• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate (Vita/3DS) Game Informer Details

Alienous

Member
More Game Informer details regarding Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate

Nintendo Everything said:
- Warner Bros. wanted to have a 2.5D-style Arkham game in the style of Metroidvania
- The company chose Armature because the studio was familiar with that style of game
- Takes place after the end of Origins
- Set on the isolated island at the Blackgate Penitentiary
- Prison uprising has occurred
- Intro level in Gotham
- Batman goes to Blackgate in order to put a stop to the riot
- 2D animatics with full voices tell the story
- Batman moves through a side-scrolling game world
- He’ll pick up near gear and take on enemies along the way
- Interconnected passages and prison secrets
- Not focused on leveling up abilities like the console games
- Instead, it stays true to the subgenre’s formula
- All of Batman’s improvements came through gear pick-ups and upgrades
- Team wanted to give players more of a sense of collection
- Mostly set along a 2D plane
- Takes full advantage of the visual three-dimensionality of the environments
- Explore, fight, and interact with the foreground abnd background
- Can grapple up to gargoyles on a background balcony while a crowd of armed inmates pass by
- Enemies will go after Batman from all angles
- Go to the foreground or background to tackle a designed foe
- Combat similar to the console Batman games
- Button taps to attack, counter, and use gear are in place
- Freeflow combat system
- Built from the ground up
- Batarang: stun enemies or hit distant objects
- Line launcher: cross wide gaps
- Explosive gel variation: shoot from a launcher onto spots around the screen
- This lets you get involved with entertaining takedowns such as dropping a chandelier on enemies from above
- More gadgets will also be in the game
- Has a version of the predator mode
- Game has a few more layers of feedback
- Ex: can see the sightlines of enemies
- This lets you know if enemies can see you or not
- Same kind of vantage points, floor grates, silent takedowns, glide kicks, weapon use, and breakable walls as in the console games
- Game is split into various sections
- Each can be accessed once you figure out a way inside
- No save rooms
- Modern checkpoint system
- Can manually save whenever you desire
- Can defeat the bosses in any order if you find out where you want to go
- “We don’t want you to break the game, but if you can exploit it in a certain way that we haven’t thought of, that’s awesome. So it’s conceivable the players will have abilities that don’t necessarily jibe that great with the boss. We’ve taken some cues from other games where if you have a particular item against a boss, you’ll just rip them a new one, but we don’t tell you what that item is”
- Will have detective mode
- Tap a button and the screen fades into a digitized overlay with detailed info
- Green enemies: enemies haven’t seen you
- Red enemies: enemies are onto your location
- Move a reticle around the screen to focus Batman’s attention
- Can use this to uncover secrets
- Uncover clues and analyze dangerous situations in detective mode

Source: Nintendo Everything

Lock if old (my first thread)

This information comes out of the latest GameInformer issue [241], with a Batman Arkham Origins cover. The game is slated for Fall, 2013.

The game is of the sidescroller Metroid-vania genre, and also incorporates utilization of foreground and background (in its gameplay mechanics).

Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate is a PSV/3DS exclusive and is in development at Armature Studios, which is comprised of leads from Retro games (Metroid Prime Trilogy/series).

Excerpts:


"Armature may not be a household name, but one game series from its founders is well known to dedicated gamers. The studio is led by Mark Pacini, Todd Keller and Jack Matthew, all of whom left lead roles at Retro Studios to found this new venture. While at Retro. They created all three Metroid Prime games, which revolutionized the gear-gated exploration genre, frequently call Metroidvania, and made the structure work in a first-person shooter."

About Warner and the idea:

"We broke out from Nintendo 5 years ago, and we had established a relationship with Warner Bros.", says Batman Arkham Origins Blackgate Director Mark Pacini. "They came to us with this opportunity - they were looking to make a 2.5D-style Arkham game that was in the Metroidvania flavor and they thought we'd be a good pairing to it, since we were really familiar with that style of game. We'd made three of them and were huge fans of the Arkham franchise, so it just seemed like a really good fit."


Gameplay:

"Unlike the console Arkham games, the focus for Batman isn't on leveling up abilities, but instead stays true to the subgenres formula - all of Batman's improvements as he explores come through gear pickups and upgrades."

"While Blackgate is played mostly alongside 2D plane, Armature takes full advantage of the visual three-dimensionality of their environments, allowing Batman to explore, fight, and interact with the foreground and background. Batman can grapple up gargoyles on a background balcony, letting a crowd of armed inmates pass while he remains in the shadows. The same hold true in combat. Batman can have enemies coming at him from all angles; a press of the analog stick sends him leaping into the foreground or background to tackle a designated foe."

