Batman: Arkham Asylum For Xbox 360, PS3, PC

The script was penned by Emmy-winning veteran Batman writer Paul Dini, the co-creator of the well-remembered Batman: The Animated Series.

Dini does what good writers always do -- dispense with the slow build-up and plunge you directly into the story.

Batman has once again defeated the Joker but this time it was too easy. The suspicious Batman personally takes Joker back to Arkham Asylum, Gotham's menacing labrythine prison hospital for the criminally insane.

This is exactly the chess move Joker had counted on Batman making. Once they are inside Joker escapes, frees Batman's other enemies, and taunts Batman through a series of deadly challenges.

As the story progresses Batman is forced to venture into the heart of Arkham, uncovering its secrets. This is the Joker's world that Batman is having to navigate.

It's more than just a prison hospital. It's a peek inside Joker's head. As Batman moves closer to his goal of recapturing Joker we move closer to understanding Joker's true motive.

Critics are finding hints of past Batman comic books and graphic novels in the game such as Grant Morrison's Arkham Asylum and Frank Miller's Batman: The Dark Knight Returns.

I also see a 21st century video game version of Joseph Conrad's oft-praised, oft-maligned most famous novel, Heart of Darkness, which was also the inspiration for Francis Ford Coppola's film Apocalypse Now.

And, of course, there's Joseph Campbell's seminal work The Hero With a Thousand Faces.

Credit for the forboding look of Arkham goes to Jim Lee's WildStorm studio.

"Arkham as a creepy place; it's one of the most detailed locales ever created for a videogame, split up into various facilities covering everything from the general inmate population to an intensive treatment ward to a botanical garden." -Gamespy

"The soundtrack to the game fits perfectly with the dark ambient setting and extreme detail has been given to the smallest things such as flickering light bulbs that set the mood incredibly to match the acting." -XboxAddict

Joker
Harley Quinn
Riddler (Off camera)
Bane
Poison Ivy
Killer Croc
Scarecrow

There will be those who are disappointed that some of the other more famous criminals don't show up such as Penguin and Catwoman but Dini should be given credit for using restraint. The characters he chose work well within the story parameters.

Consider that Penguin and Catwoman are usually portrayed as more opportunistic professional thieves rather than sociopaths as is the case with the villains chosen for Arkham Asylum.

It would be difficult to picture the intellectual Penguin or independent Catwoman taking orders from an insane sadistic clown. They would most certainly have their own agendas.

London's Daily Telegraph says of Arkham Asylum's fight scenes, "It's brilliantly simple in its execution, but there are few combat games as brutally satisfying."

However, most people have found the combat lacking the same amount of imagination as the rest of the game.

Batman is a martial arts master but if he's not using his gadgets or certain special features of his cape, the fight sequences can be rather straightforward and typical.

Strangely, the boss fights are almost anti-climatic.

Obviously, the emphasis was not on creating an over-the-the-top violent combat-only game but rather a well-rounded combat-adventure-strategy game built upon a solid story structure.

Younger Batman fans are familiar with the nickname the Dark Knight. Older fans remember the Caped Crusader. But usually only long-term comic book fans know Batman as the star of Detective Comics where he was billed as the world's greatest detective.

Dini's script for Arkham Asylum wisely gives Batman plenty of opportunity to show why he's the greatest of all investigators. For example, the Riddler has left behind 240 puzzles throughout the prison. That's right, 240. You're not going to complete this game any time soon.

Built into Batman's cowl is a visual enhancement device that when activated puts Batman into detective mode, allowing him to scan for something as simple as fingerprints or see inherent weaknesses in the facility's stone walls and floors. He can even detect enemies on the other side of the wall.

I call it CSI:Gotham.