superpowers.
The fact that our hero’s abilities and gadgets
stretch the bounds of believability to their
limits, but never beyond breaking point, is
the main factor that underlies the success
of both games in capturing the essence of
Batman. There is a real sense of power there,
but behind it, a sense of vulnerability.

Batman Arkham Special Edition