Batman: Arkham City

[DC 536]

There's been a teaser trailer out for a second Batman game for ages now.

 

EDIT - And here it is for you to enjoy (replete with references to Black Mask, The Penguin and Two Face).

 

[YOUTUBE]W73_hcyc6Dg[/YOUTUBE]

 

EDIT #2 - Go to arkhamhasmoved.com and watch the trailer. When it's finished, there is a little flash movie that takes you to an options screen (you can choose to watch the clip again or register for updates). This second mini-clip zooms from a screen on top of a building in Gotham (making it look like you were watching it on that) and then past the gates of Arkham and into the room where the Joker was laughing in the original trailer.

 

This is where it gets interesting - the actual trailer gives the impression that Joker is in the city (i.e. not incarcerated), but this second clip shows that he is inside Arkham (the sign on the front gate is inverted from Joker's window). Maybe it means nothing, maybe it's a hint to what's coming

http://i56.tinypic.com/1534tvk.jpg

 

Finally, there's some more news on the sequel to Batman: Arkham Asylum.

 

Officially titled Batman: Arkham City, the follow-up promises to be bigger and bolder on every level.

 

Arkham City, like its predecessor, is an action video game that incorporates elements of stealth and predator tactics.

 

The player plays as Batman, making his way around Arkham City to complete mission objectives. In addition to the primary mission, the game will introduce secondary missions which will feature a number of key characters and their stories within the city. The player can opt to move silently, avoiding inmates and other enemies using a combination of gadgets and to sneak up on his enemies to take them down silently, using new tactics to surprise the enemy.

 

At other times, Batman may be forced to fight through inmates using an improved version of the combat system from Arkham Asylum, allowing for multiple simultaneous counters, reactions to thrown objects, and the use of all of Batman's gadgets within combat. Movement about the city is made difficult due to the formation of gangs and territory between rival villains, such as Two-Face and the Joker, that causes in-fighting that Batman needs to avoid.

 

All of the gadgets previously obtained in the first game will be present at the start of Arkham City, some possessing improved or new abilities. At least two additional gadgets have been revealed: smoke bombs which Batman can use to sneak away in confusion, and a broadcast tracer device to locate signals and track them to their sources. The game incorporates more puzzle elements; the use of Batman's "Detective Mode", which highlights elements such as enemy skeletons and clues on-screen, is used to perform forensic analysis at crime scenes, such as tracing the origin of a sniper round. The player also has access to a criminal database that tracks the major villains across the city that is used within Detective Mode and the forensic puzzles. However, Rocksteady's art director David Hugo stated that the use of Detective Mode will be changed to an "augmented reality mode", as they found players had completed Arkham Asylum using Detective Mode all of the time. Challenges from the Riddler will also be present, but it will require additional effort to locate these, such as through interrogation of men loyal to the Riddler.

 

The game will include multiplayer features, according to PSM3, though the details of this component, such as whether it is co-operative or competitive, are not known.

Official website

 

Confirmed characters include:-

 

Batman

Talia al Ghul

The Joker (with this being the last time Mark Hamill will voice the character)

Harley Quinn

Mr. Freeze

Catwoman

Commissioner Gordon

Quincy Sharp

Oracle

The Riddler

Two-Face

Black Mask

The Penguin

Victor Zsasz

Hugo Strange

 

Synopsis

 

One year after the events of Arkham Asylum, Quincy Sharp, former warden of Arkham Asylum, has taken credit for stopping the Joker and used that notoriety to become mayor of Gotham City.

 

As neither Arkham nor Blackgate Prison are in any condition to hold inmates, Sharp buys out a large section of Gotham's slums and arms the perimeter with mercenaries from a group called Tyger in order to create "Arkham City".

 

The prisoners are brought into Arkham City and given free reign, told only to not attempt escape. To oversee the city, Sharp uses psychiatrist Hugo Strange who appears to have his own secret plans for the city. Batman maintains a watchful eye, concerned that the situation may get out of hand.

 

Events get underway when Harvey Dent, seeking to gain status among the inmates and other villains outside the city, devises a plan to publicly execute Catwoman. Batman comes to the conclusion that he must stop the execution by entering Arkham City itself.

 

(Part of the setup for "Arkham City" was contained in plans in a hidden room in Sharp's office in Arkham Asylum).

 

The release date is still the rather vague Autumn 2011.

[Guest John Hancock]

I saw some of the screen shots, and their design for Two-Face looks f*cking awesome. The multiplayer sounds like a laugh too.

 

All in all, I'm pretty excited about this.

[Guest Dave7g]

I'm quite sure it's not out till 2012, hope it's a bit longer and not as linear. Can't wait though.

