14 DAY TRIAL // Our Incoming 2015 series focuses on the most important game launches of the next 12 months, and next up we talk about one of the most anticipated action-adventure experiences of the year – Batman: Arkham Knight – coming from Rocksteady Studios and Warner Bros.
What we know
Batman: Arkham Knight promises to deliver a brand new experience in the Arkham series that has already seen stellar titles made by original studio Rocksteady, as well as Warner Bros. Montreal, that handled 2013's Batman: Arkham Origins.
The game is going to include not just the Caped Crusader and his array of classic villains, but also a much larger version of Gotham City, as well as a new antagonist in the form of the Arkham Knight.
Rocksteady has worked alongside DC Comics to create this never-before-seen villain, and from what it's been revealed throughout the months, the character is certainly something peculiar, as he's quite similar to Batman but isn't afraid of using guns and high-tech gadgets.
Of course, another major addition to the Arkham recipe in the new game is the Batmobile, which can finally be driven for the first time in the series, after making a brief appearance in the opening cut scene of Asylum.
The new vehicle has two modes, Pursuit and Battle, and promises to drastically alter how Batman gets around Gotham, which now boasts wider streets, and how he can take on more enemies, as well as mechanized vehicles controlled by his rivals.
The game also plans on refining the already stellar combat and to further increase the repertoire of moves that can be pulled off by the Dark Knight.
Why it matters
The Batman Arkham series has introduced a lot of innovation ever since the release of Asylum many years ago, and still impacts new games, such as Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor. Arkham Knight takes things further, and provided that the introduction of the Batmobile goes off without a hitch, expect other studios and games to copy the concept in the future.
It's also worth pointing out that Arkham City ended with a pretty big event that I won't spoil right here, so it's going to be interesting to see if the new villains can match up to the old ones.
Batman: Arkham Knight launches on June 2, for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One platforms.
