Batman-Arkham-Asylum
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Batman: Arkham Asylum goes Games for Windows Live
Microsoft has revealed Batman: Arkham Asylum will lead the charge this summer as a Games for Windows Live release. The Bat will join Stormrise, Battlestations: Pacific and Red Faction: Guerrilla in what the official GFW blog calls "a strong summer" lineup -- not like it'd be biased about it, right?Batman: Arkham Asylum is currently in development by Rocksteady Studios -- of Urban Chaos: Riot Response fame (or shame, depending on your take) -- and follows the comic book mythos of the renowned DC character. Joystiq recently went hands-on with Batman: Arkham Asylum; check out the post to find out if it's just another routine brawler or "the best Batman game ever," as Warner Bros. has claimed.[Thanks, TheWeaponeer]
Joystiq impressions: Batman: Arkham Asylum
click to enlarge Judging by the recently released trailer and screenshots, you probably have the same expectations of Batman: Arkham Asylum that we did heading into a recent demo of the game. That is: it looks like nothing more than a Batman beat-'em-up. The truth: it's a full-fledged Batman game, complete with stealth, gadgets, investigations, and, yes, fisticuffs.Having seen the game played in its current state, we were struck by something we've termed "The Pure Effect," thus named because we first experienced it upon seeing Disney Interactive's superb off-road racer, Pure, for the first time. The effect is not a subtle one. It generally causes those who encounter it to exclaim (hopefully internally), "Where did this game come from? I've never heard of these guys. This looks ... really good." And so was our first encounter with Arkham Asylum.%Gallery-31781%
New Arkham Asylum shots are so pretty, you'll go batty
click to enlarge When we posted the latest Batman: Arkham Asylum trailer earlier today, we were just priming your eyeballs for the new high-res screens we now present. We'll let you make the call in comments, but after seeing the game in motion today -- we'll have our full impressions soon -- we wouldn't have guessed it's running on Unreal Engine 3. (Nary a plastic character nor texture glitch was to be found!)These shots come from the game's introductory sequence -- maybe only the first five minutes or so -- during which you can control Batman (move, zoom in on various things happening in the background) while the Joker is being processed. The fighting bits shown are just a prelude to some surprisingly deep gameplay we can't wait to tell you more about.%Gallery-43535%
Joker brings the funnies in latest Arkham Asylum trailer
It's time for another trip into the out-of-kilter crazy house that is Batman: Arkham Asylum. Though the first teaser and most recent screenshots highlighted the game's moody lighting and dour atmosphere, the latest Breakout Trailer (embedded after the fold) finally gives us a glimpse at the gameplay. Sailing through the air, sneaking through enemy territory and punching goons in the stomach -- yup, that sounds like the Batman we know. Download Batman: Arkham Asylum Trailer #3 HD (24 MB) %Gallery-39919%[Thanks, Carl V.]
POW! BIFF! New Batman: Arkham Asylum screenshots
click for high-res gallery Though we've taken a trip through the game's moody milieu and become acquainted with its fan-approved voice cast, one thing remains ambiguous about 2009's Batman: Arkham Asylum. Just what exactly is the pointy-eared protagonist doing in there? The latest batch of screenshots proves most elucidating: Batman's in there doing his thing, which often involves inconspicuous maneuvering in the dark and unapologetic violence inflicted upon disturbingly bulky henchman. See for yourself in the gallery below. %Gallery-39919%
Mark Hamill's Joker confirmed in Batman: Arkham Asylum
If you're reading this blog, chances are you've spent at least a few afternoons taking in Batman: The Animated Series. If so, you probably have some fond memories of Mark Hamill's portrayal of the caped crusader's nemesis, the Joker. Rejoice, Joker fans, as Eidos and Warner Bros. Interactive have confirmed to Joystiq that Hamill will be reprising his role as the Joker in the upcoming Batman: Arkham Asylum. Also joining the voice cast will be Kevin Conroy, who has voiced Batman in just about every Batman cartoon under the sun. Now let's just hope the rest of the game is up to snuff.
Batman: Arkham Asylum gets Hamill's Joker, Conroy's Batman
Eidos and Warner Bros. have confirmed that Mark Hamill, the voice of The Joker in Batman: The Animated Series, will reprise his sadistically animated take on the Clown Prince of Crime in Batman: Arkham Asylum. Additionally, the Caped Crusader himself will be voiced by Kevin Conroy, recognized as the voice of Batman in numerous animated series and games. While we remain largely undecided regarding Rocksteady Studios' "graphically distinct" take on Bruce Wayne's alter ego (spoiler! - Ed.), today's news brings us dangerously close to being pulled off the fence as we continue to wait for Batman: Arkham Asylum to ship next summer for the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC.
