Batman right at your finger tips

Batman has been a staple in America's heart for over seventy years. He is among the most interesting superheroes, though video games based on him have not capitalized on Batman's amazing sense of detective work or his visceral martial arts skills. But, the latest game, Batman: Arkham Asylum, is the best superhero video game in existence, bar none.

This is the very first Batman video game that is not based on any film or television series. This is a completely original storyline, which uses the franchise well. The story begins with Batman apprehending The Joker for the millionth time. As any fan of the Batman series knows, Batman never catches The Joker, he only sequesters him for a short period until he breaks loose, which he does. Then Batman is plunged into Arkham Asylum where all of Batman's foes linger until they release themselves again. With The Joker's help Batman is on a suicide mission throughout the game.

You will feel right at home if you're heavily into the Batman mythos. You encounter such characters as Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn, random transmissions from the Riddler, Killer Croc, and The Scarecrow, just to name a few.

This game is incredibly dark for a T rated title. The fighting is brutal and the cut scenes can be very gripping. For example, there is a scene in which The Joker is holding on to an innocent Asylum guard. Batman yells "let him go," and The Joker complies by dropping the guard into a pool that is filled with electricity, killing him. The heavy sense of despair and misery adds to the gothic atmosphere of Arkham Asylum.

Speaking of brutal fighting, the action in this game gives you the sense that you are Batman. There are certain situations where Batman must take on a whole room of enemies armed with guns. There are also instances in which Batman must take on enemies armed with objects such as knives, bats, lead pipes, etc. When you are taking on armed villains you are to use the predatory mode, which has a lot of variety, because you are obligated to stay silent and not let your whereabouts be known, and enemies must be taken out silently. Sometimes the Joker steps in and tells the guards that one of the men is down and they will all go and find him. Silence is the word in predatory mode, because a few shots from any high powered gun and Batman is as good as dead.

When taking on enemies without firearms Batman utilizes his amazing martial arts skills by stringing together combos and very nasty takedowns that involve breaking people's arms and legs. On normal and easy mode, when enemies are about to attack, they will have blue or red symbols above their head, that is when players are to press the counter button. Not only does it unleash an awesome counter move but it helps multiply combos better, which opens up the chance for a devastating critical strike.

There is so much to say about this game, from the very cinematic presentation to the astounding lighting effects, the top notch voice acting by the Kevin Conroy, who voiced Batman in the 90s animated series, and the compelling Mark Hamill who voices the twisted Joker. This is the best superhero video game ever created. It even won a Guinness record for being the most acclaimed superhero game every made, so who can argue with that? Buy this game now, especially if you're a Batman fan, but this is also a game for non-Batman fans.

I couldn't ask for anything better. Great job Edios.