Batman: Arkham Origins

If they are pulling away from the Arkham idea, they should then dump the Arkham name all together. Just dragging the name around is useless, and makes us feel like fools ready to bite on any new idea with an old name. Moving forward is just that, although it will be tricky to make the older (cheesier) ideas as dark as the later ones such as the Arkham games. In any way, I am excited to see more and more from the new game, but again, lay off the same name principals. Sequels are only cooler if they are better...not worse!!
 
raTHair said:
If they are pulling away from the Arkham idea, they should then dump the Arkham name all together. Just dragging the name around is useless, and makes us feel like fools ready to bite on any new idea with an old name. Moving forward is just that, although it will be tricky to make the older (cheesier) ideas as dark as the later ones such as the Arkham games. In any way, I am excited to see more and more from the new game, but again, lay off the same name principals. Sequels are only cooler if they are better...not worse!!
Click to expand...

I disagree, as from a marketing and brand recognition approach keeping the Arkham tag is very useful for people who aren't hardcore video game news people. And you're right, sequels should improve on the previous games, but from a gameplay perspective Arkham City was definitely a much more satisfying game than Asylum (which in itself was a fantastic game). I think they'll manage to improve on City for the next game, hopefully in terms of combat, game size/playable area, etc. I'm just dying to be able to drive a Batmobile in these games.
 
DIrishB said:
I disagree, as from a marketing and brand recognition approach keeping the Arkham tag is very useful for people who aren't hardcore video game news people. And you're right, sequels should improve on the previous games, but from a gameplay perspective Arkham City was definitely a much more satisfying game than Asylum (which in itself was a fantastic game). I think they'll manage to improve on City for the next game, hopefully in terms of combat, game size/playable area, etc. I'm just dying to be able to drive a Batmobile in these games.
Click to expand...

I understand why it would help marketing, but it is also proven that a fresh new idea can displace a current or even a previous idea. Just think of the new car syndrome, the car can be 95% of the previous year and only 5% new (just as in a body change over and possibly interior upgrade), but essentially nothing has changed, and yet the masses still want the new car more!! And I do agree that City was far more enveloping then Asylum, and that is also my point on how the newer additions should be better then the previous ones. I just hope( as you do) that there is an improvement over City, just as you said with playable vehicles and other more interactive environment schemes. A complete open world concept may or may not be that far off. Just keep our fingers crossed for now.
 
Re: Arkham Silver Age Prequel

I don't see why the Arkham name couldn't be fit to a Silver Age-ish prequel story. Over-saturation can be a problem. All you have to do is look at the yearly Assassin's Creed and Call of Duty releases. But I'm not sure that's the case here. There were two years between Asylum and City and if the newest game comes out late this year, that will put two years between City and the new one. My guess is still that they have a new team cranking out a sequel to get on the tail end of this console cycle, while Rocksteady works on something more ambitious for the next generation. This could be a smart strategy just so long as they put a quality team behind the title, and given the success of the franchise, WB would be crazy to not invest in a solid developer.

As far as vehicles, I think the bat-cycle would be a better fit than the batmobile. The reason the gliding/grappling mechanic was so satisfying is that it was a seamless transition with the rest of the gameplay. Everything moved smoothly and you could fluidly combo from navigation to brawling and back. I think the cycle would be a better fit for that, more maneuverable and easy to hop on and off of, nimble too. You could call it with a button, hop on from a nearby building or glide onto it, cover some distance, grapple right off, or fling yourself off of it and into the spine of a thug. I would like to see bad guys using cars though. I want to drop onto the roof of a getaway car and pummel the driver through the windshield.

I'd like to see smarter bad guys that communicate better and require more flexible planning. Part in parcel with this, I'd like to see more focus on stopping crimes that are actually being committed. In the core "dungeons" of City, everything felt a bit detached, traveling from one puzzle room to the next without any communication between the guards. I'd like to see more seamlessly communicating thugs. I'm picturing, say, a bank robbery, where you have thugs with hostages in the lobby, a spotter outside, a getaway driver, and men in the vault, and the way to approach it is open ended. Do you go in for the hostages first? If you hit someone else and aren't stealthy enough to take them out silently, the hostages will get shot. Or do you start with the driver, cutting off their escape. Or sneak in through the roof and silently take out the guys in the vault, to lure the guys in the lobby from their hostages and have better access to take them out.

