"Batman: Arkham Asylum" Demo Review

Last week Eidos released a new demo for its upcoming Batman title called "Batman: Arkham Asylum."

Batman fans everywhere can officially rejoice at the lengthy and suprisingly well-crafted demo available on the Playstation Network, Xbox Live Marketplace, and the PC which can be downloaded on the game's official site.

The demo begins in similar fashion to how the full game should start with the capture and incarceration of the capped crusader's arch-nemesis "The Joker" in Arkham Asylum.

As fate would have it, The Joker find a way to escape thanks to help of vixen "Harley Quinn" and you immediately find yourself in pursuit of gleeful foe as he instills chaos in the prison for the Gotham City's most demented of villains.

As soon as the images of the demo begins you see the beautifully Gothic visage of the game's visuals.

Every detail from the environment to character models are rendered with a nearly incomparable amount of depth and realism that brings Batman and his villains to life like never before.

Equally impressive is the control layout and mechanics of controlling Batman.

Natural feeling button placement and precise controls make combat feel fluid. To top it off, the game's "FreeFlow" combat system leaves every encounter feeling unique.

The highlight of the demo is how well the cinematic feel of the game transitions flawlessly into gameplay much like in "Metal Gear Solid 4."

Another visual treat is Batman's "detective mode" which transforms the visual layout of the screen into a computerized wonderland of color highlighting objects you can interact with, enemy locations, and even the status of individuals and object in the environment.

When perched on one of the many locals Batman can find his way, he has several options to encounter enemies in stealth. This poses the only drawback to the game thus far.

Encounters with enemies usually result from precisely placed stealth movements. However, if you are spotted by an enemy you quickly find yourself dead. Yes it's more realistic, but the should have a more forgiving system since it is hard to manage the locations of every enemy on screen.

Overall, the demo of "Batman: Arkham Asylum" is instantly gratifying and a pleasant surprise that is bound to appeal to Batman and stealth fans alike.

For a free download, it is well worth your time.

"Batman: Arkham Asylum" will be available for retail purchase on August 25.