Yesterday was a big day for Bat-fans and gamers alike, as the next (not to mention final) Batman: Arkham game was officially let out of the bag. But despite a stunning trailer and magazine cover feature, what we do know is heavily outweighed by what we do. Game Informer's story is their scoop and theirs alone, and while we can use what the mag has brought to the surface to confirm a few things here and there, what we're going to try to do here is take what we know from the last few Arkham games, gloss over every last frame of the recently released trailer, and see what at least seems likely.
The trailer opens with a cityscape view of the nightmarish Gotham City, buildings aglow and helicopter search lights shine down on a massive bridge. Seconds in, a booming voice warns the citizens to leave, lest they face their "greatest fears." From there, you don't have to be the world's greatest detective to realize that the voice belongs to Gotham's resident phobophiliac stick figure Scarecrow. It looks as though he's the big bad this time around, but based on past games in the series, there's no guarantee of that. Black Mask looked like the top dog in Origins 'til Joker came around, and Hugo Strange played at running things in Arkham City until we learned Ra's al Ghul was really pulling the strings.
Obviously, the people are taking the threats seriously, and they're heading for the hills, leading to one truly jam packed bridge, and another Arkham game that will feature an open world landscape notably absent of people -- Asylum got away with the same by setting the game on the same ground as a mental institution; City followed the same logic with a sectioned off portion of Gotham left to the same psychopaths; Origins pulled it off by setting the game during a snowstorm, forcing residents to shutter themselves indoors.
From there, things slow things down a bit as a we cut to Bruce looking somber in the batcave while the voice of Poppa Wayne reads a last will and testament, hence the trailer's title, "Father to Son." The view of a solemn and calm Bruce is intermittently interrupted with flashes of the ensuing chaos engulfing the city streets, cops and thugs exchanging gunfire in a high speed chase. At first glance, the thug that pops out of the passenger's side window looks lto be wearing the same mask of Bane from the comics.
While Thomas makes his requests of Bruce, we get our first look at a familiar villain as Harley Quinn comes into frame, deftly avoiding gunshots, and is quick to take out two cops with some of her trademark acrobatics. Not the sort of moves an expecting mother would attempt. Last we saw the clowning Ms. Quinzel, she was looking considerably more gothic, with her hair dyed black with red accents, and eyes heavily caked in black eyeshadow and tear streaks from mourning the death of her "puddin'." Here, the bleach blonde hair is back, and she's opted for some more "cheery" makeup, signaling that either she's done mourning, or that maybe there's signs of life from the Joker. Her outfit fits in with the same dominatrix leather ensemble seen in other Arkham games, but her arms are now free of tattoos.
Wayne senior drones on as the camera cuts to several different views of a shiny new batmobile, but it isn't until Thomas warns not to spend all of the family fortune on "fast cars" that we see it in all its glory. The same goes for a highly modified batsuit at the mention of "outrageous clothes."
Wayne Senior's words serve to shine light not only the snazzy and no doubt upgraded duds of Bruce's crimefighting alter-ego, but introduce what's arguably the most recognized and iconic of the caped crusader's wonderful toys to the Arkham series, the Batmobile. The car is a key part of Arkham Knight, but we'll get to that in a moment. For now, let's look at the new suit.
In the previous Arkham games, the batsuit was impressive (especially with regard to the one seen in the Wii U version of Arkham City), but it retained a fairly simple look. Arkham Knight's batsuit resembles a highly advanced piece of tech, with independently moving parts. Note that the cuts between the different shots of the armor are marked by Thomas's words of "destructive lifestyle," signaling that while the suit certainly helps Bruce take punches like a champ, the suit is a weapon built for purely offensive means. Numerous pads and defensive flaps line the armor throughout, but a quick shoulder roll shows it doesn't hamper movement.
With Bruce suited up, the view cuts back to Gotham, where the camera cuts to a profile view of a man flipping a coin. Again, easy to deduce that the crisp white suit belongs to Two-Face, another classic Batman villain. He turns to watch a truck pass by, revealing the burned visage that gives him his namesake.
The truck comes to a stop, and Harley is seen dismounting, while the Penguin emerges from the back. He retains his Arkham styled Cockney gangster facade. He's since abandoned his trademark top hat and lengthy coat, but the iconic monocle remains, and dare I say if his nose looks just a wee bit smaller. Small in stature, the Penguin wasn't much for direct combat, and players never fought him directly in previous Arkham games. This time around, he looks like a bit more of a brawler. His brass knuckles are now adorned with spikes, and he wears them on his right hand, likely the result of the broken arm he received after trying to throw a southpaw haymaker at Bruce in the beginning of Arkham City. It's hard to see if the straps around his shoulders are simply suspenders, or possibly gun holsters. If it's the latter, I wouldn't be surprised if they held teeny tiny umbrellas.
