Batman returns to Arkham, but this time on PC…
Xbox 360 review of Batman: Arkham Asylum is here
Batman: Arkham Asylum is perhaps the best game of the year, for me anyway. It combined great storytelling, classic villains from the Batman universe, plenty of collectables to hunt and some great moments that truly stand out. It’s without a doubt the best Batman game to date, but that wasn’t hard since all previous outings have been pretty poor. How does the Dark Knight hold up on PC?
Well, the good thing is that Arkham Asylum support NVIDIA Physx, so effects are even greater than the console versions. Batman’s cape sways better in flight, explosions have more detail and it all looks stunning. I have pretty good hardware and the game runs smoothly on it with settings upto maximum. There’s also Games for Windows – Live support, so that means lovely achievements plus you can download the extra combat maps available.
As with every G4W title, Batman allows you to plug in a wired Xbox 360 controller and play that way or use the keyboard/mouse setup. Having played the 360 version to death, I personally prefer that control method…while newcomers will probably like the standard setup. Controls are still responsive as ever but the framerate is incredibly smooth. Everything just looks so much better, probably because of the resolution and extra polish that the PC version got.
There isn’t anything new to the PC version other than Physx support which is a shame. At least Resi 5 got some extra costumes and enemies, it’s perhaps the only complaint to be found about the PC version. On the plus side though, it’s a testament to how good Arkham Asylum is that it didn’t even need extra content…although I do think its high-time for some more DLC.
The Verdict
Batman: Arkham Asylum on PC is a more refined version in terms of visuals, but it’s more or less the same game as on the consoles. Still, it remains the greatest superhero game of all time and the top contender for GOTY 2009.
