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Batman: Arkham Shadow

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Batman: Arkham Shadow
Developer(s)Camouflaj
Publisher(s)Oculus Studios
Director(s)Ryan Payton
Designer(s)Ryan Darcy
Composer(s)Kazuma Jinnouchi
SeriesBatman: Arkham
EngineUnity
Platform(s)Meta Quest 3
ReleaseOctober 2024
Genre(s)Action-adventure
Mode(s)Single-player

Batman: Arkham Shadow is an upcoming action-adventure video game developed by Camouflaj and published by Oculus Studios. The second virtual reality game in the Batman: Arkham series and a sequel to Batman: Arkham Origins (2013), Shadow will be released for Meta Quest 3 in October 2024.

Gameplay

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Batman: Arkham Shadow is an action-adventure video game played from a first-person perspective. In the game, the player assumes control of Batman who must stop a new villain called the Rat King from unleashing chaos in the city. The rhythmic, free-flow combat from the previous games return in Shadow, allowing Batman to attack, stun and counter. Combining these three main abilities can keep Batman attacking while moving between enemies and avoiding being attacked himself.[1] Batman can also activate Detective Vision to identify the locations and the patrol patterns of all enemies in an area, and stealth tactics can be used against armed enemies. He also has a large arsenal of tools, such as smoke bombs and batarangs to aid combat.[2]

The game's structure is similar to that of Batman: Arkham Asylum (2009), in which Batman explores a series of large but confined spaces. Batman can glide from heights using his cape, and use his grapple gun to climb onto higher ledges. As players progress, they will gain new gadgets and tools, enabling them to open up new paths to reach previously inaccessible areas.[3]

Synopsis

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Set between the events of Batman: Arkham Origins (2013) and Batman: Arkham Asylum (2009), the game follows a young but confident Batman (Roger Craig Smith) who must prevent the Rat King from executing public office officials such as District Attorney Harvey Dent (Troy Baker) and Police Commissioner Jim Gordon (Mark Rolston) and unleashing chaos in Gotham City on the fourth of July. A number of supporting characters, including Otis Flannagan / the Ratcatcher (Khary Payton), Dr. Jonathan Crane, Dr. Harleen Quinzel (Tara Strong), Lyle Bolton (Earl Baylon), Barbara Gordon (Chelsea Kane) and Alfred Pennyworth (Martin Jarvis), will also appear in the game.[4]

Development

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Camouflaj, the developer of Iron Man VR (2020), led the game's development. Following the release of Iron Man VR in 2020, Meta Platforms approached Camouflaj for the development of a new project with a bigger budget and larger scope. Camouflaj then began pitching for a Batman game to Warner Bros. and DC Comics for six months, convincing them to greenlight the project after demonstrating two gameplay prototypes demonstrating the game's combat and transversal. Development of the game lasted for about four years.[5] Several employees from Rocksteady Studios, the original creator of the franchise, also joined the studio to assist the team. Camouflaj billed Arkham Shadow as their biggest game to date, with its overall length being between that of Iron Man VR and Arkham Asylum.[6]

The team chose the Rat King as its villain because the team wanted an antagonist fans of the franchise were not familiar with. The team wanted to use the opportunity to create an original story without being constrained by events of the Arkhamverse. The character is separate from the Ratcatcher, though the team affirmed he will play a big role in the game.[7] Inspired by Half Life: Alyx (2020), the team strove to ensure that the transition between gameplay and cutscenes was seamless. Learning from player's feedback for Iron Man VR, the team spent time to ensure that combat encounters were better paced so that players will not be fatigued easily. For the combat, the team attempted to recreate the free-flowing combat system from previous Batman games while implementing gesture-based controls, taking inspirations from Beat Saber (2019) and Superhot VR.[3] Arkham Asylum also served as an important inspiration for the team, influencing Shadow's structure, combat and overall scope.[8]

Arkham Shadow was officially announced in May 2024.[9] Publisher Oculus Studios will release the game for Meta Quest 3 in October 2024.[10]

References

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  1. ^ McCaffery, Ryan (August 31, 2024). "Batman: Arkham Shadow – The First Preview". IGN. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
  2. ^ Phillips, Tom (August 29, 2024). "Batman Arkham Shadow is a sweat-inducing slice of nostalgia that captures the essence of Rocksteady's trilogy". Eurogamer. Retrieved September 1, 2024.
  3. ^ a b Hopper, Don (August 27, 2024). "Batman: Arkham Shadow First Impressions: Taking Big Swings At Gotham's Rats On Quest 3". UploadVR. Retrieved September 1, 2024.
  4. ^ Yin-Poole, Wesley (August 21, 2024). "First Look at Batman VR Game Arkham Shadow Gameplay, Voice Cast Revealed". IGN. Retrieved September 1, 2024.
  5. ^ Lang, Ben (June 21, 2024). "'Batman: Arkham Shadow' Development Started in Late 2020, Rocksteady Alums Among the Dev Team". RoadtoVR. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
  6. ^ Phillips, Tom (June 7, 2024). "Batman Arkham Shadow might be VR, but it's the first DC game since Arkham Knight I'm actually excited for". Eurogamer. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
  7. ^ Hector, Hamish (June 8, 2024). "Ryan Payton breaks down that Batman: Arkham Shadow story trailer for us, reveals new gameplay details, and explains why it had to be a Meta Quest 3 exclusive". TechRadar. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
  8. ^ McCaffery, Ryan (June 8, 2024). "Batman Arkham Shadow Developer Cites Arkham Asylum as Its 'North Star' – Summer Game Fest 2024". IGN. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
  9. ^ Bonthuys, Darryn (May 1, 2024). "Batman: Arkham Shadow Announced, Coming Exclusively To Meta Quest 3". GameSpot. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
  10. ^ Romano, Sal (August 20, 2024). "Batman: Arkham Shadow launches in October". Gematsu. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
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