Get your PCs tuned up and ready, folks, because the next chapter in the Batman: Arkham series is on its way. As GameInformer reports, Batman: Arkham Origins is scheduled for a cross-platform release on October 25. It will be available for the PC and current-gen consoles (Wii U included).
Reportedly, Arkham Origins will be set "years before" the first two games and will star a "young, unrefined Batman" who "encounters many supervillains for the first time." Unlike Arkham Asylum and Arkham City, Arkham Origins isn’t being made by Rocksteady Entertainment; instead, development is proceeding at WB Games Montreal under the watchful eye of former Prototype design lead Eric Holmes. The game will nevertheless be powered by the same customized Unreal Engine, though.
GameInformer reveals additional details in the following teaser video, which includes developer interviews and concept art:
According to the video, this will be the first Arkham game to take place "on the streets of Gotham City." One of the interviewees explains, "We really wanted to . . . add that layer of life and make it look like a functional place. Even though it’s Christmas Eve, even though it’s super cold, even though everyone is at home with their families, we did want to show that it was a functional city and that it’s not a deserted wasteland."
That all sounds pretty good to me. If WB Games Montreal can pull of the same level of quality as Rocksteady with the new locale and story, I’ll definitely be picking this one up. (Thanks to Rock, Paper, Shotgun for the tip.)