I'd like to see part but not necessarily all of the environment to forego the "a bunch of thugs trapped in a space together". Whether that's instanced spaces or parts of the city around a quarantine perimeter populated with cops and civilians, an element of having to navigate around folks you aren't allowed to harm.

From a story perspective, I really want to see the exploration of what an Arkham without Joker is like. I could come up with a fantastic pitch (one that doesn't treat Harley like a stupid tart) but for now we'll just leave it at a deeper exploration of the rest of the rogue's gallery, and how crime changes in the city without such an unpredictable and prolific force of nature as J around. And let's get a story that's a little deeper and a little longer this time. Heh. deeper and longer....

I'd make the Joker baby the big mcguffin though. A Harley, untethered by J, who has become a ruthless and clever criminal, absorbing much of her old beau's crime family as she tries to secure her son's legacy. All the other rogues gunning for her, worried about the Joker's legacy living on and wanting the notoriety of stopping it in its tracks. And B trying his best to find and protect her and her or her newborn/unborn child. A police force reluctantly obligated to target Batman as a threat after the news hits that he allegedly killed the Joker.

A Gotham Knights direction could be fun too. Bring out the Metroidvania elements by giving various characters distinct skill sets to navigate the setting and chapters that reflect the style of a comic book crossover.
 
Last edited:
raTHair said:
I understand why it would help marketing, but it is also proven that a fresh new idea can displace a current or even a previous idea. Just think of the new car syndrome, the car can be 95% of the previous year and only 5% new (just as in a body change over and possibly interior upgrade), but essentially nothing has changed, and yet the masses still want the new car more!! And I do agree that City was far more enveloping then Asylum, and that is also my point on how the newer additions should be better then the previous ones. I just hope( as you do) that there is an improvement over City, just as you said with playable vehicles and other more interactive environment schemes. A complete open world concept may or may not be that far off. Just keep our fingers crossed for now.
Click to expand...

I get the comparison to the new car syndrome, but my point in large part had to do with the brand recognition of the title. Hence when they release the next year's model of a car, the model name is still the same regardless of how many changes they've made, specifically to take advantage of that brand name recognition. I think the same argument can easily be made for the Arkham games. Now, I do agree that eventually, if they continue to use the universe/setting for future Batman games (which they totally should) they can change up the title. But I think they should wait until after the third Arkham game, since studios and execs love trilogies, whether they be movies, video games, novels, or paint-by-numbers anthologies. It's one of those immutable laws of the universe, like physics, gravity, or David Hasselhoff.

Zombipanda said:
I don't see why the Arkham name couldn't be fit to a Silver Age-ish prequel story. Over-saturation can be a problem. All you have to do is look at the yearly Assassin's Creed and Call of Duty releases. But I'm not sure that's the case here. There were two years between Asylum and City and if the newest game comes out late this year, that will put two years between City and the new one. My guess is still that they have a new team cranking out a sequel to get on the tail end of this console cycle, while Rocksteady works on something more ambitious for the next generation. This could be a smart strategy just so long as they put a quality team behind the title, and given the success of the franchise, WB would be crazy to not invest in a solid developer.

As far as vehicles, I think the bat-cycle would be a better fit than the batmobile. The reason the gliding/grappling mechanic was so satisfying is that it was a seamless transition with the rest of the gameplay. Everything moved smoothly and you could fluidly combo from navigation to brawling and back. I think the cycle would be a better fit for that, more maneuverable and easy to hop on and off of, nimble too. You could call it with a button, hop on from a nearby building or glide onto it, cover some distance, grapple right off, or fling yourself off of it and into the spine of a thug. I would like to see bad guys using cars though. I want to drop onto the roof of a getaway car and pummel the driver through the windshield.

