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Batman Goes Virtual Reality In ‘Batman: Arkham VR’!

by Derek KraneveldtJune 14, 2016

Briefly: Whaaaaaat.

Sony’s E3 presentation was full of surprises, and one of the biggest (and most exciting) moments of the night was the reveal of Batman: Arkham VR.

The marketing for Rocksteady’s Arkham series has been telling you that you can ‘Be The Bat’ for what feels like forever now, and now Arkham VR is about as close as any of us will ever get (lucky for you, you even get to keep your parents).

We don’t know much about the title at this point (aside from the fact that it’s coming to Playstation VR this October), but Rocksteady notes that you’ll “Experience Gotham City through the eyes of the World’s Greatest Detective in an all new Arkham mystery.

Think like Batman. Utilise his legendary gadgets in Virtual Reality to unravel a plot that threatens the lives of Batman’s closest allies.”

Yeah, we’re in.

Take a look at the trailer below, and be sure to let us know if you’ll be picking this one up!

‘Batman: Return To Arkham’ Is Finally, Officially Official!

by Derek KraneveldtMay 18, 2016

Briefly: I know a lot of folks who somehow missed out on the first couple of games in the Arkham series, simply due to not having a new-enough console (or a computer powerful enough) to run them.

Batman: Arkham Asylum and Batman: Arkham City remain two of the very best titles in superhero video games, and are some of the very best games of the last generation.

Soon, those who missed out on the first two titles in the celebrated series, and those who are simply looking for an excuse to play them again will get their chance, as Warner Bros. Interactive has finally announced the long-rumoured Batman: Return to Arkham, which features Arkham Asylum and Arkham City remastered using Unreal 4.

Both games are their ‘Game of the Year Edition’ versions, featuring all of the extras and DLC released for each title. Along with the engine update, models, environments, and lighting have all been upgraded, so these already very pretty games should look better than ever.

You can take a look at the trailer for Return to Arkham below, and be sure to let us know what you think! Return to Arkham hits PS4 and Xbox One on July 29th for a cool $49.99.

RUMOR: Arkham Knight PC Won’t Be Fixed Until This Fall

by Shane O'HareJuly 16, 2015

According to internal emails from EB Games Australia, Warner Bros. doesn’t plan on putting the PC edition of Batman: Arkham Knight back on sale until the fall. This also coincides with any perceived hot fixes from Warner.

As previously advised,we have stopped sales of Batman: Arkham Knight PC while Warner and Rocksteady work on addressing performance issues with the game. The latest information from Warner is that the updates won’t be available until Spring. Due to this we have made the difficult decision to recall all PC stock from stores to return to the vendor until an acceptable solution is released.

Spring refers to Australian Spring, so don’t get overly excited that the game isn’t going to be seen again until 2016. According to Kotaku, the timeframe for a re-release is so far out that EB Games has felt the need to return all stock of the PC edition to Warner.

This whole debacle has been very out of character for both Warner and Rocksteady. It really shows that this game was created for the consoles, most likely the PS4, and hastily ported to the PC.

The problems don’t affect every installation of the game, in fact the numbers of affected users are fairly low.

We will be sure to update you as more information is released.

Red Hood Is Coming To ‘Batman: Arkham Knight’ Thanks To Pre-Order DLC

by Josh JacksonJuly 23, 2014

If a recently leaked ad from GameStop is to be believed, then it looks like crowbar boy himself, Red Hood, is coming to Batman: Arkham Knight by the way of pre-order DLC.

In the past, bonus characters like Deathstroke and Nightwing have been contained to side modes, never getting a real chance to explore Gotham in the same way that Batman could. But as mentioned with the Harley Quinn DLC that every retailer will give out when pre-ordering the bat’s next game, Red Hood’s content will be a side story, giving him his own time stage to shine on once the highly anticipated final chapter of the Arkham series is finally released.

With this announcement, part of me is hoping that this isn’t where the extra story content comes to a close. Who wouldn’t love to play as Nightwing, Robin, or so many other members of the Bat Family in a full fledged Gotham City? Normally, I’m a staunch opponent of absurd amounts of DLC, but the Arkham games have earned the reputation of being full, rewarding experiences without extra content, so I would trust Rocksteady on this one. One thing is for sure though, the chances of me finally getting my Huntress DLC are looking slim.

