REVIEW: Batman: Arkham Asylum (PC)
- Scribbled on September 22nd, 2009 by Jonah Falcon
- Filed in Action, Live for Windows, PC, Reviews
You might have noticed we’d already reviewed Batman: Arkham Asylum, but it was based on the Xbox 360 build. Everything in that review applies to this one, so if you want the basic nuts and bolts of what makes this game great, you can peek there. This review focuses on what makes the PC version differ from its console brethren.
First, and most obviously, it’s gorgeous. The game makes the console versions look like a Super Nintendo game in comparison. If you jimmy the camera close enough, you can see the bloodshot veins in The Joker’s sclera, the stubble on Batman’s chin that grows more and more coarse as the night wears on. I didn’t even know Batman’s cowl had two bloody scratches on it til the PC version. Even the cutscenes are in-engine rather than the movies in the console version. While it’s no surprise the PC can boast better graphics, this game alone shows off what a good graphic engine can do on a good machine.
Control is a different matter. The keyboard and mouse are barely adequate, especially if you want to pull off slick moves in the Challenges, and especially if you play Batman on Hard level. Fortunately, the game natively uses the Xbox 360 controller setup, so if you plug in your 360 controller, it plays exactly the console version, right down to the Guide button, which brings us to the next advantage.
If you’re an Xbox 360 owner, but have a powerful rig, it’s highly recommended that you purchase the PC version over the 360 version, because not only are you getting a game that plays exactly like the 360 version when using the gamepad, but you also get Achievements for your 360 Gamerscore. Yep, Batman is Live for Windows, so enjoy racking up the scoure, especially if you rent the 360 version for Double Achievements.
Lastly, one feature that’s unheralded is the fact that the game can be played in stereoscopic 3D with the right monitor and Nvidia card. If there’s anyone playing Batman in 3D, let us know how it looks.
In short, the game has all of the greatness of the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 version, with better graphics, and probably better mod support. You have to wonder if people will have Batman wearing the 1960′s show outfit, or better yet, a Robin costume. Buy this game.
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