Batman: Arkham Asylum GOTY Edition

Batman: Arkham Asylum GOTY Edition

1,506 ratings
Asylum Reborn - HD Texture Pack
By GPUnity and 1 collaborators
HD Texture Pack, New Launcher, Console Commands Support etc.

Compatible with Steam, EGS & GOG versions.
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Intro
This guide aims to show fans and newcomers of the game how to get the very best experience with Arkham Asylum.

  • Navigate with the sections list on the right. All downloads are kept in the Downloads section.
  • This guide is focused on the Steam version of the game, but all mods work with the EGS version.
  • Locate the game's File Explorer location on your system. Steam users can do this by right-clicking the game in the Steam library: Select 'Properties' > 'Local Files' > 'Browse...'
    The game's directory will be revealed in File Explorer.

DOWNLOAD


HD Texture Pack (includes Advanced Launcher)
Advanced BmLauncher
BmLauncher zip[www.nexusmods.com]
by Neato
TFC Installer (Texture Pack Installer)
TFC Installer[www.nexusmods.com]
by FCH823

Steam users can navigate to the game's install directory by right-clicking the game on Steam, selecting Properties > Local Files > Browse.



Optional
AsylumHD by FCH823
AsylumHD - Texture Pack[www.nexusmods.com]
Install before Asylum Reborn Texture Pack. Enables support for the UltraHD function in the Advanced Launcher Texture Pack Support settings.
Joker + Prey In The Darkness DLC Files - Requires Patcher
File - 256mb[community.pcgamingwiki.com]
ported by Catspaw & Floobagop
Joker + Prey In The Darkness DLC Patcher (Steam & EGS)
File - 0.5mb[www.nexusmods.com]
Simple patch method which enables support for Joker + DLC files. No hex editing required.
Reshade Presets
Reshade Presets V0.9[drive.google.com]
Reshade injector by Crosire

Do not update Reshade or any shaders. Doing so may cause visual errors with this game

HD Texture Pack


Click on an image for a bigger preview
Explosive Wall surface
Recreated clothing materials from scratch
Batman faithfully redrawn from scratch
Improved texture filtering
HBAO+ support for Nvidia GPUs
High definition shadows
Updated skyline textures




https://gtm.you1.cn/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3352062379
¬ Texture Pack Installation
If interested in the Joker or Prey In The Darkness DLC, install it before installing anything else. Make sure the DLC runs properly before proceeding with texture pack installation.

Note
AsylumHD by FCH823 should be installed before Asylum Reborn if users want to run all Asylum Reborn textures with full 4K support, as AsylumHD enables support for increased texture resolution across all texture groups.

Steam users can navigate to the game's install directory by right-clicking the game on Steam, selecting Properties > Local Files > Browse.

Asylum Reborn Installation
  • Open TFC Installer and navigate to the game folder.

  • Select "Mod Folder" and open "HD Texture Pack 2.0".

  • Update Batman Arkham Asylum.

  • Install the Advanced Launcher and enable "Texture Pack Support" in the settings. Users selecting the "UltraHD" option should install "AsylumHD by FCH823" or equivalent Texture Pack that covers all Texture Groups before installing Asylum Reborn HD Texture Pack. This will enable support for full 4K environment textures.

  • Run the game.

Alternate Textures
  • Optional alternate texture options such as different cape styles for Batman. After installing the HD Texture Pack, select any desired alternate texture options using TFC Installer.

Uninstallation
  • Open TFC Installer and navigate to the game folder.

  • Select Uninstall.

  • Set Texture Pack Support in the Advanced Launcher to "Disabled".

Advanced Launcher


Designed by Neato[next.nexusmods.com]. Adds more launch options.
- HD Texture Pack support, improved graphical adjustments, FoV hotkeys, increase FPS cap etc.

Refer to the Downloads section for Batman Arkham Asylum - Advanced Launcher - download BmLauncher.zip in the downloads link of the page.

Tooltips will appear when hovering the cursor over any settings.

Preset options are also available (Optimised, Ultra or Asylum Reborn) which will automatically handle the advanced graphics section.


New Launcher convenience
Many settings in the configuration files are absent in the original Launcher. The "Advanced BmLauncher" created by Neato[next.nexusmods.com] is purposed to be a simple executable which covers every major configuration edit in one interface: shadow adjustments, FoV hotkeys, etc. Additionally, it applies necessary changes for Texture Pack support and skipping intro movies.

Advanced users can choose the "manual mode" option if they want to re-edit configs.
¬ Installation
Extract BmLauncher.zip - BmLauncher.exe & NLog.dll should appear.

Go to the game directory: Right click the game on Steam, and select Properties > Local Files > Browse Local Files. This will open the game directory in File Explorer. Open the "Binaries" folder.



