Some side quests introduce us to party members' family members in the hardest fight of the game. Fun!

So with the recent releases of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Batman: Arkham City, I thought it’d be appropriate to have a discussion on side quests–specifically, what separates the good from the bad? I think we can all agree that when side quests are done well, they unquestionably contribute to a vastly better game experience. In fact, side quests often turn out to be more memorable than main quests for me personally. But why is that?

Well, frankly side quests can sometimes be so boring and tedious that they become memorable for bogging the experience down so much. As much as I like to feel like I’m in a living world full of real characters with their own problems, I can’t say that I’m a fan of them duping me into helping them when it turns out that they’re just too lazy to get off their butts and collect their own flowers/misplaced amulets/rabid space-monkeys (okay, that last one might be cool). I don’t know what sort of bizarro-world these people are living in where they think it’s cool for a total stranger to dish out his personal problems to the first moderately armed person he comes across, but it’s definitely not okay when the relationship ceases to develop right around the prostitute end of the spectrum. I get that all of you weaklings have problems and that you’d have me kill your grandmother for her fine china just as long as I stop asking questions at the jingle of a few coins, but I don’t know you and I have problems of my own. Simple fetch quests or kill quests aren’t necessarily bad things (all game design boils down to those factors at the most basic level), but if my relationship with the quest-giver ends after I’ve completed said menial task and taken my reward, then the quest should be cut from the game. It’s padding that adds nothing to development of an interesting setting, character development, plot development, or mechanical development.

However, I want to make myself clear and say that side quests don’t have to be epic eight hour subplots to be considered good. Some of the best side quests are singular offshoots that are entirely self-contained. A great example of this kind of quest would be “A Brush with Death” in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. What sets this quest apart from typical fetch/kill quests is that it transports you to a unique and engaging setting that’s entirely separate from the rest of the game-world; it’s hard not to get drawn in (ha) to a quest that sucks you into a magical painting and the secret world within that painting. Upon entering this world, the setting looks physically different from the rest of Oblivion‘s world. It’s interesting because it’s novel, much like “The Game” in Fable III, a quest that shrinks you down and makes you the hero of a pen-and-paper RPG, complete with towering, hooded nerds bickering around the game-table in typical D&D fashion. Side quests are a great place to bring in crazy ideas or settings that just don’t fit into the core narrative. And generally, “crazy” is better and more memorable than “trivial.”

But a game-world can only have so many offshoot quests before the threads start coming apart and feel like an incoherent jumble of unrelated ideas. This is where character-building subplots come in. If we take Mass Effect 2‘s loyalty missions as an example, we see multi-quest arcs that don’t really deviate from the core experience in terms of gameplay, but are entirely separate from the main narrative. They’re not necessary to complete the game, but because they focus extensively on the same characters for a chain of missions, they add a greater understanding of the universe and its individual occupants. A similar, more extreme example of this story within a bigger story approach would be guild arcs in the Elder Scrolls games. Some of these side stories could make up entire games on their own, but in the grand scheme of the game-world, they don’t even have to be acknowledged. There’s no arguing that they’re side quests, but they’re so fleshed out with developed characters and plots that experiencing them can radically alter the character you’ve built in your mind by game’s end.

Another kind of satisfying side quest doesn’t have to rely on character development to maintain your interest (although they often have some for good measure). What I’m talking about here are side quests that develop minor game mechanics and features that aren’t a central focus in the main narrative. These are often the most rewarding kinds of side quests because they feel so different from the core action and provide such a welcome change of pace that the game as a whole still feels fresh when the credits roll. Ezio’s parkour abilities in Assassin’s Creed II are generally just a mode of transportation in the main story, but if you choose to pursue optional Assassin Tombs, you’re introduced to precision platforming that feels more like Prince of Persia than the stab-fest of the core narrative. Similarly, The Riddler puzzles in Batman: Arkham Asylum require no stealth takedowns or carefully timed brawling, but the puzzles are developed enough that they’re fun in their own right.

