The GameOn Magazine - Free Special Editions Batman: Arkham Special Edition | Page 22

A COMBAT REVOLUTION
I would argue that through all the brilliant
elements of the Arkham series, from the great
storylines to the super fun stealth mechanics,
it’s the ‘Freeflow’ combat system that makes
it such a great collection of games. Not only
this, but the combat system is so good that
it’s heavily influenced some of the biggest
games out there, not to mention a huge
collection of other titles. The combat in the
Arkham series is truly revolutionary.
Let’s start at Arkham Asylum, where the series
began and the combat
system first impressed
players. The slow and
sombre walk through the
prison with The Joker
in tow, is a famously
well executed scene that
expertly builds up to
The Joker’s escape. It’s at
this point, with a bunch
of goons descending on
him, that players get their
22 • GameOn Magazine

first true feel of how Batman can handle
himself; and boy is it fun. The genius of the
system is that it’s very simple, essentially just
two or three buttons to push, but requires
a sense of timing that needs to be trained
and honed. Nailing the timing and taking
out a huge group of guys in one glorious
combo is what the combat is all about.
For those who need a refresher, here’s how it
works. Pressing the X button (360 pad) makes
Batman strike the nearest goon and it takes a

Batman Arkham Special Edition