"BmLauncher.exe" is inside this folder - back it up if preferred. Transfer the downloaded files (BmLauncher.exe and NLog.dll) to this folder. Overwrite if prompted.

NLog.dll is used to help with troubleshooting any issues by creating a log document. - It's required for BmLauncher.exe to run.



The game can now be started directly from Steam, and will prompt the new launcher automatically.

Advanced BmLauncher - Source Code[github.com]
Advanced BmLauncher - Read Me[github.com]
Advanced BmLauncher - Report Issues[github.com]
¬ Basics



Framerate Limit
An option not available in the vanilla launcher. Allows limiting the game to a maximum framerate.
Vertical Sync
Will lock the frame rate if there's enough GPU headroom. Good for frame-time consistency and will eliminate screen-tearing.
Texture Quality
Use the highest setting if running the HD Texture Pack.
Smoothed Frame Rate
May improve GPU utilisation above 60fps.
Disable Startup Movies
Skips intro logos and boots the game straight into the main menu.
Texture Pack Support
Disabled - Vanilla texture settings.

Asylum Reborn - 4K character textures and support for Asylum Reborn Texture Pack.

Ultra HD - 4K texture support for every texture group. Requires AsylumHD by FCH823 (or equivalent) to be installed or will result in crashes.
Compatible with Asylum Reborn Texture Pack.

Custom - Assign values for texture groups individually. Intended for advanced users and any subsequent texture packs requiring different values.

The rest of the display settings are self-explanatory.
¬ Additional Graphics Settings
Vanilla Launcher
Advanced Launcher

Use one of the preset options if overwhelmed by the number of settings. Tooltips appear when hovering over each setting.



Depth Of Field
Uses blur to simulate depth. Most noticeable when zooming in as Batman.

This effect is always enabled by default in the vanilla game. DoF is tied to colour grading.

Disabling DoF will make the colours of the game appear more natural to life. No more strong tints (like blue or red or green, depending on the area). The colour tints are intentional as part of the game's art direction, but some will prefer it removed as it's rather strong and obscuring. Disabling DoF will boost performance, by a small amount.
Texture pack not injected for this comparison

Some users also prefer to remove blur in their games, and DoF in this game obscures the view distance. If using Reshade, then disabling DoF for the best graphics is suggested. Reshade is used to re-grade the game - refer to LUTs section for examples.

Anisotropic Filtering
This will improve texture clarity over oblique surfaces. Vanilla game forces 4x AF. Pushing this up to 16x is a notable improvement, and a free upgrade for any modern GPU.

The clarity of the ground tiles drop over distance with 4x AF

Shadow Quality
The vanilla shadow quality (Low) has a shadow map resolution of "512", resulting in low quality shadows with evident shimmering.

Every quality tier doubles the resolution. "High" changes the shadow map resolution to 2048, providing a significant improvement to shadow quality. Other shadow parameters are automatically handled based on the shadow quality selected.

Nvidia HBAO+
Horizon Based Ambient Occlusion (Overview)[www.geforce.co.uk]

This setting is exclusive to Nvidia GPUs, as it relies on NvAPI. AMD users can use Reshade AO.

HBAO+ will not apply on character models, only environments. HBAO+ does not work in windowed mode. Flag used is "0x00000030".
¬ Extra options (HUD, FoV, Console, Colors, etc.)
The Advanced Launcher will automatically enable HUD & FoV toggling.

HUD - Heads Up Display
Disabling the HUD means the healthbar and other UI elements will disappear. Certain areas require HUD for progression - namely forensic scanning segments.
FoV - Field of View
The bigger the FoV value, the wider the in-game view is. Will reduce first person zoom amount as a side effect. Change to default FoV if needed.

The rest of the main settings are self-explanatory.

The presets and sliders in the configuration section adds control over the colors and brightness of the game without affecting UI elements. This setting can be used for improved input before injecting HDR, and for capturing cinematic screenshots. Six presets are offered with image tooltips to convey how the setting looks in-game.
Additional
¬ Play as Joker + New Challenge Maps: Prey In The Darkness
Play As Joker
Use Joker in challenge maps and unlock Prey In The Darkness challenges for Batman.

Installation
DLC should be installed before the HD Texture Pack.

Extract and copy the contents to the game directory: \Batman Arkham Asylum GOTY\
Overwrite when requested.

Run the Joker DLC Patcher to enable support for the DLC.

Test the DLC is installed correctly before proceeding with Texture Pack installation.
¬ 4k Cutscenes
With the power of machine learning, pre-rendered cutscenes have been improved and elevated in quality. More info and download here:
https://gtm.you1.cn/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1976626676
Showcase
¬ Knightfall Overhaul - Difficulty Mod
Optional mod for players looking for a more difficult experience. Should be installed before Asylum Reborn. Check Knightfall Overhaul Readme if Asylum Reborn is already installed.
Reshade
Reshade[reshade.me] is a post-processing injector developed by Crosire for use in almost any game. It allows users to write and add custom post-processing shaders to adjust a game's visuals.

