The wait for Batman: Arkham Asylum is finally coming closer to an end with the news that a demo will arrive this Friday for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC.

According to our sources, the demo will give players a taste of the opening of the game. It will also give players a chance to check out firsthand the new FreeFlow combat system, which is said to make playing the game much better than other similar titles.

While the demo will arrive on Friday, the game itself will not actually arrive till August 26th, which is still a few weeks away. The strategy here to get the demo out early might be an effort to cast some light on the title ahead of release and to get pre-orders ramped up for the game. Sources tell us that pre-orders of the title have been lagging a bit behind what was anticipated for the title, but whispers suggest that this is being caused by the current economic climate; and getting the demo out should help drive the sales of the title ahead of release.