Batman: Arkham Asylum/Sapporo
Game: Batman: Arkham Asylum, Eidos, 2009, PC
Beer: Sapporo, 22 fl. oz., ?% abv
# of beers consumed during play: 2
Level Reached: First major boss fight.
Level of Intoxication: Three Sheets to the Wind
Game
This game was highly anticipated by many, especially to fans of Batman, and with good reason. Being the best treatment of the Dark Knight (not the movie) in ages, this game set the bar for not only what a licensed property should be, but how a 3D platformer should be in general. Another thing about the game that fueled some fires was the fact that Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill would be reprising their superlative voice roles from the Animated Series. Hell, even I went on about that part. That's how a deranged clown should sound. Heath Ledger, take note--oh...sorry, never mind.
Gameplay
Batman: AA is a beautifully balanced blend of stealth combat, brawler, and puzzle platformer, sealing itself with a challenging treasure hunt that is sure to keep completists happy for a while and helps to flesh out the story and earn goodies such as character bios and additional challenge maps. All this action takes place from an over-the-shoulder perspective, and leads the player through the entirety of Arkham island. Thugs and locked doors lurk around every turn, and it is a simple and deeply fulfilling pleasure to knock some baddies around. The combat is simple, with enough depth and variety to keep the many, many encounters from becoming rote or boring. When Bats isn't fighting face to face or navigating the environs, he is lurking atop gargoyles and creeping up on villains to complete visceral and punishing stealth takedowns. I can't properly explain the glee I experience when I drop upside down onto an unsuspecting foe, cover his face with my hands and hoist him back up. This sensation is nothing however as I quickly jump to a different gargoyle and throw a baterang at his rope. The litany of laughter that follows as said crook drops directly onto his head and ragdolls into a disheveled heap on the floor is therapeutic to my soul on an almost magical level. The fact that the game allows you to do this should speak to its ability to facilitate the player to engage in behavior that goes beyond the standard "kill baddie, move on" level of interactivity.
There is also a measurable progression of Batman and his abilities as you progress through the game, awarding new tools and tactics against the hordes of curiously well musculatured Blackgate inmates in the game. I wasn't aware they were serving creatine in maximum security prison. As you fight, you'll gain points to an experience bar, that when filled allow you to select abilities that make Batman even more fearsome such as increased control over your blast gel and remote control baterangs. Mr. Wayne also manages to forage up some pretty nice toys along the way such as zip lines and cryptographic sequencers which allow him to access previously seen areas. Such places typically yield one of the Riddler's presents, which come in the form of trophies, audio recordings, and visual puzzles. Some of these optional elements advance the game's story in subtle ways or tell backstory about events just prior to the game. These elements create a nice depth to the story, and flesh out Batman's universe as well.
But not all is well in paradise. There are some elements that tend to drag along, the worst of which is Batman's descent into Killer Croc's lair. The level was tense at first, I'll admit, and I did jump the first time Croc jumped out of the water, but soon after, particularly after finding out how much one specimen of flower goop filled the meter, my brow furrowed and I started to reminisce on the times in the game when I was turning skulls into lumpy sacks of bones. Also tiresome is the increased number of electronic panels one has to hack by wiggling a couple of sticks in later portions of the game, particularly when one is backtracking over old ground to get hidden trophies and whatnot. It begins to feel a little too compact and before long you're wondering what kind of areas weren't in the game. Also a convention that makes me begin to wonder: is the hospital the new must have level in a game? I mean, back when I was young, the themes on offer were all of the "fire, snow, water, underground" school of thinking. Nowadays it seems as if many themes have shifted to a "government base, hospital, run-down suburb, hostile alien planet" model. Not that I'm complaining.
