I am still the night

Batman: Arkham Asylum is still good enough to start on a Sunday afternoon and finish later that same evening.

Like I wrote last time, there are some mechanical shortcomings - compared to later Arkham games - which are plainly evident. Some combat gadgets don't exist yet, the tactics for Titan enemies are pretty limited, and you can't stealth-takedown from a floor grate (!!). As a result, revisiting Arkham Asylum does have a bit of an "old" feeling to it -- not a big deal, though I wonder if I'll still be this forgiving in another five-or-ten years.

On the other hand, Arkham Asylum demonstrates some prowess which present-day games still struggle to measure up to. Its story pacing is great - maintaining a steady rhythm of supervillain cameos and plot reveals from beginning to end - and it's incredible to see how those story events affect the world map. Actually, it's hard for me to think of a better example of this particular Metroidvania tenet: when a game uses backtracking as an opportunity to demonstrate how the narrative is changing the game world. (Metroid Fusion did pretty well at this, from what I recall.)

And while I'm not going out of my way to finish this game's collectibles, that's only because I've done it before. They're way more attainable than the absurd amount of Riddler bullshit in following games, and this set of character profiles represents a surprising volume of Batman memorabilia.

Arkham Asylum may not have the openness of its followers, but its tight craftsmanship makes it a tough act to follow.

Better than: Batman: Arkham Origins (PC, PS3, WiiU, X360)
Not as good as: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Hearts of Stone
We'll find out soon: whether Arkham City has aged so well.