Batman Arkham Origins

[fistfulofmetal]

so some other company can make Batman Arkham Origins for current gen thats coming out in october

http://www.gamefocus.ca/news/19668.html

[Powerslave]

SWEAR TO MEEEE lmao!

[Verdigris Murder]

Does anyone else think that it's great that the UK makes better superhero games and actors than the US?

Why is that? Maybe it's because the yanks are basically salves to the puss oozing mega corps of 'merica.

[maxy]

Alongside the main game, a handheld title called Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate will be available for 3DS and Vita platforms.

 

[FoneBone]

Handheld game is apparently a 2.5D Metroidvania.

  Yeah, I'm excited about this.  Kinda ridiculous that it'll be Armature's first released original game, though. 

Not so enthusiastic about the console game as a prequel without Rocksteady's involvement, but it's not like I'm going to pay full price for it (yay Steam sales).

[maxy]

will be developed by WB Games Montreal

[Flannel Boy]

will be developed by WB Games Montreal

DEM QUEBEC SUBSIDIES.

edit:

Quebec earmarked $117-million for the program in 2011

 

[cool breeze]

Handheld game is apparently a 2.5D Metroidvania.

  Yeah, I'm excited about this.  Kinda ridiculous that it'll be Armature's first released original game, though. 

Not so enthusiastic about the console game as a prequel without Rocksteady's involvement, but it's not like I'm going to pay full price for it (yay Steam sales).

yeah, I knew I heard of Armature before, and when I first saw that there would be a Vita/3DS game I was hoping it would be a 2D metroid/castlevania style game.  More interested in it than the console one.

at the same time, I'm glad Rocksteady isn't stuck slumming it in the current gen ghetto. 

[Himu]

First read it as Rockstar

[Madrun Badrun]

Handheld game is apparently a 2.5D Metroidvania.

O shit

[Steve Contra]

Handheld game is apparently a 2.5D Metroidvania.

Ummmm

[Rahxephon91]

Hmm. This doesn't seem so positive. A new developer and a prequel? Yeah that hasn't had the best track record. I mean I would rather there not have been another game this gen after the pretty great 2nd one.

[cool breeze]

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

- 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

Borgia towers 

[Purple Filth]

- New remote claw that is like the grappler in Just Cause 2

hmmmm

[TakingBackSunday]

I'm not sold on this...a developer other than rocksteady making an origins game?  ehhhhh

I just hope they don;t change things too much.  Arkham City is my favorite game this gen other than Galaxy.

[TakingBackSunday]

you're not the only one, a lot of people, here especially, didn't dig AC as much.  I fucking loved it though.

[Smooth Groove]

So did Batman die after Arkham City?

I don't recall him getting a cure after Joke stole the last antidote.

[Trent Dole]

Handheld game is apparently a 2.5D Metroidvania.

So if it's not total shit the day it releases will be the day I jump in on the current gen handheld bandwagon then.

[Great Rumbler]

So did Batman die after Arkham City?

I don't recall him getting a cure after Joke stole the last antidote.

Batman eventually got the cure back and took some of it.

[cool breeze]

Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate (that's the title...) Vita/3DS game info

