Bat-Knowledge! Bone up on your Arkham Asylum history

by Xav de Matos { Aug 21st 2009 at 10:32AM }

With Batman: Arkham Asylum's release just around the corner, and a slew of videos introducing the game's cast of characters already available, we didn't think there was much more to say about Batman's upcoming video game adventure (until our review later today!). We were wrong. In the latest and perhaps last trailer for Batman: Arkham Asylum, Eidos drops knowledge on something we're (admittedly) not familiar with: the history of Gotham's Arkham Asylum.

Listen carefully to a haunting journal from the asylum's founder Amadeus Arkham, as the 1920s-era mogul slides deeper into madness attempting to rehabilitate Gotham's worst citizens. If only Amadeus would have lived long enough to see a giant bat punching the "criminally insane" in the face, maybe things would have worked out better for the good doctor. It really is amazing how much medicine has progressed over the years.

Gallery: Batman: Arkham Asylum

Tags: arkham-asylum, batman, batman-arkham-asylum, comics, eidos, trailer, warner-bros-interactive

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Kira @ Aug 21st 2009 10:42AM

I just wonder if all of these videos and trailers might make it onto the Collector's Edition bonus disc. Kind of hard to keep up when there is a new trailer every other day.

Radical Dylan @ Aug 21st 2009 10:42AM

Every time... this looks better and better... but i refuse to be sucked into another one of these games... because I know i won't enjoy it and regret the buy...

whylekat @ Aug 21st 2009 11:04AM

You = failure.

You know it's written by Paul Dini right? He wrote the animated series, a bunch of comics...

This game will not fail. But it seems you certainly will.

Heavytoka @ Aug 21st 2009 11:30AM

Play the Demo and see how great this game is!

RANDOM G [King of the Scribblenauts][Sweatshop Retiree] @ Aug 21st 2009 12:05PM

Wow, I can barely read this guy's comment.

charlie b. @ Aug 21st 2009 12:19PM

young man, you need to do some SERIOUS boning!

Radical Dylan @ Aug 21st 2009 12:43PM

I did play the demo, and although the videos make it sound good... It's just not my type of game... Don't just call me a failure for not liking certain genres...

whylekat @ Aug 21st 2009 2:11PM

I'm sure you're a failure for many other reasons..

Espeially If you don't like this game or batman in general.

Fail Fail Fail

j.howlett @ Aug 21st 2009 10:44AM

i'm going to have fun filling in the character blanks in this game

whylekat @ Aug 21st 2009 10:46AM

Pulled straight from the 1989 revolutionary graphic novel I hope! Amazing book.

Someone without an iPhone and knowledge of comics, please tell me if it's acurate.!

Storm Eagle [Resident Capcom Megafan] @ Aug 21st 2009 11:11AM

It's just relaying the backstory of Arkham. Hawkins killed Arkham's wife and then raped and killed his daughter. All the time he spent at AA, he taunted the Doc and told him the details. The doc ended up electrocuting Hawkins to death.

copa @ Aug 21st 2009 11:18AM

Ooh, I like romantic comedies.

whylekat @ Aug 21st 2009 11:21AM

Christ Storm, what's with all these posts about the douche from bioshock!?

Me @ Aug 21st 2009 10:49AM

I like it how the hype is created with mostly cut scenes and not actual game play footage. It's looking like it would be better suited as a movie instead of a game. Even the combat mainly consists of mashing one button and watching batman beat up enemies in slow motion. : /

whylekat @ Aug 21st 2009 10:56AM

Don't frown, the combat is fantastic! It's simple enough but engaging & a joy! you can't button mash, well you can but then you'll never get to expierence the awesomeness of Hitting the counters, Breaking limbs, vaulting off one baddies shoulders to break another's face. It's excellent and plenty challengeing when you're surrounded by 10+ thugs.

Don't hate, brotha'... This game is going to set the bar for all superhero games to follow.

slimshady247 @ Aug 21st 2009 11:00AM

@whykelat
I was just about to say the same thing!

tmacairjordan87 @ Aug 21st 2009 11:19AM

I guess I'm a whore for good counter systems in video games, because I never got tired of doing it in the demo and in other games like Assassin's Creed and even the Watchmen game.

