Serebii Posted April 9, 2013 Posted April 9, 2013 (edited) Batman Arkham Origins has just been announced for PC, Wii U, PS3 and Xbox 360! Set several years before the previous chapters in the series, the story will put you in the shoes of a younger Batman. Players will meet many of the franchise’s most important characters for the first time and even develop important relationships with them. Alongside the main game, a spinoff title called Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate will be available for 3DS and Vita platforms. Both games will be available on October 25th of this year,00 and will be developed by WB Games Montreal, rather than series creator Rocksteady. Stay tuned to Gamefocus for more details on the game! http://www.gamefocus.ca/news/19668.html Releasing on 3DS and Vita the same day as the home console version, Blackgate is a completely separate experience that takes place after the events of Arkham Origins. Armature Studio is developing the 2.5-D Metroid-style exploration action game. Industry followers will recognize Armature Studio as the company founded by several of the leads from the Metroid Prime trilogy. http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2013/04/09/may-cover-revealed-batman-arkham-origins.aspx Edited April 9, 2013 by Retro_Link
Magnus Posted April 9, 2013 Posted April 9, 2013 Sweet, I was afraid we'd only get one thread for this game. *Wipes brow*
V. Amoleo Posted April 9, 2013 Posted April 9, 2013 (edited) A bit concerned that it's a change in developer but I'm still hoping it turns out well. Now to see what they do with the Wii U GamePad so I can decide between it or the PC version. Edit: Waaaait there! I completely missed that there is going to be a 3DS/Vita sequel. That sounds really interesting. As a big fan of the 2D Metroid games, I may even say it sounds more interesting than Arkham Origins. Edited April 9, 2013 by V. Amoleo
Captain Falcon Posted April 9, 2013 Posted April 9, 2013 (edited) Not too sure of the need to release a sequel to the game on the same day - are the events of Origins of so little importance to its immediate timeline successor? The GI video remarks how it's set on Christmas Eve with snow and how you get to explore the streets of Gotham... which isn't a far cry from City which lets you explore an old part of Gotham and in the snow no less. It also mentions that a bunch of assasins have come to Gotham with the sole intention of killing Batman but I hope Batman actually has a story himself too... not that I'd mind No More Heroes: Batman Edition. Sucks to here that RockSteady aren't involved but hopefully that means they are hard at work on the "next gen" versions. At least WB Montreal have some Wii U experience though so that's a plus but right now, it sounds a bit "sequel by numbers" to me as they spin the engine out for one last hurrah before they move on for good. I'm with you @V\. Amoleo - the Blackgate game does sound like it could be the more interesting of the two at the moment. Edited April 9, 2013 by Captain Falcon
Retro_Link Posted April 9, 2013 Posted April 9, 2013 (edited) If it's a prequel wouldn't it just be based in Gotham City?... as Arkham City is just a cordoned off area isn't it? Like The Narrows in Batman Begins. I think they should ditch the Arkham name for this one. Also sets it apart from Rocksteady's great work should it not go so well. Edited April 9, 2013 by Retro_Link
Serebii Posted April 9, 2013 Author Posted April 9, 2013 without Rocksteady i am concerned Warner Bros Montreal did the Batman Arkham City port for the Wii U
Retro_Link Posted April 9, 2013 Posted April 9, 2013 Warner Bros Montreal did the Batman Arkham City port for the Wii U That doesn't really mean anything.
Captain Falcon Posted April 9, 2013 Posted April 9, 2013 (edited) If it's a prequel wouldn't it just be based in Gotham City?... as Arkham City is just a cordoned off area isn't it? Like The Narrows in Batman Begins. I think they should ditch the Arkham name for this one. Also sets it apart from Rocksteady's great work should it not go so well. One has to assume there must be some link to Arkham Asylum in the game for the need to use the name. No point calling it Arkham Origins if it has nothing to do with Arkham itself. Perhaps as part of the game, you have to actually capture escapees and return them back to the ward and maybe you end up dragging some of the assasins off there too. The first Arkham game lets you go to the Batcave located on the island and that could serve as the base of operations instead of the one under Wayne Manor - it might even be that it gets constructed during the course of the game. But if the game is set to take place all in one night, like City does, is there not a need to limit the scope and instead focus on depth - a massive Gotham City wouldn't make sense. Trying to make a city feel full of life when by their own admission there will be no one about doesn't sound an envious task but at least they won't have to worry about drawing/animating massive crowd scenes of none enemy NPCs. Warner Bros Montreal did the Batman Arkham City port for the Wii U Well they co did it with WB Bucharest. The problem though isn't just that people are concerned about their technical ability - it's about them being able to deliver a gameplay experience that tops the last game rather than just doing more of the same. Paul Dini wrote the story for the last two games but he has already stated to not be involved with the project so that's a tick against the project regardless of developer. But for all their wonders with UE3, Rocksteady don't consider themselves a technical studio as such. They see themselves as gameplay engineers who come up with great ideas and then implement them with the tools they have and yes, they have customised the engine heavily but that is bound to happen when you work on a series for so long. The question isn't so much what are WB Montreal's technical skills but more what are their gameplay credentials - and obvious Wii U gamepad functionality isn't something to set them apart. Edited April 9, 2013 by Captain Falcon Automerged Doublepost
Daft Posted April 9, 2013 Posted April 9, 2013 I'm not precious about Rocksteady. Arkham Asylum was phenomenal but Arkham City was really quite lame. I wish I had never played it. I'm more interested in the portable versions, thb.
