VIDEO Batman: Arkham City (Arkham Asylum 2)

Just saw an amazing trailer in the opening of Spike's Video Game Awards. "This is one sequel you didn't see coming." - Mark Hamill's Joker

The end of the trailer featured a website that, when I go to it, gives a "404 Not Found" message. As far as I can tell, it's not a stunt, so I'll keep checking. It's http://www.arkhamhasmoved.com.

From what I could see during my frantic search for a laptop while the trailer was airing, it featured Gotham City at night pretty much in chaos, with a shot of Iceberg Lounge. The camera zoomed into the second story of a building where a beaten Joker laughs and then coughs with an IV attached to him, meaning this game will likely take place directly after the first.

Didn't see this coming, to be honest. Nice surprise.

 

I just read about this on Kotaku! I can't wait!

 

"This is one sequel you didn't see coming."

Really? Really?

 

That is one heck of a trailer.

It looks much, much darker than the first one if this is anything to go by. And beat up joker looks scary.

 

Two words.....Hell Yes!!!

This was one of the two high points of the VGA's to me! As a life-long Batman fan, I am entirely stoked for a sequel...and it's in the city now, too! Cannot wait!

 

this helped me to deal with tfu2 being announced....loved the first game

 

Totally agree with you 100% on both counts!

Anybody notice the guy on the billboard on the website looks like Two-Face (since his face is ripped in "two")? Plus, the 'Wanted' posters with the same figure all over the buildings in the trailer and the big bold white 'SIONIS' in that funhouse-looking building (Roman Sionis being Black Mask).

...interesting stuff.

 

Anyone look at the website? It's not "404'd" anymore, and works fine. Looks like Two-Face will be present in Joker's "sickly" state.

I think we all knew this game was coming out. With the success of the first it was obvious and would be stupid if there was no follow up.

However, how fast the announcement popped up is what got me. The first came out in...what? September? And we're barely into December. That's a hell of a turn-around.

Just taking a shot in the dark here, but I think it's pretty clear that the devs. were testing the waters with the first game and "had plans" all throughout for a second. Lets hope they just add and build off what they have, which is an already awesome and successful game.

 

I'm excited for sure, but I also really hope this doesn't suffer from the Activision syndrome and a sequel is pumped out every year until the franchise is milked dry in mediocrity. At this point, I'm actually more worried than excited. It's too soon, to be honest.

 

Well, like I said, I lean toward the idea that they had ideas/development going on for a sequel before the first was even out. That makes good sense to me.

But in all reality, I agree. It is a bit early. And while it's not "the sequel no one saw coming", it is the sequel "no one saw coming this early".

 

I have to agree with you. That whimper of an ending to number one could only be explained away with the idea that a sequel was already in the works by the time Arkham came out, they were probably in production alongside each other at some point.

Certainly want a sequel. I loved the mix of Nolan and Burton style Batman, I can't wait to see how Gotham will be tackled.

 

That was quick. Yet expected. And also totally awesome.

In fact, I thought this game might have an entirely different title than ARKHAM ASYLUM 2. (Which it still could, although the trailer is pushing that arkhamhasmoved.com website.) Though, they may want to reuse the old title to make sure everyone's clear that it's the sequel to the one good Batman game.

But I was really hoping the sequel would have a different main villain. The Joker isn't the only guy Batman ever fights. (That said, I also wish more games had the first one's pacing. You're never doing one thing for too long.)

 

I personally would love a take on No Man's Land. Gotham's in ruins, the police are fractured and there's no way off the island. The villians are in charge. It's a perfect environment for Batman to function.

 

^ That's what I thought after I finished AA. No Man's Land would be a perfect setting for the sequel, and it looks like they're taking it in a similar direction.

 

I think Joker will be a "background" villain, he looks to be laid up, or at least weak. He'll be the Godfather, calling the shots, like in the original, but I foresee Two-Face only taking his direction for so long.

 

Also, the appearance of Iceberg Lounge in the trailer suggests the Penguin won't be absent this time around either.

 

I want the Riddler! And make it the same Jim Carrey-type voice actor as the first one, he was awesome.

