trivard676When I was growing up, Batman was always my favourite superhero. I didn’t much care for The Man of Steel or the Incredible Spider-man, but The Dark Knight was tops. I was never really sure why, either. Perhaps it was because he was just a normal guy? He wasn’t imbued with superpowers from the sun or a radioactive spider; he was just really smart, really strong and really rich…Gee, no wonder I still like Batman – what woman wouldn’t?
Unfortunately, The Dark Knight happens to have a pretty poor turnout when it comes to video games despite his obvious greatness. That is until Arkham Asylum. While there were some obvious shortcomings, the game was a pretty solid experience, and once you finished it, you were ready to jump in head first all over again.
So, what does Arkham Asylum have to do with horror? Keep in mind that Arkham Asylum is a foremost a stealth game, with action components throughout. Of course instead of calling it stealth, devs dubbed Arkham’s game style as ‘predatory,’ which is still pretty badass when it comes down to it. Trying to stick to the shadows, to stay out of sight of the Joker’s goon’s that are ready to riddle the Caped Crusader full of bullet holes can keep you on your toes. However if every stealth game automatically had horror elements in it just because it was stealth, than horror fans better start adding Solid Snake and Agent 47 as some of their favourite protagonists.
What sets Arkham apart from the rest? Well from the start, any player can see that the asylum itself is pretty dark in its own right, even ‘before’ the Joker started messing around and turning everything all demented clown-like. The whole island oozes dark and foreboding, and that’s even before you get inside the buildings themselves. Combining this atmosphere with some of the best soundworks the industry has to offer, and you’ve already got an unnerving experience in Arkham Asylum.
To add icing to the cake, Batman is facing up against two masters of horror. Two antagonists straight out of our worst nightmares; Dr. Crane and Waylon Jennings, a.k.a.: Scarecrow and Killer Croc. Not to mention all the general nut-jobs waiting to pounce on you.
We’ll start with Killer Croc. The entire game hasn’t just been leading up to the battle between Joker and Batman, but the inevitable battle with Jennings. Like a dentist appointment at the end of your work day, it’s something you know is going to happen, and you’re not looking forward to it. So when the time comes to dip our Bat Toes into the waters of Croc’s Lair, you can bet the hair on the back of our necks was on end.
Gee, he looks…almost adorable.
Make it across the little planks in the devilish puzzle and collect spores. Hey, no problem, just don’t feed the Croc. And then, the beast rears its big, ugly head. Jumping up to the surface and chasing you down. If you were anything like me, you ran all the way to the beginning of the damned level until you figured out that Batarangs stopped the bastard. When planks started to sink and Croc started to show up more often, the adrenaline started pumping, and we prayed that our Batarang would reach its mark. If not, it was game over.
WORK YOU BAT BASTARDS!
The next, more obvious horror element to Arkham Asylum was whenever Dr. Crane showed up with his Fear Toxin. Dr. Crane (a.k.a. The Scarecrow) had the ability to change Batman’s perception. He could change parts of the level and transport the player to a whole different place. It was some of the most effective mind tricks we’ve ever seen in a game, and came completely by surprise in Arkam Asylum. In one particular instance, we’re walking down a hallway, and then all of a sudden are transported to the alleyway where Bruce Wayne’s parents were killed. A touching moment, but not the horror that we’re looking for.
In another ‘dream sequence,’ we go through a reversed introduction to Arkham, and this time the tables have turned all together.
Joker’s Intro
Even through all of this, possibly the most disturbing affect of the Fear Toxin was in the Morgue. Step inside and you’re treated to a friendly, whispery urging to leave. Repeated, over and over, with the volume ever-increasing. “You shouldn’t beeee here. Get out of here! Get out of here! Get out of here!”
Whenever Dr. Crane’s Fear Toxin is affecting Batman, his normally white eyes will turn red as well. Because there’s nothing creepy about that, right? Nope. Not at all. After the initial dream sequence, the playing field changes, and Batman is escorted to a semi-platforming section. Don’t let the Scarecrow find you, or he’ll make a bat-splat. But like most horror, things just aren’t as fun when the lights turn on.
We’re anticipating Arkham City and have high hopes that it will throw around a few more horror elements like Arkham Asylum did. But even if it doesn’t, we know one gal who’ll be purchasing either way…
