Batman: Arkham Asylum dev diary has English sensibilities

by Griffin McElroy { Aug 9th 2009 at 2:30PM }

Has your recent playthrough of the Batman: Arkham Asylum demo left you wondering exactly how the sausage got made? Lucky you -- Warner Bros. and Rocksteady recently released a behind-the-scenes look at the stealth-action superhero sim, which keen-eyed readers have probably already noticed is posted above.

The game's creators do a great job of explaining what makes the game so successful -- elements such as the intensive mocap work done to bring the animations to life, story contributions from DC's Paul Dini, and of course, Rocksteady's own "English sensibilities." We're pretty fond of our American sensibilities thankyouverymuch -- but if that's the secret ingredient that makes Arkham Asylum so rad, we guess we can't complain.

Tags: batman, batman-arkyam-asylum, dc-comics, dev-diary, pc, rocksteady-studios, video, warner-bros, warner-bros-interactive, wb, wbie

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

MystileArmor [Wiizer Sweatshop Bathwater and Sam Raimi Specialist] @ Aug 9th 2009 2:33PM

One of the few demo's this year that made me play it over and over and over and over again.
This one and Red Faction were the only demo's I've played more then a couple of times.

Sly @ Aug 9th 2009 2:36PM

i played the wheelman demo like 5 times in a row. great demo, apparently horrible game. whodathunk?

ArchiGamer 2.0 @ Aug 9th 2009 2:40PM

See, with Batman's demo, now I can't wait patiently anymore.

Release already!

SpyderTaco (PSN: Ar4chNova89) @ Aug 9th 2009 2:58PM

Don't worry Archi, it should be worth the wait.
This game will earn GoTY status if they decide to play the Christian Bale rant as the credits role. Modern Warfare 2 / Uncharted 2 can't compete with that.

sony boy @ Aug 9th 2009 2:58PM

i've played dissidia's demo a LOT. I've beat the demo with every character on hard, while my psp had a broken analog stick that kept making the character move forward. now that's hardcore.

Sly @ Aug 9th 2009 2:59PM

sony boy, thanks for reminding me that i never downloaded the dissidia demo... i gotta get to that.

MystileArmor [Wiizer Sweatshop Bathwater and Sam Raimi Specialist] @ Aug 9th 2009 3:05PM

@ Spyder Taco

The Christian Bale rant applied to Terminator... I don't see what that has to do with this game really.
That's like saying "If this game has Michael Keaton doing his Mr. Rogers circus performance in the credits, it's GOTY".

SpyderTaco (PSN: Ar4chNova89) @ Aug 9th 2009 3:12PM

I'm sorry. I guess I should start putting /s at the end of my sarcastic comments, seeing as how some people are too jaded to see through my words.

The Dark Wayne @ Aug 9th 2009 3:23PM

that wasn't sarcasm noob. That was just stupidity.

Cal @ Aug 9th 2009 3:29PM

That's what the /s stands for!

...Right??

MarnBeast @ Aug 9th 2009 3:42PM

"If this game has Michael Keaton doing his Mr. Rogers circus performance in the credits, it's GOTY"

IDK about game of the year, but I'd buy it.

MystileArmor [Wiizer Sweatshop Bathwater and Sam Raimi Specialist] @ Aug 9th 2009 3:45PM

It's worth a good laugh if you can find it on youtube or something.

SimbaDogg @ Aug 9th 2009 5:13PM

seriously...jeeebus h christ. i kinda has this game on my "think about it list" but this game is seriously is fuggin amazing. probably gonna play it again after i finish season 5 of entourage.

NitroMikeo @ Aug 9th 2009 2:40PM

Ok, im English, but I have no idea what they mean when they talk about English Sensibilities, lol. I didn't play the demo ad go "wow its like being in London!"

But Nah, this game seems alright actually, im pleasantly surprised.

Sly @ Aug 9th 2009 2:44PM

yeah, i was surprised when i heard this game turned out good. games based on licenses almost always are fail.

Ranko @ Aug 9th 2009 2:55PM

I think they might be referring to classical buildings. Gothic cathedrals and such. The gargoyles, the greenhouse etc. are very European. I wouldn't just peg it as "English Sensibilities" seeing that Gothic art began in France.

Not sure if that made any sense...

The Baron @ Aug 9th 2009 3:16PM

Maybe we can see the english influences more clearly in the game. Cockney inmates, and fish & chips as health pickups?

Paul @ Aug 9th 2009 6:49PM

I might have to go up to apples and have a right butcher's at this.

Ben @ Aug 9th 2009 8:50PM

"It's a very English company, so there's a very English sensibility to the design."

*cuts to the Aussie Lead Character Artist and French Art Director*

Popfrogs @ Aug 9th 2009 10:48PM

What, you didn't unlock the tea time with crumpets bonus round? That was the _shit_.

Regault @ Aug 10th 2009 12:15AM

Only things I think of when I hear "English sensibility" is "All futuristic societies are dystopias" and "Men dressing up as women are absolutely hilarious."

The Baron @ Aug 10th 2009 6:03AM

Well, there's nothing like cross-dressing to keep your mind off the inevitable enslavement of the human race, right chaps?

