New details about Batman: Arkham Origins have surfaced since its announcement by Warner Bros. yesterday. The information about the game, which has been in development for over a year, was revealed to GameInformer in an exclusive interview with the print edition of the magazine.
Origins is the first title in the series not to be developed by Rocksteady, and is instead being headed up by Warner Bros. Montreal.
Batman: Arkham Origins is set years before the two previous Arkham games—Arkham Asylum and Arkham City. The game takes place on Christmas Eve and tells the story of a younger Batman as he encounters many of the villains whom the series is known, for the very first time in his career as a crime-fighter.
As Batman finds himself at odds with the mob boss Black Mask, a hit is put out on him that calls some of the DC Comics' most notorious assassins and villains to the hunt. Equally corrupt cops join the hunt for Batman. Batman must outsmart his opponents, find out why Black Mask wants him dead, and prove himself worthy to the good cops in Gotham PD.
According to the game's developers at WB Montreal, developing a prequel allows them to carve out unique territory for the series without worrying about what Rocksteady might do for any future sequels. This alone implies that the game's original creators may still have a hand in the development of the series despite the direction in which Warner Bros. is taking the game.
The game's combat remains the same, but will see the addition of "new layers, new opportunities, and new tactics" whatever that means. Batman will face off against a much wider variety of opponents this time around, although the details of which have yet to be revealed. Like the first two Arkham games, Batman will have opportunities to go into his stealth mode and take down his opponents with stealth and trickery.
Batman has a new tool in his arsenal called the remote claw, which works much like the grappling hook in Just Cause 2. The weapon can be aimed at two targets simultaneously to lash them together. It can knock enemies together, slam heavy objects into foes, or string objects and people under a perch.
Around half of the game will take place in Old Gotham, with the other half taking place in New Gotham. Both areas are connected by a bridge. The Batwing will also figure into the game's story sequences and act as a form of fast travel for Batman to get around the city. However, Batman will have to disable towers in each area before he can fast travel to those locations via the Batwing. These same towers will also prevent Batman from detecting points of interest on the map. Taking down each tower is a test of skill, and requires everything from navigation and puzzle solving, to combat.
Batman will have the opportunity to stop "crimes in progress", which are optional quests in the game. These pop up from time to time, and range from saving a civilian from a group of thugs or rescuing a snitch from being thrown off a roof. These activities, like all quests in the game, provide Batman a chance to earn experience points. Completing various sidequests will build Batman's reputation with the Gotham City Police Department and earn him upgrades.
In addition to these optional quests, Batman will have the option to pursue villains on a "Most Wanted" list outside of the game's core storyline.
Instead of simply unlocking new skills by leveling up through the so-called "Dark Knight" system built into previous games, Batman will be able to earn specific upgrades by completing a certain number of takedowns or counters. The system rewards players for performing certain actions.
Anyway, that's all we know for now. Stay tuned for more details as they become available.