Can’t wait to play Arkham Knight? Who else are you hoping will get added to Batman and Rocksteady’s final chapter? Tell us in the comments, then get back to impatiently waiting with the rest of us for its 2015 release date.

Source: ign.com

Seeing ‘Batman: Arkham Knight’ In Motion Is A Thing Of Beauty

by Josh JacksonJune 10, 2014

We’ve watched. We’ve waited. We’ve suffered through delays and had to plod through a lackluster prequel, but at Sony’s E3 conference, we were finally able to watch Batman: Arkham Knight in action. And I have to say, it was well worth the wait.

Featuring both on foot and the long awaited Batmobile segments, watching Batman glide through a full fledged Gotham City looked incredible, finally showing us a glimpse of what this generation of consoles will be able to do.

Combat looks just as brutal and bone crunching as ever, only now with a wider variety of areas to stalk your enemies thanks to the larger city. Once Batman summons the Batmobile, everything changes. The thing plows through the environment like nobody’s business, (because that’s what superheroes do; they destroy the city in the name of protection!) While his enemies are ready with the addition of enemy vehicles, the goddamn Batman is always prepared, transforming his vehicle into a high powered tank.

Closing with a chilling warning from The Scarecrow, I’m thrilled to be going toe to toe against the best villain of the Arkham games in the lead role. Or I hope it’s the lead role at least. We all know what happened to Black Mask, Hugo Strange, Ra’s Al Ghul… but I’m ready to experience Batman in a post Joker world.

Relive the amazing trailer below and keep checking back with Geekscape for breaking E3 news as it becomes available.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNvjuzdHnsI

See The Batmobile’s Battle Mode In A New ‘Batman: Arkham Knight’ Teaser! Also… It’s Been Delayed!

by Derek KraneveldtJune 3, 2014

Briefly: It’s a bittersweet day for those of us looking forward to Rocksteady’s Batman: Arkham Knight, as today the developer launched a new teaser showcasing the game’s Batmobile in an awesome looking battle mode… but we also learned that the game has been delayed to 2015.

AAA delays seem like a weekly occurrence these days; just last week, both The Order: 1886 and The Evil Within saw similar moves.

Take a look at the trailer below, and look for more Batman: Arkham Knight at next week’s E3. Batman: Arkham Knight will launch on PS4, Xbox One, and PC sometime next year.

Even The Odds: ‘Batman: Arkham Knight’ Gets A New Trailer!

by Derek KraneveldtMay 21, 2014

Briefly: It’s been some time since we’ve seen or heard anything from the Batman: Arkham Knight camp, but Warner Bros. Interactive has just debuted a new trailer for the game, featuring the first clips of gameplay, as well as letting us know just what’s going on in Gotham.

In Arkham Knight, Scarecrow returns to Gotham City with a scheme to unite the Rogues Gallery and destroy the Batman once and for all. As the citizens of Gotham flee and criminal gangs take control of the city, Batman evens the odds taking to the streets in the legendary Batmobile to ignite the fight that will decide the future of the city that he is sworn to protect.

You can take a look at the trailer below, and be sure to let us know what you think! Batman: Arkham Knight will launch on PS4, Xbox One, and PC this October!

Seven Beautiful New ‘Batman: Arkham Knight’ Screenshots Have Debuted Online!

by Derek KraneveldtMarch 27, 2014

Briefly: Arkham Knight may just be my most anticipated not-yet-released game of 2014.

Following its awesome announcement trailer from the start of the month, plus a myriad of new images just a few days later, Warner Bros. has just debuted seven new screenshots from the anticipated title. The screenshots showcase Batman and the Batmobile, as well as the new villain, Arkham Knight.

The plot synopsis for the game states that “In the explosive finale to the Arkham series, Batman faces the ultimate threat against the city he is sworn to protect. The Scarecrow returns to unite an impressive roster of super villains, including Penguin, Two-Face and Harley Quinn, to destroy The Dark Knight forever. Batman: Arkham Knight introduces Rocksteady’s uniquely designed version of the Batmobile, which is drivable for the first time in the franchise. The addition of this legendary vehicle, combined with the acclaimed gameplay of the Batman Arkham series, offers gamers the ultimate and complete Batman experience as they tear through the streets and soar across the skyline of the entirety of Gotham City.”

