Detective Mode is another instant favorite, and a mechanic that only Batman could pull off with this much panache: tapping L2 will enter a mode not unlike the basic scanning visor from the Metroid Prime games, letting Batman discover clues and areas hidden behind grates or destructible walls and floors. Mr. Wayne will use detective mode to track his quarry, following the trail of fingerprints, traces of whiskey-breath, and other such impressive feats of high-tech detective work. Detective mode will also show you where your enemies are hiding (and their skeletons!) and whether or not they're armed - if so, you'll have to use more advanced tactics, since Batman is as vulnerable to bullets and blades as any other mortal badass.

As BioShock reminded the gaming world, there are all kinds of opportunities for storytelling when building an environment, and Rocksteady's Arkham Island is just that kind of place: whether it's the Joker - a truly unnerving performance - taunting "Bats" from behind one of many security monitors that litter the facilities or the chilling story told by the "Chronicle of Arkham" stones left behind by the Asylum's founder, Amadeus Arkham, Batman: Arkham Asylum does a tremendous job of keeping up the tension. The story starts out strong and stays that way thanks to a world built to keep you on your toes, always looking for the next hidden trophy or riddle answer, skulking about to avoid detection or flying up to the nearest rooftop or gargoyle with the ever-useful grappling hook.

The Riddler's riddles are specific to each location or room, and require you to discover the answer in your environment - hold L2 to scan a case holding Catwoman's mask, for instance, if the answer to the riddle you're solving might be "Catwoman." They run the gamut from obvious but rewarding to downright perplexing - and some can only be solved in detective mode by aiming the camera just so, aligning aspects of the environment to form one of the Riddler's classic question marks.

Hamil's Joker isn't the only excellent villain. Harley Quinn's piping Jersey Girl voice (Arleen Sorkin, also from the Animated Series) is a fantastic mesh with her dark pop star threads and crazy-ass insanity. Killer Croc, never one of Batman's most impressive rogues, here becomes the towering monster always hinted at in the comics - the first time he roars at you, you'll flinch. Poison Ivy's a dead sexy rose, too, and Mr. Zsasz is about as terrifying a sociopath as you'll meet.

As mentioned, combat offers a challenge while never letting you look like a chump - you're Batman, after all - and so you'll kick ass fairly consistently. A forgiving pop-up display shows above an enemy's head whenever Batman can counter - failing to do so will earn you an ear-ringing beating - and combat batarang throws and cape-stun moves make the action even more Batmanny. You can throttle your downed enemies to end the threat early, but they'll stay down on their own if you keep wailing on them. One lone gunman can end your battles early, however, so there's a nice balance between incredible power and believable mortality.

You'll gain XP from downing enemies and exploring the world, and each time you level up you'll be allowed to purchase one Waynetech upgrade: add health to your meter with tougher armor, additional batarangs and batarangs with separate abilities, and so forth. Character progression isn't complicated, but each of the limited number of upgrades is worth having for one reason or another, and you'll often feel pressed to choose between two or more desirable options

In the end, it's the flawlessly-told story combined with awesome stealth and combat mechanics that make Batman: Arkham Asylum so easy to enjoy. The exploration and Riddler challenges go a long way to keeping you in the game, and the overall production values are so stellar that immersion is rarely an issue. If you're an action fan, a Batman fan, or you enjoyed BioShock or the recent Metroid and Zelda games - buy, buy, buy.

9 out of 10