I'd like to see smarter bad guys that communicate better and require more flexible planning. Part in parcel with this, I'd like to see more focus on stopping crimes that are actually being committed. In the core "dungeons" of City, everything felt a bit detached, traveling from one puzzle room to the next without any communication between the guards. I'd like to see more seamlessly communicating thugs. I'm picturing, say, a bank robbery, where you have thugs with hostages in the lobby, a spotter outside, a getaway driver, and men in the vault, and the way to approach it is open ended. Do you go in for the hostages first? If you hit someone else and aren't stealthy enough to take them out silently, the hostages will get shot. Or do you start with the driver, cutting off their escape. Or sneak in through the roof and silently take out the guys in the vault, to lure the guys in the lobby from their hostages and have better access to take them out.

I'd like to see part but not necessarily all of the environment to forego the "a bunch of thugs trapped in a space together". Whether that's instanced spaces or parts of the city around a quarantine perimeter populated with cops and civilians, an element of having to navigate around folks you aren't allowed to harm.

From a story perspective, I really want to see the exploration of what an Arkham without Joker is like. I could come up with a fantastic pitch (one that doesn't treat Harley like a stupid tart) but for now we'll just leave it at a deeper exploration of the rest of the rogue's gallery, and how crime changes in the city without such an unpredictable and prolific force of nature as J around. And let's get a story that's a little deeper and a little longer this time. Heh. deeper and longer....

I'd make the Joker baby the big mcguffin though. A Harley, untethered by J, who has become a ruthless and clever criminal, absorbing much of her old beau's crime family as she tries to secure her son's legacy. All the other rogues gunning for her, worried about the Joker's legacy living on and wanting the notoriety of stopping it in its tracks. And B trying his best to find and protect her and her or her newborn/unborn child. A police force reluctantly obligated to target Batman as a threat after the news hits that he allegedly killed the Joker.

A Gotham Knights direction could be fun too. Bring out the Metroidvania elements by giving various characters distinct skill sets to navigate the setting and chapters that reflect the style of a comic book crossover.
Click to expand...

Holy crap! Dude, do the world a favor and get a job concepting/designing future Batman games. Jesus, truly your ideas are awesome. Except for the Batcycle instead of Batmobile idea. While you're right it'd be more maneuverable and probably work better in transitioning between the two elements of gameplay, I say they just take a slightly GTA approach to it (it worked incredibly well there, no reason it can't here). From fans' perspective, the Batmobile is an intrinsic element of the Batman mythos, and from casual fans' perspective, much more recognizable. And if you took the approach of villains driving cars (loved the jumping on the hood and punching through the windshield idea--I'd take it a step further by requiring Bats to jump and position himself on the hood, roof, and even trunk to avoid gunfire), Batman should be able to as well. But seriously, your ideas for the storyline and gameplay sound epic. Seriously, just make a pitch to Rocksteady...how could they not hire you on the spot?

As for the oversaturation thing, while it's true inherently, it wouldn't be practically true if the Assassin's Creed and Call of Duty games weren't huge sellers with each title released...every ******* year. If people are willing to gobble it up, the studios will put it out. The real blame lies with the consumers, and some with the businesses who sacrifice quality and gameplay depth to release them on accelerated release schedules like the AC and CoD series.
 
Last edited:
Re: Arkham Silver Age Prequel

DIrishB said:
Holy crap! Dude, do the world a favor and get a job concepting/designing future Batman games. Jesus, truly your ideas are awesome. Except for the Batcycle instead of Batmobile idea. While you're right it'd be more maneuverable and probably work better in transitioning between the two elements of gameplay, I say they just take a slightly GTA approach to it (it worked incredibly well there, no reason it can't here). From fans' perspective, the Batmobile is an intrinsic element of the Batman mythos, and from casual fans' perspective, much more recognizable. And if you took the approach of villains driving cars (loved the jumping on the hood and punching through the windshield idea--I'd take it a step further by requiring Bats to jump and position himself on the hood, roof, and even trunk to avoid gunfire), Batman should be able to as well. But seriously, your ideas for the storyline and gameplay sound epic. Seriously, just make a pitch to Rocksteady...how could they not hire you on the spot?