I’d say that nine times out of ten, if a side quest falls under one of these three categories, it’ll probably be good. And what really steps a quest up and makes it more than just good is a sense of player progression. The loyalty missions in ME2 grant invaluable party-member loyalty that can drastically alter the main story’s finale (obviously the best kind of progression), the guild quests in Elder Scrolls games usually reward powerful weapons or armor that can’t be obtained any other way, as do the Assassins Tombs in ACII. Whatever way you cut it, gamers want that sweet, sweet loot like Tobias Funke wants a strapping young man to blast his glutes (shame on you if you don’t understand that reference). The draw of making your character more powerful is enough to make menial tasks like collecting randomly strewn orbs in Crackdown addicting, so there’s obviously a lot of power in this element that can make for truly memorable quests if utilized properly.

And I’d say those are the keys to a good side quest. If you can think of anything else, I’d love to hear it. I’d also be interested in hearing about your favorite side quests and what makes them stand out to you. And if we could somehow all band together and convince developers to stop padding their games with useless time-wasting quests, that’d be great too, but I have my doubts about that happening any time soon. Now I must return to Arkham City‘s fantastic “Cold Call Killer” side quest.

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Concept Art - That's about right.

Introduction: Slayer takes all the action, drama, and comedy of Joss Whedon’s beloved Buffy the Vampire Slayer and puts it into a choice-driven Action-RPG set ten years after the destruction of Sunnydale. You play as one of the many potential Slayers who was awoken in the events of the series finale, and with none other than Giles as your personal Watcher, you must assemble your very own Scooby Gang to combat Buffy herself. An unidentified big bad has sired the most powerful Slayer the world has ever known and together they’re working to undo all the good that’s been done. You’ll encounter Angel, Spike, Willow and the rest along the way, but ultimately, only you can stop the vampire slayer turned vampire.

Background: -It’s a licensed game that draws from the universe of Joss Whedon’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel.
-Rhythm-based combat similar in feel to Batman: Arkham Asylum.

Description: Ever since the Hellmouth in Sunnydale was closed, Buffy and her friends have been tracking Slayers across the world and training them in the ways of vampire fighting. But after years of building up this unified network of warriors and preventing many an apocalypse along the way, the group’s leader is mysteriously turned. Soulless and more powerful than ever, Buffy is hell bent on returning demons to power. Seeing how grim the situation is, Giles and Buffy’s friends do what has to be done and begin strategizing for the latest big bad, starting with their star pupil–you.

In Slayer, the man who taught Buffy like she was his own daughter takes you under his wing as your Watcher. While you may take orders from Giles, you have some choice in building your core of allies from eight unique NPCs with various talents. You can take up to three friends into battle with you at a time and assign others to research duties for combat bonuses, puzzle hints, and level short-cuts. But party members will only level up in tasks they do, so your bookworms could easily become kidnapping targets if you always leave them to research on their own (thus forcing a rescue mission if you want them back). Likewise, pure fighters won’t be much help if any cryptic puzzles come up in the midst of a mission.

When you are in the heat of battle, you’ll have an array of vampires, monsters, demons, and anything else that goes bump in the night to fight against. Combat involves highly choreographed brawling based on rhythmic attack combinations and counters. Some enemies can be taken down with your standard fists and stake, but others will require swords, axes, crossbows, and more. These weapons all alter the flow of combat in their own way and can satisfyingly dismember foes, but they also sap your stamina much quicker than simple stake fighting. However, once a weapon’s spilled enough blood, a wicca can exploit that primal power with enchantments and make the weapon more powerful.

But that’s not all they can do; party members include a variety of specialists including wiccas, half-demons, Slayers in training, and so on. In a fight, you can command your allies to use certain attacks or tactics, thus fully utilizing the trio of magic, melee, and ranged attackers.

