The first gameplay trailer for Batman: Arkham Knight has been unveiled, showcasing a meaner looking Batman fending off a new set of villains with the help of his very impressive Batmobile.
Narrated by a menacing sounding Scarecrow, the trailer depicts the perpetually beleaguered Gotham City in a state of total chaos, as the combined forces of the Batman’s greatest enemies comes down upon the police and hapless civilians.Of course, this is where the caped crusader steps in, wearing a more advanced looking suit of armor and riding around in a Batmobile reminiscent of the one from Christopher Nolan’s film revival.
The trailer emphasizes the Batmobile heavily, showcasing its ability to launch Batman into the air like a high-powered trampoline, its ability to defy gravity and drive on vertical surfaces, as well as its array of presumably non-lethal weapons.
Other notable moments include the presence of new characters. One of them is Oracle, Commissioner Gordon’s daughter who acts as Batman’s information analyst. In previous Arkham games, she was only heard, never seen. In Arkham Knight, she will be a full-fledged character.
Another curious character is the Arkham Knight himself, a brand new villain created for the game. Looking like a highly militarized version of Batman himself, the trailer concludes with the Knight tower over Batman, with a large gun pointed at the Dark Knight’s face.
Finally, Harley Quinn makes a very brief appearance at the tail end of the trailer, accompanied by a message reading “Pre-order now to play as Harley Quinn.”
Arkham Knight will mark the return of Rocksteady Studios to the Arkham series, which propelled them to gaming royalty when Batman: Arkham Asylum was released in 2009. The most recent game in the series, Batman: Arkham Origins, was developed by WB Games. It will also mark the return of Kevin Conroy as the voice of Batman; Roger Craig Smith voiced him in Origins.
This will be the last game in the Arkham series, although it does not mean that more Batman games following the series’ highly successful formula won’t be made.
Batman: Arkham Knight will arrive on the PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on October 14 this year.