Besides, the draw is to actually act like Batman and take down enemies in stealth. The last room in the demo is a perfect example of how creative you can get...and that's without most of Batman's tools since all you get in the demo are batarangs.

whylekat @ Aug 21st 2009 11:53AM

Right tmac! Exactumondo.

I can stealth thru that section in under 90 seconds now. But still loads of fun to pick 'em off down to 3 baddies then get them all close together and fisticuffs 'em out! Vaulting over 1 guy avoiding gunfire, jumpkicking the next in the face, ground takedown punch when they're all stunned, breaking a limb of the last.

the "B" button batcape stun is really helpful in those situations, you can stun at least 3 of them if they're close enough together.

Christ this game is gonna be so goddamn boss!!

Balloonfighter99 @ Aug 21st 2009 10:52AM

Sounds a little Bioshocky to me but hey, maybe it will be cool.

whylekat @ Aug 21st 2009 11:12AM

How does a 3rd person action adventure rpg based off a character that's 50+ yrs old sound like a 1st person shooter w/mution powers released in 2007??

whylekat @ Aug 21st 2009 11:17AM

And don't say they both have "rpg elements".

Every game has those now-a-days.

And someone at IGN copyrighted that very idea! Haha

AmanteDuck @ Aug 21st 2009 12:04PM

@whylekat

Isn't it obvious? Batman was based off of Bioshock. See, Bob Kane had a time machine that he used to come to the 21st century where he saw Bioshock. He thought "what a marvelous idea! I too shall create something very similar to this" and proceeded to return to the past and create Batman. Batman is obviously very similar to Bioshock. I mean you've got...um..and you know the..uh..and don't forget...aah shit.

Okay nevermind. Seriously, how in the world is this Bioshocky Balloonfighter? If anything you should be saying Bioshock is Batmanny but even then I won't get it.

whylekat @ Aug 21st 2009 12:36PM

Hahahaha right Duck. I see your point. They're obviously cloned franchises. They just changed a few names here & there. Joker is obviously a direct copy of Andrew Ryan.. Batman is clearly the guy you play as in Bioshock, constantly injecting himself and shooting fireballs and swarms of bees.

The Dark Wayne @ Aug 21st 2009 1:49PM

fuck Bob Kane. Little bitch used his Daddy's position as a big shot lawyer to make sure Bill Finger didnt get any of the credit he deserved!

MechaGamerX @ Aug 21st 2009 10:52AM

Strange, I didn't know that Andrew Ryan was involved in Arkham's creation...

Kdiggy @ Aug 21st 2009 10:55AM

Hopefully Andrew Ryan is a boss battle. I would love to put the smack-down on him again.

Vii @ Aug 21st 2009 2:45PM

In all fairness you didn't 'willingly' put the smack down on Andrew Ryan.....

ganrob @ Aug 21st 2009 11:02AM

i love joystiq, but gaming news is so informercially ;) can't get enough of it though...

Anthony33 @ Aug 21st 2009 11:29AM

I just want to give credit to Eidos for how they promoted this game.

When A.A was first announced I didn't care, despite being a huge Batman fan, because there hasn't been a great Batman game in years, if ever.

They then showed off some characters and let journalists play it at E3 and I took notice. By the time they released the demo I was dying to play it and the demo killed.

Took advantage of the $12 off thing from Amazon and I can't wait for Tuesday.

Tom @ Aug 21st 2009 11:42AM

Cant wait for this one!

Chris D.(PSN: Aggie_CEO | XBL:The Aggie CEO | Steam: Aggie_CEO @ Aug 21st 2009 12:22PM

now thats just eerie....

Vii @ Aug 21st 2009 2:43PM

You guys want eerie? Go read Grant Morrison's Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth. That Batman graphic novel is so awesome because of both its history of Arkham Asylum (along with poor Amadeus) and the information about the rogues gallery in Batman. Anyway I just can't wait to play this. I've been absolutely addicted to the demo ever since it came out and have played through it so much I've found most of the hidden stuff in it already. I need a longer lasting fix!!!