Most important on your quest to save the world is the fact that you can dress your Slayer how you want, you can have her fight how you want, and you can have her speak the way you want. As you level up you can tweak your fighting style to suit several different melee approaches and the dialogue choices you make will have consequences in and out of missions. Relate more to Faith than to Buffy? Nothing’s stopping you from being a bad girl Slayer. Then again, maybe you’d like to see a wise-cracking Anya type with Slayer power. Or hey, you could even play like that one mentally unstable Slayer who cut Spike’s arms off (temporarily, of course) in Angel. It’s all about how you want to fight evil. Some Slayers might even be willing to make some compromises with Wolfram and Hart to get things done without so much violence.

All of this classic Action-RPG fun comes together in a dimension hopping, apocalypse-preventing, quip-filled adventure with the Whedonesque dramedy you love. All of your favorite characters, big and small, play roles ranging from plot-changing player (oh, you know Angel is going to get turned into Angelus at some point) to comedic cameo (there may or may not be a Clem side-quest that involves collecting kittens so he can get into a high-stakes poker game). Some friends will be lost, some hearts will be broken, and you’ll be taken for a ride that explores Giles and Buffy’s relationship in more depth than ever before, all in the name of saving the world.

Key Features: -Fully exploits the rich settings, characters, and monsters of the Buffyverse.
-Dialogue, side-quests, and more let you play as the style of Slayer you want to be.
-Assemble your personal team of allies in the fight against evil…and outdated fashion senses!
-Squad commands encourage tactical combat that fully utilizes each team member’s strengths.
-Fluid hand-to-hand combat that makes you feel like a truly powerful warrior.
-An arsenal of customizable and upgradable weapons for those times when a stake just isn’t enough.
-Witty and hilarious dialogue.

Genre: Action-RPG

Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC

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Is this Fiddy's year?

Another year has come and gone, and despite more delays than I can ever remember in one year, 2009 still saw more great games than I could possibly get around to playing. 2009 also saw me jumping into the whole game-writing thing for the first time (well, sort of). Consequently, this is InsaneBear’s first GOTY feature, and we’re going to try to keep it relatively simple. Maybe next year I’ll throw in some quirky awards meant to recognize specific games, but for now, we’ll just be sticking to the GOTY model. Without further ado…

2009′s 2008 Game of the Year – Well, maybe I’ll throw in one non-traditional award here considering IB wasn’t around for 2008′s games. And yes, I’m totally stealing this award from Giant Bomb, but I just think it’s a good idea to look back and see how time has changed our thoughts on the games we’ve played. In the case of 2008, I would have named Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots GOTY then, and I’m still giving it the honor today. Just think how rare a game like that is. How often does one of the most talented developers in the industry pretty much get free reign to spend as much as he wants on whatever he wants? Hopefully it happens again real soon, because MGS4 is an epically cinematic experience that lovingly caters to its hardcore fans with a story that somehow manages to wrap up 20 years of Metal Gear madness. Plus, you play as an old man, damn it!

The Candidates…

Assassin’s Creed II – Double. Hidden. Blades. That essentially sums up Assassin’s Creed II, a game that takes everything its predecessor did and does it better. From mission design to graphics to narrative to killing dudes, this game improves on every aspect of the polarizing ACI and has earned the right to put nicer adjectives in front of its name. The combat’s satisfyingly brutal, Ezio’s one of the most likable characters I’ve encountered in a while, and the puzzle-platforming of the Assassin’s Tombs is the sort of gaming-zen that will stroke our nostalgic hearts a few years from now. Assassin’s Creed II has got me chomping at the bit for Ubisoft’s third installment in the action-parkour series, so that must mean it did something right.

Batman: Arkham Asylum – Without a doubt, Batman: Arkham Asylum is the definitive super-hero experience in video games. No game before or since has put the player in the shoes of a super-hero quite so well. Maybe that’s because no super-hero game has ever crafted such an authentic and immersive world, full of appropriately goonish henchmen, diabolical villains, and clever collectables that pay homage to the series’ more obscure characters. Then there’s the pure badassery of utilizing all of the Batman’s gadgets and stealthy talents to dismantle a room full of terrified thugs. I don’t think any other game this year is paced quite as perfectly as Arkham Asylum and the story is top-notch. Arkham Asylum makes you feel like the Dark Knight.

