Pretty much everyone has been praising this game for a year now so I don't know what else there is to say really. If you like Batman it is a must-have, if you like action games it is a must-have.

It's a great game until the end, it has the worst end boss EVER.

It's called water poisoning and it's weird about once a year some radio DJ holds a contest where you must drink more than anyone else and not pee. Someone gets really sick or dies, they realize it's actually a dangerous idea, there's some local news stories about it and then the cycle repeats the next year in a different city with a different DJ and station. Go figure.

Heh no, just create an offline profile and you are good to go, however, it is reported that the steam version has a 4 limit securom activation, which made me go retail, which just contains a disk check. So go retail, since it's pretty much DRM free.

Do buy the game, I did despise it when I first got it 6 months ago, as I could not get used to the game play style. But I reinstalled it over the past week and poured 15 hours into it, ending up with the game finished and completion at 50%. Those riddler challenges are mentally satisfying. If you want a game that'll hook you and can be finished in a week with decent play length, get this game. The PC version is superior to the console version, with better all around GFX, and if you have the power, PhysX.

From a person who didn't like it all, I LOVE the game. :)

I'd recommend it for any Batman or action game fan. Everyone is right about replay value though... there isn't much. You may enjoy multiple playthroughs to get extras/achievements or whatever but once you beat the story, you'll be hard pressed to do it again.

+Great graphics
+Atmosphere true to the Batman world
+Combat moves get repetitive, but still overall satisfying
+Stealthy bits to break up the combat

-Not alot of extras (incentive) to playthrough more than once
-Can be beaten in 4-8 hrs depending on player competency

which sucks..

What exactly do you expect from a game? Several people have already said it is amazing and yet there is no re-playability so you say it sucks? Whaaa?

Maybe prakaa was saying that in reference to the line "there's no reason NOT to get it" lol or maybe I'm just an optimist

Do yourself a favor and spent time on the Riddler puzzles. You'll get several times the playtime out of the game then. If you choose not to do that optional stuff and you get through it too fast, that's your own problem.

As for the Games for Windows thing, my computer never could connect to the server for some reason. I played the entire time offline and didn't miss out on anything.

Thanks guys,

What I can distill from the posts is that:

1) The game has intrusive and possibly unpleasant DRM. However
2) The game is not a replayer, thus nullifying point 1.
3) Everyone likes it (apart from Tyler who found it too hard - I expect I will too, but hey I must try).
4) EDIT : Of course the biggest point is that it isn't an action game. I assume if I can muddle through severance, I will have a shot at this.

Well folks you've helped me to my decision, I'll pick it up tomorrow. I would say on the replay side of things, I pick up a lot of Martial Arts movies, most cost near £15 to get hold of (I've seen so many, it's only the rare ones left), and some I end up thinking "That much, just to see Donnie Yen spend 2 hours thinking he's immortal?". If I can get 10 hours of play for £10, that's a better rate than most of those, so I think It's good value for money.

Once again, thanks for the help. I really do like this community.

No I was saying that the DRm sucks hard

YES, YES and YES. It was my "Game of the Year 2009". One of the best action adventure games I've played, ever.

I bought it for full price (well, with a 10% discount) and thought it was well worth it - for this price, it's a steal.

Arkham Asylum is the best Batman story you may ever come across, period.

AMEN. I just hope that Arkham City tops it! I mean, fuck, a WHOLE city?!?! And the extra moves, combos, Catwoman... They really did a good job of AA - finally a decent Batman game that MAKES YOU FEEL LIKE YOU ARE FRIGGING BATMAN!

Oh, and the challenge (bonus levels) rock.