Graphics/Sound
The graphics are superb, with amazingly detailed textures on character models and amazing effects applied to surfaces such as water, tile, blood and metallic surfaces. Also of note is the detective mode, which turns on a filter of sorts that gives you detailed information on the screen, allowing you to see targets through walls and secret areas you can't reach yet. The different parts of the island are colorful and easily identified, even if some hallways inside the facilities start to look very similar and somewhat bland.
The sound effects are all pure Batman, with even your menu options sounding like the squeak of a bat. Weapons all have nice convincing noises, and combat is particularly well done with some punchy and sharp sounds of arms bending the wrong way, faces imploding, and ribs shattering. As mentioned above, the voice acting is top notch, and even extends into audio diaries that sound out small situations that are well delivered. Rising above all this, the music strikes an epic note, setting a scene that is dark and tense, much like the best parts of The Dark Knight (yes, the movie).
Story
While many elements of Batman: AA are inspired by the movies and cartoons, the story is pure comic book, through and through. A number of the higher tiered thugs have only ever seen the comic book pages, such as the previously mentioned Killer Croc and many of the cameo appearances by characters such as Scarface and Firefly. The story has one or two minor twists and turns, and manages some awesome scenes that take place within Batman's psyche, including some eerie and awesome sequences that bring the game into a nice symbiosis with the other canon elements of the Batman franchise, particularly within the DC comics iterations. The game also promises a sequel, which is already in the works.
Beer
I thought this was supposed to be a recession, I mean, I go to the store and look for a sixpack of beer and everything I want to buy is $9 and $10 dollars, for drunkard's sakes, even the ultra domestic stuff such as Coors Light and Budweiser are like seven dollars. Well, seeing as I had ten bucks to get some beer and a gallon of milk, I went with a couple tall cans of Japanese Import Sapporo. The last time I tried this stuff, I was much younger, and I was on a try everything kick. I distinctly remember intensely disliking it back then, but for reasons I cannot remember, so I get to try this stuff again and see if time has either matured my palette, or if I was right the first time. Just as it did back then, Sapporo stands out with very distinctly shaped silver cans and very simple, bold artwork that sort of reminds me of some kind of artillery...I don't know why either. Perhaps it has to do with the fact the can was hard as hell to open, I mean, I'm a big guy, but this was bordering on comedy. I've opened my fair share of alcohol containers in a wide array of methods (not the least of which was, interestingly enough, a flaming piece of wood.), but this can was especially stubborn. As I struggled with the pulltab, I wondered if the cans in Japan were any easier to open, and I dwelled briefly on the possibility that this can was one of the very subtle ways the Japanese were exacting revenge on us for beating them in World War II. The can is also exceptionally heavy, I would feel confident using it as a blunt weapon. Interesting.
As I opened the can, I expected a rush of deja-vu, thinking the odor of the alcohol would trigger a deeply embedded memory. I took my first whiff, felt a rush of nothing, and noticed that the beer had a sharp note to it, but didn't overwhelm. It had just the teeniest notes of bitterness to it, and I was sufficiently not-repulsed to take a drink.
Sapporo has a distinct sharp bitterness to it that is much like a polite houseguest, leaving before it gets overwhelming and not making too much of a mess. There's grain in there, but there's also a long-refined character that is definitely not bad at all. The aftertaste doesn't last long, making this nice as a food beer, probably pairing well with chicken. The drinkability isn't bad at all, having a light feel with a nice zap from the carbonation. The drunk it gives is a comfortable wooziness that I imagine increases very fast in proportion to beers consumed. I couldn't find reliable info in regards to the Alcohol content, my usual sources didn't know, but this brew seems to occupy the mid to high four percent range.
All in all, not bad, and definitely not as bad as I remember it, but not quite in my top five.
The Matchup
Well, all in all I'm actually fairly happy with this combination, the beer wasn't horrible, and the game was quite good indeed. Both offered a surprising polish and quality, but while Sapporo is a hidden gem, Batman: AA is both great and popular. Both items together is definitely not half-bad, and worthy of a couple run throughs in tandem.
Cheers/Game on.