Captain Falcon Posted April 9, 2013 Posted April 9, 2013 I'm not precious about Rocksteady. Arkham Asylum was phenomenal but Arkham City was really quite lame. I wish I had never played it. I'm more interested in the portable versions, thb. I enjoyed both immensely but found the combat a lot more satisfying in City - Ayslum was great as a first attempt but going back makes it tricky as you lose so many moves/combos. City's only notable mistake in my eyes is how they tried to shoe horn in so many characters that most never got any chance to be explored in any depth.
Daft Posted April 9, 2013 Posted April 9, 2013 I enjoyed both immensely but found the combat a lot more satisfying in City - Ayslum was great as a first attempt but going back makes it tricky as you lose so many moves/combos. City's only notable mistake in my eyes is how they tried to shoe horn in so many characters that most never got any chance to be explored in any depth. I feel City is the perfect example of bigger not being better. Asylum felt like a real claustrophobic place. City felt like it was designed for fetch quests and side quests. There were so many brilliant bits in Asylum. The Killer Croc fight was terrifying.
Ville Posted April 9, 2013 Posted April 9, 2013 I think City was awesome, so big still yet so very detailed. Asylum was good, but there wasn't as much variety in the locations, just complex after complex. Anyway, makes me a bit concerned Rocksteady is not developing this...wonder what they are working on?
Happenstance Posted April 9, 2013 Posted April 9, 2013 Considering the frame rate issues that the Wii U port seemed to have and the loss of Rocksteady im not exactly hyped for this game. I'll keep an eye on it though and most likely either get the PC or PS3 version.
MindFreak Posted April 9, 2013 Posted April 9, 2013 The 3DS game is very interesting but like many of you, I'm worried about the gameplay of the bigger versions as Rocksteady has nothing to do with it. And the news about Poul Dini not working on the story in this is also a bit worrying. I'll probably end up buying it, though. I do like Batman, and Deathstroke is an interesting villain.
Dcubed Posted April 9, 2013 Posted April 9, 2013 Releasing on 3DS and Vita the same day as the home console version, Blackgate is a completely separate experience that takes place after the events of Arkham Origins. Armature Studio is developing the 2.5-D Metroid-style exploration action game. Industry followers will recognize Armature Studio as the company founded by several of the leads from the Metroid Prime trilogy OH MY GOD!!! Who gives a fuck about the Wii U/PS360 game? This is FAR more exciting!
bryanee Posted April 9, 2013 Posted April 9, 2013 AA and AC are god tier game so day mother fucking one for this. There is a solid engine in place and WB Montreal have poached really good talent. Deathstroke baby. Will get either the 360 version or Wii U version.
D_prOdigy Posted April 9, 2013 Posted April 9, 2013 Good to see Armature following up a MGS Vita port with this Batman spin-off. Dat creative freedom.