With Rocksteady back behind the wheel, Arkham Knight should be glorious. The game is set to launch this October for PS4, Xbox One, and PC. Take a look at the screenshots below, and let us know what you think!

New Details, Tons Of Screenshots For ‘Batman: Arkham Knight’!

by Derek KraneveldtMarch 6, 2014

Briefly: The game was only announced two days ago (with a very impressive CGI trailer), but thanks to Game Informer we know have more information on the upcoming Batman: Arkham Knight.

First up, it looks like the game’s subtitle, Arkham Knight, isn’t referring to Batman, but a new character altogether:

“We hadn’t in the previous games introduced someone new to the universe. We wanted to introduce someone who could really challenge Batman to go head to head with him in lots of different ways. We’re not talking about those ways just yet but this guy is definitely a formidable foe for Batman.” said game director Sefton Hill.

On that note, ConsoleLife has published the following image, which doesn’t look like our Bats, and is totally, probably the Arkham Knight:

The game’s environment will take place over three distinct islands, which will end up about five times larger than the map in Arkham City. As always, Rocksteady doesn’t want to make it big, just so they can say it’s big:

As we’ve said before with Arkham City, it’s not about scale as much as detail. We want to make sure the world is rich and full of interesting things to do. We’re not trying to create the biggest open-world game ever. We are trying to create a really rich, vibrant, dense open world.”

Last update. As we learned a few days back, the Batmobile will definitely be drivable. That’s cool news, but Rocksteady doesn’t just want it to be any old car:

“We wanted to make the best car in any game ever. That was our mission statement right from the start.”

A ton of new images from the magazine have also made their way online, including our first looks at Oracle, the Penguin, the Riddler, and more. Take a look at the images below, and let us know if you’re looking forward to the game! Batman: Arkham Knight will launch on October 14th, and if you pre-order the title, it looks as though you’ll get the opportunity to play as Harley Quinn.

Rocksteady Developed ‘Batman: Arkham Knight’ Announced, Watch The First Bad-Ass Trailer!

by Derek KraneveldtMarch 4, 2014

Briefly: So it looks like Rocksteady was working on an Arkham title after all, and it’s the first game in the series that will hit the still-new Xbox One and PS4 (and won’t be hitting PS3 or Xbox 360).

The game is called Batman: Arkham Knight, and while all that we’ve seen from the game so far is a four-minute CGI (excellent) trailer, with Rocksteady back behind the series, we know that this game is going to be heaven for Batman fans.

According to Warner Bros., Arkham Knight will act as the conclusion to the Arkham series, and that in the game “Batman faces the ultimate threat against the city he is sworn to protect. The Scarecrow returns to unite an impressive roster of super villains, including Penguin, Two-Face and Harley Quinn, to destroy The Dark Knight forever. Batman: Arkham Knight introduces Rocksteady’s uniquely designed version of the Batmobile, which is drivable for the first time in the franchise. The addition of this legendary vehicle, combined with the acclaimed gameplay of the Batman Arkham series, offers gamers the ultimate and complete Batman experience as they tear through the streets and soar across the skyline of the entirety of Gotham City.”

You read that right, you get to drive the Batmobile.

Sefton Hill, Game Director at Rocksteady Studios states that “The team at Rocksteady Studios is putting a tremendous amount of work into delivering the final chapter of our Batman: Arkham trilogy so that fans can feel what it’s like to be the Batman. We’re excited to be developing the game for next-gen platforms, which has allowed us to bring to life the design elements that we envisioned from the beginning such as the Batmobile and how it augments Batman’s abilities, to the fully detailed and realized Gotham City.”

Yep, as I mentioned above, the game is only coming to next-gen (well, now current-gen) consoles (and PC), meaning that as pretty as the previous Arkham games were, Arkham Knight should look absolutely gorgeous.

Take a look at the CGI trailer below, and let us know how excited you are!

