The Batman: Arkham franchise has had one hell of a run, from gliding onto the scene in 2009 with Asylum, to smashing directly into a brick wall with Suicide Squad earlier this year (Oh, and who could forget the confusingly not-canon Gotham Knights).

Now, for the first time since 2016, Batman has returned to VR with Arkham Shadow. I won't leave you in suspense! Things turned ou??t pretty well this time.

Batman: Arkham Shadow (Quest 3 [reviewed], Quest 3S)
Developer: Camouflaj
Publisher: Oculus Studios
Released: October 21, 2024
MSRP: $49.99 (free with Quest 3 purchase)

I'll get right to the point, this is a legit "Arkham" first-person action-adventure game that will last you anywhere from 10-15 hours, depending on what you want out of it. If you haven't played any "AAA VR" games in a while, we're beyond the point of tech demos taking up space on digital storefronts. Arkham Shadow is basically on par with Arkham Asylum in terms of scope, ?complete with an interconnected map to explore, Easter eggs, timed challenge ro??oms, and collectibles.

The idea is that you're still playing through a younger version of Batman voiced by Roger Craig Smith (through in-game dialogue we learn that it has been several years since Origins), pre-Asylum. I've always been a fan of Smith's take on the character, and his background as a prolific voice actor allows him to stretch the character in interesting ways that I won't spoil here. He's still a "younger" and generally angrier Batman, which nicely distances itself from the iconic Kevin Conroy portrayals. Setting it during this timeframe allows the team to inject a little more of their own flavor in, too, rather than striving to simply recreate the main Arkham trilogy.

This time around it's the week of July 4th, and Batman needs to infiltrate Blackgate Prison and stop a villain called the "Rat King," who is assembling the masses of Gotham to take on various city officials. Portions of Gotham City are available as an initial tutorial of sorts, acclimating you to the game's locomotion systems, as well as the bone-crunching combat mechanics (this time, you hear it up close). According to developer Camouflaj, Rocksteady developers were a part of the creation process of Arkham Shadow, and it shows.

What took me by surprise is how much this is painstakingly designed to feel like a mainline Arkham game. The countering, the sound effects, the atmosphere, all of it comes together in a way reminiscent of the Asylum/City/Knight trilogy. Speaking as s??omeone who got into the hobby in earnest in 2015, VR has come a long way. It's still mesmerizing to play a game like this in 2024, with branching environments, puzzles that only make sense in the ?VR space, and an intriguing mystery that's on par with Rocksteady's other projects.

Where Arkham Shadow really sold me, as a Batman fan, was in its ability to integrate more actual detective elements into the storyline (and I'm talking beyond the returning detective vision concept). Rocksteady and WB Games Montreal already did this to great effect with Arkham proper, but it's nice to see the tradition carrying on. Other than Matt Reeve's recent The Batman effort, we don't see Bruce putting his detective skills to the test ??nearly as oft??en as we should.

To be clear, the "freeflow combat" system that Asylum helped cement with other contemporaries like Assassin's Creed 2 returns, as do the stealthy "predator" sections. Batman has access to a grappling hook, explosive gel gun, batarangs, smoke bombs, and a decoder: among other gadgets that are accessible through the in-game XP and upgrade menu. Truth be told this is basically all you need for a fully Arkham-like experience, and everything is handily available by grabbing them on Batman's chest, arms, and waist. Some VR games can go overboard with too many gadgets (including over-the-shoulder gestures), but this amount of tools feels just right, given that all of ??them serve an actual purpose in g?ameplay.

Shadow is lovingly crafted by both Arkham and Batman fans alike, filled with Easter eggs and references. It's one thing to walk around the GCPD building in Origins and chuckle at a few signs, but it's something else entirely to meander through a locale in VR, grab a paper, read it, and then flip it over to read more. Getting around is really simple with the grappling hook (which can also bypass manually climbing ladders if that isn't your thing), and there are myriad accessibility options for folks who aren't used to full VR m??ovement yet. Having to grab your cape and open your arms like an idiot to glide is also way cooler than it has any right to be.

Combat is simplistic, satisfying, and surprisingly therapeutic as an actual light workout. To attack someone you'll make a real fist, and swing at an enemy while looking at them. To "counter," all you need to do is hold out your hand toward an aggressor right before they connect, even if it's off-screen (which is indicated by an icon in your sightline). Sounds easy right? Well, it is, but it's also super fun to do once the Elite Beat Agents/Beat Saber elements pop in, like hitting combinations of punches to giant rhythm game-esque icons, or swinging in specific directions for finishers. All of the?se concepts, when meshed tog?ether, help keep things interesting, especially once you start encountering elite enemies.

