Updated: Trailer, Screens, Vita/DS version
Game Informer just announced Batman: Arkham Origins (go there to see the awesome trailer) and now here is a summary from all the info from the Magazine:
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 Rocksteady 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