Earlier, The RAM Raider accused Eidos of trying to fix review scores for Batman: Arkham Asylum, a claim Eidos categorically denied. Now one magazine's exclusive review fits all the conditions said to have been made.
Games Master's got "the world's first review" of the game, and man, is it glowing. Eidos, which had been behind earlier efforts to rig scores and favorable reviews or pump up accolades for its games, is said to have put an embargo on reviews of Arkham Asylum until the end of this month. But, according to TRR, it was willing to lift the embargo for any magazine that featured the game on its cover and gave it a score of at least 90 percent. Eidos' head of UK marketing said all of that was straight bullshit.
Well, bingo, Games Master gave it a 96. "Not only the best Batman game ever, but one of the finest adventures of its generation," they wrote. In the love and hate bullet points, GM hated "that it has to end."
Now, Batman: Arkham Asylum may deserve that score. It looks great, and I definitely want to play it. And certainly the nonexclusive reviews will provide more context. But still, it's awfully convenient that someone gets an exclusive review, and they give the game nearly perfect marks.
I've tried contacting Games Master through its affiliated site, Games Radar, in case they want to add anything. If so, I'll update it here.
Arkham Asylyum: We Have a Winner [The RAM Raider, thanks Fraser]