Batcave Revealed In New ‘Batman: Arkham Origins’ Screenshots!

by Derek KraneveldtAugust 19, 2013

Briefly: Batman: Arkham Origins is now just a few months away from stores, and Warner Bros. Interactive has just debuted some new screenshots for the title.

The new screens offer what appears to be a pretty neat reveal: Origins will feature the Batcave. Sure, we got a glimpse of it all the way back in Arkham Asylum, but maybe this time we’ll be free to visit?

Take a look at the screenshots below, and let us know if you’re looking forward to the game! Batman: Arkham Origins releases on October 25th, 2013!

Batman: Arkham Origins features an expanded Gotham City and introduces an original prequel storyline occurring several years before the events of Batman: Arkham Asylum and Batman: Arkham City. Taking place before the rise of Gotham City’s most dangerous villains and assassins, the game showcases a young, raw, unrefined Batman as he faces a defining moment in his early career as a crime fighter that sets his path to becoming the Dark Knight. As the story unfolds, witness identities being formed and key relationships being forged.

‘Batman: Arkham Origins’ Collector’s Edition Revealed!

by Derek KraneveldtAugust 14, 2013

Briefly: Warner Bros. Interactive today revealed a pretty fantastic collector’s edition of Batman: Arkham Origins.

The package will hit shelves along with the regular edition on October 25th. The collector’s edition will be available for the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of the game (sorry again, Wii U owners), and will retail for $119.99.

Take a look at an image of the collection below (click for larger), and read on for all of its contents!

Pretty cool, huh? Here’s what the pack contains:

-Exclusive Arkham Origins highly detailed premium statue featuring LED effects produced by TriForce
-80-page, full-color hardcover art book measuring approx. 7.5” x 10.75” x .5”
-2 key pieces of evidence taken directly from the Gotham City Police Department crime lab
-Batman Wanted Poster
-Batwing Prototype Schematic
-Anarky logo stencil
-Glow-In-The-Dark map of Gotham City
-Wayne Family Photo
-Assassin’s Intel Dossier, including files on the 8 assassins, as well as Black Mask’s contract
-1st Appearance Batman Skin: Look just like Batman did during his first appearance in Detective Comics #27, released in 1939.
-Deathstroke Challenge Pack – Unlock the ability to play as one of the world’s deadliest assassins! Usable throughout all the Arkham Origins Challenge maps. Also includes two bonus challenge maps and two bonus Deathstroke Skins.
-Bonus (not available in Australia / New Zealand): Necessary Evil: Super-Villains of DC Comics– This new feature-length documentary from Warner Bros Home Entertainment focuses on DC Comics’ most terrifying villains. Legendary actor Christopher Lee narrates the film.
-The PS3 edition will also include the Knightfall pack as an exclusive piece of content

Sounds pretty cool, but will you be dropping $120 on it?

Multiplayer Coming To ‘Batman: Arkham Origins’, Watch The First Trailer

by Derek KraneveldtJuly 31, 2013

Briefly: While it’s been rumoured since the game’s announcement, it only just became official: Batman: Arkham Origins will mark the series’ first multiplayer offering.

Created by Brink (uh-oh?) developer Splash Damage, the game’s multiplayer campaign is titled “Silent Predator”, and features some intriging 3 vs. 3 vs. 2 gameplay. Three players act as Joker’s thugs, three as Bane’s, and the other team consists of Batman and Robin (Tim Drake). The Joker and Bane teams will be playing the game as a third-person shooter, while Batman and Robin will be sneaking through the shadows trying to one-up their opponents. It sounds almost like a spiritual successor to Splinter Cell’s fantastic Spies vs. Mercs multiplayer mode.

Take a look at the first trailer for Batman: Arkham Origins multiplayer below, and let us know if you’re excited. The mode will be available on PC, Xbox 360, and PS3… so every platform except for Wii U.

http://youtu.be/EYR9plVWNsY

Watch The First TV Spot For ‘Batman: Arkham Origins’

by Derek KraneveldtJune 21, 2013

Bah. This game can’t release soon enough.