[DC 536]

I'm quite sure it's not out till 2012, hope it's a bit longer and not as linear. Can't wait though.

The official website says Autumn 2011.

 

http://i52.tinypic.com/33b0rra.jpg

[Guest Dave7g]

Ok cool, thank God videogames never get pushed back a few months. Regular as clockwork.

[dsrchris 190]

I'd rather them leave it til 2012 than try and rush it out by Christmas. I've seen far too many games suck because of that.

[DC 536]

They'll have been working on it for two years by the time it gets released, so it should be fine.

[Guest Dave7g]

It'll be more than fine. They struck gold with the first one, nobody expected it to be as good as it was.

[DC 536]

I agree with Dave, especially as the basic game engine is already in place, cutting a lot of time down on development.

[Guest Reno]

Batman: Arkham City is 'complete'

 

Oh, mama. Batman: Arkham City is reportedly playable from start to finish - and Rocksteady has completed fundamental development on all key stages of the game.

 

The studio must have ploughed some serious time into doing so, too - considering the title is five times bigger than award-winning predecessor Arkham Asylum.

 

 

SystemLink reports that the studio is "polishing and adding new features".

 

It learnt from the OPM podcast: 'The blowout starts from 01:00 onwards, and opens with the revelation that Batman: Arkham City is actually finished. Rocksteady can play from start to finish, meaning that the next year until release is just polishing, and adding new features.'

 

It also mentions lots of rainwater (Harley Quinn all wet...) and side missions. More through the link below.

 

Batman: Arkham City is due for release on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC next year.

 

Source: CVG

[dsrchris 190]

I stand corrected.

[DC 536]

Screenshots -

 

http://i55.tinypic.com/vxdtzo.jpg

 

http://i56.tinypic.com/4r3l3t.jpg

 

http://i53.tinypic.com/4q0ay1.jpg

 

http://i54.tinypic.com/2aglro1.jpg

 

http://i53.tinypic.com/308egq1.jpg

 

http://i54.tinypic.com/359fqer.jpg

 

http://i51.tinypic.com/2db8e1s.jpg

[Guest MojoPogo]

I reckon the 2011 release date is so they can properly iron out any remaining bugs, and perhaps try out certain aspects (multiplayer?) and see if they work. If its better, hell, even if its as good, you're potentially looking at GOTY 2011 already, in my book. The concept of Arkham City itself is huge, though i hope they dont really on venom enhanced badguys too much again. Those dudes were really my only bugbear in the original.

[DC 536]

I'm wondering if there's going to be sections where you play as Catwoman and also how they're going to top the Scarecrow levels from the original.

[Guest John Hancock]

how they're going to top the Scarecrow levels from the original.

 

Hopefully, they won't try. I can't stand it when games do something that's brilliant and out of the blue, and then the sequel just does it to death for absolutely no point, just because it worked the first time. Hopefully they'll realise why it was so good; it was new, and it was unexpected, and instead of just repeating it, they'll do something else that's even newer and more unexpected. In a good way, I'm not talking about Vince Russo here.

[DC 536]

Hopefully, they won't try. I can't stand it when games do something that's brilliant and out of the blue, and then the sequel just does it to death for absolutely no point, just because it worked the first time. Hopefully they'll realise why it was so good; it was new, and it was unexpected, and instead of just repeating it, they'll do something else that's even newer and more unexpected. In a good way, I'm not talking about Vince Russo here.

I don't understand why you wouldn't want them to try and exceed what they did in the first game.

 

I'm not talking about doing the same type of levels from AA, I was talking more about what they'll do in this game to top how good the Scarecrow levels were, the feeling of utter joy I had when playing them.

[Guest John Hancock]

Well...that's what I was saying. Edited September 13, 2010 by John Hancock

[Guest Anime Otaku]

I wonder if Harley's new costume (I'm assuming that's her without the mask and stuff from the first game) means she'll be aligned with Two-Face. Then again I think her AA costume was pretty two tone as well, though it also had some white in it.

Also not keen on the look of Catwoman, she looks kinda cutesy and cartoony, especially the size of her eyes seems a bit exaggerated.

Edited September 13, 2010 by Anime Otaku

[ViciousPrism 177]

I wonder if Harley's new costume (I'm assuming that's her without the mask and stuff from the first game) means she'll be aligned with Two-Face. Then again I think her AA costume was pretty two tone as well, though it also had some white in it.

Also not keen on the look of Catwoman, she looks kinda cutesy and cartoony, especially the size of her eyes seems a bit exaggerated.

 

But in the original trailer, Harley was with Joker.

[Guest Anime Otaku]

Looking at a Bio of Harley Quinn (maybe the one in AA) Harley's not a one villain side kick, though in the past it was Poison Ivy she was working with.