The Reshade presets designed for this game are very carefully tuned to improve visuals. No over the top contrast-y or reflection heavy presets.

Anti-Aliasing and Ambient Occlusion must be disabled in the launcher if using Reshade presets beyond "Light Mode". Different Anti-Aliasing solution is included with Reshade. Disabling Depth Of Field is suggested if using LUTs. HBAO+ can be used in conjunction with Reshade.

Installation
Extract the Reshade presets file (from the Downloads section), and copy the contents to the "Binaries" folder (where the game is located)

Launch the game. Reshade is now installed and ready. Initial load may be slow. Do not update Reshade version or edit Reshade depth settings as it may break the presets or shader support.

Reshade Hotkeys
"Home"
Toggle Reshade window on and off.
"Page-up" & "Page-down"
Scroll through Presets - "Absurd" is the most demanding preset, and "Light Mode" is the least demanding. Refer to the Presets Chart section for more info.
"Insert"
Toggle Reshade effects on.
"End"
Toggle Ambient Occlusion shaders (incl. Global Illumination)
"F9"
Toggle Cinematic mode - will induce mouse-based motion blur. This mode will also add Chromatic Aberration, Film Grain, and Auto-Focus Depth Of Field. Has negative bleeding artifacts on the game HUD.
NOTE: Hotkeys can be configured in the settings tab of the Reshade window.

Shaders can be individually toggled with the checkbox in the Reshade window. Presets names are at the top of the window (4 - Regular).
¬ LUTs
All comparisons are with DoF disabled, which removes the vanilla colour tints. Leave DoF enabled if preferred.

MultiLUT for colour grading:
The MultiLUT shader is used to rotate between multiple LUTs (Look Up Tables) - This is a colour reference chart used for professional colour grading. It's the definitive grading method in Reshade because it's light on performance. Adobe Premiere is the main software used when designing these LUTs.

The LUTs (from "Colour Correction" through to "Dark Knight Option 2") are all custom LUTs. More options are available below these LUTs, as they're MultiLUT's default options - they were not designed for Arkham Asylum and should be ignored.

Performance Mode needs to be unchecked at the bottom of the Reshade window when changing LUTs.







MultiLUT.fx Shader by Otis




Vanilla LUT
Colour Correction LUT
Cinematic Option 1 LUT
Cinematic Option 2 LUT
Cinematic Option 3 LUT
Black & White LUT
Dark Knight Option 1 LUT
Dark Knight Option 2 LUT


Vanilla LUT
Dark Knight Option 2 LUT
¬ Presets Chart
Scroll through the presets using "Page Up" and "Page Down". MultiLUT/Colour Grading changes will have to be made on a per preset basis.

Presets are ordered by performance impact, from the lightest preset to the heaviest.
Light Mode
Applies Bloom, Colour Grading and SMAA (AA). - Never uses the depth buffer.
Low End
Same as "Light Mode", but adds a low res pass of MXAO (Ambient Occlusion).
Optimised
Same as "Low End", but adds Fog and improves MXAO quality. Very performant option.
Regular
Pushes MXAO even further, and adds ReflectiveBumpMapping to subtly simulate rear lighting. Quite demanding.
High End
MXAO to the max, very demanding Preset.
Absurd
This preset should be ignored for a polished play-through, as it will induce visual artifacts. This preset goes all out and is for fun. RTX 3090 / 6900 XT is suggested for this preset at 4k.

- Pushes AO intensity and range (visible bleeding through smoke and windows)
- Additional layer of Ambient Occlusion to cover smaller crevices
- Two layers of Global Illumination
- ReflectiveBumpMapping quality is improved
- Fog shader is ramped up in opacity to better simulate volumetric lighting (will bleed through UI and affect game-over screens)
vs. Return To Arkham
Return To Arkham (Asylum)
Advantages:
Rain
More shadows

Disadvantages:
Changes to art style
Limited to 1080p rendering (even on PS5 & Series X)
Still uses original 720p cutscenes in some cases to save budget
Some graphical bugs
Inconsistent frame rates

PC Version + Mods
Advantages:
Much higher resolution
HBAO+
4k cutscenes
60fps and beyond
Physx
Updated textures sometimes higher in resolution
Console Commands
Any controller or K+M

Disadvantages:
Low quality distant island objects
No rain
Minimum Requirements*
CPU
Graphics
RAM
Intel Core I5-3330
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 750 (2GB)
8 Gigabytes
AMD FX-4100
AMD Radeon R7 260 (2GB)
8 Gigabytes

* These are the minimum requirements that will let you enjoy this mod to its fullest extent.
The values we determined are very safe and you may still be able to run the mod without issues with lower specifications.
FAQ & Troubleshooting
FAQ:
Can you add rain?
It may be possible to add rain with the help of UPK Explorer. We're done updaing Arkham Asylum and have no intention of returning to it.

