Zero Punctuation: Batman Arkham Asylum

[incognito_me]

Spot on review. It's kind of hard to talk shit about a game that despite it's obvious flaws, is still a very good game! But this review DID point out those flaws. That Croc fight (if you wanna call it that) WAS pretty disappointing considering how everyone and their mom during this game built up Croc to be the most badass thing since duct-tape. Then the inevitable end result was actually pretty easy, albeit irritating with all that running around and sometimes getting lost. Infact, the majority of the boss fights were pretty disappointing. I wont lie. I agree. Too much emphasis on thugs during what should have been boss fights, and not enough on the bosses, themselves. Poison Ivy may be the only semi-exception to this, and that's just kind of sad. Otherwise, this game is actually really, very good.

 

[Aeryn Seoung]

Great Review as always - was expecting some form of severe bashing but it's nice to see a game of this kind be better then expected.

 

[Slimshad]

And who the hell was the guy's head who popped down when he said "Things to grapple on". I've never figured that out.

Seriously, who is that guy and why is he included in just about every episode? It's been bothering me for months!

Oh well, He is the ordinary man. The boring, everyday man. He was used in the beginning, with the OLD reviews. It sounds weird calling it old when I can remember the first time watching him on Youtube. Where am I ranting on about now? Oh right, the man there is one of Yahtzee's religious symbols. He indicates the regular day to day office job he DOESN'T have (Oh god how I hate Yahtzee now!)

 

[Rogthgar]

Personally i thought this was some of the best money ive spent recently. Yes, the Bane fight was fun first, but it got a bit repetitive later on, but how else are you going to fight a guy that size when he runs at you, than side stepping him. And i think the Croc "fight" was annoying, but going up against a guy thats twice your size and weight, that will kill you if he gets a hold, isint really an option unless your prepared for it, wich Batman wasint.

Overall, great game.

Sidenote: You dont call him during the day, he already knows.

 

[Nieroshai]

Nice review, interesting to see you being able to drudge up that much criticism for a game you enjoyed. That is a quality every critic should aspire to: being able to tear apart his favorites.
P.S. Why so many on probation for unoffensive, innocent comments?

 

[WhiteDaggerLily]

Oooo, new account. Oh! Spell-check. I'm absurdly happy about that.

Anyhow, I'm surprised that he liked it but YAY. One more not filling up our landfills!

 

[rayen020]

awwww... no weird reviewer self challenge this week? i thought it was a new theme after monkey island and wolfenstein. anyway great review as always.

 

[The Youth Counselor]

EDIT: I wanted to hit the edit button, but slow load times made me hit "quote" instead.

But I'll chime in any way. I love how the Joker looks like a fussy old queen.

 

[RemoteControlRox]

*snip*
Poison Ivy may be the only semi-exception to this, and that's just kind of sad. Otherwise, this game is actually really, very good.

She did manage to mix things up from the whole "hit Titan thug with batarang, dodge, smack Titan thug" formula, but... Yeah. There wasn't as much variation with the bosses as there could have been. I guess Harley setting a bunch of clowns out to beat you on the electrified flooring wasn't exactly a boss battle so much as a challenge level. It would have been interesting if that had involved Frieze, considering he was right there.

Still, for all the things lackluster about the boss fights, I still love the game and it's excellent balance of beat-'em-up and stealth in a great atmosphere. The Scarecrow levels had me blathering on about them to anyone who would listen after I played through them.

 

[paasi]

Not enough rant.
You may pour pickles on to crap you're intent on eating but you don't pour shit onto anything you want to eat. Hence good parts are best mentioned last, giving you a "well maybe it's not so bad" -feeling instead of giving you the "it could be a trap" -feeling.

In anycase, not going for it. Games made from movies or already existing material in other form usually come out as sellouts and, being the biased bastard I am, will stick to some certain-to-entertain -entertainment.

 

[blankgabriel]

lol @ Futurama reference at 1:55

 

[benjtfell]

Twas a great review but i do wish he said more about the amazing scarecrow bits.

Would have defeated the point in the review ehen he explained that his purpose was to spew (not unreasonable) bile and nought else.

whoops i didn't hear that part or maybe i just didn't care to much un-like mister perfect blastcage.

 

[CrysisMcGee]

The review was informative and balanced, and it also made me want to play it. I think I'll pick it up.

 

[guyroxorz]

I have to admit i wasn't planning on buying this game but this review might have actually changed my mind, which is odd seeing as Yahtzee often scares me into not buying a game i previously thought would be good on the basis that he tore it to shreds...

 

[Phantom_Natal]

haha so true, my friend is a huge batman fan and whenever she brings the topic I always refer to how funny batman is. Oh well, crazy standards from the joker has to have a crazy standard counter to make it so comical.

 

[elvor0]

I gotta admit I was backing Yahtzee 200% until he mentioned that comic book literature isn't that good. Ill admit that 50% of the comics sales are attributed to their art but you cant sell half a product. If you read any series worth its salt, you'll know that comic book writing is some of the best written word left on this planet. By that I mean don't compare the early Spiderman comics with The Dark Knight by Frank Miller.

Yep.

Preacher
Punisher: MAX
Sin City
Priest

All compelling cases for the legitimacy of comic book writing. Goodness sakes, Preacher alone is enough to prove that comic books can have writing every bit as good as that of any other medium.

As for the game, I dunno. I'm skeptical. The gameplay engine looks like a modification of that used in the Batman Begins game. And Batman has never been my favorite superhero, in part because his complete refusal to kill people who try to kill him and thousands of innocents effectively renders him powerless. I think The Dark Knight proved that better than any point I could make. The Punisher knows how to solve problems. Batman just moves them from place to place.

I believe that was his point, he said "people say it's just comic book writing but that doesnt hold water, (as in he doesnt care about it being a comic book it can still be good) was watchmen just words on a page and was shindlers list just lights on a screen?" An obvious rhetorical question that was meant to point out those two things as great works.

Speaking of which, I need to get hold of another copy (or 9) of Preacher, that is assuming they dont do a compilation....that would be one thick book.

 

[WorldCritic]

I had to agree with him on the boss fights, most weren't all that great. Great review as always.

 

[rdiggs]

At the risk of sounding like a fanboy, I would like to point out that the Departed was almost a shot-for-shot remake of a Chinese movie called Infernal Affairs. There are three of them. Look it up. I just thought it was funny that Yahtzee would reference a remake when he hates them. I haven't played the full Arkham Asylum yet but I have played the demo and I almost expected Yahtzee to take shots at the flashy but button mashing combat or the extreme linearity of the of the hallways that make up the Asylum. Maybe things are better in the full game. Honestly though, Yahtzee is a fantastic reviewer mostly because he slices through the bullshit. He tends to be right even if I disagree with him on personal taste.

 

[caitalian]

How do they get ahold of Batman durring the day? Doesnt anyone remember the big red phone in the den? The hotline from the comish to the Bat!

 

[gcar]

woooo

You're probably going to get suspended for that, by the way. Just a heads-up.

Thanks for that. Just expressing excitement. Probably should have watched it first. My own dumb fault got me hit with a probation notice.

Very easy to learn the hard way.

g