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Batman: A Telltale Game Series Set To Debut This Summer

Ben-Dutka 12 Comments

These guys always produce great stories based on iconic franchises.

Now, we can look forward to Batman: A Telltale Games Series , which is scheduled to debut this summer.

As announced at the team's SXSW panel over the weekend (and as reported by GameSpot ), the series will let fans play as Batman and Bruce Wayne, and you'll even be able to choose between the two. Said CEO Kevin Bruner:

"But how cool would it be if you chose to say 'I want to do as much as Bruce as I possibly can be, and we do think that's something we're going to offer people. We expect people to try to play a Batman game with as little Batman as possible."

The story arc will be entirely original and won't be tied to any existing narrative. The Caped Crusader followers can also expect to see characters like Vicki Vale, Alfred Pennyworth, Jim Gordon and Renee Montoya. They didn't talk about villains but we'll definitely see "more than one," which of course is good news.

The series will span five episodes and will utilize a brand new engine. Telltale plans to adopt a very "cinematic approach similar to an R-rated movie" and they've compared it to another of the studio's award-winning series, The Wolf Among Us . Finished Bruner:

"Both technologically and creatively, I think there's a lot of really cool things going into Batman."

Last year's Batman: Arkham Knight was easily one of 2015's best, and don't forget that we've seen two LEGO games featuring the legendary superhero; the last was LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes .

Related Game(s): Batman: A Telltale Game Series

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Arkham Origins Tone, Axed Features And Better Boss Battles

Ben-Dutka 8 Comments

Yep, we're getting a new Batman game this year. No, it isn't being prepped by Rocksteady but we have confidence in the new internal Warner Bros. team.

More information for Batman: Arkham Origins has been steadily coming to light, thanks in part to a recent interviews with Game Informer and GamesMaster. Leviathyn summed up the highlights, if you're interested.

First, DC Comics Chief Creative Officer Geoff Johns addressed the atmosphere and tone that we can expect in this prequel:

"It’s called Arkham Origins and it really is the introduction of what Arkham means. Arkham evokes a sense of insanity and chaos embodied in the twisted minds and colorful villains of the Batman universe. That had to start somewhere. This is really more about Batman’s initiation into that insane world, where my book’s more about Batman as a vigilante and really deciding which path to go down."

So in other words, we can expect a darker, more chaotic production…? Certainly sounds like it. Then Warner Bros. Interactive senior producer Ben Mattes talked about a few features that didn't make the grade. One was a dynamic weather system generated by a snowstorm in Gotham. It was supposed to affect combat in some capacity, but Mattes said it "sucked" so they got rid of it. Another axed feature was a drone-type enemy that followed Batman around while in Predator mode. But the team passed because they didn't want the player to be on the defensive in that mode.

Interestingly, they seem to be putting a lot of emphasis on the boss battles. Each boss encounter is unique in Arkham Origins , which is good news as critics of past entries have pointed toward a few uninspired boss fights. Lastly, they say they've "made the coolest version of Deathstroke," which should appeal to the hardcore fans.

The new Batman effort is set to release on October 25 for PS3, 360, Wii U and PC. And don't forget that there will be a separate portable iteration that launches on the same day; Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate will hit the Vita and 3DS. Gonna play both games…?

Related Game(s): Batman: Arkham Origins

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Next Batman Game Going Back In Time?

Ben-Dutka 10 Comments

We were sort of hoping they would tackle Superman next time around, but it appears Rocksteady Studios is sticking with the Caped Crusader.

According to a new Variety report , Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment has tapped Rocksteady to produce an intriguing prequel to Batman: Arkham Asylum and Batman: Arkham City .

This prequel would be "highly stylized" and return us to the Silver Age of DC's comics (the 1950s), when Batman first met the Joker. This will also allow the team to introduce other members of the Justice League of America, and we're reminded that Batman teamed with Superman in those days…so maybe Superman will be involved somehow. The only downside is that Mark Hamill won't be back to play the Joker in this new effort, which won't hit until 2014 at the earliest.

The two Batman titles have been immensely successful, selling over 10 million copies combined. Maybe that's why WBIE doesn't want Rocksteady to stray. Well, that's cool; this new game really sounds quite different.

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Arkham City More Open But Narrative “Is Always Flowing”

Ben-Dutka 10 Comments

We know Batman: Arkham City will be more open than Arkham Asylum ; hence, it won't be quite as linear.

This has been an oft-discussed alteration to the winning formula that floored critics and superhero fans alike when Rocksteady's last gem arrived. Arkham City certainly hasn't turned into GTA – the developers have made that clear – but with the added openness, gamers won't feel quite so confined. In speaking to 360 magazine (as noted by NowGamer ), Rocksteady Marketing Manager Dax Ginn says you'll just never know where you'll be going in the new entry:

"All of that ambient conversation you hear through the surveillance system, all that’s been written to ensure that we’re telling a story all the time. Whereas Arkham Asylum, because it’s such a linear game, we could tell a really focused narrative, because we knew where the player was. With a game structure like this [Arkham City] you never know where they’re going to be or where they’re heading off to, so we kind of throw story at the player at all times.

That’s why we developed these systems to make sure the narrative is always flowing and not just delivered in these canned cinematic chunks."

The combination of a bit more freedom and a great narrative is indeed appealing, and we know the top-notch gameplay from Arkham Asylum will return. In short, it's probably a bad idea to consider Arkham City a sandbox adventure but at the same time, the walls of that asylum won't restrict you anymore. Perhaps we're getting the best possible superhero experience…

Related Game(s): Batman: Arkham Asylum

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