The latest issue of PSM3 went on sale this week and I picked up my copy today to be pleasantly surprised.

Arkham Asylum developers talk Batmobiles, why Joker is exclusive to PS3 and some of the moves the Joker performs as well as his kooky x-ray specs. The pressures of making a game that publisher Eidos claims is 'close to perfect'.

PSM3: So what are the main differences between playing as The Joker and Batman?

Sefton Hill: It's Joker's gadgets that really set him apart. For one, he has a gun. We wanted to give him something Batman would never use; something that was the antithesis of everything he stands for. During battle you can combo the gun into your moves. You get one shot per round, which adds to the strategy of when and how you should use it. And it's an instant kill, even going through multiple enemies if you line the shot up right. But that takes a lot of skill. This is especially useful during the Predator challenges where you have to take out a certain number of guards - you can set up traps to lure them into a group then take three or four out with one bullet. Another gadget he uses are explosive teeth that you can throw down and control remotely to blow up walls, take down guards or create a diversion.

In some ways playing the game's challenge rooms as Joker is harder, but in others it isn't because he has the gun and the remote control teeth are very dangerous. But you do only have one of each, so you have to decide carefully when to use them. Overall, Joker isn't quite as good at fighting as Batman. He's not as agile, and you will feel that when you play. Batman can use Detective Mode at any time to see through walls and track thugs, but Joker's equivalent - the x-ray specs - can only be used when he's standing still. He has his own limitations, but also unique strengths that Batman doesn't. He also has some moral boundaries that he doesn't mind traipsing over.

PSM3: How did you go about recreating The Joker?

SH: We used a combination of hand animation - because some of Batman and Joker's moves can't actually be performed by real people - and motion capture. And sometimes a mixture of the two. We'll take motion capture data and then push it beyond a human being's capabilities. You can see this in Joker's animations; some of his moves are incredibly nasty, like jumping on peoples' backs and smashing them over the head and kicking them in the nuts. It's a nice contrast to Batman that he's such a funny, charismatic character. You can't help but smile as he offs Arkham's guards.

PSM3: Why can't we use The Joker in the game's single-player mode?

SH: Our main goal when starting the project was to make a really authentic Batman game, so we did limit ourselves to focusing entirely on him. We also made some decisions from the start, like never having a level in which you drive the batmobile or having multiple playable characters. The Joker was added towards the end of the development cycle. It worked really well because we knew the game inside out and could build something that worked well and fitted in with the rest of the game. So he won't be playable in the story at all.

PSM3: Why is The Joker exclusive to PS3?

SH: Because we like you so much, of course. Well, not really. A lot of that's down to deals between the publishers and console manufacturers. Another reason was actually fitting the content onto the disc. It's easier for us to support extra content on Blu-ray because of the increased capacity. But mainly it was an exclusivity deal established between Sony and Eidos.

Also the following bosses have been confirmed throughout the game:
THE JOKER
THE RIDDLER
KILLER CROC
HARLEY QUINN
AMYGDALA
VICTOR ZSAZ
BANE

Expected?
POISON IVY
THE PENGUIN
HUSH
CREEPER
MR FREEZE
THE SCARECROW
THE GREAT WHITE SHARK
FIREFLY

Riddle Me This:
Early in the game The Riddler taunts you with a series of challenges. These are accessed from the in-game menu and you earn experience points for every one solved. They range from destroying chattering teeth and finding hidden trophies to the actual riddles themselves. Here is a featured riddle in the magazine:

The Island Legacy - This one is tricky as the area is absolutely massive, but a creepy graveyard near a steep cliff side looks like it may hold the solution. There is an exhumed coffin and a lamp burning next to it. Zooming in on the headstone reveals this it's the grace of of Dr. Amadeus Arkham. Solving this riddle unlocks Arham's character Bio and reveals some truths about the asylum itself.

To hear the rest revealed, keep a look out for Gotham Knights Online Podcast #6 and we will be discussing some of the other riddles revealed in this issue of PSM3.

(Source - PSM3)