Battlefield 1943 – I think it really says something that a $15 downloadable game can compete with full-fledged retail products for this award, but the fact is, 2009 was a banner year for downloadable games. BF1943 may be “just a WWII shooter,” but it’s a dang good one. The shooting feels fantastic and the classes are balanced. The maps are fun too. But what really stands out about this game is just how fun the vehicle element makes the battlefield. The terror you feel as a tank rolls over the trees to your side and opens up fire is unparalleled in most modern shooters and is only countered by the joy of allied planes dropping bombs on said tank from above. This bite-sized FPS is just as fun as the heavy-hitting blockbusters out there, period.

Borderlands – Oh, Borderlands, you steal my heart. Sporting one of the most striking visual styles of 2009, this first-person-looter has an addictive quality that few games this year can match. The shooting actually manages to feel good while weaving enough RPG elements into the game-play to make things feel different. The never-ending parade of new weapons keeps you coming back for more and really encourages experimentation with different guns. And then there’s the incredibly fun special abilities of each character class. Mix this all in with fun mission design and four-player co-op…oh man, I want to go play some Borderlands.

Dragon Age: Origins – The age of dragons has begun and I hope BioWare keeps it going strong for years to come. Dragon Age creates a believable world full of racism, religious tensions, cut-throat politics, and age-old prejudices that are all dealt with in mature and meaningful ways. The core-quests are truly memorable, the boss fights are rewarding, and almost all of the NPC party-members are interesting in one way or another. But the thing that stands out most to me is that for once, I was actually role-playing in a WRPG. BioWare made the very wise decision to do away with the arbitrary and judgmental morality meter, instead opting for individual party-members’ approval. This design allowed me to actually get into character and play without worrying about achievements or morally specific powers/talents. Oh, and there’s that whole origin stories thing were there are multiple beginnings and endings to the game. I’ve put more time into this title than any other game of 2009.

Halo 3: ODST – Like Halo? Me too. Like suspenseful stories that manipulate chronological order for more dramatic effect? Me too. Like Nathan Fillion? Yeah, me too. Put those three things together and you’ve got yourself a little game called Halo 3: ODST. This latest entry in the always superb Halo series takes the intense combat of previous titles in the franchise and transplants it into a moody and atmospheric world driven by an innovative mission structure that has you playing flashbacks of other characters memories while trying to piece your own story together. The game’s more personal, band-of-brothers sort of narrative also manages to provide some nice background for the Master Chief’s epic quest. Then there’s the extremely fun Firefight mode, which sees a group of players co-operating together to fend off hordes of deadly enemies.

inFAMOUS – I have to throw out the disclaimer here that I haven’t actually played this game and that I’m basing this assessment off of Ryan’s review, but from everything I’ve heard, inFAMOUS absolutely deserves to be on this list. This is a game that shines where it counts most–the game-play. Tight controls allow for fluid motion and precise combat that make getting from one mission to the next a joy. The magical properties of electricity allow you to grind along electrical wires, glide through the sky, and leap from building to building in a way that changes the definition of parkour gaming. You can also upgrade your powers depending on whether you want Cole to be a destructive bad ass or a disciplined paragon, so morality actually has game-play ramifications here. This is a game that just flows well and keeps the fun coming.

