When counter opportunities came up, they were as varied as the types of attacks about to land; a metal pipe was wrenched from a thug's hand and smoothly turned into a huge slam into their solar plexus, a lightning-fast punch to the face was followed up by a series of snapping, debilitating strikes to the chest and sides. Disarming was turned into a smooth ballet of returned momentum and force. It just felt awesome, there's no other way to describe it.

But Batman isn't just a brawler, he's the World's Greatest Detective, which brings with it a myriad of deductive and analytical tools. As we ventured further into Arkham's dark innards, we were given the task of taking out a handful of armed enemies, but rather than doing so head-on, it was time to flick on a special filter that showed enemies through walls to monitor their attack patterns. It was here that the game's sandbox-like gameplay really started to peek through.

Using Batman's grappling hook was a cinch -- just look up to near the ceiling to find a perch, tap a shoulder button and away he goes (and goes and goes if one were to chain those moves to nearby cover, useful for scooting out of the way of prying eyes). From this vantage point, all manner of goodies could be deployed. A kind of sticky explosive could be sprayed on a roof then detonated at range, or that same explosive could be placed on the ground, then a batarang thrown out that would squawk with a noise to attract enemies, drawing them close enough to take them and their friends out. Should an enemy patrol carry them underneath Bats' perch, he can simply do a vertical takedown, stringing them up like a spider. Better still, that hanging perp could be cut loose with a batarang throw, sending their unconscious form tumbling down on a friend below.

It's this kind of mixing and matching of different techniques, adopting a guerilla set of sniping attacks to whittle down the numbers when weapons were on the enemy's side that made it all so fun. It literally felt like playing with the enemy, no doubt exactly how Batman must feel when combating criminals, and just as the hand-to-hand combat did when we tried that, it just felt right. It felt like Batman. It felt badass.

Our time with the game was disappointingly short, but only because we want more. Luckily, we'll have a chance to explore more of Arkham soon, and when we do, we'll be sure to update you with all the particulars -- including why he's trapped in a prison filled with people he put there, and where the comic-driven storyline will end up when it's started to build up a head of steam. Check back soon.