Batman: Arkham Asylum

This game has a run page on SDA!

I found a couple of things on the Xbox 360 version (I have no knowledge about the PS3 or PC versions) so I just wanted to make a quick page about it in here. Feel free to edit it as you see fit.

Sequence skips

• After leaving the holding cells, you're supposed to talk to the guard before running off to stop Zsasz. Instead you can just finish off the two goons in the hallway and immediately take care of Zsasz without speaking to anybody.

• When you need to protect your Batmobile, you need to fight a couple of enemies and then open the trunk and get the Explosive Gel. After you retrieved the item, you need to go into Detective Mode and scan the area for a clue. It's not necessary to scan the area for a clue, you can immediately go to the Medical Facility building.

• After you've visited Poison Ivy the first time in the Botanical Gardens, you actually need to go to the Arkham Mansion and talk to Cash. This isn't needed. When you get out of the Botanical Gardens you can immediately go to Arkham North and use the Grappling Line to enter the Intensive Treatment building from the top (You'll see 3 Blabbermouths there). Normally when you would've talked with Cash there's a red guy up there (You know, those guys you need to stun first), but if you don't visit Cash the red guy isn't there.

• In fact, you don't even need to talk to Ivy the first time around in the Botanical Gardens (right after obtaining the grappling line). Instead make a bee-line for Killer Croc. Once you reach the underground water room (the last room you're normally allowed to enter) immediately do a checkpoint restart (you'll respawn at the same door you just entered). If you don't, Batman will complain about using the forensic scanner to find Ivy's scent and stop you from exiting the wrong way. Once you get to the entrance hall the story will continue as if you already spoke to Ivy. Unfortunately this does mean that single-segment runs can't use this trick (unless a special rule for this game is created). (Found on PC version, confirmation on consoles?)

Possible useful tricks/sequence breaks

• Unfortunately I can't record from a console so I'll have to describe it... In Arkham North, I tried to jump from the roof on the left of the Intensive Treatment building onto the place with spikes on the edges to enter the building from the top. You can walk a little bit next to the chimney there but there's a little invisible wall blocking you from getting more onto the roof. In some way I got Batman to jump kind of around the invisible wall onto the roof part, and from there I could jump on the higher place to enter the building. I did this after I visited the Batmobile so the trick was done early in the game (And had no effect at this point, nothing different was triggered in the building). Perhaps when you try to do this trick later on, the triggers inside the building (To go to Croc's Lair) could already be present (Depends if the programmers were lazy of course ;)). Problem is, the trick is extremely tricky. I did it once by accident, and I haven't been able to reproduce it ever since.

• I just remembered another thing that's also possible but didn't prove useful because of the lack of the Grappling Line (And Ultra Batclaw). It's in the Sewers part after you've been to your Batcave for the first time. Then you get in this rather big part where you need to normally climb around (Can't use the Batclaw because the place is falling apart). Near the top of it there's a big gap with a Riddler's Trophy on the opposite side. Just a little before this part you can climb around a corner to get in a small space in a pillar to grab a Riddler's Trophy and scan the ? riddle. From that place you can jump out and fly to the opposite side with the other Riddler's Trophy. Unfortunately you can't procede because of the other big gaps up there. And even if you could, you would still need the Ultra Batclaw to destroy the wall high up there. So I'm afraid it's useless but I thought I should mention it anyway.

• Once Ivy's vines block the entrance door in the Botanical Gardens, you have 2 ways to get around it. The first time (blocking your way out) simply climb the fountain and use the line launcher to get over the vine. The second time (coming back in for the Titan Ivy fight) Climb the left side ledge, turn around and stand all the way to the right looking on the other side of the vine. As you walk towards the edge, spam the attack key and right before dropping off the line launcher will shoot getting you just enough over the vine to drop onto the other side. (Found on PC version, confirmation on consoles?)

• A useless way to bypass getting the line launcher. Once you finish off the two Titan-goons at the production facility, it's possible to destroy the panel, then hop the plants on the right side to get to the exit door. If you're fast enough this can be done before any of the dialogue plays out and before the jet is summoned. Unfortunately, the game doesn't assume you have the line launcher and does not give it to you, nor can you get to Killer Croc's lair without it (on top of not being able to get out of the Botanical Gardens). (Found on PC version)

Fight Strategies

• Initial Fight:

• Right after nightmare 1, the goons busting through the door can be skipped entirely. Just run for the next door without looking back and you should be fine. (confirmed on PC)

• When rescuing Gordon from Harley, take the right side of the map. Quick batarang to ground pound will take out the first two guards. Run around the corner ahead and batarang the guard near the stairs. Once he's stunned, you'll have plenty of time to run up the stairs and take down Harley. (confirmed on easy, what about hard?)

• Bane: At the start of the fight, immediately run towards the camera, and then quick Batarang right before he hits you. After the standard 3 hits, the camera swings around 180 degrees. To the upper right of the screen should be a pillar that Bane normally would rip off and throw at you. If you stand in front of it there's a high chance that Bane will immediately do a second charge. By standing in front of that pillar (since it's the closest destroyable one) it prevents Bane from ripping a chunk off and throwing it at you. Now he only has 2 things he can do: either he can taunt or he can charge. The best luck is for him to do 3 charges, while the worst luck is for him to do 2 (normal luck is 1) taunts in between each charge. Confirmed on Easy (PC), not attempted on Hard.

• Harley's Goons Penitentiary Fight: Use 1 gel immediately by running to the upper half of the right grate and planting it. So long as you don't go too far to the right side of the gate the goons should spawn on the right arena and climb over to get to you. Once they land, det the gel. The best luck has at least 1 goon fly over the edge. Ground pound as many goons as possible, and get ready for the next wave. In each arena area (there are 3 total) is an open part to the grate where the goons can fall over the edge. If you can position yourself properly a batclaw or a roll dodge can push one of the goons over the edge immediately.

• When tracking down Dr. Young, you'll be faced with about 10-ish enemies in the hallway (where the "Main man in the Main Hall" Riddler challenge resides). Combo Criticals will help immensely here. Keep the chain going for as long as possible and this fight can be over in less than a minute.