Arkham Asylum gets Game of the Year edition

As a massive DC Comics fan with a couple of longboxes dedicated to Batman comics I was a target audience that this game didn’t even have to advertise to. But I was dubious. Very dubious. If you haven’t played Batman: AA then you would probably be hard pressed to name a good Batman video game – I admit that I didn’t expect Batman: AA to be anything other than awful. I was wrong. This game is a blindingly good time. Do not expect any emotional depth, any surprises or any gameplay mechanics you haven’t used 100x before. But you don’t need any of these things because this game makes you feel like you actually are the goddamed Batman. Oh yes. But does it really need 3D glasses in the Game of the Year edition?

It feels like a bit of a gimmick. It probably is a gimmick. To be honest, the Batman GotY edition doesn’t have that much in the way of extra content. It will come with the extra challenge maps that are already available as downloadable content but there aren’t any extra levels or side-plots or expansions to the main game. So what can be done to make sure that people part with their hard-earned cash? Make a 3D version is apparently the answer.

So, I’m back to being dubious once again. I’ll admit straight up that I’m not really a fan of 3D anything. Not even in the IMAX (a screen that size makes me feel queasy). Sure, 3D glasses can be a bit of fun here and there; maybe in a comic book or a film made with 3D in mind. But the idea of spending 5-6 hours of gameplay staring through cardboard glasses at my TV is not appealing. Oh yeah, did I not mention that the 3D is based on the old red and green 3D technology of yesteryear? No fancy Avatar-esq graphics to be seen here.

Of course, I haven’t actually played the GotY edition so for all I know it could be a marvellous success. Batman: AA has proven me wrong once before so I would be more than happy for it to do so again. However, with Sony developing advanced 3D gaming for the PS3, and Microsoft surely to follow, it still feels as if red/green 3D for Batman: AA is a bit redundant. I can’t help but think that this is more a cheap marketing ploy to spin more money out of the game since it won Best Game at the BAFTA’s.  Am I being too cynical?