Modern Warfare 2 – No FPS on the market has shooting that feels as right as Modern Warfare 2 does. It strikes the perfect balance between arcade and tactical and then forces you to constantly apply those shooting skills to a plethora of finely-balanced weapons in a non-stop roller-coaster ride of a campaign. And of course there’s the infinitely replayable multiplayer mode, which has even more perks and equipment augmentations this time around. The multiplayer is something that’s so finely tuned that you’re forced to constantly be evolving and changing up your strategies, and it’s a blast the entire time. There’s always a counter for your play-style and class set-up, which is the way competitive multiplayer should be designed. But even more fun than all those online frag-fests is the Spec-Ops mode, a collection of 23 challenging missions specifically designed for a tag-team approach. These missions feature excellent game-play variety and are extremely rewarding. This is a game that’s hard to pull yourself away from.

Street Fighter IV – The fact that a fighting game is on my Game of the Year list in the year 2009 is astounding, but that just speaks to the awesome quality of Capcom’s revival of the premier fighting franchise. This game hits all the right notes, looking fresh enough to avoid the “rehash” label while feeling familiar enough to jump into after years of not playing Street Fighter. It’s accessible enough to draw in casual players but somehow has enough depth to satisfy hardcore world-champion players. Every character is balanced and fun to play as, new or old. Most importantly though, Street Fighter IV revives the killer instinct of one-on-one competition in a deceptively simple arena, both online and in the traditional local setting. Capcom’s fighter is just plain fun.

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves – What a thrill ride! Set-peice for set-piece, Uncharted 2 can compete with any game put out in 2009. There’s a nice variety of shooting, puzzling, and platforming, and everything looks absolutely amazing along the way. Nathan Drake’s second outing is most certainly one of, if not the best looking game ever made, due in no small part to the sublime motion-capture and animation. The voice acting’s even better though, and it heavily contributes to Nate and friends being some of the most believable, relatable, and flat-out likable characters ever to grace the land of video games. Nolan North deserves just as much credit for Uncharted 2‘s success as the developers at Naughty Dog, because it’s the Indiana Jones-ish personality that he brings to the character that makes this game so endearing. Definitely one of the funniest games of the year. Oh, and then there’s a robust multiplayer mode and a separate co-op campaign, complete with top-notch cinematics.

'Cause we're the two best friends that anyone could have...

Honorable Mentions (Or more accurately, games that should be in the running but never found their way into my disc tray)…

Demon’s Souls – It won GameSpot’s GOTY and it’s innovative use of community co-operation sounds very appealing to me.

Forza Motorsport 3 – The undisputed cream of the racing crop. This series’ ability to offer enough depth to satisfy simulation freaks whilst maintaining the accessibility to bring in casual racers is astonishing.

Killzone 2 – Ryan tells me it’s terrible, but he’s never played a single match of multiplayer, which is this game’s main appeal. The progressive, class-based online mode sounds like something with more depth than most shooters today.

Left 4 Dead 2 – It’s Left 4 Dead, but improved in every way. Plus, I hear that Valve somehow managed to create a cast that’s just as memorable as the first game’s.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii – Remember when you and your brother would sit in front of the TV taking turns with Super Mario Bros. 3? Well, this is pretty much that, but with co-op, so you don’t have to take turns.

Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time – This is the sort of game your inner 12-year-old would make if it had the chance. I mean, come on! You can use a belching fish as a weapon! This game is the epitome of fun.

Red Faction: Guerrilla – It takes all the destructive goodness of the old Red Faction games and ups the ante, throwing it into a third-person perspective in the process. I’ve heard a lot of good things about this game from a lot of different people, and when sledge-hammers can be used as weapons, I’m inclined to listen.

Shadow Complex – This won Giant Bomb’s Xbox 360 GOTY, which is pretty impressive considering it’s a $15 downloadable title. But is it really that surprising for a flawless face-lift of the classic “metroidvania” style games to be so popular? I know I want to find out what all the fuss is about.

Silent Hill: Shattered Memories – The deeply personal and subtly creepy narrative of this game honestly made Brad Shoemaker wake up in the middle of the night screaming out loud. Enough said.

Warhammer 40k: Dawn of War II – I’ve heard this game described as a western take on the small-scale strategy of games like Final Fantasy Tactics. Whatever the case, Dawn of War II is unlike any other western RTS on the market and many players prefer the personal nature and progression inherent in the micro-unit style of war.