- Warner Bros. wanted to have a 2.5D-style Arkham game in the style of Metroidvania
- The company chose Armature because the studio was familiar with that style of game
- Takes place after the end of Origins
- Set on the isolated island at the Blackgate Penitentiary
- Prison uprising has occurred
- Intro level in Gotham
- Batman goes to Blackgate in order to put a stop to the riot
- 2D animatics with full voices tell the story
- Batman moves through a side-scrolling game world
- He’ll pick up near gear and take on enemies along the way
- Interconnected passages and prison secrets
- Not focused on leveling up abilities like the console games
- Instead, it stays true to the subgenre’s formula
- All of Batman’s improvements came through gear pick-ups and upgrades
- Team wanted to give players more of a sense of collection
- Mostly set along a 2D plane
- Takes full advantage of the visual three-dimensionality of the environments
- Explore, fight, and interact with the foreground abnd background
- Can grapple up to gargoyles on a background balcony while a crowd of armed inmates pass by
- Enemies will go after Batman from all angles
- Go to the foreground or background to tackle a designed foe
- Combat similar to the console Batman games
- Button taps to attack, counter, and use gear are in place
- Freeflow combat system
- Built from the ground up
- Batarang: stun enemies or hit distant objects
- Line launcher: cross wide gaps
- Explosive gel variation: shoot from a launcher onto spots around the screen
- This lets you get involved with entertaining takedowns such as dropping a chandelier on enemies from above
- More gadgets will also be in the game
- Has a version of the predator mode
- Game has a few more layers of feedback
- Ex: can see the sightlines of enemies
- This lets you know if enemies can see you or not
- Same kind of vantage points, floor grates, silent takedowns, glide kicks, weapon use, and breakable walls as in the console games
- Game is split into various sections
- Each can be accessed once you figure out a way inside
- No save rooms
- Modern checkpoint system
- Can manually save whenever you desire
- Can defeat the bosses in any order if you find out where you want to go
- “We don’t want you to break the game, but if you can exploit it in a certain way that we haven’t thought of, that’s awesome. So it’s conceivable the players will have abilities that don’t necessarily jibe that great with the boss. We’ve taken some cues from other games where if you have a particular item against a boss, you’ll just rip them a new one, but we don’t tell you what that item is”
- Will have detective mode
- Tap a button and the screen fades into a digitized overlay with detailed info
- Green enemies: enemies haven’t seen you
- Red enemies: enemies are onto your location
- Move a reticle around the screen to focus Batman’s attention
- Can use this to uncover secrets
- Uncover clues and analyze dangerous situations in detective mode

images:
http://i.minus.com/ibviMZnjMdSRQb.jpg
http://i.minus.com/iCdGLSlmaZ3Ej.jpg
http://i.minus.com/ibaU6IsypHn5Zk.jpg

[Powerslave]

Awesome. I love the realization that the PSV isn't powerful enough to replicate full 3D games with the same IQ as on consoles but is an excellent system and one that even is destined to get 2.5D games.

[Don Flamenco]

does WB feel hogtied by the name "Arkham" or something?    or is there really this much in the batman universe surrounding it.   I had only heard of the Asylum before Arkham City came out.

[Great Rumbler]

I'm sure they're worried that people will be confused if one of the Batman games in this new "series" doesn't have Arkham in the title.

[Himu]

Still don't get how people think Asylum is better than City. I guess you like fighting the same enemies over and over and shitty boss fights I guess.

[cool breeze]

does WB feel hogtied by the name "Arkham" or something?    or is there really this much in the batman universe surrounding it.   I had only heard of the Asylum before Arkham City came out.

yeah, this new game sounds like it'll take place around Gotham.  The Arkham connection works if you think "oh, it's the origin of how these criminals ended up in Arkham!" but not really.  You'd think it'd be called Batman: Gotham Knight or something tacky like that.  And Batman: Blackgate.

[Stoney Mason]

does WB feel hogtied by the name "Arkham" or something?    or is there really this much in the batman universe surrounding it.   I had only heard of the Asylum before Arkham City came out.

It does seem a little weird. Batman seems like a big enough brand where you wouldn't need to be tied to something like that. I guess the reasoning is similar to what Rumbler is saying.

[Stoney Mason]

Still don't get how people think Asylum is better than City. I guess you like fighting the same enemies over and over and shitty boss fights I guess.

I preferred the original. It's not that I disliked City. But being open world didn't really add anything for my tastes. In fact in some aspects it was quite annoying in that game.

[Smooth Groove]

So did Batman die after Arkham City?

I don't recall him getting a cure after Joke stole the last antidote.

Batman eventually got the cure back and took some of it.

When?  Batman never got it from Joker.  The Alfred call was just a lie from the Mad Hatter. 

[Don Flamenco]

I'm sure they're worried that people will be confused if one of the Batman games in this new "series" doesn't have Arkham in the title.

I guess the word "Origins" in the title seals that they don't think much of their customers. 

[Great Rumbler]

So did Batman die after Arkham City?

I don't recall him getting a cure after Joke stole the last antidote.

Batman eventually got the cure back and took some of it.

When?  Batman never got it from Joker.  The Alfred call was just a lie from the Mad Hatter. 

