Video Game Time Machine: Arkham Asylum

Hello readers, new series again. This time with a twist. It's a new series about older video games. When I say old, I mean anything from classics like Pong to more recent classics like Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, depending on what older game I decide to go back to. This time we're looking at Batman: Arkham Asylum from 2009, which although seems like a fairly short time ago, is nearly a whopping five years.

When Arkham Asylum first hit the shelves, I must admit I was rather sceptical about the quality of the game and felt that perhaps it was an attempt by the video games industry to latch on to the successes of both Batman Begins (2005) and The Dark Knight (2008). It wasn't until later that I realised Arkham Asylum was made by Rocksteady Studios, who made one of my favourite games on the PS2, Urban Chaos: Riot Response and was penned by Paul Dini, one of my favourite writers from Batman: The Animated Series and various DC comics as well as the creator of one Dr. Harleen Quinzel, better known as Joker's moll, Harley Quinn.

I think my favourite part of the game is the brilliant plot and backstory-rich setting of Arkham Asylum with a fantastic cast that combines staple Batman characters with new interesting characters who I can easily see transitioning into the comics. While the game seems to primarily target Batman and DC Comics fans, it toes an extremely fine line that welcomes people new to the Batman/DC universe, sometimes crossing a little too far into the fan section with the near encyclopaedic knowledge of the DC Universe needed to solve the Riddler's riddles legitimately but the gameplay, plot, voice acting, visuals and level design is enough to win over the casual gamer.

Going back in Arkham Asylum, I was a little startled by the contrast between the cinematics and gameplay graphics with the gameplay graphics having aged very well while the cinematics look a little lacklustre, almost too the point of quite extreme screen-tearing on a LED TV. Being a veteran of Arkham City, the combat system feels a little clunky with movement and fighting being less smooth than City but ultimately still feeling quite satisfying. Detective Mode is also useable at all times because the imaging has less contrast than in City and feels a little like a cheat some times because I can see hidden enemies, voiding the potential jumpscares written into the game. The riddles are a lot harder in Asylum if you're not a Batman or DC Comics fan because they often refer a lot to some less obvious Batman lore. As an avid Batman comics reader, it was mostly easy but it's a little unfair to some less avid comic book readers.

Overall, Arkham Asylum holds up very well in contrast to its successors and is one of those games you can just slap on and start playing again without feeling lost or feeling like your skills have seriously atrophied.

On Comics: Japanese Vs American

Manga are comics with Japanese authors or in a Japanese style. A popular publisher which I will be mostly using as reference is Shonen Jump, with titles including Naruto, Bleach, Kuroko no Basket, etc. Manga has not always been popular outside Japan, however with the advent of the Internet, globalization has made culture (such as manga) more easily accessible. Manga, at least currently is well known for its distinctive art style. You know the clichéd large, shimmering eyes, small mouth and oddly styled/coloured hair with sometimes defies the laws of gravity. Yes, this is a huge generalisation, but in a nutshell it is true for the most part.

American comics, on the other hand I must admit are comics I’m not very well versed in.  Mind you, I am talking about the DC and Marvel publications. Here’s why:

            I.     The latest manga is available (for the most part) for free on the Internet. Good luck trying to find the latest Batman or Flash comic online. This makes it hard to get a preview of the series and whether or not it is a purchase you would want to make.

          II.     It just might be where I’m staying but American comics are expensive. A comic book with a little less than 100 pages would have an average cost of $25-35. A manga volume would generally cost $10-15 and have for the most part more pages.

        III.     The continuity is calamitous. I like a good complex story as much as the next guy but when you have more Superman versions than recall (which are mostly canon) it drains away the fun of reading as you most likely have to be a hardcore fan to fully understand the entirety of the story/ies.

The modern comics which I have seen from DC/Marvel usually have very nice art styles. Simply said I don’t think comics lose to manga if you are comparing artistic quality. Both occupy different niches but are definitely aesthetically brilliant in their own right.

As far as stories go I do like both manga and comics. One particular DC comic I was a fan of was the reimagining of Superman in a ‘what if’ scenario. In Superman: Red Son, we are treated to an account in which Kal-El's spaceship actually missed Kansas and landed in Soviet Ukraine instead. The story is non-canon but is nevertheless a good read with good art. The same can also be said about the V for Vendetta series that had an enthralling and engaging plot.

On the flipside, manga usually covers a lot more ground plot-wise. There are loads of genres, covering stuff like basketball (Slam Dunk, Kuroko No Basket, Dear Boys), cooking (Yakitate Japan, Addicted to Curry), Humor/Sketches (Lucky Star). In essence, manga do not generally follow the convention of hero and villain monodrama, which is a welcome change. The stories generally fluctuates  around a lot like an teenager's mood-swings, with the story line switching from comedic to serious  and vice versa in a heartbeat.

There are no winners in this comparison; I  simply compared Japan’s most prominent comic publishers to America’s. Deciding a on a definitive conclusion would be akin to trying to decide which food dish is the best in the world. It simply isn’t possible to make such a claim with people having different tastes and such. If you like a bit of variety in your graphic fiction, do give manga a chance and if you like a classic interpretation of good triumphing over evil, please do rush over to your superhero comic post haste.

The article represents the thoughts of the writer and only serves as a basic opinion on the matter. The usage of generalization is done to make an easier comparison and the author apologizes to anyone offended by this.