Batman: Arkham Asylum is a 2009
action-adventure game developed by
Rocksteady Studios and published by
Eidos Interactive in conjunction with
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. Based on the
DC Comics superhero
Batman and written by veteran
Batman writer
Paul Dini,
Arkham Asylum was inspired by the long-running comic book mythos. In the game's main storyline, Batman battles his archenemy, the
Joker, who instigates an elaborate plot to seize control of
Arkham Asylum, trap Batman inside with many of his incarcerated foes, and threaten
Gotham City with hidden bombbs. Most of the game's leading characters are voiced by actors who have appeared in other media based on the
DC Animated Universe;
Kevin Conroy,
Mark Hamill, and
Arleen Sorkin reprised their roles as Batman, the Joker, and his sidekick
Harley Quinn respectively. Batman: Arkham Asylum is an action-adventure game viewed from the third-person perspective. The playable character is visible on the screen and the camera can be freely rotated around him.
The player controls Batman as he traverses Arkham Asylum, a secure facility for the criminally insane located off the coast of Gotham City.
The opening areas of the game are linear, serving as a tutorial for the moves and approaches available to the player. Once the player emerges onto the island they can freely explore the game world, although some areas remain inaccessible until certain milestones in the main story.
Batman can run, jump, climb, crouch, glide from heights using his cape, and use his grapple gun to climb low structures or escape to higher ledges.