When Batman: Arkham Asylum dropped in 2009, it was met with critical and commercial praise, with the Xbox 360 version currently sitting pretty with a Metacritic score of 92. The Arkham installments in general have gone down as some of the best superhero video games in recent history, despite some people feeling that Origins and Knight let the series down a little bit. However, Arkham Asylum is the 13-year-old release that started it all. And even though it still holds up today in terms of its visuals, one modder decided to up the fidelity.
A recent trailer for "Asylum Reborn" was uploaded a few days ago to YouTube, showing some of the graphical tweaks that GPUnity has implemented in Batman: Arkham Asylum. The gist of the mod is that it's overhauled more than 100 textures to give the game crisp clarity by adding high-definition quality to the game's visuals, as well as 4K cutscenes. On top of that, the add-on also gives more detail to the skyline, and a new mode adds the "Play as Joker" DLC, which was originally intended as a downloadable exclusive for the PlayStation 3 port.
Both Arkham Asylum and Arkham City are considered top-tier Batman games, though City just wins out on its predecessor, with a current score on Metacritic of 96 for the PS3 version. Of course, they have aged with time, but both games still look impressive. That being said, GPUnity's optional free mod is there for anyone who wishes to return to the asylum for some goon punching in higher quality visuals. For those who are relatively new to using mods, the download page on Steam does recommend installing the Advanced Launcher and the HD Texture Pack, as well as leaving Depth of Field enabled in the options.
For many, the original 2009 release was more than just a great Batman game. Despite not being a horror game, Arkham Asylum's horror sections are partly what made this entry stand out. The game may have provided players with the opportunity to take on some of Gotham's most fierce villains, but the memorable Scarecrow sequences gave it a bit of an edge that other superhero games didn't feature.
As story-heavy video games go, the Arkham series managed to deftly tell the tale of the Caped Crusader all encased in an action-packed brawler with detective elements and some stealth missions to boot. It's a bit of a shame that the franchise tapered off slightly, but there will always be fans who will jump back into the classic game, especially now with this HD mod to overhaul the graphics.
Batman: Arkham Asylum is available on Mac, PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One.
Source: Steam