Remember a few weeks backwhen it was allegedthat Eidos had put certain conditions in place with a number of UK magazines, offering an early, exclusive review ofBatman: Arkham Asylumif they were met? Rumor had it that Eidos would let reviews go up early if the game scored over 90% and got the front cover of the mag. Wellguess what— UK magazineGames Masterjust so happensto have an “exclusive” review, and it meets Eidos’ terms to the letter.
To say the review is positive would be toseverelyunderstate the meaning of the word. The review claims thatArkhamis “Not only the bestBatmangame ever, but one of the finest adventures of its generation.” When listing the positive and negative points of the game, Games Master only has one negative: “It has no end.”
With a score of 96, a cover story, and nary a bad word to say, it would appear thatGMhas toed the line perfectly. Whether this is the result of sordid backstage shenanigans, we’ll never know for sure, but it’s certainly one heck of a coincidence that this “world exclusive review” doeseverythingEidos supposedly wanted, isn’t it?
Eidos has an alleged history of attempting to rig scores and meddle with reviews, so it’s not surprising on their end. However, ifGMtook the bait, or indeed any other media outlet, I’d like them to let me know, just so I ensure I never, ever apply for a job there.
