NWR investigates the PS3 version of Batman's upcoming multiplatform prequel.
http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/preview/34615
Batman: Arkham Origins was Warner Bros. Interactive's biggest title at E3 this year. Unfortunately, only the PS3 version of the console game was on display, so NWR was not able to experience the Wii U version of this title. Nonetheless, the developers' presentation and our hands-on time with the PS3 version of this multiplatform game certainly are of interest to Wii U owners.
The game takes place roughly two years into Batman's crime-fighting career on a snowy Christmas Eve, and is being described as his first true challenge against super-criminals. A bounty of $50 million has been put on Batman's head by crime lord Black Mask, and Batman must avoid and thwart various assassins out to claim their reward. Meanwhile, other villains are plotting their own schemes in the vicinity that the Dark Knight must deal with, including Anarky and the Joker.
The prequel strongly resembles Arkham City in pretty much every way. The player explores a sprawling metropolis landscape riddled with crime, chasing down primary objectives as well as optional side missions. Combat consists of the same weighty brawl-and-counter mechanics found in the first two Arkham titles, and familiar gadgets such as the batarang, cryptographic decoder, and grappling hook were available and necessary to progress through the demo. WB highlighted a few new additions to the formula at E3, such as the addition of a new martial artist enemy type and the Remote Claw gadget. The latter is attached to two objects (or enemies) and then retracts, drawing movable objects together (e.g., an explosive barrel toward an enemy) or creating a tightrope between two stationary objects.
Perhaps the most interesting new addition to the Arkham series is the enhanced detective mode, in which Batman scans for clues with his computer in order to reconstruct a crime scene. Reconstructions are shown in augmented reality, laid over the normal detective vision graphics. In the demo, Batman traced clues to reconstruct the sequence of events that led up to a helicopter crash, and the player could fast forward and rewind a simulation of the crash in order to trace the trajectory of shrapnel and determine the angle from which the helicopter was shot down.
Origins is most certainly a conservative sequel, but the demo on display was still compelling. The degree to which the Wii U version leverages the system's unique features remains to be seen, but NWR will have more information on the Wii U version as it becomes available.
Topic: Batman: Arkham Origins Preview (Read 1649 times)