As for the oversaturation thing, while it's true inherently, it wouldn't be practically true if the Assassin's Creed and Call of Duty games weren't huge sellers with each title released...every ******* year. If people are willing to gobble it up, the studios will put it out. The real blame lies with the consumers, and some with the businesses who sacrifice quality and gameplay depth to release them on accelerated release schedules like the AC and CoD series.
Click to expand...

Aw, you're gonna make me blush. There's just one problem with that. ;) I'm not a game designer. Though I do have an aaaawesome pitch for a Kirby-love-letter Resurrection Man game.

And yes, problems like that are usually shared responsibilities of the artist and the consumer. Honestly, I wasn't trying to argue against the model. And the argument someone at Ubisoft made (which seems reasonable to me) is that a large part of the fanbase are more casual gamers who maybe buy one or two games a year. A new AC game once a year isn't a problem for them because they're fans of the franchise first and foremost and they look forward to getting that fix in October every year. My solution is only to buy the games in the franchise that interest me.
 
DIrishB said:
We may be seeing Arkham 3 sooner than we thought. Reports based on WB's Q4 Earnings have stated that the next Arkham game is scheduled for release this year. The fourth quarter is Oct-Dec, though it's possible the game may be pushed. Anyway, here's the article:

http://www.superherohype.com/news/articles/175001-batman-arkham-city-follow-up-coming-this-year

Also, it was reported WB was registering domain names (obviously in anticipation for the game's release). Here's a link which features the domain names that were registered.

http://www.cinemablend.com/games/Batman-Arkham-3-Possible-Titles-Revealed-51361.html

Now if the "Silver Age Prequel" rumors are true, I'd think that the titles Arkham Arises, Arkham Origins, Arkham Begins (really uninspired there), Arkham Legends would all work with the Prequel idea in mind. Also considering the rumors of the JLA appearing, Arkham Legends and Arkham Universe also could work with the JLA idea.

We'll see. If the fiscal report is accurate, we'll probably get an official announcement sometime in the next several months which will reveal more about it.

As a huge fan of the first two Arkham games, I'm excited.
Click to expand...

Doubtful if arkham3 is going to be released it will

Next yearNextime nexbe somet
 
amazing spiderman said:
Doubtful if arkham3 is going to be released it will

Next yearNextime nexbe somet
Click to expand...

It will definitely be released, and definitely be released later this year, as has been confirmed by WB quarterly earning report. What's "nexbe somet" mean? Is that Latin?

You did quote my post, but based on your response I'm thinking you didn't actually read it.
 
Last edited:
What kind of fun ideas for side quests would you all like to see? I had a lot of fun collecting the Riddler trophies and solving his riddles, but not so much fun with the menu challenges (in either Asylum or City). The trophies and riddles gave my mind a well worth challenge, whereas the fighting challenges felt boring and drawn out. The one thing I really envisioned stems directly from comic books, where you can randomly (or not) happen upon another DC character who would be involved in some sort of quest (would you say?) and enlist your help (probably would be better if it was optional to you). But with a twist. I would not have one certain outcome in any one situation, I would like to see a random event which is (could be) directly related to your current actions or previous actions (which are linked to another quest). And have these events decided based on real time happenings whether they are good choices or not. This way certain features that are not essential to advance in the game can become available and possibly enhance your ability's. My imaginings are of a truly open world, where there are no dead spots in gameplay, and yes I know the capacity needed for these games, but with options of additional add-on packs they can completely bring the world to life in some areas, and slow down other areas. But by keeping it random, you would be happy to keep playing, and would not be avoiding any areas at all, as even the slightest idea such as graffiti on the wall can lead to new adventures. But we all have great imaginations, so lets hear some of yours.
 
I like those ideas. I'd also like to see Asylum and City's penchant for using lots of Bat-villains continued in the next game (and in the supposed prequel using some of the JL members' villains).

Man-Bat could provide for an interesting side mission, involving having to track him down (would live for the character to make random appearances in the Gotham skyline beforehand), fighting a bit on ground, then having him take off and Batman needing to use his grapple to attach to his foot, climbing up it, and then forcing the creature into a crash landing. Obviously there should be more to it but that's just a simple idea.