As Batman walks toward the car, we see Penguin toss Two Face a rifle, signaling that the two (possibly Harley as well) have formed an alliance. This sets the scene for Batman to finally appear and disrupt the exchange, arriving on scene, during which, we can get a great side view of the car as it careens towards Gotham, and it's then that you may find yourself with a very sudden and distinct feeling of déjà vu, so let's talk about the batmobile for a moment.
The car made an appearance here or there in previous Arkham games, but it's gone through one helluva cosmetic shift. Let's take a trip back five years ago, when Batman: Arkham Asylum was first released. The car pops up a few times, most notably in the game's opening cinematic when Bats was hauling the clown prince of crime off to the titular nuthouse on Arkham Island, and another when it sends Bane hurtling into the chilly waters surrounding the island.
At both points, the car's hard to make out, but you see enough of it to get a basic idea. You can get a good look out just after the game begins, and later in the batcave in Arkham City. Both times the model is similar to the sleeker roadster that appeared in both the Tim Burton movies and the 90's animated series.
Now, compare that to the friggin' tank that appears in the Dark Knight trailer and on the cover.
That's not a car. That's a monster.
It's hard not to see a whole mess of similarities between this design and the tumbler from the Nolan movies, and it's clearly evident in the trailer. With Batman finally at the wheel, this monsrosity roars out from a lake opening, and plummets to earth. It's not exactly a smooth landing, but this car can clearly take the hits.
Even rocketing through the streets, this thing can turn on a dime, and keeps going after sideswiping a parked car or four. It absorbs bullets, eats grenades, and keeps coming. An ejection seat helps Bat get the drop on the goons, and it also looks like there's a remote pilot and retrieve feature. From there, it's the same fisticuffs we've seen time and time before, so you can count on more free flowing combos. The trailer closes with Batman hopping back into his car to chase down Two Face.
While Batman's name may be in the new game's title, the out and out star of the trailer is, without a doubt, the car, which will serve as a flashy means to get around Gotham, and a keen reminder that this is the first time players will finally get to drive around in one of the billion dollar vehicles. True, Origins had the bat-wing, but that was a glorified form of fast travel, nothing more.
Based on the gameplay in past Arkham games, expect the batmobile to function similarly to Batman, i.e., earn a gadget or upgrade a feature which can be used to explore a previously unaccessible area, make a specific challenge that much easier, etc.
Rocksteady Game Director Sefton Hill has all but directly confirmed as much, saying the Batmobile's addition led to what he described as a "complete rethinking" of Gotham, complete with barriers, added hazards, and even ramps. "Arkham City was quite claustrophobic," said Hill. "Here we have a lot more negative space between the buildings so it's much easier and more enjoyable to glide around."
The vehicle's addition will obviously change navigation, and the larger environment will make for that many more possibilities for hidden tricks and treats. Expect a range of additional gadgets to appear as well, with most focusing on use with the batmobile, and I wouldn't be surprised if it featured in a boss fight or two.
As far as villains go, we've already seen three familiar faces, but don't count on it stopping there. While there's been some re-treading here and there, the number of rogues to square off against has been growing with each additional Arkham game, in both side-missions, challenges, and straight up brawls. Provided Arkham Knight is following chronologically, there's still any number of lunatics out and about that managed to escape Batman: Mr. Freeze, Hush, Clayface, Riddler, etc. As we've seen with Two Face, Harley, and Penguin, even characters thought to have been recaptured or even killed after Arkham City are still candidates for inclusion. Numerous easter eggs scattered throughout the games also hint at other possible characters yet to be seen, such as David Cain, Prometheus, Jason Todd, etc. As we saw with Copperhead in Origins, characters may appear in a wholly new form.
Even the playable characters are expanding. It's been announced that even Harley will be playable for pre-order customers, another first, joining Robin, Nightwing, Catwoman, and Deathstroke. This early in the game, the options are wide open. While multiplayer is a thing of the past, I wouldn't count on challenge maps going away, especially with the batmobile present to add in a whole new facet to gameplay.
Winter is finally starting to thaw, meaning that we're not too far off from E3. Expect more and Batman: Arkham Knight information to trickle out in the months to come.