I am vengeance! I am the night! I am Batman!

It's been far too long since my last post. I seem to say that with every post these days. I guess its been with good reason - wanting to spend time alone with just my thoughts for company. Diving into new hobbies, or obsessions as they probably are, to spend my time and money on. But this post isn't supposed to be about me, it's about Batman: Arkham Asylum.

First things first. Batman: Arkham Asylum is without a doubt the best Batman game ever made. Heck, it's probably the best game ever made based on a comic book super hero. If there's a better game out there, I can't think of it.

What Batman: Arkham Asylum does best is that the game actually makes you feel like you're Batman. Rather than running from location to location and beating up Joker's hired goons, you'll find yourself sneaking around the island, looking for the best spots to gain the advantage. And that's the thing, Batman isn't some brawler that rids Gotham of criminals by just punching them - he's a detective first and foremost. Batman: Arkham Asylum is the first Batman game to use Batman's detective skills as a key element of the game play. The game's developer, Rocksteady, did a wonderful job recreating this in video game form.

If you've played Metroid Prime, remember how Samus had different visors to see the world differently? She had an x-ray visor, scan visor, and a thermal visor. Batman's detective mode is like all three of those visors in one. With detective mode on, Batman can basically see everything within, say, 100 feet or so. You can see the location of the hired goons, whether they're carrying lethal weapons or not, even their heart rate; structurally weak walls; loose duct coverings and collectible items. It's kind of like a cheat mode really. The detective mode is actually the game's biggest problem - there's no negative impact to having it turned on at all times.

And that's a shame really because the graphics designers did an amazing job. If you think Gears of War 2 has destroyed beauty, wait until you see Arkham Island. It really does give off the atmosphere of Gotham City's insane asylum. It looks old, run-down, and used. In many places it feels creepy. In addition, the island is fleshed out in great detail and filled with references to the Batman universe.

I'm not sure if this game is an original story, but there is a graphic novel called Batman: Arkham Asylum. Not having read the graphic novel, I wouldn't know. But, both the game and the graphic novel share the same concept where the inmates have taken over and it's up to Batman to restore the order.

Rocksteady put a lot of care and attention to the game to ensure that it pleased everyone, from the person that only knows of Batman from the movies to the hardcore Batman fans. I appreciate their attention to detail, as it makes the game just that much better than the rest. 2009 for gaming, in my opinion, is kind of lackluster. The only game that I can name from the first half of the year is Street Fighter IV. And while that is an excellent game in the fighting genre, it's no contender for game of the year.

When it comes down to the final vote, mine will go to Batman: Arkham Asylum. There isn't another game that stands out like this one coming out this year. Batman: Arkham Asylum does everything right. It pulls the player into the game's world, lets them take in the atmosphere, and makes the believe they are The Dark Knight himself. It's a truly wonderful experience to play and no one should overlook this game.