Eidos makes Batman: Arkham Asylum official

by Jason Dobson { Aug 13th 2008 at 8:30AM }

Eidos has made Batman: Arkham Asylum all official, confirming the earlier revealed Rocksteady Studios-developed trip to Gotham City. Calling the game a "haunting, action detective game," Eidos notes that it and Warner Bros. will publish the action adventure title globally for the Xbox 360, PS3, and PC in 2009.

According to Eidos, the game's story, penned by Batman Beyond's Paul Dini, will center on a trap set by Arkham Asylum inmates for Batman as he delivers Joker to the infamous prison. While much of the thunder of Eidos' announcement was taken by the dynamic duo of Game Informer and NeoGAF yesterday, Warner Bros. Interactive president Martin Tremblay calls the game both "graphically distinct" and "incredibly dark," as players hunt down and do battle with Gotham's worst. We look forward to additional details about Batman: Arkham Asylum as they become available, and have tossed a batarang in Eidos' direction for more.

Tags: batman, batman-arkham-asylum, eidos, rocksteady-studios, warner-bros, warner-bros-interactive

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Jack of No Trades 85 @ Aug 13th 2008 8:35AM

Im having mixed emotions.

GTA Batman = Cool as hell

Eidos = Bad game developer

Dirty @ Aug 13th 2008 8:40AM

Give em a break, Tomb raider, Theif, Deus Ex,Legacy of Kain series. Eidos has PUBLISHED some great games in its day.

I dont know too much about the developer Rocksteady though.

holliman @ Aug 13th 2008 9:01AM

Rocksteady is a GREAT developer - they did an awesome arcade-style FPS for PS2 and XBOX called Urban Chaos Riot Response. I gotta say it's the best FPS designed for a console that I've ever played, just because it didn't have overwrought PC shooter aspirations like a lot of them do. Everything you did in the game was just fun, and the game had an excellent sarcastic Robocop 1-style personality. Hopefully a lot of the mechanics, like the game's alternate goals system, show up in the Batman game.

Dale @ Aug 13th 2008 9:44AM

Good job Eidos isn't developing, eh? :D

If they can nail the tone and keep it similar to the recent movies and books they're inspired by, I'll be all over this.

Vii @ Aug 13th 2008 9:06PM

C'mon man you're forgetting the Hitman series. Where's the love for poor 47.

Dirty @ Aug 13th 2008 8:36AM

I really hope this is good. Always seemed to me that Batman was a great IP for a game. It just never happened.

Good to see DC looking to get involved with gaming more, Marvel is already way ahead of them.

Bad Mojo @ Aug 13th 2008 8:46AM

At least we can be thankful they didn't try the kiss of death movie cash in.

But with some resources and most importantly, time, this could be freaking awesome.

Sad when the best Batman game to date will probably be Lego Batman [which I'm incredibly psyched for:)]

AK @ Aug 13th 2008 8:58AM

The best Batman game to date is Batman Returns on the SNES. Truly ahead of its time, and still holds up today.

I doubt Lego Batman will be better than it. Judging from the other Lego games, it will have too many puzzles, and not enough ass kicking.

NaeemTHM @ Aug 13th 2008 10:04AM

Ahead of it's time? Did it invent a time machine and come out before Streets of Rage? The game rocked, but it certainly wasn't anything new.

The best Batman game in my opinion was The Adventures of Batman and Robin on the SNES. That game completely nailed the look and feel of the animated series. I highly recommended you guys check it out.

AK @ Aug 13th 2008 11:37AM

NaeemTHM,

Did Streets of Rage allow you to throw enemies horizontally, and vertically while on a 2-D plane? Did it have a kick ass driving sequence? Did Streets of Rage allow you break objects that were in the BACKGROUND, not just objects on the same plane as you?

colin @ Aug 13th 2008 10:26PM

what about the punisher arcade game?