Video: Meet the crazies of Batman: Arkham Asylum
Embedded above is a newly released trailer for Batman: Arkham Asylum and, just as one could expect from the game's title, there are quite a few crazies running amok. The Joker seems as deranged as ever, Batman looks to be stressed, there's an overly large (possibly steroid fueled), chain wielding baddie on the loose and well, everything is rather gloomy. Actually, the game doesn't look too bad. Non-video game related pro-tip: Go buy The Dark Knight.
New Batman: Arkham Asylum trailer is deceptively good
Being able to tell if a game is going to be good or not from an exquisitely edited trailer is a tough skill to hone, like picking out the faint hints of chestnut in a fine wine. That said, we like to think we're fairly good at it, and this new trailer for Batman: Arkham Asylum actually has us a little concerned about the game. There's no one single thing we can point to; heck, we might just be sad this isn't The Dark Knight. It's possible we're completely wrong, in fact, we hope we are. But, all things considered, it's tough to blame us for being cautious. Help us out guys. Let us know what you think, so we can rip off your opinions and sound really smart the next time we post about it.
Video tour of Batman: Arkham Asylum's ... Arkham Asylum
This new video of Eidos and Rocksteady Studios' Batman: Arkham Asylum is heavy on the Arkham Asylum and, well, totally bat-free. Rather than some intense combat between the Caped Crusader and his rogues gallery, the game's publisher decided it would be more interesting to show off the game's environments. We'll give Eidos credit: it does look rather nice (and creepy).If you're the sort that's into actual gameplay, you can always take a gander at our gallery of in-game shots below. And no, we didn't mistakenly link to screens of The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher's Bay, so you can delete the draft of that correction email you were working on. Gallery: Batman: Arkham Asylum
First Batman: Arkham Asylum trailer
You know, given the apparent state of Arkham Asylum, it's no wonder that Gotham City's criminals are complete wack-jobs. Honestly, considering the utter disrepair of Gotham's premiere mental health facility, is it any wonder that its patients are never properly rehabilitated? Just look at it. It looks like something out of Silent Hill. Hardly the kind of place that promotes a sense of mental well-being. Oh, and the asylum also serves as the setting for Eidos' upcoming Batman: Arkham Asylum, in which the criminally insane trap the caped crusader inside Arkham's hellish walls. Or something like that. Gallery: Batman: Arkham Asylum
Eidos releases new Batman Arkham Asylum screens
Click for higher resolution We don't blame you if you forgot about the recent announcement of Batman Arkham Asylum. A lot's happened since then. Eidos is keen to keep the game fresh in your mind, however, and has released a batch of new screen shots to do just that. These shots show gameplay and art from the game, as most screenshots tend to do, including B-man himself alongside the Joker and some very moody images of the eponymous Arkham Asylum. If you're excited for this 2009 title then be sure to jump into our gallery and saturate your eyeballs in picturey goodness. %Gallery-31778%
Batman: Arkham Asylum screens lose exclusive edge
Some of you have seen these before, now buried in a pile of damp, wrinkly magazines stacked next to the john. Others capitalized on the brief window of opportunity that afforded speedy clicksters a glimpse at Game Informer's "world exclusive" Batman: Arkham Asylum images before Warner Bros. had 'em yanked from (most) corners of the internet. Today, the rest of us can finally be in on the experience. So go ahead, browse the gallery below -- and by all means, take your time. %Gallery-31781%
Picture it: Batman Arkham Asylum [update]
Vin Diesel vs. The Batman? If we didn't know better, we'd have mistaken the first Batman Arkham Asylum screens for the spiffy new chapter in the Chronicles of Riddick remake. (After all, Bats has tangoed with Aliens and Predator -- so why not the Alpha Furyan?) But we digress. Rocksteady Studios eagerly released the "WORLDWIDE EXCLUSIVE Game Informer screens" on its website, but then realized, uh, they're exclusive, and promptly pulled them. Unfortunately, erasing an internet blunder is never as easy as refreshing the page, and the images have spread to new hosts. Hellooo NeoGAF! [Argh, pulled! ... CVG has 'em.]Update: Warner Bros. Interactive is making the rounds this afternoon, trying to bottle up the pesky genie that escaped earlier today. "The images of Batman Arkham Asylum that Rocksteady posted on their website were done in error," a representative has explained to Joystiq. In turn, we have complied with the company's request to remove any screenshots from this post and will surely not remind you that the images in question are still floating around the internet, maybe even locatable through links posted in the comments section...
