Meet Zsasz, The Joker and Killer Croc

Batman: Arkham Asylum is set to be released in late August and Eidos, now bought up by Square Enix, is offering even more information on the title, one of the first to be released after the acquisition. The publisher is, of course, trying to make a good first impression on its new Japanese owners by having a flawless pre-release period and good sales.

The public relations campaign is not being focused on the main character of the game, the Dark Knight himself, but rather on the menagerie of villains that he is set to face off against in Arkham Asylum. And some of the toughest enemies Batman has ever battled are The Joker, Zsasz and Killer Croc.

The Joker, made famous by the movie portrayal he got from Heath Ledger in the last Batman movie, is dangerous despite his lack of actual superpowers. With his origins wrapped up in mystery and with a variety of rumors swirling around about his exploits, the in-game Joker will be tough to take out because he focuses on elaborate traps that can render Batman incapable of fighting while also using a variety of hand-to-hand violence infused attacks, which sometime employ unusual, comedy-oriented objects.

Killer Croc has a tough-scale like outer skin that protects him from most assaults and with his incredible strength and stamina, which allow him to wear out most opponents before delivering the final blow. The Dark Knight himself must also be aware of Killer Croc's tactics of dragging players towards water, where he moves better than most enemies.

Finally, in Arkham Asylum, players inhabiting the Batman suit will need to fight Mr. Zsasz, one of the more recent killers making an appearance in Gotham City, who has a habit of carving a sign into his body for all those he kills. His hand-to-hand skills are impressive, so better watch out for him when Batman: Arkham Asylum is released on the Xbox 360, the PlayStation 3 and the PC.