Batman gets the cure immediately after the boss fight with Clayface, then proceeds to chug it down. The Joker attacks Batman while he still has the vial, causing it to fall to the ground and break.

spoiler (click to show/hide)

Then The Joker dies.

[close]

[Trent Dole]

Wow, dem images for the handheld game. I am so sold. Please don't suck.

[Smooth Groove]

I must have missed Batman chugging it but I do remember the vial beaking, which is why I thought Batman was screwed.  That's why I was a little confused that Batman is still ok in the Robin DLC. 

[Himu]

The vial breaking screwed Joker, not Batman.

Those pics are the ones of the Metroidvania?

[Positive Touch]

Still don't get how people think Asylum is better than City. I guess you like fighting the same enemies over and over and shitty boss fights I guess.

I preferred the original. It's not that I disliked City. But being open world didn't really add anything for my tastes. In fact in some aspects it was quite annoying in that game.

i felt the same way, but i just replayed asylum and realized that the first 75% of it is atmosphere that has less challenge in it than city has in its first 10 minutes.

[Beezy]

Still don't get how people think Asylum is better than City. I guess you like fighting the same enemies over and over and shitty boss fights I guess.

I preferred the original. It's not that I disliked City. But being open world didn't really add anything for my tastes. In fact in some aspects it was quite annoying in that game.

Same here.

[Smooth Groove]

Arkham City's overworld reminded me of Jak 2's but less annoying because you don't have to keep dodging cops

Still the hopping around to reach new missions got tedious once you've been through the same areas several times

Still don't get how people think Asylum is better than City. I guess you like fighting the same enemies over and over and shitty boss fights I guess.

I preferred the original. It's not that I disliked City. But being open world didn't really add anything for my tastes. In fact in some aspects it was quite annoying in that game.

i felt the same way, but i just replayed asylum and realized that the first 75% of it is atmosphere that has less challenge in it than city has in its first 10 minutes.

Cormac mentioned that even his daughter was able to beat the first part of Asylum

[Himu]

AC

Don't get wrong. I did about everything in AA, played it three times, got almost all cheevos including the 50 hit combo one. But I think City annihilates it in every way.

[Rahxephon91]

For some reason I was unable to get into AA, but I liked AC. I just wish there was more Catwoman.

[MCD]

I collected everything in AA but only beat AC because I am too tired of this shit.

[Rufus]

Yeah, way too much crap scattered everywhere. I liked AA a lot more overall as well, but I still don't really know why.

[MCD]

Because it was a fresh experience.

And this is just me but I'm not huge on open world games. I prefer fake/small ones like Sleeping Dogs, Assassin's Creed and of course, Batman AA.

[chronovore]

A friend sent me Batman AA for PS3 shortly after its release. I played through that and loved it. I recently double-dipped on AA for 360 so I could play it for the 'cheevos. I think I can 100% it.

I did all the collectibles in Batman AC because I was enjoying the world Just That Much, but I'm old and feeble, so I was unable to complete the full Extreme Campaign's last couple sequences. Did everything else in the game though. 

As much as I liked it, I haven't played the iOS titles, and I don't see myself getting a 3DS or PSV to play this metroid-y thing, and I'll be waiting on reviews to see if this port-developer is capable of delivering a similar experience to Rocksteady's greatness.

[Cormacaroni]

Pretty sure Cormac's daughter cleared the whole damn game and its sequel, haha.

Yep, working on the post-game stuff now

We passed the controller for tricky bits - boss fights mostly of course. But she has some skills - like she managed to throw a remote-control Batarang back to herself and caught it

one more time /daftpunk

[Raban]

mini ms. cormac

[Cormacaroni]

To get on my soapbox for a minute, these games REALLY REALLY need some language censorship options. She is fine with the violence - she realizes it is all a cartoon, not scary at all. But it is frustrating listening to all the rape-threats directed at Catwoman and shit. She doesn't really get the implications but it wears on ME.

Or I could just keep playing Lego Batman 2 with her. But I was encouraged to explore everything as a kid and believe in the same thing as a parent. If you're ready, you're ready.

