I just realised that I HAD to write about this game! Now admittedly I haven't actually played this game but I have watched someone else playing it and enjoy it so much that I am content to just sit and watch. The game is played on a pc but it has left me itching to purchase a PS3 so that I can play it too (I have a Mac so games are hard to come by in that format). The style of the game is what is so appealing, it is stylistically brilliant with so many visuals. I absolutely hate Batman due to the hyped craze that has come about since the latest film releases and the death of Heath Ledger (a main actor in the films who played the joker) but this game has me back on side.

The game is based in Arkham Asylum so this is the main location but there are many other places on the island that you can also explore. The gameplay is directed by mini missions but you also have free roam. The scope for this game is fantastic. Batman has an array of special and unique tools such as a grapplehook for launching into the air and landing onto the rooftops of buildings. This can also be thrown onto grates which come away with a few tugs. These lead to tunnels that you can then crawl through into different rooms. Batman can perform combos when fighting the enemy. Every so often upgrades on weapons, defense or fighting moves are unlocked and you choose which one you would like to have. My favourite is the one where Batman hangs underneath an object up a height and grabs an enemy and ties him by his feet and strings him up in mid air. Batman can glide off tall buildings using his cape and land safely. His cape can also be used when he is fighting as he stuns his enemies and delays their movements for about 5 seconds. Batman also has some kind of sensory technology integrated into his headpiece or mask which allows him to change mode into 'environmental' mode. When you change to this the surrounding area has a blue hue and it picks up and highlights places of interest such as secret doors that can be blown up (using special explosive gel. This can also be used to injure enemies if they walk on top of it and it is detonated). During environmental mode Batman can see the skeleton of other people and stats on the screen tell you whether the person is an enemy and if so, whether they are armed or not (with a weapon). It even has details such as whether they are calm or nervous. Batman also has batterangs (sp?) which he can throw at enemies to stun and disarm before jumping from a height and attacking them with a drop kick. One of the upgrades is a remote control batterang so that once you have thrown it you can direct its movement and guide it to exactly where you want it to go. Sometimes a situation calls for stealth so Batman has to creep up on unsuspecting enemies and gag them so they don't make a noise. After this they will drop to the floor unconscious. After defeating a group of yobs in the game the fighting sequence will finish in slow motion showing an awesome view of the final blow to the enemy.

There are mini side missions throughout the game where you pick up Riddler trophies. These are usually placed in hard to find places although some are more obvious than others. There are video recordings you can listen to which give a backstory to some of the characters in the game. As the game progresses you come into contact with various different characters, some are friends of Batman whereas some are foes. I particularly love the imagery of the characters, you can access the characters as you come into contact with them they are unlocked and their story and statistical data is available to be read on the menu screen. There is a picture of the character also and gives insight into the characters motivations. Even though the characters are far fetched from reality the stories actually make for a believable read. The stories are fascinating to read and it actually makes me want to read the original Batman comics because I am left feeling intrigued by them. All of the characters seem to intertwine and the freaks of the game seem to have a back story that gives underlying reasons for their evilness or madness. There are 'bosses' planted throughout the game but you start to realise certain techniques and motions to go through in order to defeat them. It's just a case of concentration rather than skill.

The story line is excellent with Batman constantly pursuing the Joker to try and stop him from creating any more havoc. There are cut scenes throughout but these are not tedious or too long to watch. The game also progresses nicely and seems to give many hours of gameplay. I feel I have experienced a lot of the game from watching it progress solidly for 4 days but it's only 15% completed. There are some nice references in the same, for example there is a museum and there is an exhibition named 'Penguin' which accommodates his infamous penguin umbrellas. This leaves me wondering whether I will encounter this character further into the game. I also saw some photographs scattered on the floor of a library which appeared to be the face of a real person - one of the graphics designers perhaps? Little details like this just add to the creativity of the game and truly make it unique. There are so many details it makes you want to study every nook and cranny rather than rushing through defeating the enemy. Look out for gammy body parts floating around in jars!

I highly recommend this game to EVERYONE. Hope I haven't hyped it up too much so that it actually doesn't meet someone's expectations. That always seems to happen to me. This game is still expensive even though pc games tend to be cheaper than PS3 at about £35 but it's worth every penny. So much effort has been put into it you can't quibble.