Runner-up – Modern Warfare 2

2009 Game of the Year – Dragon Age: Origins

So there you have it. Keep in mind that these are all based on my personal thoughts and aren’t meant to be an unbiased, authoritative voice on the matter. I’d love to hear everybody else’s choices in the comments. And if you have any special awards, like best biceps or something, please share!

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Well, the picture really says it all, but in case you’re thick or something I’ll spell it out. If you turn on your console of choice and watch the Batman: Arkham Asylum news ticker, you’ll notice a message saying, “New free downloadable content coming in 9 days!” No word on what this content will be yet, but I’m willing to bet it’ll come in the form of some challenge rooms, maybe the exclusive Scarecrow one GameStop was offering to potential customers. So make sure to pop in your copy of the game on September 17th to solve the mystery.

New, Free Content Coming to Batman Next Week [Kotaku]

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"You want chaos in Arkham? Kill the Batman!"

Let’s get this out there right now–historically, licensed super-hero games blow. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that they blow pretty hard. Combine that trend with my favorite childhood super-hero, the Batman, and there’s some potential for bitter disappointment. But Batman: Arkham Asylum succeeds where other Batman games have failed. The top-notch audio and visuals throw you into an engaging world that compels you to see the story through, and you’ll actually feel like Batman for a good portion of it. Unfortunately though, being the best Batman game ever doesn’t save this title from a disappointing lack of depth and some misguided creative direction.

Your stay on Arkham Island starts with a lengthy intro sequence that shows off just how gorgeous the unreal engine can be. The Bat-mobile whips through the streets in stunning detail as you escort the criminal master-mind Joker to his new eight by twelve foot home. Upon arriving at the asylum, Batman senses that something isn’t right, that this is all too easy, so he assists the Warden and his men in transporting The Joker through processing. All the while, your nemesis, voiced fantastically by the one and only Mark Hamill, quips at you, provokes the guards, and maniacally laughs in the definitive Joker persona. I honestly think this is the best Joker I’ve ever heard with exception to Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight.

Inevitably, it isn’t long before the mad-man escapes his chains and the “party” begins. Joker has big plans for his home-coming, and although he has many friends he plans to see, you’re the guest of honor. It’s here that the intro sequence finally ends and you’re thrust right into bone-crunching combat. Early on, fighting amounts to repeatedly jamming on the X button, but the superb animations and delightfully comic-book-inspired sound effects make dismantling a group of henchmen a joy.

Simple, but satisfying.

The other side of the gameplay coin is the stealth predator sequences, which have you swinging around the ceilings and lurking in the shadows in order to silently pick off isolated thugs. The audio’s just as good here, as enemies will grumble about their boss’ orders, brashly taunt the Batman to come out, and once they’ve seen their share of unconscious comrades, whimper in glorious henchman paranoia. The only disappointment when it comes to the game’s audio is the missed opportunity music could have played. When it does play, it’s always good, but it oddly goes unnoticed during these core gameplay experiences.

One thing you will notice however, is how the game designers rob a variety of beautiful environments from you. Generally speaking, and especially during the stealth sequences, the information that the game’s “Detective Mode” visual filter affords you is too valuable to pass up. It shows you enemy locations through walls, the weapons they’re brandishing, their mental state, as well as all important ventilation access and gargoyles (which are apparently the only things attached to a ceiling that Batman can possibly grapple to). This wouldn’t be a problem if the filter didn’t flood the screen in a tranquil blue that hides all of the amazing lighting and textures. But instead of just highlighting the information we need, the developers thought it a good idea to have us play in a Tron-like virtual world with walking skeletons outlined in red. It’s a real shame considering how pretty the game is when the filter’s off.

