Hemant AbhishekPicture this — Batman faces his life’s biggest challenge so far. The ruler of Gotham`s criminal underworld, crime lord Black Mask, places a bounty on Batman’s head and eight of the world’s greatest assassins land in Gotham to take a shot at the booty. Batman has to survive the eight-pronged attack of Bane, Deadshot, Deathstroke, Copperhead, Firefly, Electrocutioner, Killer Croc, and the master martial artist Shiva. Sounds delicious? Then wait till the gameplay of
Batman: Arkham Origins gives you a never-before high!
The legacy of the Dark Knight has risen to greater heights with the ‘Batman: Arkham....’ series of games developed by Rocksteady Studios and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment.
Batman: Arkham Origins — the just released instalment of Batman: Arkham videogame franchise developed by WB Games Montreal — features an expanded Gotham City and introduces an original prequel storyline set several years before the events of Batman: Arkham Asylum and Batman: Arkham City.
Taking place before the rise of Gotham City’s most dangerous criminals, the game showcases a young and unrefined Batman as he faces a defining moment in his early career as a crime fighter that sets his path to becoming the ‘Dark Knight’.
Its earlier editions — Batman: Arkham Asylum (2009) and Batman: Arkham City (2011) have been among the highest grossers in the games circuit and were widely acclaimed for their narrative, striking gameplay, character, and design for the ‘Batman’ (of course).
Batman: Arkham Asylum even held the Guinness World Record for "Most Critically Acclaimed Superhero Game Ever" and went onto sell 4.3 million units.
Batman: Arkham City was tied for the highest-rated video game of 2011, according to review aggregator Metacritic and over 4.6 million units have been shipped so far.
In India, launched in 2011, Batman: Arkham City was one of the fastest-selling video game and had the highest numbers of pre-order numbers then. It went onto sell 50,000 copies. So, Indian gamers are no stranger to the franchise.
Eric Holmes, game director of Batman: Arkham Origins, sheds light over how the franchise’s storyline develops in its third coming, and says, “Our drive is to make this story a pivotal one for Batman. Rocksteady’s games are fantastic in every detail and we’re driving to make this one just as strong in every respect. We understand what makes our games tick – and have found ways to add new elements that fit within the existing mechanics that were established so strongly in Batman: Arkham Asylum and Batman: Arkham City. Through the ‘early career Batman’ setting and making this story a pivotal one for Batman, I think we have not only found our own voice for Batman, but a story that fans need to see.”
“Batman: Arkham City builds upon the critical and commercial success of Batman: Arkham Asylum and firmly solidifies the Arkham brand as a ‘triple-A’ action adventure franchise,” said Martin Tremblay, President, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment.
Rushes suggest that the 2013 version has all the makings of a blockbuster – immersive story, memorable characters and outstanding gameplay. And the developers of the game promise an unforgettable experience.
"We have worked tirelessly to take Batman from the Asylum into the heart of Gotham City and to deliver the game The Dark Knight deserves,” said Sefton Hill, game director at Rocksteady Studios.
“The response so far has been phenomenal and we can`t wait for everyone to experience becoming The Batman swooping through the streets of Gotham,” adds Hill.
The Indian distributors of it, e-xpress Interactive Software Pvt. Ltd, are buoyed expecting that Batman: Arkham Origins could be one of the highest selling titles in the Indian gaming industry. They say they are expecting the sales to double from the previous two titles, proof — the game has already broken previous pre-order numbers!