I do have some hangups. Some of the game's cast doesn't really get to sing because of a lack of material, especially characters you're meeting for the first time in Shadow. The story tries to cram a lot in at first, but slowly pulls back and focuses on Batman's investigation into the Rat King. I wish a few mor?e characters were fleshed out or even added, but there is a distinct lack of restraint present here that's commendable.

Gameplay is also a bit janky sometimes, which can happen in select expansive games, not just in the VR industry. There were several times when enemies could see me over an object despite being completely obfuscated by it, and I had several clipping issues (namely with grates, which make their return to the Arkham series in abundance). Another prob?lem forced me to quit the game and reload, putting me? on the correct side of a glitched doorway.

While I get the skepticism over a VR Batman game (I was unsure how this would actually pan out when it was announced), Camouflaj has more than proven that they are a major player in the VR AAA space, and Oculus Studios has yet another feather in their cap with Arkham Shadow.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

The post Review: Batman: Arkham Shadow appeared first on Destructoid.

For roughly three decades, LEGO has been a powerhouse in the video game world. Fans of the line of interlocking plastic bricks have seen titles for computers and gaming consoles alike release throughout the years, each finding their place in what is now a vast LEGO gaming catalog. However it's no stretch to say that not all LEGO games have been created equal.

There are several that have taken this toy-gaming crossover to heights previously unimagined. The Star Wars galaxy, the Marvel and DC Universes, Middle-earth, the list goes on. LEGO and TT Games have truly made the most of the medium, especially in recent decades. A select few of their efforts in particular have proven exceptional, earning their place as the 10 best LEGO games of all time.

10. LEGO Dimensions

For a brief time the 2010s, there was a big push for toys-to-life games which, for those unfamiliar, are exactly what they sound like. You buy a physical toy, there's a base of some kind attached to your console, and when the toy is placed on said base, it could be used in the game. Skylanders, Disney Infinity, and others came and went, with LEGO Dimensions ultimately doing the same. Be that as it may, in the pantheon of LEGO-based games, Dimensions deserves some credit. Even as a vehicle to get kids to spend more money on LEGO and video games simultaneously, LEGO Dimensions truly brin??gs out?? the level of creativity most know the brand for.

There's something undeniably fun about seeing characters and locales from properties like Adventure Time, Beetlejuice, Mission: Impossible, and more cross over in LEGO form. Not to mention, Dimensions is responsible for an incredible selection of physical minifigures that otherwise might not have gotten made. The gameplay may not reinvent the wheel, nor was LEGO necessarily on the cutting edge with the toys-to-life concept, but Dimensions ?is fun enough, and with so many franchises to choose from, there's a lot for pop culture enthusiasts to sink their teeth into.

9. LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean

Unfortunately in the 2020s, the Pirates of the Caribbean saga is largely fallen out of the cultural zeitgeist. Sure, characters like Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) and Davy Jones (Bill Nighy) have their share of fans, but on the whole, the brand is nowhere near juggernaut it was not so long ago. In fact, even though the first film, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, debuted in 2003, in 2011, there was still plenty of buzz surrounding it and its sequels, hence why LEGO began releasing Pirates sets and put out the LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean video game.

Even with the diminished mainstream presence of Pirates, the LEGO game based on the first four films is pretty great. Looking to the hub world and interface aesthetic, it's not too dissimilar from previous LEGO titles, but that doesn't mean it's bad. LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean offers up a unique selection of main and supporting characters, and the levels themselves are a treat to play through. The fast-paced, swashbuckling nature of the films is translated to perfection, as is their humor. LEGO games a?re never averse to cracking a few jokes, but they've never felt more at home than in? this title.

8. LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4

Throughout the 2000s, the Harry Potter films became some of the most widely-adored of their era. Thus, it's no surprise that LEGO got in on the Wizarding World cash cow quickly by releasing sets based on the films. Come 2010, the brand sought to take the young adult fantasy property in a new direction by adapting it in the form of LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4, which took Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Nintendo?? DS and various other popular platforms by storm upon release.

By the time this LEGO Harry Potter game dropped, several LEGO games based on popular franchises had come to pass. Nevertheless, the game manages to stand out from its contemporaries instead of just becoming another LEGO title. Not only does it effectively adapt the first four Harry Potter films, but it features an impressive roster of characters, engaging level design, and one of its most notable features, it's magic mechanics. Through it all, the game does a commendable job of capturing the detail-packed look and whimsical tone of the first half of the Harry Potter Saga.