 

I concur absolutely. Far TOO early. But then again, look at L4D2. Of course, you can make the argument that L4D2 has no story and had tested mechanics that were already in place and teaked a bit more. But perhaps we are seeing the ever increasing (yet troubling) Mass-production/Hollywoodization of gaming in this: Studios now plan or even develop two games in said franchise, anticipating how well the first one does so as to launch a sequel as soon as possible and reducing development time and resources spent at the same time. But I hope this gamble does pay off and we're given another great dose of Bat-kickass come late 2010.

EDIT: Obviously, we're gonna get Two-Face as one of the main villains. And if we have Dent, if there's one part of the Bat-mythos strongly associated to Two-Face is any one of the Robins. And now before all of you come crashing down on me with Robin-hate, I'll be the first one to admit that as loathsome and annoying as many would think he/she may be, Robin is an integral part of the Bat-mythos and that can't be denied. If the stakes are higher and there's a city-ful of baddies waiting to pounce on Batman, imagine if we threw Robin into the mix? Can you smell it? CO-OP! Two friends kicking ass against a horde of criminally and superstitious scum. And Batman has even more agents at his disposal. Throw in Nightwing and Huntress into the mix to make it a 4-player coop game! Yeah, it may sound crazy from a technical standpoint and it could very well break the game...but imagine if Rocksteady could make it work?

 

I agree. Not that they'd "have to", but he was such a significant part of the first game that I'd like to see him show up in the new one.

...and my two cents on the "milking dry" comments:
The Developers stated in the first Game Informer article that they have total creative license over the Batman mythos (not touching the Chris Nolan movies) as long as their games do well. So I'm sure they had ideas of where they were gonna go with the next game all along and just went to work as soon as AA started selling like *crazy* and got the Guiness Record.

Done *right*, Batman games could have endless potential.

 

I would assume this game will be released late 2010. Having a 6-8 month turn around would make me very sad and very weary of purchasing the new game. With rumors that the new Force Unleashed will be out as early as April/May, and the new PoP slated to come out in May, it makes me wonder why they let the trailers go unseen so long.

If this game does come out that soon (and no one has said anything about a release date, this is just speculation) then the first five months of the new year are going to be very crowded.

 

Batman: Arkham Asylum is one of the greatest games I've ever played, so I can't wait for the sequel I just know it will be brilliant.

 

Keep in mind both The Force Unleashed and Arkham Asylum were delayed. I can easily see the sequels also getting a delay. It's too early to tell.

 

100% agreed!!

 

Robin to appear in Arkham Asylum 2?

Is Rocksteady's superb Batman video game series already reaching the point of Robin? So says a listing for Batman: Arkham Asylum II at the occasionally factual Internet Movie Database. That could be bad news... or it could be good.

The bad depends on your tastes, whether you consider the lone wolf Batman to be superior to the dynamic duo version. The positive perspective could be the theoretical addition of cooperative play in the sequel to Batman: Arkham Asylum, something we've just been groomed to expect from our current and future releases.

Regardless of your feelings, the IMDB listing for the game credits Vincent Martella with Robin voice acting duties. He plays Robin in the Batman: Under the Red Hood animated feature as well as Hope in the newly released Final Fantasy XIII. He's listed alongside Bruce Greenwood as the voice of Two-Face, also appearing in Batman: Under the Red Hood.

Perhaps the IMDB entry editing powers that be simply confused the two projects, but we've contacted Warner Bros. reps to try to clear this up.

Update: Warner Bros. reps respond, saying "To our knowledge, what you asked about is inaccurate information. We are not yet discussing details for the sequel." We'd prefer a hard and fast "No!" or "Yeah, he's totally in it." but that's about as clear as WB is making things right now.

IMDB? I smell B*.

 

If everyone can step back and recall with me, for a moment, the IMDB cast list for the first Arkham.

For those drawing a blank it had names like Penguin, Mr. Freeze, Scarface, etc listed as having their Animated Series actors portraying their voice. As we know, none of them had speaking roles, let alone actually appeared in the game...save for Scarface but that was just Joker. Also, Poison Ivy was linked to her Animated Series voice actress and this also turned out to be false.

I'll take everything IMDB has to say about video games with a grain of salt.