Batman: Arkham Origins – tons of details

Update 2: Sorry guys! Images have been removed… I’m sure we’ll be seeing official content from Warner Bros. soon enough.

Update: Added a few more bits and images.

The first details regarding Batman: Arkham Origins are now available through the latest issue of Game Informer.

Origins marks the series’ first entry not handled by Rocksteady. Instead, Warner Bros. Montreal has been assigned with handling the franchise’s future.

So what should fans expect? Read on below for a detailed summary from Game Informer’s report. You can also find the first screenshots in the gallery.

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 Rockstar 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

You can find more information and screenshots in this month’s Game Informer.