Batman: Arkham Asylum (PS3/XB360/PC, 2009/PC, 2010 (GOTY Edition))

• Pretty much linear structure (get access to a hub area outside of the asylum after the first sub area but can only do the following areas in a set order, can rescue the three doctors in the medical facility in any order and do the two pump rooms near the caves later on in either order, many optional riddler quests (find and scan or pick up objects based on clues for bonus exp and comments by the riddler) and lore items (spirit of arkham short story bits - also gives some exp), )

• Auto-save w/ frequent checkpoints (can reload from the last one at any point, single save slot only, unlimited lives)

• 2D map system (auto-mapper - each room/sub area's layout is revealed as you enter it, shows doors and layouts but doesn't mark locked doors/electronic barriers/switches/riddler trophies/ventilation cover grates/breakable walls, can find a secret map in each area but it only reveals the riddler trophy locations), No mini-map and you can't move while checking the map, Can't place markers on the map

• Partial HP regen after each fight (depends on your performance and how many enemies were taken out?)

• Skippable dialogue on a per sentence basis (usually - sometimes doesn't work in-game and during FMV cutscenes you can only skip the whole scene), Skippable FMV cutscenes

• Basic puzzle solving elements (using the explosive gel on enemies (blow up certain weak floors with good timing to make enemies fall into pits or to knock them out, can spray it on a knocked down enemy and trigger it when other enemies come to check what happened), line launcher to reach certain riddler items (outside the bat cave and in penitentiary for example). Dr Young hostage situation, some spatial reasoning puzzles including some rooms where you can't use the grapple hook to climb, some timed rescue mission segments, very basic hacking of security gate control boxes after you get the Cryptographic Sequencer)

• Basic skill tree (gain exp from taking out enemies/progressing the story/doing the riddler quests and finding other items, some moves/upgrades are locked at first - need to gain certain moves and sometimes progress to a certain point in the game to unlock these (see notes))

• Some cool tools/gadgets (batclaw - pull enemies towards you and make them stumble or fall off ledges+open unreachable grates and some crates, ultra batclaw allows you to pull down walls with weak spots and three enemies at a time, remote control batarang, sonic batarang - get the attention of the closest enemy (if upgraded it also stuns the enemy though this can only be used once per area)) and moves (ledge takedown - hop up and knock an enemy's head into a railing while shimmying, throw batarangs around corners (but not the shock one for some reason), cling to walls while sneaking)

• Unlock character bios as you meet them or find riddler trophies, Unlockable backstory and lore via the villain interview recordings

• Difficulty options (easy-hard)

• External control config besides camera inversion, Subtitles toggle

• Various new enemies encountered when returning to previously visited areas, One large scale environmental change

• Upgradeable life bar

• The game is forgiving about falling into pits and gas hazards - can just hit R1/RB to get back up

• Fast travel of sorts via the line launcher gadget

• Very few shortcuts

• Good sense of vulnerability during the scarecrow segments (similar to Silent Hill 2 and sometimes MGS)

• Joker often comments on what happens via the loudspeakers around the asylum ("public announcements" while in the outdoors hub area which might be a Jonestown reference, there's also a brief encounter with Killer Croc (on the other side of a locked door with a window) before facing him; makes the world seem more alive and Joker more active as a villain), Enemies talk amongst themselves if you stay back and observe them (there's also some optional lore via radio transmissions)

• Many hidden items (riddler trophies, interview tapes, spirit of arkham messages)

• Some semi-interactive in-game cutscenes (similar to Half-Life)

• No skill tree respec (not really needed unless perhaps if you consistently pick the non-melee combat upgrades and avoid the lifebar upgrades as well)

• Sometimes can't hop over a smaller obstacle for seemingly no reason and it's fairly easy to get stuck on obstacles when moving around

• A few invisible walls

• One sequence break (more?)

Playthrough (GOTY Edition, PC) - Review - Mini Review (GOTY Edition)

Influenced by: Bioshock, Zelda and Metroid series, probably MGS or Splinter Cell, possibly Deus Ex, Eternal Darkness

Influenced: Shadow of Mordor, Marvel's Spider-Man, Sleeping Dogs, possibly Assassin's Creed II, Tomb Raider 2013