Clock King could provide some Riddler mission type challenges, maybe involving the character setting time-based traps for Bats, forcing Batman to undertake certain missions within a set amount of time (kind of like the timed phone calls in City).

Firefly could provide another side mission in which Batman is forced to rescue civilans from a burning building within a set amount of time, involving various environment challenges needed to be overcome with his various gadgets. After rescuing the people, the flames eventually die out and Batman is forced to do a but of detective work to find the cause, which leads him to realize Firefly is the likely culprit. Later on, Batman can run into Firefly setting another fire and lead into a battle, again using Bat's various gadgets to follow, beat, and apprehend Firefly.

The Red Hood would also be an interesting villain to use. He'd be a powerful combatant and intuitive tactician, a counterpart to Batman since he was a former Robin. It'd also lend an interesting story beat with Joker's death at the end of AC and Jason Todd's death and resurrection as Red Hood. It could add an exploration of Batman's guilt over his various failures (Todd's death, his refusal to kill Joker leading to more innocents dying whenever Joker escaped, etc). It could really take a multiple of forms in terms of mission type since Hood offers an almost perfect other side of the coin from Batman.

Scarface and Ventriloquist could also serve as villains for another side mission, perhaps even serving as members of Harley Quinn's gang after Joker's death.

There's also Scarecrow and Hush will apparently play more prominent roles in the next one, Two-Face likely will be back since after Penguin's defeat and Joker's death, he took over as the sole leader of the underworld. Azrael's warnings and allusions to Batman in AC seem to indicate he'll be back and causing trouble.
 
Re: Arkham Silver Age Prequel

I might get into more detail (and also address your ideas, DiB. There's some good ones there!) about what I'd like to see later but in general, I'd also like to see more focus on the detective end of things. I'm not quite sure how that would be accomplished, but a story stretched out over a longer period of time (as well as just longer, period) and access to an actual Batcave could definitely help with this. Maybe put less focus on the tons and tons of Riddler-style collectibles and use that time and effort to create more robust cases with optional, secondary characters.

As for main villains, I don't know... I'd probably go with two diverging threats. A Harley/Ivy/Scarecrow trifecta manipulating a vast apocalyptic plan and gang wars between Two-Face and Black Mask over the criminal underworld. I think the impact of Joker's absence in the story is that, his presence and his chaotic violence made organized criminal activity financially untenable so with him gone, underworld figures are clamoring against each other to seize control of profit-based crime.
 
Last edited:
Re: Arkham Silver Age Prequel

I think I was right to worry

http://uk.ign.com/articles/2013/04/09/batman-arkham-origins-announced
The game, which is the subject of Game Informer's latest cover, will not be developed by Rocksteady Studios this time around, instead being worked on in-house at Warner Bros. Games Montreal.

The new development team will be using many of the assets that Rocksteady has used in the past, including its customised Unreal engine so as to try and avoid any discrepancies in the aesthetic of the franchise. Eric Holmes, lead designer of games including The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction and Prototype, is heading up the project.
Click to expand...


No Rocksteady ? :shock: Why? this will not end well I think.
 
Changed the title of the thread to fit.

It may not be Rocksteady studios who made the game, but they are at least still using the same Unreal engine and it looks like it'll still be awesome.
 
Ice said:
Changed the title of the thread to fit.

It may not be Rocksteady studios who made the game, but they are at least still using the same Unreal engine and it looks like it'll still be awesome.
Click to expand...

It may be, It just makes me expect the worse
 
Zombipanda said:
The Hulk game was a lot of fun.

I'm sure this will turn out fine.
Click to expand...

It was fun but mindless fun. It was just go smash area. It was not deep or what the Arkham games (first game more so) were. Prototype was just meh, It was no infamous.
 
SSJmole said:
It may be, It just makes me expect the worse
Click to expand...

Hey, I'm not a fan of them using someone other that Rocksteady either. Rocksteady did an amazing job on the last two games. But if their using the same game engine. I think as long as they have a good script and cast, it'd be fine. Maybe this time, since is located in Gotham we can drive the Batmoble or Batwing.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Back
Top