Batman: Arkham Asylum Hints and Tips

Written by: Simon Hill • Edited by: M.S. Smith
Updated Oct 14, 2009 • Related Guides: Riddles | XP

If you’ve taken on the mantle of the caped crusader and descended into Arkham Asylum then you may want some tips and hints to help you get out alive. Check out this article for ideas.

Surviving Arkham

Batman: Arkham Asylum is nothing short of a masterpiece but it can also be an unforgiving game. There are an awful lot of secrets dotted around the crumbling facility and the challenges come thick and fast. You can find out more about the game in the Batman: Arkham Asylum review. In this article we offer up some hints and tips that should help you in your quest.

Experience Points

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The most important commodity to Batman in the game is XP (Experience Points). You get XP for bashing bad guys and solving riddles. The more stylish your attacks and the bigger the combos you pull off the greater the XP reward. You can learn how to get the best from fights in the Batman: Arkham Asylum Combat Guide. XP recharges your health meter which appears in the top left corner of the HUD. It also allows you to unlock new abilities and upgrades from Waynetech and these can be anything from tougher body armour to guidable Batarangs.

Use Your Map

Your map is also an essential help and you can access it to see what your target destination is and plot a route. There are often alternative routes to destinations and you’ll find yourself retracing your steps quite often. Just because you’ve been somewhere before does not mean it will be safe and free from thugs or surprises on your next visit so remain wary.

Riddles

The Riddler has placed 240 riddles for you to find. Each section has a riddle intro which hints at an object that you should examine closely to reveal something. The other riddles are bright green question marks which are scattered around, some are easy to find, others lie waiting behind destructible walls or removable grates.

Detective Mode

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You should use Detective Mode to identify destructible walls or floors and grates that can be removed. For grates that appear out of reach you need to use the Bat Claw which you’ll pick up on your first visit to the Bat Cave. For walls and floors that can be destroyed you’ll use the Explosive Gel which you get from the Bat Mobile. Simply spray it on and then detonate. You also need to look out for places you can zoom up to using the Grappling Hook, there are loads of them.

Detective Mode also gives you information on people in the area and sometimes on machinery. For example when areas are flooded with poison gas the solution is to use your Batarang to hit a control box and turn on the fans. You’ll also sometimes follow clue trails using Detective Mode.

Solving Riddles

In order to solve the cryptic riddles that accompany each new section you have to find the relevant object and perform an Environmental Scan while in Detective Mode. This means holding down the Detective Mode button to initiate the scan and then waiting for the results.

If you search each area carefully you should be able to find maps that the Riddler has left behind. These maps highlight the rough location of each one of his riddles. You should also smash the Joker teeth that you see on the floor using your Batarang to complete bonus challenges.

Character and Arkham Background

There are other things to look out for as you explore including interview tapes with the villainous inmates and the Chronicle of Arkham revealed by scanning a series of stone slabs with a beetle and some mysterious writing carved into them.

This is a rich and engaging game and slow patient exploration is rewarded. If you need help defeating the super villains in the game then check out these guides.

Batman: Arkham Asylum Villain Guide Part 1

Batman: Arkham Asylum Villain Guide Part 2