As a reader of comic books, and a fan of the Batman universe in general, I have been waiting a long time for a game starring the Dark Knight that was worth playing. Sure, there were a few games I enjoyed back in the day, like the NES game simply titled Batman and The Adventures of Batman & Robin for the SNES, but every venture into the realm of 3D has ended poorly.

This time around, without a movie or TV tie-in weighing them down, the team at Rocksteady was able to focus on making a game that is actually fun to play. Not only that, but they got several cast members back from the animated series to reprise their roles. Notably Kevin Conroy (Batman) and Mark Hamill (Joker). Inspiration was taken from several sources that have done Batman well. The afore mentioned Animated Series, the Arkham Asylum comics, and even a little flavor of the recent Dark Knight movie.

Arkham Asylum does a great job of bringing together all the elements that make Batman a unique character in the DC universe. You can brawl with the best of them, even taking on as many as twenty goons at once. But he is not invincible. If any of those goons have guns in hand, it becomes very important to use your brain to take out your enemies.

Stealth becomes a major mechanic because of this. Batman must sneak around the asylum, taking out armed guards by hiding in the shadows and appearing when they least suspect it. This is where the game really shines. I am not normally a fan of stealth gameplay mechanics, but Arkham Asylum does them so well that I had a ball with it. Hanging upside down from a gargoyle, Batman can use an “inverted takedown” to descend onto his prey, then hang them helplessly upside down. Hanging from ledges, he can pull goons over the side. He can even simplify it to sneaking up behind an enemy and putting them in a sleeper hold before they know what hit them. This is where the game is at it’s best.

It is at it’s worst in the boss fights. After a run-in with Bane, which was decently done, they recycle that fight over and over again throughout the course of the game with other enemies with the exact same move set. The Scarecrow battles, all of which have very interesting lead ups where Batman is under the influence of Scarecrow’s fear gas, end up as nothing more than an obstacle course. Killer Croc, a chance for Batman’s strength and agility to be put to the ultimate test, ends up being slow and boring. The good news is, the boss fights are few and far between.

Arkham Asylum is by no means a perfect game, but the combination of different gameplay elements work well enough together to make it a lot of fun. All gamers should play through it at least once for the experience, but it is not one I see myself going back to. The recently announced sequel, with some tweaks on the first game’s design, could end up being one of those great classics you keep going back to.

A straight up stealth game or beat-em-up just doesn’t cut it, and the varying gameplay styles need to flow together seamlessly. So, is Batman: Arkham Aslyum the great Batman game we’ve all been waiting for?

In a word: Yes. In fact, it goes beyond being simply the best Batman game to date. It also delivers one of the best, most immersive Batman experience outside of the comics. The guys at Rocksteady took superhero games up a big notch with Arkham Asylum. Simply put: you are Batman. Every bit as badass, and every bit as vulnerable.

Most of the inspiration for the game comes from Batman: the Animated Series, as well as several of the Arkham Asylum specific comic books. Kevin Conroy reprises his roll as Batman, and does a great job. Even still, he is overshadowed by Mark Hamill’s terrific performance, who is the definitive voice of the Joker as far as I’m concerned. His performance is one of the high points of the game. Taunting you with his maniacal laughter and morbidly hilarious one liners, he sets a dark tone for the entire game that suits it really well.

My one complaint is regarding the boss battles. The lackluster fight with Bane was repetitive and boring. It did not match up with the next-gen experience delivered with the rest of the game. None of the boss battles are able to capture the pure baddassery of the rest of the combat. Thankfully, the boss battles are infrequent enough that they don’t end up dragging down the whole experience.

Batman: Arkham Asylum is simply the greatest superhero game of all time (Sorry Aquaman, you’ve been dethroned). It’s also one of the best action games this year, successfully combining multiple gameplay mechanics into a very polished experience. A must buy for comic fans and die hard gamers alike.