7. LEGO Star Wars: The Video Game

Numerous LEGO games came before it, but LEGO Star Wars The Video Game is regarded by many as the true beginning of LEGO's reign over the gaming space. Released in 2005 to coincide with the release of Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, the game takes players through a blocky, simplified version of the Star Wars prequel trilogy. While it may appear quaint compared to the LEGO and LEGO Star Wars games on the market today, there's no denying its place in history. LEGO Star Wars: The Video Game provided a framework for all virtually LEGO games after it.

The lack of character dialogue became a staple of the franchise for many years, as did in-game collectibles like minikits and studs. The inclusion of a hub world, Dexter Jettster's diner, in this case, endured for many LEGO titles beyond it. The heart health system has stuck around for the long haul as well. To put it lightly, one can spend ages listing the contributions LEGO Star Wars: The Video Game made to LEGO games as a whole. Without?? it and many of its stylistic choices, it's anyone's guess as to what the serie?s would look like today.

6. LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes

The first LEGO Batman game from 2008 was a standout success. Therefore, it only made sense for its inevitable sequel to raise the stakes and go even bigger. Suffice to say, that's exactly what 2012's LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes?? does. As the title implies, this adventure encompasses a wider portion of the DC Universe, but a larger roster of heroes and villains compared to its predecessor isn't the only way this sequel takes things to the n?ext level.

First and foremost is the revamped hub world, which isn't a mere couple of rooms anymore. When not loaded into a mission, LEGO Batman 2 allows you to explore a fair chunk of Gotham City. You can ride around in the Batmobile, fly around as Superman, or dart through the streets as the Flash if you so please, accomplishing side missions and beating up bad guys. This is also the first LEGO game to do away with the popularized lack of dialogue and occasional mumbles set forth by the first LEGO Star Wars. The added voice acting proved quite an influential creative decision for future games. LEGO Batman 2 was a sizable evolutionary step forward without losing the core identity of the LEGO game series.

5. LEGO Lord of the Rings

LEGO as a brand is no stranger to the world of fantasy, specifically of the sword and sorcery variety. Some of its most adored sublines center on knights, castles, and dragons, after all. So, it was only right for LEGO to eventually take this experience and it's penchant for collaborating with existing properties to create LEGO Lord of the Rings. Alongside a series of sets based on director Peter Jackson's iconic film trilogy, LEGO Lord of the Rings hit the video game scen??e in 2012 too much applause.

Not only is LEGO Lord of the Rings and exceptional LEGO game with fun missions, a bevy of characters to play as, and no shortage of secrets for players to uncover, but it's one of the best Lord of the Rings games ever made, bar none. With the era of confined hub worlds long gone, the game embraces the vast and beautiful landscapes of Middle-earth. Between missions, you're free to explore every nook and cranny, which are packed with details and side activities. It may very well be the most visually breathtaking LEGO game to date, and it stands to reason it will ??hold tha?t title for years to come.

4. LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures

With nearly 20 years elapsed since the last Indiana Jones movie, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, hit theaters, Indy (Harrison Ford) was up for a big screen return. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was set to arrive in 2008, prompting a whole new wave of Indiana Jones merchandise. Naturally LEGO got in on the craze, producing a line of sets based on the then-four movies, in addition to LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures. In the wake of three Star Wars LEGO games, it had big ??shoes to fill, and it didn't disappoint in the slightest.

Per the name, the first of two Indiana Jones LEGO games adapts the three original Indy films, and it does so quite well. The landscapes reflect those of the movies, the character selection is varied (or is varied as it can be for a movie line dedicated primarily to people in suits and military uniforms), and the archeology, adventure-oriented gameplay mechanics make for unique puzzle solving. Some of the levels may not perfectly resemble the events of the movies, but for the sake of offering an enjoyable gaming experience, that's nothing to be up in arms about. LEGO Indiana Jones is just all kinds of fun.

3. LEGO Batman: The Videogame

By 2008, LEGO was going full steam ahead with licensed video game adaptations. By that point, three LEGO Star Wars games were in the can, and LEGO Indiana Jones was on its path to gaming immortality. Keeping the momentum going, LEGO set its sights on the world of costume superheroes. With a line of building sets based on his escapades already sending LEGO fans into a frenzy, who better to start with then the Caped Crusader himself, Batman, with the aptly-titled LEGO Batman: the Videogame?

