The Batman franchise started out as a small story within Detective Comics back in 1939 and has since grown into a world-wide icon.  The brutal violence of the comic is what has made Batman comics what they are today, and the people at Rocksteady Studios are in tune with that fact.

Batman: Arkham Asylum is a very violent game.  Visually, it isn’t over the top like X Men Origins: Wolverine.  This game instead makes the violence very cerebral, which makes for a much more satisfying experience.  Which points to the fact that this game pays homage to the likes of Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns and last year’s The Dark Knight.  But those are only two examples of the entire legacy that this game draws upon.

Speaking of legacy, many of Batman’s most hated arch enemies make an appearance in this game including: Bane, Scarecrow, Killer Croc, Zsasz, Joker, Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy.  Other villains make an appearace as the player will come across many interview tapes that will unlock profiles of other villains.  Moreover, The Riddler is constantly testing the player’s prowess in unlocking his secrets, and he’ll make his presence known by mocking the player every step of the way.

It’s really tough to pin down what gameplay defines Batman: Arkham Asylum as it seamlessly ties together stealth, action rpg, adventure and brawling.  Every aspect of the gameplay works extremely well as one part doesn’t seem to take over the other.  The brawling is simple to learn but very hard to master.  The X button acts as the primary striking button while A, B and Y act as counter measures to prevent damage.  It can be very hectic during battles and trying to rack up combo points while not taking damage can become frustrating.  As Batman lands hits and keeps the flow of battle going, he’ll rack up combo points which earn extra XP and can allow him to perform special moves when the combo count gets high enough.

The combat works well and gives you a sense of empowerment.

Once the player gains enough XP from battles, they are able to add elements to Batman such as armor, combat bonuses and tech improvements.  Batman’s arsenal is large and completely useful.  I found myself using every one of his gadgets during the game as great ways to engage in combat and create diversions.  The baterang is the most useful tool in Batman’s arsenal as he is able to upgrade to a triple baterang strike, a remote controlled baterang and a sonic resonance baterang that can incompacitate thugs within a small radius but cannon be used again in the same room.

What’s also great about the combat is that Batman is never truly at a disadvantage.  A typical combat scenario will play out with Batman stalking up above the criminals.  All of them are armed, but with subtle movements and quick take-downs the weapons cease to be a problem.  The game repeats these scenarios throughout, but the great idea behind this combat is that the difficulty and variables change every time.

There are some truly creative boss fights in this game.  While most of them are your typical “big guy runs at you, you jump out of the way” sorts, the game still throws variables at you to keep things fresh.  The best boss battles are those against Scarecrow and Killer Croc as they buck the typical one-on-one battle for something a little different.

All is not well in the land of Arkham.

Not only is this game impressive from a story and gameplay standpoint, but it also takes the cake graphically.  The Unreal Engine 3 pushes the visual quality to 11 as the game takes the stylistic influence of a Tim Burton film.  The twisted, gothic aesthetic is quite pleasing, but this is where some of the problems creep up and can hamper the overall experience.  I found myself lost several times because of a vent I would miss or a surface that I repel to because it was so dark in the room I was in.  I had to turn up the brightness a bit towards the end as I just couldn’t take the frustration of the darkness anymore.

One of the big down sides is that the other characters in the game, mainly the generic characters and thugs, have not received the love and attention that Batman and the villains have received.  Most of the thugs and bysanders look the same and the lip synching and animation can be suspect.  The Poison Ivy portion of the game does a good job of showing off the lighting effects of the engine and the change of scenery keeps the game fresh with a heavy botanical overhaul.

This game oozes top-notch production and many fans of the animated series have rejoiced over the fact that Mark Hamill, Kevin Conroy and Arleen Sorkin reprise their roles as the Joker, Batman and Harley Quinn respectively.  The voice work is as amazing as the dialog which is almost worth itself as the price of admission.

The Joker in his deadliest performance.

They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and that is very true with this game.  While the story itself is original, it draws upon the Batman legacy with subtle homages to the films, comic books and animated series.  What’s more is that I can name at least 10 games that have influenced Batman: Arkham Asylum, that’s really nothing to be ashamed about.  The gameplay is so seameless and well done that I can’t knock it for that.  This game is very violent and will play tricks with your head.  The encounters with Scarecrow are the biggest highlight of the game and will leave your jaw on the floor.  This is absolute gaming gold right here, and is in good standing for game-of-the-year.  With about 8 hours of main story, combat challenges and 240 Riddler challenges, Batman: Arkham Asylum is worth every single penny and then some.  The production values are perfect, the combat flows well and the graphics are breathtaking.

Infinite fun in your pocket

Space Invaders has established itself as one of the original shooters that took the world by storm with its coin-op machines back in 1978.  Through the years, Taito has released the game in several compilations and spin-offs on several systems, further cementing its place in the minds of gamers of all ages.  Despite its simple design and game play, the game has stood the test of time.

Taito released Space Invaders Infinity Gene to the iTunes App Store on July 27, 2009 and is one of the best iphone games to date.  Space Invaders: IG is not your grandfather’s Space Invaders, as this is an entirely new approach to the series.  The game is a scrolling shooter similar to games like Ikaruga and includes RPG elements that opens up the game to hours of replayability.

Space Invaders: IG also takes a page from the book of Rez as it has a very stylized wireframe look to the enemies and environments, and includes an electronica soundtrack that is never dull and adds to the intensity of what is happening on the screen.

The game progresses as the player beats levels, but the points accumulated allow for unlocking of new weapons, secret stages, soundtrack and art from the game.  The game does not need to be completed on a linear progression as levels can be replayed for skill points or high scores.

The game also presents plenty of variety in terms of weapons.  Each weapon system controls differenty, from the rapid-fire shots, which can blast through enemy lasers to the gravity bombs that suck up enemy fire and can take out several enemies together.  Power ups are made available throughout the game, and as you collect those, your ship will be able to fire more shots.  Enemies that die in close succession of each other produce chain combos that act as a multiplier to the player’s overall score.

The problems with the game are outweighed by the enjoyement, but they can hamper the overall experience.  The ship that the player controls is extremely tiny, and it is easy to get lost in the enemies and hazards on the screen.  I am also a person with rather large fingers, so keeping them on the screen was a problem when trying to navigate certain sections of the game.  I also experienced slowdown in several high-density areas, but those were few and far between.

Verdict: I found myself drawn in by the simple style of Space Invaders: Infinity Gene.  The new approach to the already solid gameplay is well done and will make any fan of the shoot-em-up  genre engaged.  While the game is not perfect, there is plenty of fun to be had as players try to rack up high scores and chain combos.  For the current price of $4.99, this game delivers much bang for the buck.