[Cormacaroni]

I did hold out a quite a while though - she's been bugging me to play 'the scary Batman game' ever since she saw Harley Quinn in AA on my PC back when it came out, when she was 3

[Himu]

I remember talking to a parent about that very thing when the game came out. He said he wouldn't let his kids play it due to the language and I couldn't blame him. Have no clue what the fuck they were thinking When they wrote the script other than usual Catwoman antics but Catwoman sucks for her sexualization anyhow.

[Cormacaroni]

That's what she likes most about Catwoman, but yes, I agree it's in general a terrible portrayal of women. We usually play with the Animated skin though, which is a lot softer, cuter and feminine without being a complete vamp, as well as being the version she knows from TAS

[Himu]

She likes that about Cat woman? I'm more of a Talia person. ^_^

[Raban]

I remember talking to a parent about that very thing when the game came out. He said he wouldn't let his kids play it due to the language and I couldn't blame him. Have no clue what the fuck they were thinking When they wrote the script other than usual Catwoman antics but Catwoman sucks for her sexualization anyhow.

She watches Batman: The Animated Series too!? 10,000 cool points added.

[Himu]

Cat woman on TAS is the best version of the character. Saucy but not too much to the point where it is bases around her whole character, and she has actual plot relevance beyond IS SHE GOING TO FUCK BATMAN?!?!

[Cormacaroni]

I remember talking to a parent about that very thing when the game came out. He said he wouldn't let his kids play it due to the language and I couldn't blame him. Have no clue what the fuck they were thinking When they wrote the script other than usual Catwoman antics but Catwoman sucks for her sexualization anyhow.

She watches Batman: The Animated Series too!? 10,000 cool points added.

I think she has watched every ep of TAS and BATB multiple times at this point. And plenty of Beyond, JL, JLU and Superman. I babysit her solo a lot, and all this stuff is great for her English (Japanese is her mother tongue but English is basically equally strong now. Yet again, if in doubt...Batman)

[chronovore]

That's what she likes most about Catwoman, but yes, I agree it's in general a terrible portrayal of women. We usually play with the Animated skin though, which is a lot softer, cuter and feminine without being a complete vamp, as well as being the version she knows from TAS

As opposed to The Long Halloween skin for Catwooman, which looks like she's nude, but purple. That's some embarrassing crap to have on my TV when company arrives.

[Cormacaroni]

Long Halloween is just a bad design for 3D

minor peeve - why can't you just swap out skins in real time rather than having to leave the game

[Eel O'Brian]

just thought of something

now that they're apparently working out the tv show rights issues, we might get an adam west batman skin

 

[chronovore]

I was wondering why so much old TV series' Batman stuff is suddenly popping up. That'd be hilarious if we can get the pudgy guy in nylon Batman in our gritty, grim-meathook-future Gotham.

[Cormacaroni]

just thought of something

now that they're apparently working out the tv show rights issues, we might get an adam west batman skin

 

haven't you heard the rumor that this is basically Rocksteady's next project? Full-on retro tv show Silver Age Batman. I am all for it

[Cormacaroni]

tv pitch: 'Bat Men', a look into the louche and affected lifestyles of 60's crime-fighting icons Bruce Wayne and his ward, Dick Grayson with painstaking period detail

[cool breeze]

Playable Deathstroke (in challenge maps) is preorder DLC (except on Wii U).

And allegedly Kevin Conroy (VO for Batman since the animated series) said he's in the new Arkham game, but not this Arkham Origins; then he deleted the tweet.  Whether he means the Vita/3DS game or a next gen Rocksteady one, or just goofed, we'll see.

Roger Craig (?) is voicing Batman in this one.  Troy Baker (Saint's Row The Third Male Voice 1, Yuri Lowell) is voicing Joker.

[Father_Brain]

2014 game inadvertently confirmed by Conroy in a since-deleted tweet.

I'm guessing that this is a Justice League game set in the Arkhamverse, but I don't believe the Silver Age portion of the original rumor. It'd just be far too risky in the current AAA market to go in that direction, though it would be fun.

...actually, rereading the article, it seems like the Variety writer may have conflated Arkham Origins with what Rocksteady is actually doing, which would explain a lot.