- the free flow combat and counters from the console remains intact.

- save anywhere

- detective mode


Impressions:

"The demo we saw proves the system transfers smoothly into a 2D environment. That sentiment extends to all of the games systems; while rooted in the 2D Mtroid and Castlevania game style that fans love and Cherish, the unmistakable DNA of an Arkham games weaves through every mechanic. Nothing we saw of Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate made us think it was a side project or hastily thrown together licensed title."

"Instead the senior leadership at Armature offers a fascinating glimpse into the cyclical nature of game development. It's hard to imagine that the developers at Rocksteady or Warner Montreal, didn't look at Metroid Prime for inspiration when crafting this new vision for Batman. Now, that expertise circles back, fans have opportunity to see several of the Metroid Prime creators now working at Armature take a swing at the caped crusader."

*Images redacted until they are confirmed to be ok*
 

Ridley327

Member
Sounds like a pretty open Metroidvania to allow for players to tackle the bosses in any order. Definitely quite interested to see how it turns out.
 

ChuckNyce

Member
I'm getting a little Mark of the Ninja vibe from some of those details and screens.

Mark of the Batman? Yes please.
 

EVH

Member
Sounds cool. Screens look from Vita version so I guess that it is the main platform. Hope to see soon the screens from the 3DS one.
 
K

kittens

Unconfirmed Member
There's a lot of potential in this being awesome. Here's hopin.
 

sense

Member
way more interested in this than the console version. hope they do justice to the vita version and not half ass it like the lego games.
 

Rootbeer

Banned
Yay more metroidvania games... and a Batman one at that.

Will probably go for Vita. I usually do when it's on both Vita and 3DS. 3DS has its place but Vita simply looks better :3
 
Dude a 2d metroidvania game? That sounds awesom-

- No save rooms
- Modern checkpoint system
- Can manually save whenever you desire


Oh...

I'm exaggerating but that was pretty disappointing to read. Game is on my radar.
 

X05

Upside, inside out he's livin la vida loca, He'll push and pull you down, livin la vida loca
Neat, this one is looking really promising. Have been craving for a Metroidvania for a while as well.
 

Ridley327

Member
I'm more thrilled about the handheld version than console one.

Please, make the Vita a self-built game and not a 3DS port.

It's going to be a 3DS up-port; expect anything else, and you'll be disappointed.

That's fine, though, since every system needs more Metroidvanias, especially by guys with a lot of experience in making them.
 

Danthrax

Batteries the CRISIS!
Yay more metroidvania games... and a Batman one at that.

Will probably go for Vita. I usually do when it's on both Vita and 3DS. 3DS has its place but Vita simply looks better :3

Batroidvania?
only if this turns out fantastic
 

Totobeni

An blind dancing ho
- No save rooms
- Modern checkpoint system

come on.

Metroidvania with auto checkpoint every sec is just wrong and will make stuff to easy.

then again Origins have an auto easy mode too,I guess they developed these to give the players very easy experience.

I'm more thrilled about the handheld version than console one.

Please, make the Vita a self-built game and not a 3DS port.

they'll not make a separate Vita version, and it will most likely lead on 3DS too because that how it's going with most developers,less powerful system is usually the lead sku so when to port it they don't cut too much (see 360 ports on PC this gen)
 
This sounds very much like Shadow Complex in some regards and looks very much like Mark of the Ninja as someone pointed out above.

This is going to be incredible.
 

WarMacheen

Member
If it's anything like the 2d Batman on NES, count me the fuck in


It's Batman, count me the fuck in anyway
 
Am guessing the checkpoint system is to like the start of an area then, which is okay but does suggest something a bit less interesting/deep underneath.

Game could be interesting.
 
The screens I'm looking at look public (they have GI's logo) and are direct feed...

And they're really high-res and look like a Vita game, so it makes me wonder if it is a native Vita game...
 

GRW810

Member
I'm really liking the sound of the 3DS version, at this stage I'm probably more likely to get it than the Wii U version.
 
Saw the awesome vita screens!

When 3DS screens or footage is shown I'll get excited for that version. Until then it might as well be a vita only game.

Sonic transformed proved that when they don't share 3DS screens there's a good reason why.
 

VanWinkle

Member
Hmmm this looks VERY interesting. I am still kinda torn since I was hoping for a console-esque Baman on Vita but I still think this looks cool and the developer pedigree is nice.
 
Top Bottom