SpyderTaco (PSN: Ar4chNova89) @ Aug 9th 2009 2:41PM

Can't wait for this game. I'll admit before the demo I was one of those naysayers who kept thinking "Oh, great... Batman... They still make Batman games?"

But the demo and the inclusion of Riddler were enough reason for me to pre-order.
Plus, come on, Harley Quinn? Sold.

Sly @ Aug 9th 2009 2:43PM

i was sold when they showed off what poison ivy looks like...

CaramelZappa @ Aug 9th 2009 2:47PM

I'm in the same boat. I didn't realize before that they're using mostly the same voices from the animated series. In my book Mark Hamill is the best joker.

MystileArmor [Wiizer Sweatshop Bathwater and Sam Raimi Specialist] @ Aug 9th 2009 2:53PM

When I saw that little cutscene with Harley and she goes "Don't I look hot?"...
I thought to myself "Why is the Joker busy doing all this shit to trick Batman when he could be hitting that every 5 minutes"

Bubbameister33 @ Aug 9th 2009 3:38PM

Mystile, you are correct sir.

SpyderTaco (PSN: Ar4chNova89) @ Aug 9th 2009 3:44PM

http://bit.ly/1DrwCx
Enough said.

TiberiusMonkey @ Aug 9th 2009 3:52PM

@CaramelZappa - I totally agree, I loved Mark Hamill as the Joker.

Papa Midnight @ Aug 9th 2009 10:24PM

Mystile: I'm with you on that one.

Obie @ Aug 9th 2009 2:41PM

The demo was great and left me wanting more, can't wait for this one!

copa @ Aug 9th 2009 3:14PM

I agree, I haven't been this pleased with a demo since BioShock.

The Unreal Engine is perfect for this game. Realistic enough to be immersive, but cartoony enough to capture the comic book sensibilities.

They seem to have nailed the right balance between action and stealth. You have to sneak for tactical advantage, but when it's time to brawl with an unarmed group you still feel like a total badass.

Batman's physical animations, the use of his cape, the voice acting work together very well. I feel like I am Batman. Looks like it will indeed be the best superhero game ever made.

WiredKnight @ Aug 9th 2009 4:25PM

Cartoony enough?

ryanpaulmcgowan @ Aug 9th 2009 5:32PM

@WiredKnight

Yes, the Unreal Engine has some tendencies to do some extremely unrealistic things that look realistic. That is to say, it's got video game physics and video game physics work really well with comic books.

WiredKnight @ Aug 9th 2009 6:44PM

None of that explains the "cartoony" look of the engine itself (which is largely up to developers and artists, not the engine itself), or why copa seems to think this game looks "cartoony."

DamonTheMoney @ Aug 9th 2009 2:49PM

In my experience, British cinema has always been much more natural and realistic in portrayal of dark, gritty films. So I'm presuming that's what they're talking about here.

I guess it's just a trait that we come with, the ability to make everything much more miserable than it should be, maybe it's the weather.

KieranD @ Aug 9th 2009 2:50PM

1:36

Apparently that's a blurred out PS3 Slim. All speculation, but you have to wonder why they would blur something else...

Luke @ Aug 9th 2009 3:01PM

I noticed that, too, but they also blurred out something near the bottom left at 1:33 that looks pretty small.

Mr Khan @ Aug 9th 2009 3:02PM

Equally curious, but it didn't look slim to me.

Probably just a legal thing, NDAs regarding the dev-kits or whatnot that may not allow them to show them, since both the 360s and PS3s (or what i can presume to be such) were blurred. I remember a picture of a Mistwalker employee that had a Wii dev kit in the background that was later photoshopped out.

WiredKnight @ Aug 9th 2009 4:33PM

@Luke

I think the small thing is just a mousepad, probably has some company logo or something else they decided they didn't want people to see.

MrKlorox @ Aug 9th 2009 10:07PM

A pipe full of weed was sitting on the mousepad.

charlz54 @ Aug 9th 2009 2:51PM

I'm just curious as to the devices they are blurring out on their desks at 1:33-1:40 in the video. hmmmm :P

SpyderTaco (PSN: Ar4chNova89) @ Aug 9th 2009 3:03PM

I think Xbox 360s. One elite and one pro. They have to be.
I only believe this because of how far out the power cable extends before it drops.
Then again... I see no power brick. So who knows?
They probably blurred them to prevent people from throwing fanboy fits online.

I couldn't care less about which kits they used because from my experience on the PS3 version, that game is going to look hot.

WiredKnight @ Aug 9th 2009 4:31PM

Could be a black and white PS3.

Doesn't necessarily have to be dev kit consoles, they might just be for personal use.

Paper @ Aug 9th 2009 3:22PM

This is the game I am most excited about this year so far! Awesome stuff!

The Dark Wayne @ Aug 9th 2009 3:26PM

I guess the english sensibilities explains why Harley looks more like a 19th century prostitute than a nurse or a Harlequinn. Still upset about her costume, having a character named Harlequinn dress up as a nurse is like if Batman fought crime dressed as an accountant