Director Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy was at the halfway point by the time the first LEGO Batman game arrived, but the minds behind it took an interesting approach. Instead of strictly following existing media, LEGO Batman is an amalgamation o??f various pieces of Batman-centric stories, from comics to films to animation. The result is the quintessential Batman gaming experience. All the heroes and villains one would want are present, the environments feel appropriately comic bookie, and the inclusion of a villain story is a nice touch to pad out the gameplay time. It proves licensed LEGO games don't have to stick to someone else's script. They can chart their own course and find unanimous support. Calling it? a LEGO classic would be an understatement.

2. LEGO Marvel Super Heroes

Thanks to its beloved Batman efforts, many considered LEGO synonymous with DC. At the same time, due to its past with director Sam Raimi's first two Spider-Man movies, many yearned for more collaborations with Marvel. Early in the 2010s, such a LEGO-Marvel deal became a reality, giving fans sets and minifigures based on the comics and flourishing Marvel Cinematic Universe. Much like with other franchises previously, this licensing agreement led to the very first and best LEGO Marvel game, 2013's LEGO Marvel Super Heroes.

LEGO Marvel Super Heroes does just about everything right. It features pretty much every hero and villain one could possibly imagine. It has a similar hub world to LEGO Batman 2, allowing players to run about New York City as they please. The story is entirely original, there are plenty of side missions to keep the narrative fun going, and the city is packed with secrets worth seeking out. There's also the inclusion of Marvel Comics icon Stan Lee, who finds himself in some sticky situations and needs to be bailed out. All in all, LEGO Marvel Super Heroes takes the best part??s of its pred??ecessors and stuffs them into one, dare I say, marvelous, package.

1. LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga

LEGO games have come a long way since the modern boom that kicked off in 2005. Voice acting is commonplace, open world elements have become the norm, and numerous properties have received time in the LEGO video game spotlight. For as great as newer games are, there's a case to be made that LEGO games peaked a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away. Yes, all these years later, the best LEGO game remains LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga from 2007.

What is there to say about this game that hasn't already been said? Six movies worth of missions, at the time, the largest LEGO video game roster ever seen, solid graphics, and loads of bonus content. You can even unlock Indiana Jones as a playable character. Is the game more or less a spruced-up combination of LEGO Star Wars: The Video Game and LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy? Yes, but that doesn't diminish how special it was to have all six films, their characters, and hours-worth of extras in one convenient p?ackage.

You might be wondering, can't all of that be said about LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga? To some extent, but there's something to be said for The Complete Saga's light, breezy gameplay and awareness of its limitations. Sometimes less is more, and though The Skywalker Saga is impressive and ambitious, it bites off a bit more than it can chew. It can be a sluggish, tedious affair with its combat, puzzle-solving, and travel, as where The Complete Saga keeps up the fun factor remain?s snappy,?? and doesn't overstay its welcome. It truly doesn't get any better.

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In the first new character announcement since the Open Beta initially closed, MultiVersus is set to add the? Joker to the growing list of famil??iar names.

Several fans already guessed it based on the series of clues Player First Games provided, but the devs officially confirmed Joker as a new character coming to MultiVersus. In the reveal trailer, we get a first look at the character design and in a pleasant surprise, the Joker will be voiced by actor Mark Hamill, who previously played the iconic DC Super-Villain in the Batman: Arkham videogame series and Batman: The Animated Series. 

The Joker will be available when MultiVersus launches on May 28.

MultiVersus initially launched an Open Beta in July of 2022. After achieving plenty of success, the devs closed the Open Beta in June of 2023 to rework the free-to-play fighter's netcode, matchmaking, and progre?ssion system. Additionally, Player First Game promised to introduce new characters, maps, modes, and features when the title officially relaunched. The devs aimed for an initial re-launch window of early 2024, but players will finally be able to jump back into matc?hes soon.

So far, the devs have already revealed that MultiVersus will use rollback netcode, which will improve matchmaking and gameplay fluidity. Then, Player First Games dropped a blog previewing new gameplay changes, including a new dash attack, parry improvements, c??haracter kit tuning, and more. It's unclear if there are plans to reveal any other new character before the official re-?launch, but we will provide any updates on other announcements.

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Like the caped crusader himself, a new Batman game bearing the Arkham series name has dropped out of the shadows, catching everyone by surprise. How fitting then that it's titled Batman: Arkham Shadow.