Should I use Reshade AO if i'm using HBAO+?
Only Nvidia cards can enable HBAO+ since it's on the driver level. Enabling both AO solutions is possible, and some will want to as HBAO+ doesn't apply to characters.

If you've installed the Reshade presets, you can toggle Reshade's AO shaders with the "End" key. If you're using Launcher Anti-Aliasing, then stick to HBAO+, as the game's AA solution can interfere with Reshade's depth based shaders.

Troubleshooting:
Dark Cutscenes with Reshade:
This is a side effect of the MXAO shader. You can reduce the impact by lowering the MXAO ambient occlusion intensity (in the Reshade window) - or you can use Nvidia HBAO+ and disable MXAO.

Advanced Launcher:
"Unhandled Exception: NVAPI_ACCESS_DENIED" when using BmLauncher, how do I fix this?
This may come from a faulty driver install or outdated drivers for Nvidia cards. Update your drivers to the latest version.
Donations


Credits


Main
GPUnity - Covered character textures and numerous others.
Neato[next.nexusmods.com] - Created the Advanced Launcher and processed 4k cutscenes which are featured in the Asylum Reborn trailer. Assisted with overall project.

DaviDuck - Testing the Texture Pack and sharing screenshots of findings.
FCH823[next.nexusmods.com] - Responsible for UPK Explorer which is used for the current version of Asylum Reborn.

Evergreen[www.nexusmods.com] - General assistance with some textures. Config experimenting and shared Unreal Engine 3 knowledge.
F4lc0[www.nexusmods.com] - General testing and feedback. Handled communications between servers and other modders.
Hecusoldier - Updated some environment textures such as dirt, clouds and skyline textures. Did a long play test of the HD Texture Pack. Check out their Assassins Creed Series Texture Packs!
VeryThickBoy - General testing and feedback. Created the tutorial video.
Wjavascript:ValidateEditSubSectionForm()astelander[www.nexusmods.com] - Engine researching and experimenting. Heavy testing and documenting findings.
Wasteland Ghost[www.nexusmods.com] - Created texture tools and made it possible to install HD textures directly to the game files. Check out their many amazing mods!

Thanks to MrJAG for their many useful findings and community support.



Reshade Shader Developers: BlueSkyDefender, Jacob Maximilian Fober, Luluco250, Martins Upitis, Otis_Inf, Pascal Gilcher, PirateKitty & Prod80



Additional:
Catspaw & Floobagop - for the Play As Joker mod (quote taken from forum) "Special thanks to catspaw for his outstanding modding work and to Floobagop for researching and documenting the Mac version of the game."
ChaotcelV3 - For noting compatibility with GOG version.
Crosire - Reshade lead developer

Thanks to the Arkham modding community and thanks to everyone for waiting patiently for this update!
601 Comments
Jamie 8 hours ago 
BAHAHAHAHAAHAHA are you effing serious? alllllllllllllllllllllllllllll that for a minuscule upgrade? do you stop and get like |_______| close to the screen?
LittlePet 20 Nov @ 4:13pm 
need a temporal anti aliasing for reshade
GPUnity  [author] 30 Oct @ 3:59pm 
@Chip Diamond The game will still use your main GPU when you launch it.
Chip Diamond 30 Oct @ 1:33pm 
The advanced launcher is listing the wrong GPU for me. How can I switch to desired GPU?
GPUnity  [author] 19 Oct @ 12:30pm 
@Zeravack Is this with the new version of the Texture Pack? It may be due to the Texture Pack Support setting, which you should set to Asylum Reborn if you're not installing AsylumHD by FCH823
Zeravack 19 Oct @ 11:41am 
Hey, I don't know if it's the texture pack itself or being on windows 11 but when I get around to certain points in the game it crashes, same with arkham city
GPUnity  [author] 19 Oct @ 8:18am 
Achievements should work fine. Mod has been thoroughly updated as well now :batarang:
rohanofgondor 16 Oct @ 11:56am 
Wondering the same thing as @Citizen Toxie
Citizen Toxie 2 Oct @ 3:29pm 
This may be a stupid question and may have already been answered but do any of these mods disable achievements?
Maico 30 Sep @ 4:35pm 
Lo instale y durante toda mi partida me bloqueo los logros de Steam.
I installed but the achivements got blocked al my playtrough :er_angry: