Just recently, we were wondering what happened with the DARK KNIGHT tie-in videogame. And while it might be a while before it surfaces (if ever), Batman fans and game junkies can feel secure knowing that they'll be able to slip on the digital cowl and battle Gotham's greatest (and looniest) villains.
Though it's not related to the movie series, BATMAN: ARKHAM ASYLUM should provide a remarkably cinematic experience. The game's new story has the Joker getting locked up in the nuthouse of the title, and (unsurprisingly) manages to take control of the place, leaving it up to Bruce Wayne's darker half to get it sorted.
The game will allow players to "be the Bat" -- lurking in shadow, utilizing the array of gadgets (including the Batarang, which can be "steered" mid-flight), and pummeling foes with hand-to-hand combat skills. Aside from Joker and his painted-face followers, Batman will also face Harley Quinn, Zsasz, and a monstrous 12-foot-tall Killer Croc (and potentially cross paths with Riddler, Scarecrow, Poison Ivy, Mr. Freeze and others), but he'll have Commissioner Gordon and Oracle on his side.
Eidos says their goal is to make a "triple-A" Batman title that everyone wants to play, and writer Paul Dini (BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES) is on hand to ensure that happens. The game will run on the latest Unreal engine (like GEARS OF WAR 2) and should be as detailed as it is atmospheric.
Alas, it's not due until next year... Meantime, you can pick up the latest issue of Game Informer and salivate like a straightjacketed Gotham criminal.
Extra Tidbit:
Voice talent hasn't been announced yet, but Dini says: "This should be the ultimate Batman experience, so the voice actors should be in line with that."