Before you get too excited, this isn't a direct follow-up to the third-person action-adventure gameplay seen in Batman: Arkham Asylum and its sequels. Instead, this is a VR title, and it's being developed exclusively for the Meta Quest 3. The reveal trailer doesn't give away much either, with a description only saying Gotham City is in danger... ?so what else is new?

The announcement does provide a couple of interesting details. For starters, Arkham series developer Rocksteady appears to have no involvement with Arkham Shadow. Instead, the game's being handled by Oculus Studios and Camouflaj, the latter of which being responsible for the solid Iron Man VR game from 2020. A post on Camouflaj's website seems to suggest this will still be canon to the Arkham series, since ??it's described as "a new chapter to such a storied franchise," though precisely when it'll take place is unclear.

While story details are being kept under wraps, the trailer does see Batman coming across an uncomfortably large swarm of rats. Aside from giving off A Plague Tale: Requiem vibes, I wonder if this is hinting at the Ratcatcher, a rather obscure Batman villain, serving as the main antagonist. I'm all for lesser-known bad guys getting a chance in the spotlight, and it'd make for a nice change of pace from the usual suspects like the Joker. A proper reveal is being saved for Summer Game Fest on June 7, so perhaps we'll get more concrete story details then, a???s well as gameplay footage.

This isn't the first VR entry in the series; Rocksteady previously released Batman Arkham VR in 2016 for PlayStation 4 and PC. Arkham Shadow, however, is only coming to Meta Quest 3, which is a bit disappointing for anyone without a headset or who'd prefer a more traditional action-adventure entry. Especially after Rocksteady shifted gears with co-op shooter Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. Those with a Meta Quest 3, though, should hopefully be in for a treat when Arkham Shadow launches in late 2024.

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If you really, really wanted to take a gamble on whether or not the Batman: Arkham games would be optimized for the Switch when the set of newly-announced trilogy ports arrives later this year, it looks like you'll be waiting a bit longer for it. WB has announced that the Batman: Arkham Trilogy pack has been shifted out of its original October 13 ?window (which was right around the c?orner!) and is now set for December.

Here'?s the full state??ment from the game's official Twitter account:

"Batman: Arkham Trilogy for Nintendo Switch will now launch on December 1, 2023. More time is needed to bring players the best possible experience on Nintendo Switch. We apologize to fans who are excited to play this version of the trilogy.?? Thank you for? your patience."

As a reminder, this trilogy includes Batman: Arkham Asylum, Arkham City, and Arkham Knight, forgoing the prequel story of Arkham Origins. Sadly, only one game is actually on the cart (Arkham Asylum), and the rest will be digital downloads. Yep, you'll need an online connection to actually get the other two games if you buy the?? pack physically.

Normally platform proliferation and more physical releases are a great thing, but as usual, WB is going about it in a really strange and potentially buggy way. We'll have to wait a few more months to see the state of the Arkham trilogy on Switch. Hopefully, at the very least, Arkham Asylum (the crown jewel and the on??ly game on t??he cart) is stable!

The post Predictably, B?atman: Arkham ??Trilogy is delayed on Switch appeared first on Destructoid.

Why bother?

As is the case whenever an older major third-party franchise gets announced for the Nintendo Switch, eyebrows were raised when the Batman: Arkham Trilogy was revealed i?n Nintendo's recent Direct presentation. It turns out that skepticism was on point!

According to WB, although the Arkham Trilogy will be sold physically, the cart only contains Batman: Arkham Asylum. Yep, only one of the games in the "trilogy" will be included physically, and you'll need to download the rest. Don't just take it from me, read the entire FAQ entry o??n the game's official site:

Does the Nintendo Switch physical version of Batman: Arkham Trilogy include all three games on one cartridge?

Batman: Arkham Asylum will be included on the Batman: Arkham Trilogy game cartridge. Batman: Arkham City and Batman: Arkham Knight will require an online connection to download and install both titles when the Batman: Arkham Trilogy cartridge i??s inserted into the Nintendo Switch console. All three games will then be playable as long as the cartridge is inserted into the Nin??tendo Switch console.

Welp! At least yo?u get "all previously released DLC" with that download ??when it comes out this fall!

This is part of a longer trend for third-party games

Although The Witcher 3 managed to cram the ga?me on a higher-capacity cart, many third-party Switch games have suffered the same fate as the Arkham Trilogy. In fact, Arkham wasn't the only series that's fending off criticism in that very same Nintendo Direct, as Konami revealed that Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol 1 would also require massive downloads.

