Brutaly, scary

At a time when game adaptations of films in general and superhero games in particular hardly stood for quality - looking at you, PC version of 2004's Spider-Man 2 - Rocksteady Studios' Batman-series was a beacon of hope for all those who wanted to control the man in the bat outfit themselves. It all started in 2009 with Batman: Arkham Asylum, in which the crazed Joker, voiced by the unrivaled Mark Hamill, locked the protagonist up in the famous asylum.

A clever concept, as it allowed us to explore the asylum step by step in Metroidvania style, collect gadgets and encounter the various villains from the comics. Both the press and players (myself included) were thrilled, and the free-flow combat system, which allowed us to send masses of enemies to the boards with combos, simply never got boring. Together with the numerous collectibles, insider references and fantastic voice acting, Arkham Asylum was a declaration of love to the Batman brand and the start of a great series that unfortunately reached its end with Arkham Knight in 2015.

A highlight of the game not mentioned so far was also its atmosphere. As the events of the game take place during a single autumn night, darkness is our constant companion. Perfect for Batman, who prefers to take care of the villains from dusk to dawn and attack them from the shadows. As a result, Rocksteady's action adventure is set in the environment of The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay, which is also reflected in the musical accompaniment.

The score

What do I mean by that? In both games, we are lone wolves in a prison and face an overwhelming number of enemies. To escape, the best chance of survival is to proceed cautiously and eliminate individual enemies from the darkness, i.e. 'stealth action'. And in video games, this usually means quiet, sometimes creepy ambient music that doesn't distract us as much as possible. However, since Batman and Riddick, unlike master thief Garrett from the Thief-series, can certainly put up a fight, there is also something action-packed for the fisticuffs in both scores.

Enough comparisons, let's stick to Arkham Asylum. As already mentioned, the 27-track OST by composers Nick Arundel and Ron Fish offers a mixture of background music and banging accompaniment that fits like a tube screen on a cracked head. While tracks such as A Plan RevealedNick Arundel2, Enter the AsylumNick Arundel2 or The Asylum CellsNick Arundel, Ron Fish3 are spooky and almost thriller-like, Finger PrintsNick Arundel4, In the GardensNick Arundel3 and Harley Fights BackNick Arundel3 are more upbeat and agile.

Besides the aforementioned Escape from Butcher Bay, other pieces are reminiscent of games such as Silent Hill (Where’s JimNick Arundel4) or Aquanox 2 (Batmobile AttackNick Arundel5). The tonality chosen here differs pleasantly from the cinematic bombast of the silver screen counterparts and has a more settled, down-to-earth feel. Bruce Wayne is no Superman in shining armor, but a lawless avenger in a hostile environment full of lunatics. At the same time, we don't feel defenceless, more like the hunter stalking his prey.

This picture is completed by the main theme, which runs through the entire score. Its leitmotif appears for the first time in Enter the AsylumNick Arundel2 and stands out with its simple sequence of notes and low tones. It feels ominous, menacing, but proves to be unquestionably versatile: the grandfather clock-like sound in Only ThreeNick Arundel2 causes it to drift into the horror segment, while conversely, at the beginning of Eddie’s TaleNick Arundel2 and In the BatcaveNick Arundel3, which we hear during a brief visit to Batman's retreat, it is reminiscent of the thematically appropriate Manor-Theme aus der Tomb Raider-series. Finally, in PredatorNick Arundel3 , it serves as a gentle accompaniment to the adrenaline kick-off, before sounding in all its heroic grandeur in Crackin‘ HeadsNick Arundel5 when we make said heads crack.

Like the actual game, the soundtrack to Arkham Asylum offers a fitting introduction to the series, which reached its zenith with its direct successor Arkham City . Fans of the original comic who have had enough of Hans Zimmer's excellent The Dark Knight-score should definitely give it a listen, even though in my opinion the music works best in combination with the accompanying game. If you haven't already played it, then you should do so - it's still a lot of fun today.