But that won’t stop you from wanting to progress to the next environment, as the perfectly paced story has you wanting to capture the villain of the moment at all costs, so you’re never in one place for too long. There’s a great variety of classic Batman villains that are all voiced quite well and their characters are developed such that you’ll want to give them what for.

Poison Ivy, world's hottest tree-hugger.

Often times you’ll be forced to track these enemies using your detective skills, which pathetically amount to analyzing a traceable item of the person you’re looking for (such as whiskey vapors, tabacco fibers, or finger prints) and following the trail. It’s unfortunate that the detective segments don’t actually require searching for clues or piecing things together with your astounding bat-intellect. These goose-chases are a fairly regular occurrence too.

But those boring hunts usually lead to increasingly complex brawls and predator scenes. As the game progresses, combat becomes more varied with a small repertoire of upgradable moves that can be strung together into large combos. At its heart though, the combat is still a bit too simple, as a player can get through the game easily by button mashing. Something as minute a strong attack, weak attack would have helped the “X, X, Counter, X” style of fighting. I also feel like the combat could use some more precision, as it is quite difficult to string large combos together when the combo multiplier ends after less than a second of not hitting an enemy, which becomes a problem when your first round of attacks knocks all your foes to the ground in every direction, leaving you with nothing to attack for a split-second. Add in the fact that certain enemy types, who inevitably get in the way as you’re mashing on X, instantly end combos by blocking your attacks and in-depth combat is all but impossible. It just feels too difficult to overcome the sloppy button mashing that is choreographed so well.

The predator parts aren’t without flaw either. The more difficult ones require you to create diversions and utilize your arsenal of renowned gadgets, which is a greatly appreciated breath of fresh air to traditional stealth games, but at the same time they lack essential stealth components. You can’t perform simple distractions like knocking on the window or whistling to grab a guard’s attention. Lighting plays almost no role. And as fun as the gadgets are, they are far too restricting. Only specific walls can be exploded, Batman isn’t a very good climber without his predestined gadgets, etc, etc. The stealth just isn’t open enough, which makes perfecting the art of silently taking out a room full of enemies a matter of trail and error until you find the best pattern of attack. A tutorial option would have helped here.

"Should I blow up that wall, throw a Batarang, or do an Inverted Takedown?"

Even with all those complaints, the stealth aspect of gameplay is still the most fun. Planning how you want to pick off Joker’s men makes you feel like Batman more than anything else. That’s why it’s a shame that the game puts more of a focus on the combat sections than stealth. And the combat starts to get repetitive when you’re constantly facing the same enemies. Sure, they’re smart enough to grab weapons off the walls to spice up combat, but they’re just not nearly as fun as the mini-boss henchmen, of which there are far too few. Besides maybe a half dozen intermediate enemies/mini-bosses, the entire game is the same old thugs and full-blown boss fights.

The boss fights, while slick in presentation (especially Scarecrow’s trippy stuff), actually kind of suck. They’re hardly fights, as most involve throwing the Batarang at the boss while fighting off henchmen. Not the first definition of “epic”. But great characterization teams up with the legendary Batman lore and Arkham Asylum‘s engaging atmosphere to make victory over the lords of crime satisfying.

The game’s core story takes around 12 hours to complete and certainly feels meaty enough to compete with other third-person-action titles. But other than going back to finish finding all the collectables and solve the Riddler’s many riddles (because certain areas are off limits to you until you’ve bought the proper equipment), the linear nature of the story doesn’t provide much reason to replay. The Riddler parts are a lot of fun though, as you’re tasked with deciphering brain-teasers and scanning the in-world answers, which are often artifacts of lesser known Batman characters that don’t make an appearance in the game. I thought it really added to the authentic Batman feel. The collectable audio diaries of villains also go a long way towards doing that, although the recordings aren’t nearly as interesting as those in, say BioShock. 16 brawl and predator challenge rooms also add value to the package, but the weaknesses of the gameplay are only further highlighted in these sections.

Not an actual gameplay screen.

