Graphics

The use of the Unreal Engine 3 is easily identifiable with its over-bright HDR, super-shiny surfaces, and abundance of yellow/orange-tinted lighting. Despite the core graphics similarities with a large number of other modern games, it succeeds in bringing gritty, realistic visuals to the game world. That isn’t to say that each of the villains you encounter aren’t modeled in a distinctly cartoonish style, because they are; this fusion of fantasy and reality is essential in bringing the comics to life, a la the flood of superhero feature films as of late.

More than anything, it’s the small details that really bring it to the next level. The overworld slowly descends into chaos as you complete missions, while a Joker mural is constructed bit by bit. Often you will come across evidence of skirmishes between Arkham security and the escaped inmates, like spent shotgun shells littered around dead personnel. Cobwebs infest ventilation shafts, tearing as you move through them, as does caution tape draped over doorways. Most impressively, scrapes and tears begin to accumulate all over Batman’s person as you progress through the game, visual proof of a crazy night spent in the Asylum.


The marketing blurb touts the game’s “dark and atmospheric” setting, and for good reason. Taking place on an initially stormy night, you’ll see dimly- yet beautifully-lit facilities, thick blankets of fog, and outdoor promenades bathed in moonlight. That is, when you choose to actually see it. Thanks to the multi-faceted Detective Mode, chances are you’ll only occasionally gaze upon the environment with your bare eyes. I often found myself having to make a conscious effort to switch it off to take compelling screenshots or just so I wouldn’t miss the visuals. Obviously it’s a visor in the mask that you activate, hence everything being washed out in a dark blue color, but the conflict of interests it creates is nonsensical. Do you want a gameplay advantage or prettier visuals?

Thanks to NVIDIA PhysX acceleration, a variety of advanced physics effects are present in Batman: AA. Sizeable quantities of volumetric smoke and fog will react to characters and objects according to more realistic fluid dynamics. Papers and leaves are scattered about the ground and can be kicked up into the air. Realistic cloth effects make your cape flutter behind you as you run and jump. Tiles or bricks can come loose from certain surfaces, piling up with other debris on the floor.




Psycho-toxin hallucinations are occasionally induced throughout your adventure, transporting you to what are known as the Scarecrow levels. Large amounts of rigid bodies crash down or float around in the most intensive PhysX scenes in the game. There is no doubt that these effects exclusive to NVIDIA hardware can be impressive at times, but I can’t say the same about people rushing out to buy the game or appropriate GPU because of them.

3D Vision support is a major selling point with the PC version of Batman: AA, as it was with Resident Evil 5. However, I have seen that there are conflicting reports as to whether or not it’s been officially dubbed “3D Vision Ready.” The splash screen of logos as the game starts says it is, as does NVIDIA marketing, but the driver software disagrees. There are a number of issues like certain effects not meshing well with stereoscopic vision, or the much larger disadvantage of pre-rendered cutscenes that are not in 3D. Hopefully this does not signify the beginning of superficially labeling certain games as “3D Vision Ready.”

Look for a more in-depth look at the 3D Vision and PhysX effects coming soon.

Sound

When I started playing, I could’ve sworn that the Joker was voiced by the same guy that did Roger Rabbit... However, in researching for this review, I discovered that it’s really none other than Mark Hamill! He had apparently made a name for himself in the voice-over biz by playing the Joker in Batman: The Animated Series, reprising that role in nearly every related project since then. His associates Kevin Conroy and Arleen Sorkin also return as the B-man and Harley Quinn, respectively. Needless to say, the trio does a hell of a job in bringing a level of authenticity to the game, as I’m sure long-time Batfans will appreciate.

The music and sound effects are about what you’d expect in a game of this caliber. Nothing stuck out as an ear-sore, except maybe the sound of a security scanner that accompanies most large doors in the Penitentiary… Not a big deal when you hear it once or twice, but by the tenth time you have to sit and listen to that electronic squeal, it begins to grate on you. At the opposite end of the spectrum, my favorite is the chime of the PA system followed by the Joker barking instructions or warnings to his henchmen. He also commentates on certain encounters, becoming less helpful and more furious or disappointed as you progress in clearing the room of baddies.