Hot off the heals of the mega-successful blockbuster The Dark Knight, comes word that Rocksteady Studios and Eidos are hard at work on a brand new Batman title. But don’t expect “Batman: Arkham Asylum”. due on shelves sometime in 2009 for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC to have much in common with Christopher Nolan’s recent film — due to legal limitations, (EA holds the video game rights to the Batman films) Asylum will take it’s story cues from the Batman comics.
In a story written by Paul Dini, Asylum will take place in and around the it’s namesake — Arkahm Asylum; the home for Gotham’s worst of the worst, which has been taken over by the Joker. Game Informer Magazine describes the game’s action as similar to that of BioShock or original Xbox sleeper hit The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay in the sense that the action takes place in one consistent location, rather than numerous sprawling areas.
The folks at Rocksteady are aiming to make the game deeper than most recent superhero games by focusing on more than just combat. In true Batman fashion, players will be presented with detective-like puzzles and investigative work.That’s not to say that combat won’t be used at all though, as the developers are putting a heacy emphasis on stealth and speed, using a control scheme that utilizes only three buttons (attack, stun and throw) — a fine departure from the hack and slash style of recent games.
Recently, a set of in-game images were released to the net, showcasing a new, dark, yet realistic art style by the Team at Wildstorm comics. These images were promptly removed. Be sure to stay with us for more information on Asylum as it becomes available, same Blast Time, same Blast channel.
