The “Break it Down” Blog

Eidos Interactive and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment have officially revealed Batman: Arkham Asylum for the Playstation 3, Xbox 360 and PC to be released in 2009.

Developed by Rocksteady Studios, Batman: Arkham Asylum puts you in the shoes of none other than, Batman as he delivers The Joker to the infamous Arkham Asylum. Unfortunately for the Dark Knight, not everything goes according to plan as he walks into a trap set by all the imprisoned super-villains.

Rocksteady Studios looks to provide a setting reminiscent of The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay, with a brand new story having the same depth and twists of Bioshock. To ensure a memorable experience, they’ve brought Emmy Award-Winning Paul Dini (Batman: The Animated Series) to pen the script.

Arkham Asylum is sure to please almost every Batman fanatic out there. So far, Joker, Harley Quinn, Killer Croc, Zsasz, Penguin, Riddler, Scarecrow, Poison Ivy and Mr. Freeze have been confirmed to appear in the game; with a few others the developers don’t want to spoil just yet.

Don’t think this is just a beat-em-up either, the game  places just as much focus on Batman’s role as a detective as his combat skills. The game will feature forensic “puzzles”, much like those found in the original Condemned only cranked up to a whole new level.

You can also expect varied locations.  The developers have taken into consideration the construction and destruction of the facility over the years so environments will vary. The island will be fully open so you can visit any location at anytime. You can also head on down to the on-site bat cave which will more then likely serve as a hub.

Overall, this sounds surprisingly good. I’m willing to give Eidos a shot here, especially considering they were able to save the Tomb Raider franchise and are hopefully going to restore Dues Ex back to greatness. If it’s as good as Batman: Vengeance, we’re all in for a real treat.