As every Bat-fan knows, the World’s Greatest Detective keeps detailed notes on anything and everything. Heck, he was even booted from the Justice League when they learned he was keeping records of his teammates’ strengths and weaknesses — in case they ever went rogue and he had to take them out.

Naturally, the Dark Knight’s been studying his new game, Arkham Asylum, with no small curiosity. And thanks to some super-sophisticated tech-ery, we’ve managed to hack into Batman’s files and see some of his observations from playing a few early sequences. Read ’em quick, before he discovers what we’ve done!

GAMEPLAY

• Detective mode — Very helpful. If only I could spot grapple points and assess objectives (e.g., throw batarang to activate fan, dispersing Joker’s deadly gas) that easily in real life. Also handy: being told enemies’ emotional state (calm, nervous, terrified) and whether they’re armed.

• Invisible Predator mode — My favorite part. On the ground, I could sneak up behind enemies and choke them out silently with a button-press. From high perches, I could easily drop down, grab unsuspecting scum, and tie them from the ceiling, where their shouts would strike fear in the hearts of others.

COMBAT

• Right now, it’s the main wild card. Close-up fighting involves plenty of counters, punching, and kicking, and finishing moves are depicted in brutal slow-motion. The “free-flow combat” — where you quickly shift from one opponent to another with no real pause — is a good concept: I’ve trained for years to avoid the moments of hesitation that get you killed. From my brief playtime, fighting felt slightly clumsy, but I suspect practice makes it more fluid.

MISC. NOTES

• Weapons are upgradable using XP gained during the game (by chaining combos, destroying chattering Joker teeth, etc.). Batarang upgrades, for example, include a stun batarang and a sonic batarang that splits apart to hit multiple targets.
• The game will make players “use combat and detective skills constantly.”

• Checkpoint save system. How frequent?
• True-to-life: enemy bullets inflict major damage.
• Rocksteady estimates 10 to 14 hours of gameplay.

VISUALS

• Impressive detail: The game looks even better than it did when demoed months ago. Great environments and character models.

• Don’t recall so many of Joker’s henchmen being shirtless ’roiders. Verify accuracy.
• Giant Killer Croc is appropriately menacing. So are my huge ears. (Note: Lengthen on real-world costume for added intimidation.)