Warner Bros. Interactive has debuted the first TV spot for the upcoming Batman: Arkham Origins. The preview is short, sweet, and to the point, featuring an extremely quick duel between Batman and Deathstroke.

Of course, the purpose of the spot is to advertise the fact that you can play as Deathstroke if you preorder the title. Sounds like a pretty good incentive, huh?

Watch the first spot below, and let us know what you think! Batman: Arkham Origins hits stores on October 25th!

Batman: Arkham Origins features an expanded Gotham City and introduces an original prequel storyline occurring several years before the events of Batman: Arkham Asylum and Batman: Arkham City. Taking place before the rise of Gotham City’s most dangerous villains and assassins, the game showcases a young, raw, unrefined Batman as he faces a defining moment in his early career as a crime fighter that sets his path to becoming the Dark Knight. As the story unfolds, witness identities being formed and key relationships being forged.

New Gameplay Trailer For ‘Batman: Arkham Origins’

by Derek KraneveldtJune 10, 2013

E3 attendees (those lucky jerks) will have the chance to play Batman: Arkham Origins on the show floor tomorrow, but for everyone else, Warner Bros. Interactive has revealed a new gameplay trailer for the title.

The preview features a ton of awesome in-game footage, and should quell most worries that gamers had about the title. Arkham Origins looks awesome, and I can’t wait to get my hands on it.

Watch the trailer below, and let us know what you think! Batman: Arkham Origins hits stores this Fall!

Batman: Arkham Origins features an expanded Gotham City and introduces an original prequel storyline occurring several years before the events of Batman: Arkham Asylum and Batman: Arkham City. Taking place before the rise of Gotham City’s most dangerous villains and assassins, the game showcases a young, raw, unrefined Batman as he faces a defining moment in his early career as a crime fighter that sets his path to becoming the Dark Knight. As the story unfolds, witness identities being formed and key relationships being forged.

New Teaser Image For ‘Batman: Arkham Origins’

by Derek KraneveldtMay 22, 2013

Following the full trailer from just a few days ago, Warner Bros. Interactive has released a new teaser image for the upcoming Batman: Arkham Origins. The image reveals nothing new about the game, but does spotlight the legions of villains you’re set to face in the game.

Are you looking forward to Arkham Origins, or are you on the fence since it isn’t being developed by Rocksteady? Take a look at the image below, and let us know what you think!

Batman: Arkham Origins features an expanded Gotham City and introduces an original prequel storyline occurring several years before the events of Batman: Arkham Asylum and Batman: Arkham City. Taking place before the rise of Gotham City’s most dangerous villains and assassins, the game showcases a young, raw, unrefined Batman as he faces a defining moment in his early career as a crime fighter that sets his path to becoming the Dark Knight. As the story unfolds, witness identities being formed and key relationships being forged.

Kevin Conroy Confirmed For ‘Batman: Arkham Origins’! UPDATE: Maybe Not? Plus A New Trailer!

by Derek KraneveldtMay 20, 2013

Remember that terrible rumour from April stating that series regular Kevin Conroy wouldn’t be returning to voice Batman in Batman: Arkham Origins, and that Warner Bros. Interactive was instead looking for younger talent for this Arkham prequel?

Well… it wasn’t true.

During this weekend’s Dallas Comic Con, Conroy confirmed his involvement in the new title, and the fact that he’s been working on it for more than nine months. Conroy certainly sounds excited for the project, as outlined in the conference video below (the Arkham Origins talk opens the Q&A, though the whole presentation is worth the watch)!

We know that a lot of you were extremely disappointed when the rumour began to make its rounds. Are you feeling better about the game now that you know of Conroy’s involvement?

Batman: Arkham Origins releases on October 25th!

Update: Things are getting a little confusing here. Despite Conroy confirming his involvement in the game, Warner Bros. Interactive today announced that Roger Craig Smith (Ezio in Assassin’s Creed, Chris Redfield in Resident Evil) will portray Batman in Arkham Origins. It was also revealed that Troy Baker (Booker DeWitt in the amazing Bioshock Infinite) will voice the Joker.

Now, what does this mean? Could Batman: Arkham Origins have us jumping through time and playing as both an older and younger Batman? Could Conroy be playing a different character entirely? Maybe Conroy was confused, and actually talking about Rocksteady’s upcoming, unannounced title?