Batman: Arkham Asylum is the best Batman game ever made, and it is fun to play. There’s a special attention to detail and polish that makes the game’s atmosphere very authentic and compelling throughout. You definitely feel like the Dark Knight at times. But graphics and story can’t compensate for the unvaried and restrictive gameplay that comes off as a bit schizophrenic at times. You’ll most certainly enjoy this game if you’re a fan of Batman, but don’t fool yourself into thinking this is the cutting-edge new standard for third-person-action games.

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We have a word for this sort of thing here at InsaneBear–snazzy. That video is just snazzy. And on a somewhat related note, considering that the Adam West Batman show ran during the ’60′s, I wonder if the Dark Knight ever had a free-wheeling, love-your-brother period. I like to imagine that in Mr. West’s mind, Batman was really only dreaming of taking Robin to Woodstock.

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This game just looks totally awesome. And just think, they could have made it into some crappy Dark Knight spin-off.

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Moving onto Star Wars: The Old Republic.

And there’s Batman: Arkham Asylum too!

And who could forget Halo 3: ODST?

And we’ll close out with a little bit of cheeky humor in The Secret of Monkey Island Special Edition.

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Here’s Hideo Kojima’s take on a classic franchise with Castlevania: Lords of Shadow.

And some love for the increasingly awesome looking Batman: Arkham Asylum.

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Because the internet is barren of any funny '09 pics.

Hello dear readers. You may have noticed my considerable lack of coverage today on the biggest gaming show of the year. Well, I was at work. And until you guys start sending donations, I’ll continue to have to work. But that won’t stop me from trying to round up anything my trusty partner missed, and hopefully I won’t accidentally repeat anything he’s already posted. I’ll try to do this in one or two big posts for your convenience. Enjoy!

The Secret of Monkey Island gets a face lift for Xbox Live Arcade, along with five monthly Wii adventures in Tales of Monkey Island. Looks hilarious and I’m excited for it.

Not really sure when this was shown, perhaps leaked before E3, but this Batman: Arkham Asylum trailer showcasing the PS3 exclusive Joker character, is too awesome not to mention. Really looking forward to this game.

Xbox 360 exclusive Splinter Cell: Conviction set for Fall ’09 release. Gameplay looks fun and unique, but between this and the shooter style of Metal Gear Solid 4, I’m starting to wonder if there’s a place for true stealth games anymore.

Halo 3: ODST deploying September 22nd at $60 price point. Looks like good Halo action but I don’t see how adding silencers all of a sudden makes it a different gameplay experience. Also, $60 seems a bit steep for an expansion that will be shorter than Halo 3, although it is said to add a Horde-type mode in addition to Halo 3‘s regular co-op. It will also include all of the Halo 3 DLC map packs, so I suppose there’s some value there if you haven’t purchased any of those. Still not sold on this game, but it does look more interesting now than it did yesterday. Also, I’m pretty sure I heard Firefly‘s Nathan Fillion and Alan Tudyk in there, which wouldn’t be a huge surprise considering they did minor voice work in Halo 3. If true, totally awesome.

Forza 3 (did they officially drop the “motorsport”?) racing to the Xbox 360 in October with hundreds of cars, a video editor, a focus on user generated content, and a new engine that runs at 60 frames per second. This looks to build on the best racing franchise of the past few years with an avalanche of content. I just hope the actual game is nothing like this trailer. Isn’t it supposed to be a simulator?

EA will publish David Jones’ (the guy who made Grand Theft Auto and Crackdown) All Points Bulletin, release date yet to be announced. Trailer looks pretty good though. Between this and Star Wars: The Old Republic, World of Warcraft has to be sweating a little, right? Right?

And lastly, since I couldn’t find a funny picture to open with, I’ll close with a funny video. Sure, this isn’t what actually happened at Microsoft’s press conference, but it may as well have been. Like, really, why am I supposed to care about “Natal”?

WELL BAM there it is – REMIX from jaroshbarksdale on Vimeo.

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