Batman: Arkham Asylum, the groundbreaking superhero game from Rocksteady Studios, was released on August 25, 2009 for PC, PS3, and Xbox 360. Over the past 14 years, the groundbreaking superhero title has been on PC, PS3, and Xbox 360. Approximately ten million copies of Arkham Asylum were sold, spawning acclaimed sequels (Arkham City and Arkham Knight), and Rocksteady’s 3D Batman Metroidvania continues to influence action-adventure and superhero games today.
There is, however, one aspect of Asylum that would never quite be recaptured in the subsequent Arkham games: the horror. Although subsequent Arkham games would build upon Asylum’s huge open worlds and significant gameplay improvements. As a Batman debut, Arkham Asylum is undeniably a horror game, which makes it stand out from the others in the series. Halloween is just around the corner, so here are eight reasons why Batman: Arkham Asylum deserves recognition as a classic of the horror genre.