FOXHOUND @ Aug 13th 2008 8:54AM

I have to admit, I'm a bit interested at the details thus far... moreso if Hush is announced as a playable character. ;D

emirabal @ Aug 13th 2008 9:00AM

I am so with you on this, HUSH is such a cool enemy, and i do hope they make the game as good as it sounds, but i have to side with the joystiq podcasters on this one,

ASSASSINS CREED ENGINE + BATMAN SUIT + DARK THEME THROUGHOUT + CATCHING CRIMINALS = OMGMEGABBQTON

Thats whats up, im wit you mcelroy

theturtle363 @ Aug 13th 2008 1:19PM

Hush would be cool to play as, he has a cool aesthetic, but is probably the most ill conceived villain ever

playwhutyalike @ Aug 13th 2008 9:00AM

God? Hi. It's me. Please, please, please help the devs not fuck this up. Thanks.

Eothein @ Aug 13th 2008 9:16AM

It has Harley Quinn in it.
Do you need any other reason to purchase it puddin'?

Park Zero @ Aug 13th 2008 10:31AM

She is my favorite comic villainess.
Insanity + depravity + cute = awesome

ThornedVenom (Harley Quinn Defense Force) @ Aug 13th 2008 8:25PM

Quoted for truth.

emagius @ Aug 13th 2008 9:28AM

Paul Dini = awesome.

theturtle363 @ Aug 13th 2008 1:20PM

QFT, Justice League cartoons were always incredible, and Detective Comics blows the regular Grant Morrison written Batman out of the water

RavenPaul @ Aug 13th 2008 9:45AM

More Scarecrow!!!

Duke @ Aug 13th 2008 10:09AM

I would love to see a dark feeling Batman game come out that doesn't feel like the same disappointing formula we have received in the past. I'm not big on superhero games as a whole, but would be up for giving this a run if it comes out as described.

LlamaFarmer @ Aug 15th 2008 3:47PM

why so serious?

Park Zero @ Aug 13th 2008 10:21AM

Is this game based on the Arkham Asylum graphic novel?

LiqwidZero @ Aug 13th 2008 10:25AM

If it is, then I'm definitely all over it.

Cian @ Aug 13th 2008 2:24PM

So I'm going to take this as being different then the Dark Knight game that was confirmed by Gary Oldman?
Since that one is rumored to by Pandemic and I thought EA had the rights to the movie based games?

Somebody please clarify for me.

ZippyDSMlee @ Aug 13th 2008 2:51PM

I kinda wish they went FP mix in some good FPS AI from games like fear and dues ex with gameplay a mix of batman games dark messiah(minus magic of coarse)and Call of cuthulu, with a sandboxish mp layout giving akin to cryisis, and be sure to give a good pacing weapons/abilities because cryisis sucked from poor pacing....makeing a good to great game wonky if not boring.

Xa31nov1s @ Aug 13th 2008 5:36PM

"According to Eidos, the game's story, penned by Batman Beyond's Paul Dini..."

Sold.

Iknowsomethingyoudontknow. @ Aug 14th 2008 8:16AM

ok, you guys are amusing me at how confused you are haha..

Iknowsomethingyoudontknow. @ Aug 14th 2008 8:18AM

actually yes im very amused..

G-FRESH81 @ Aug 15th 2008 3:00AM

Damn, I'am SO HYPED about this game. Finally a Batman game thats NOT based on a movie or cartoon series but a straight up COMIC BOOK GAME. It's about time. And for the people who are confused, Eidos is NOT developing it their publishing it. The developer is Rocksteady Studios who made the really fun (but very underplayed) Urban Chaos Riot Response(Xbox/PS2). This game has HUGE potential as it could very well be right up their with the other greatest Batman games ever (in my opinion anyway), Batman Returns(SNES), and Adventures of Batman and Robin(SNES). Screw EA and their movie based Dark Knight game, THIS is the Batman game I truly want.