Batman: Arkham Asylum is an action-adventure game viewed from the third-person perspective. The playable character is visible on the screen and the camera can be freely rotated around him. The player controls Batman as he traverses Arkham Asylum, a secure facility for the criminally insane located off the coast of Gotham City.

The demo opens as the Dark Knight and Commissioner Gordon return The Joker back into confinement at Arkham Asylum. But things soon fall apart as The Joker gains the upper hand and springs a trap, setting Arkham Asylum's occupants upon Batman. The demo offers gamers a taste of the fierce FreeFlow combat system, the cunning stealth of the Invisible Predator mechanic, and the feeling of becoming the World's Greatest Detective as they navigate Arkham Asylum's Intensive Treatment facility. Players can unlock character bios, as well as get a sneak peak at some of the infamous foes that Batman will encounter within the cavernous and macabre confines of Arkham Asylum.