The Arkham Batman games - where should I start?

[TheyCallMeTheSwede]

I am just wondering, I should start from Asylum or skip right to the city? the concerns I have is the story...is it important? and would I feel spoiled gameplay-wise when I play Asylum last?

[sabrage]

The first game is, in my opinion, the finest translation of the Metroidvania template to a 3D game ever. (well, maybe not the great boss fights, but they are a Batman spectacle) Can't speak for the sequel, but Asylum is superb.

[Lorfarius]

Both are brilliant games but you really need to start with Asylum for the story.

[Cronozilla]

I don't understand why you'd skip Asylum to get to City ... They're both phenomenal games. That's like saying, "oh man, I really need to skip Link to the Past to get to Ocarina of Time" ... no, you don't.

Play them both! They're both great.

Also! In Arkham City, if you get to it, make sure to either play the game again on holidays ... or just change the system clock. There are Easter Eggs when doing so.

[BoringSupreez]

There's no reason I can think of to skip Arkham Asylum, even if City is the better game.

[pankakes123]

Definitely start with Asylum. Story reasons aside, it will also make you appreciate all the great things Arkham City added.

[sabrage]

I don't think this thread warrants any further discussion: Asylum is cheap, go out and get it now!

[pvt_awol]

Definitely don't skip Asylum, and if you can play it first.


Also, and this is a bit off track, if you have the means and the gear, play the PC version of both games rather than the console versions. Although they lack gamerscore and trophies, if you have the rig to run it maxed out, the games are soooo amazing.

I played Asylum on my PC first, then picked up a double set from Wal-Mart @ Christmas that had both games on PS3 for $30. (Why not, right?)

The console version is lacking in so many graphical departments. Just the inclusion of PhysX on compatible hardware changes so much about the look and feel of the games. (The eerie fog and stuff)


- Cliff's Notes: Don't skip Asylum, and play on a PC if you have the rig to support it well.

[Gamerforlife]

Eh, I don't think it's necessary to play these games on PC. These games were clearly designed as console games. All the influences on display in the design of both games are clearly from console games anyway(Metroid, beat'em ups, etc.) It just feels like the right way to play them. They look amazing no matter what platform you play them on anyway. I am biased though. I'm not a PC gamer. I've seen Arkham City's graphical upgrades on PC, and it seems like a lot of pointless, really frivolous stuff. Oh wow, look at all the excessive and unnecessary particle effects! Now we can watch all kinds of stupid stuff floating around and cluttering up the screen all the time

There are some games you have to play on PC, like Dragon Age, which was clearly designed for PC and suffers on consoles. Not the case with the Batman games, which were made with consoles and control pads in mind, like most action oriented games.

PC gamers are such graphic whores

Kidding of course...maybe.

I would play Asylum first, as someone else said, it does have a nice Metroid feel that is lacking in Arkham City. Getting the Riddler trophies is really about using new abilities to access new areas Metroid style. In Arkham City, getting trophies is more about jumping through skilled based hoops. Can you this? How bout this? What about this test of skill right here? I feel they actually went overboard on the Riddler trophies in Arkham City. There's too many of them and collecting them gets redundant after a while. That's more a nitpick than a complaint.

Overall though, Arkham City is a better game, especially the combat system. For that reason, it's better to play Asylum first. In a lot of ways, it would be hard to play Asylum second because the gameplay will feel like a step backwards in many ways if you play Arkham City first. Storywise, it doesn't matter which one you play first though. Arkham City's story doesn't rely on you knowing anything about what happened in Arkham Aslum, so if that's your only concern, you can just jump right into Arkham City

There is one amazing thing Arkham Asylum does that Arkham City doesn't quite match. The amazing Scarecrow sequences. If you like Scarecrow, you MUST play Asylum.

Also, if you're into older games (since this is a retro forum), play The Adventures of Batman and Robin on the SNES if you can. It's the best 2D Batman game and draws on some of the same influences as Arkham Asylum and Arkham City. All three games borrow heavily from Batman: The Animated Series

[sabrage]

These games actually play great with a mouse and keyboard (so does Dead Space.)