Last week, I wittered briefly on about how great Batman: Arkham Asylum is while I was in the process of playing it. Having now completed the game I can say, without a doubt, it is very probably the finest comic-based computer game I've ever played - and as a fairly hardcore Marvel fan, it hurts to admit that.

Of course, I'm probably biased, because the one thing Arkham Asylum does that most comic games fail to do is capture the essence of the character. All too often, characters are shoved into a generic beat ‘em up that could feature one of a million comic properties without much tweaking. The Hulk game, the Spider-Man game - there's very little tying them to the characters except for a means of locomotion. I think it was Oscar Wilde who said, "Swinging does not make a Spider-Man, nor smashing tanks a Hulk." Probably.

But still, let's back up my words with some facts - what, exactly, does Arkham Asylum teach us about Batman? Be warned - there are spoilers from here on in, and if you plan on playing the game, you should skip it or ruin the experience for yourself.

1. Batman is a Detective

The most frequently forgotten element of Batman's skill set - all but ignored in even the best films - is that Batman is a detective. One of the best, in fact. Arkham Asylum not only tricks you out with all kinds of detecting gear to track down foes, it also has you chasing down solutions to a substantial number of riddles left by one Edward "The Riddler" Nigma while you progress through the game.  It's not that Batman is simply a detective in this game - you actually play the role of one when you assume his identity as the gamer.

2. Batman is a Person

The Scarecrow's appearances in Arkham are some of the best moments of the game, as the mind-bending gas forces the Bat to confront his biggest fears. It's easy to think of Batman as a single-minded and unwavering juggernaut of a hero, but in exposing his fears, it shows the human side to the character - and the mental strength he has in overcoming those fears. Again, though, the point where Arkham Asylum crosses the line from pedestrian to genius is the moment where, as you get infected with Scarecrow's intoxicating gas, the screen starts to glitch and your console appears to fail. I was literally staring at the power button expecting it to red-ring any second - of course, it was all a fake-out, designed to make the gamer feel genuine fear - and by Christ, it worked. Meta-gaming at its finest.

3. Batman is a Lunatic

The point that Batman isn't necessarily as sane as he likes to think has been a constantly popular topic for his writers - and parts of this game lead you to question that for yourself.  The game takes place in an asylum, let's not forget, so you're constantly juxtaposing the character against the madness surrounding you and, worryingly, fitting right in. The game translates this by ramping up the stakes as you continue. As things progress, the situation gets more desperate and tense, and you'll find yourself taking on situations and manoeuvres you would have thought too dangerous or risky a few hours beforehand. At some points, you even find yourself controlling the villains for a limited amount of time. If the final cut-scene alone doesn't leave you doubting Batman's sanity, then frankly, you haven't been paying attention.

So, that's what we can learn about Batman from Arkham Asylum - at least, what you can learn by doing, not by seeing. After all, there are still plenty of character profiles to read if that's what you prefer! The only bad part about playing Arkham Asylum? The fact that it's over - so be here next week when I'll be doing a list of the perfect Batman stories to read once you've completed Arkham Asylum!

James writes Alternate Cover every Monday at Den Of Geek. His previous column can be found here.