Simply put, Batman Arkham Asylum is the best superhero videogame ever made....

Why are so many comic book videogames substandard? As a staunch comic geek first and a videogame enthusiast a very close second, I often find it baffling that so little effort is put into superhero or comic-based games. Part of this is perhaps down to the fact that few “comic book games” are actually based on the comics themselves; generally they are churned out to correspond with Hollywood movie adaptations instead, and with few exceptions are rushed and uninspired attempts. But even better efforts such as Marvel Ultimate Alliance are admittedly bog standard genre titles that get by on their use of colourful licensed characters and elaborate mythologies.

Batman: Arkham Asylum is a different kind of comic book game, for several distinct reasons. Firstly, developer Rocksteady Studios have essentially attempted to set Batman in a Gotham recognisable from the comics, but have not allowed slavish faithfulness to the source material to get in the way of some splendidly inventive visuals. Secondly, rather than take an existing franchise or template and apply the Batman licence to it, Rocksteady have structured Arkham Asylum around Batman’s abilities and methods, with the gameplay varying to fill the Dark Knight’s fighting, climbing and sleuthing boots. Thirdly, rather than simply throw together a set of level-by-level confrontations with Batman’s rogues gallery, the London developers have produced one of the finest screen outings for the Caped Crusader ever; and given the quality of Christopher Nolan’s recent movie offering, that’s no mean feat.

Much of this is down to Batman: The Animated Series writer and comic veteran Paul Dini’s excellent script, which sees Batman navigating the titular madhouse following a coup by the Joker. The plot may be uncomplicated fluff, but it effectively allows players to explore Arkahm and its inmates with an intimacy that no previous Batman game has come close to. Dini’s dialogue is delivered by, amongst others, Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill, and Arleen Sorkin, who all worked on the significant 90s animated series. Kevin Conroy has always made Batman’s brusqueness sound so natural, while Mark Hamill’s Joker is simply put the best depiction of the character, period. Simultaneously menacing, deranged and hilariously bonkers, the Joker dominates every minute of Arkham Asylum, taunting Batman from CCTV monitors and announcing all manner of madness via the complex’s tannoy.