Let us know what you think of the new casting, and watch a new trailer for the game below!

‘Batman: Arkham Origins’ Gets Eight New Screenshots, Kevin Conroy Not Returning?

by Derek KraneveldtApril 29, 2013

Warner Bros. Interactive today released a nice new batch of screenshots for their upcoming, highly anticipated prequel, Batman: Arkham Origins. The shots look fantastic, but fail to really reveal anything that we didn’t already know about the game. In any case, it looks like the title is coming together quite nicely, and it better be, as October is just six months away.

In other news, it looks like Batman may be getting a new set of pipes. Kotaku has learned (via South Africa’s NAG Magazine) that Warner Bros. Montreal has decided to look for younger talent to voice the Dark Knight, as “the game features Batman in his early years.” It makes sense, but it’s still sad news for us fans. The news hasn’t been confirmed by either Conroy or Warner Bros. however, so there’s always the chance that it’s not true (fingers crossed).

Check out the new stills below, and let us know what you think! Batman: Arkham Origins hits shelves on October 25th!

Check out more screenshots from Batman: Arkham Origins here.

First ‘Batman: Arkham Origins’ Screenshots Revealed!

by Derek KraneveldtApril 10, 2013

Following yesterday’s awesome (yet basically footageless) announcement trailer, the first screenshots from Batman: Arkham Origins are now available for your viewing pleasure. The screenshots feature plenty of the baddies we’ll be dealing with in this Arkham prequel, including Deathstroke, Black Mask, and the Penguin.

Now, if you didn’t catch it in the news yesterday, Arkham Origins is not being crafted by Rocksteady. This time around, Warner Bros. Games Montreal is taking care of the game’s development, while Rocksteady works on a secret, not yet announced project. My biggest concern is that this different team won’t be able to match the sheer quality of the first two titles, but as Rocksteady has given the Montreal team its blessing, Origins should turn out pretty fantastic.

Check out the screenshots below (click for larger versions), and let us know what you think! Batman: Arkham Origins (and its portable spinoff, Blackgate) hit shelves on October 25th.

Source: Gameinformer

‘Batman: Arkham City’ Sequel Coming This Year? UPDATE: Without Rocksteady?

by Derek KraneveldtFebruary 12, 2013

I’ve been wondering when we’d be able to step into Batman’s shoes once more; if this information is correct, a new game could be much closer than anticipated!

It looks as thought the folks over at ComingSoon have been doing some digging. After picking through Warner’s Q1 Earnings Report, they’ve learned that a new Arkham title will be revealed (and possibly released) sometime this year!

While no game has officially been announced, it was Warner CFO John K. Martin that couldn’t hold his tongue, stating

“We also have a strong games release this year, which will include the next release in the Batman Arkham franchise. So all in all, we expect Warners to post another very strong year in 2013.”

No official details for the next title are currently known, but earlier this year it was rumoured that we’d find Bats in a prequel setting, meeting Joker for the very first time.

What do you think? Excited to see another game in the Arkham series (how could you not be)?

Update: According to sources close to VG247, the prequel title is in development at Rocksteady, but it is NOT the follow-up to Arkham City. The next Arkham title that Warner mentioned is rumoured to be in development by Spark Unlimited (Lost Planet 3, Legendary: The Box).

Source: ComingSoon

Batman: Arkham City GOTY + New Story DLC Announced With Horrible Box Art to Boot

by MoreLikeAndyApril 23, 2012

Someone in the marketing department should be sacrificed to the gods and thrown into a volcano for letting this box art for the recently announced Batman: Arkham City Game of the Year Edition.

It’s worse than this one:

At least we get some info that the rumors were true about some new DLC featuring Harley Quinn. The “Harley Quinn’s Revenge” DLC will be available separately, as a download, from the GOTY version on May 29th for PSN and May 30th for Xbox Live. Having this DLC be the final chapter might leave some of you with a bad taste in your mouth. Being sold what could be considered a “true ending” never comes off as a good thing. Well, I guess we can always just look forward to the next game in the Arkham saga…!

Till May though, check out this sweet trailer: