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Get ready to don the cowl once more, for the Dark Knight has returned.
New information regarding Batman: Arkham Knight has been released by Rocksteady Studios, detailing a new and original character, the expanded game world (over five times larger than the series’ previous iteration, Arkham City!) and, of course, the new and much-anticipated Batmobile.
Image courtesy of gamespot.comWith the advent of a new generation of consoles, the creative power available to Rocksteady Studios has multiplied, and it definitely shows. The developers have promised us the most in-depth Bat-manning experience ever created, and from what we’ve seen so far, it seems like they will be delivering in spades.
Image courtesy of nerdist.comWhile the game’s trailer was unveiled some time ago, new details have been brought to light, each more juicy than the last.
First, let’s talk gameplay. In Arkham City, fans were treated to expanded stealth and combat abilities, as well as a wider variety of gadgets and investigative tricks. How could they possibly take the experience further? How about adding chainable stealth attacks (known as “Fear Takedowns”), allowing Batman to clear a room full of gun-toting mooks in seconds? Maybe adding the ability to use some of his famed gadgetry in mid-glide, or to reverse the direction of your glide using the Dark Knight’s famed grapple gun? Or maybe you’re of the more brutish variety, preferring to do the talking exclusively with your fists. Well you’re in luck, tough guy, because we already know that Arkham Knight’s combat features “full grapple reversals” as well as greater combative variety, much of which has yet to be revealed.
Image courtesy of segmentnext.comAs if that wasn’t enough, Rocksteady has also finally included a fully-functional Batmobile into their beloved series – something fans have been waiting for since Batman: Arkham Asylum first popped up on store shelves.
Image courtesy of segmentnext.comLook at that thing. It’s magnificent.
The roads are wider, the buildings are destroyable, and the Batmobile, as described by Rocksteady brand marketing producer Dax Ginn, is nothing short of “a wrecking ball”. The graphical horsepower necessary to make the Batmobile an impressive reality is finally available, and Rocksteady has done everything possible to take advantage of it in order to deliver “that ultimate Batman power fantasy”.
Ginn described the inclusion of the Batmobile and the amount of depth poured into its implementation,
“It changes Batman’s abilities in every conceivable way. We didn’t want the Batmobile to feel like a bolted-on driving section, we wanted it to feel completely integrated into Batman’s move set in every single way. It augments his ability to move through the city, his navigational abilities, his offensive abilities, his defensive abilities. Every feature of the Batmobile has been designed to integrate with Batman’s move set in a very particular way.”
What does this mean? Exactly what you would hope: Batman can call his infamous ride to meet him as he traverses the city, gliding directly into the cockpit in one fluent and seamless motion. Need to head back out into the fray? Activate the ejector seat, and the Batmobile will toss your heavily-armored behind high into the air so that you can resume your glide. Who’s the real Batman now, Christian Bale!?
Not only that, but there are other vehicles that the Dark Knight will have to contend with, which he can neutralize with “immobilizer missiles” and epic, screeching sideswipes. Reportedly, the Riddler has already been confirmed as an included character, and guess what? He’s got a new slew of challenges for the Bat, and in order to solve them, you will have to utilize the Batmobile for obstacle courses and other puzzles.
Image courtesy of gamespot.comOf course, Edward Nygma is not the only returning member of Batman’s rogues gallery. The Penguin, Two-Face and even Harley Quinn have already been confirmed, while the Joker, after the events of Arkham City, is “presumed dead”.
Image courtesy of nerdist.comScarecrow has also been confirmed as a returning villain, and the master of fear looks to play a significant part in the game’s plot, having brought many of the Caped Crusader’s adversaries together in order to take down the Bat.
Perhaps most significantly, Rocksteady Studios has crafted a new, original character exclusively for Arkham Knight, known as…. The Arkham Knight.
Image courtesy of gamespot.comWho is the Arkham Knight? What are his motivations? Will he be Batman’s primary opposition? How is he affiliated with Batman? So far, none of these questions have been answered, as Rocksteady has chosen to keep the Arkham Knight a compelling mystery.
What else is there to say? Well, we’d be remiss to not observe that another favorite from the Batman pantheon is coming back as well:
Image courtesy of IGN.comOh Gordon, you wily son-of-a-gun. We’ve missed you.
If you’re still hungry for details, Dax Ginn also conducted an interview with Gamespot, where Ginn talks about gameplay, characters, etc.
Batman: Arkham Knight is scheduled to be available worldwide on October 14th, 2014, and will be playable on Xbox One, Playstation 4 and Microsoft Windows-based PCs. Kevin Conroy has returned to voice the titular hero, and we couldn’t be more thrilled.
Stay tuned to PopWrapped for more details!
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