Eidos announces Batman: Arkham Asylum
Eidos has announced a partnership with Warner Bros to bring Batman back to consoles in 2009. Batman: Arkham Asylum is being developed by RockSteady Studios and begins with the eponymous hero escorting The Joker to the also-quite-eponymous Arkham Asylum where, allegedly, "an immersive combat gaming experience unfolds." The game will be available at some point in 2009 for the PS3, 360 and PC and, other than a load of superlative-laden PR talk, there are no real details of how the game will play. Just know that Batman, The Joker and "Gotham's worst villains" will all be present and you will have to use Batman's "intuitive detective skills and aggressive melee attacks."
Confirmed: Arkham Asylum not coming to Wii
Sorry folks, looks like the new game Batman: Arkham Asylum isn't going to be on Wii. It's purely a PS3 and Xbox 360 affair, as well as for the PC. Sorry to crush your hopes and dreams (we felt you needed the closure of knowing, rather than never mentioning the game again), but the title isn't planned for Wii as of right now. That doesn't mean we can't hold out hope that the game will one day be ported to Nintendo's console. Just don't hold your breath on that one. [Via press release]
Eidos makes Batman: Arkham Asylum official
Eidos has made Batman: Arkham Asylum all official, confirming the earlier revealed Rocksteady Studios-developed trip to Gotham City. Calling the game a "haunting, action detective game," Eidos notes that it and Warner Bros. will publish the action adventure title globally for the Xbox 360, PS3, and PC in 2009.According to Eidos, the game's story, penned by Batman Beyond's Paul Dini, will center on a trap set by Arkham Asylum inmates for Batman as he delivers Joker to the infamous prison. While much of the thunder of Eidos' announcement was taken by the dynamic duo of Game Informer and NeoGAF yesterday, Warner Bros. Interactive president Martin Tremblay calls the game both "graphically distinct" and "incredibly dark," as players hunt down and do battle with Gotham's worst. We look forward to additional details about Batman: Arkham Asylum as they become available, and have tossed a batarang in Eidos' direction for more.
Batman: Arkham Asylum announced, possibly for Wii?
With The Dark Knight and Heath Ledger's stellar performance as the Joker still fresh in everyone's mind, who doesn't want to play a new, non-sucky Batman game? Of course, we have LEGO Batman to look forward to, but it's hard to feel like the Gotham bad-ass when you're controlling a plastic and deformed minifigure. The upcoming issue of Game Informer, due August 18th, has the scoop on publisher Eidos Interactive's forthcoming game, Batman: Arkham Asylum, and though it hasn't yet been revealed which consoles the title will appear on, we have hopes that one of those systems will be the Wii. Though the game's developer, London-based Rocksteady Studios (Urban Chaos: Riot Response), hasn't yet released anything for the Wii, its founders did have a hand in creating Catwoman: The Game for the GameCube -- that has to count for something, right? According to Game Informer, Batman: Arkham Asylum is an original title following a botched prison transfer which the Joker uses to his advantage, turning the psychiatric hospital's worst patients and Batman's worst enemies against the caped crusader. The game will feature "a dark and gritty setting reminiscent of Bioshock" and a story co-written by Paul Dini, who you'll recognize from his work on Batman: The Animated Series. Jump past the post break for an alternate cover of the GI issue with the Joker!
Batman: Arkham Asylum revealed by Game Informer
While the rumored "Bat Theft Auto" Pandemic title may still prove true, we now have definite news of a new Batman game in the works care of Game Informer. Batman: Arkham Asylum is being developed by Rocksteady Studios (Urban Chaos Riot Response) and Eidos. According to Game Informer's online teaser, the Joker will be the main villain in the story of a prison break gone awry, written by Paul Dini (Justice League, Batman Beyond).Additionally, a 10-digit countdown can be seen on Rocksteady's site. Our math is a little fuzzy, but it's going to take approximately "a good while" (i.e. over 2 years) to reach zero.Update: Some details reportedly from GI have been posted on NeoGAF (read: we can't confirm any of this at the moment). The Unreal Engine 3-powered game is going for a gritty, Chronicles of Riddick-esque feel. DC Comics' Wildstorm is crafting the characters' look. Some villains in the game include Joker, Harley Quinn, Killer Croc, Penguin, Riddler, Scarecrow and more. According to the post, Arkham Asylum is projected for a 2009 release on PC, Xbox 360 and PS3 and is not being rushed to tie into any TV or film marketing cycles.
Pandemic working on Batman game
According to an IGN post that has since been removed, Pandemic Studios is hard at work at a Batman game for release alongside the upcoming movie. IGN has been on the story for a while now and they were the ones who originally got wind that (then) current owners of Pandemic (Elevation Publishers) had acquired the rights to make Batman video games. With this latest leak it seems that a tie-in game for the Dark Knight movie is all but a guarantee, and rumors are that the team in charge of the game is Pandemic Australia (the same team who worked on Destroy All Humans). The actual post has been removed, but thanks to those intrepid posters at NeoGAF we have the full text, which follows after the break.