bryanee Posted April 9, 2013 Posted April 9, 2013 (edited) updated info Story - Takes place on Christmas Eve - Years before the previous two games - Mob boss Black Mask will give a fortune for Batman’s head - Top assassins and supervillains from the DC Comics universe are out to get Batman - Cops on the take from the mob join the manhunt as well - Batman needs to outsmart his enemies, find out why Black Mask wants him dead, and prove to what good cops that he’s on their side General - Porting Arkham City to Wii U let the team get familiar with Unreal 3 - Doing a prequel lets the team carve a unique territory if Rockstar were to move the Arkham timeline ahead down the road - Rocksteady’s project is tightly under wraps - Younger Batman also “gives us the opportunity to refresh things a bit” - Combat system still in place - Will have “new layers, new opportunities, and new tactics” - New enemy types - Batman not as finely honed as in the previous games - Won’t control the Batwing directly - Batwing will figure into story sequences and acts as a universe-appropriate form of fast travel - Has the traditional predator mode in which players swing from perch to perch, glide kick, string guys upside-down, etc. - New remote claw that is like the grappler in Just Cause 2 - Batman targets two objects and fires out a claw - This hooks into the first object and launches another claw and rope to the second object - Can then pull the two objects together - Use this to knock enemies together, slam heavy objects into foes, string objects or people under a perch - Can string up an explosive barrel under a perch, lure enemies with a sonic batarang, then cut the rope with a normal batarang, dropping the explosive on their heads - Team knows Black Mask isn’t the most popular villain - Old Gotham is only half of the game world - Another new entire is across the bridge called New Gotham - New Gotham is classier and has much taller skyscrapers - New zone doubles the size of the game world - Players can dismantle the hacked tower network - Towers emit a jamming signal that prevents the Batwing from flying into the area, meaning no fast travel - It also halts Batman’s sensors from placing points of interest on the map - Taking down the towers are varied and require all of Batman’s navigation, puzzle solving, and combat skills - Some can be taken down quickly, others must be returned to later with an upgrade - “Crime in Progress”: ex – saving some cops from a group of thugs, rescuing a snitch from being tossed off a roof - Activities give Batman a chance for experience point bonuses - Completing side quests also contributes to the GCPD’s understanding and appreciation of Batman - They will begin to know Batman and which side he stands on based on how much you take on the optional missions - Most Wanted system gives players a chance to go after villains outside of the core storyline - These optional side missions can be tackled when you discover them - Many optional missions offer upgrades - Batman’s butler Alfred may notice that he had a tough time in that situation and give him a new gadget - Dark Knight system is slightly more behind the scenes, though it’s still important - Dark Knight system provides a lengthy string of tasks that slowly goes up in difficulty as the game progresses - The team wants to avoid boring tutorials while still training players to be masters of predator and combat systems - Complete a certain number of counters or silent takedowns to receive XP rewards or a specific upgrade - Dark Knight system doesn’t replace challenge mode - Team wants to make challenges more meaningful Game demo - Takes place about an hour into the game - Batman is perched above Jezebel plaza - Black Mask’s assassins have stirred up the local thugs - No towering walls keeping villains in check and many citizens call Arkham City home since there isn’t a prison - Amusement Mile hasn’t been flooded - Batman is looking to find out why Black Mask is trying to kill him - Batman decides to go to the party to track down Penguin, who hears about everything - Eventually, Penguin gives some intel on a murder at Lacey Towers - Claw grips Batman’s ankle and drags him out of the room before he can finish his questioning - Batman reaches for the door, but his arm is stomped by a mysterious figure - Batman ends up suspended upside-down from the rafters - Deathstroke circles Batman with a drawn sword - Batman blocks and disarms Deathstroke, using the sword to cut himself free - Thanks to Penguin’s tip, Batman goes to Lacey Towers - The cops say it’s a double homicide - One victim is supposedly Black Mask - Inside the apartment, Batman sees Black Mask’s girlfriend strung up on a chandelier - Black Mask’s assumed body is laying face up across the room - Batman goes into first-person detective vision to examine the situation Edited April 9, 2013 by bryanee
Captain Falcon Posted April 9, 2013 Posted April 9, 2013 Good to see Armature following up a MGS Vita port with this Batman spin-off. Dat creative freedom. Good job that Mega Man reboot didn't pan out for them, huh. Now they get to make a Metroid game using a different licence instead. Seriously though, at least they get a say in whether they do the game they are approached to make over being force fed a game from Nintendo to do without question. I guess it also allows them to approach other studios with fresh ideas for existing franchises outside Nintendo. But sometimes you have bills to pay...
bryanee Posted April 9, 2013 Posted April 9, 2013 Batmans costume is also so much better than the Rocksteady version. The game world is supposed to be twice as big as AC's split across Old Gotham and New Gotham. Not sure how accurate that is.
Cube Posted April 9, 2013 Posted April 9, 2013 Batmans costume is also so much better than the Rocksteady version. The game world is supposed to be twice as big as AC's split across Old Gotham and New Gotham. Not sure how accurate that is. Personally, I hope it's not accurate. One of the reasons that Arkham City felt lifeless was the size of the city. Too big with not much detail. The smaller scale of Arkham Asylum worked so much better.
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