Start clearing up your SD space now if you're p?artaking in either of them later this year.

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Dinna-dinna-dinna-dinna...

During today's Nintendo Direct presentation, Nintendo and Rocksteady Games announced that the critically acclaimed Batman: Arkham Trilogy is headed to Nintendo Switch in Fall 2023.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVMNvvaXJ2s&ab_channel=Ninten?doofAmerica

The trilogy, which consists of Batman: Arkham Asylum, Batman: Arkham City, and Batman: Arkham Knight, represents three of the greatest video games starring Gotham's protecto?r, The Dark Knight. Featuring gothic overworlds, brilliant character designs, and hugely dramatic storylines, the Batman: Arkham Trilogy is more than deserving of its overwhelming praise, and is as playable and engaging today at it was on release.

Batman: Arkham Trilogy launches on Nintendo Switch this fall.

The post Ba?tman: Arkham Trilogy is coming to Nintendo Switch this fa??ll appeared first on Destructoid.

Rowr, Fsss! Fsss!

Movie-licensed games have long been given a bad rap, but to be fair to them, that’s only because they’re usually bad. This goes back to the �0s, with some of the earliest video games to hit the market. I don’t have an explanation for why these titles are often bad. The fact that they have to be rushed to meet the same release date as the movie certainl?y does no favors. However, my theory is that, when a game already has advertising that comes from a larger industry, why even bother trying to make it good? It’s going to sell on recognition alone.

With that in mind, here we have 2004’s Catwoman, based on the film starring Halle Berry. It has the distinction of being based off what is considered by some to be one of the worst big-budg?et films of all time. It would be really ironic if this game turned out to actually be good!

It’s not.

[caption id="attachment_361650" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

The city's finest

I’ve never seen Catwoman, and I’m going to be honest with you, I don’t really want to. I prefer the Catwoman that was pushed out a window by Christopher Walken in the holiday classic Batman Returns. The movie apparently focuses on a woman named Patience Phillips who’s killed by her boss in a different way. However, a cat revives her, and that makes her a cat woman for some reason. Nea??t how that works. When someone is resuscitated by mouth-to-mouth, does that turn them into The Human Kiss?

Catwoman actually starts with the titular zombie breaking into a jewelry store. Except there are already people there. So after a non-lethal takedown of the thugs, the police roll up, give Catwoman five seconds to surrender, then just light the place up with a torrent of gunfire. To be fair to the police, there were gunshots before they arrived. However, I’m not sure how they’re going to explain that to the owner of the jewelry store. “We had reason to believe there was a woman armed with a whip inside?�/p>

The entire opening sequence is riotously funny. Catwoman then escapes the store and is confronted by two police officers who hav??e apparently wasted all their ammo and are going to take Halle Berry on bare-fisted.

Upon (non-lethally) dispatching the officers, a helicopter rolls up, puts the spotlight on Catwoman’s leather pants, and starts dropping a hail of bullets on her. However, none of these bullets can hit you. You can stand in one place, and the environment around you will be abs?olutely torn to shreds, but not one bullet will pierce your feline flesh.

[caption id="attachment_361652" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Who are we? The Wild Cats!

Catwoman itself is terrible, only worth playing for these moments of awkward hilarity. The controls are uncomfortable and atrocious. You use the L button to get on all-fours like a cat, and the R button to jump, then the rest of the buttons don’t do much of anything. The worst part of using L and R for basically everything is that the Xbox and Gamecube controllers have analog triggers. More uncomfortably, the Gamecube’s controller makes a loud “pling!�every time you push them down all the way, so you’re playing with resistant buttons that scream at you. The A button is used for an unlockable “pose�move, where you get guards horny so you can get ?the “pussycat�score multiplier.

I’ve sworn to myself I was go??ing to avoid using “pussy�as a euphemism in?? this article. It is taking every scrap of my willpower to abide by that.

You whip and attack with the C-stick or equivalent right analog stick,? which is fine in theory, but Catwoman mostly ignores your commands anyway, so it adds no additional precision. Many of its controls are completely against intuition. If you want to swing on a pole, you have to hold L, but if you’re hanging from one using your whip, you press back and forth. It’s like two people were designing the controls, ??they were located in different countries, they didn’t speak the same language, and they hated each other.

Not that better controls would simplify things. The camera is vocally disinterested in what’s going on. It won’t show you important details like what’s in front of you, with the game helpfully telling you to switch into?????????????????????????? first-person view to look around the environment. It takes its time to show you what’s going on. Once, I jumped through a window, and when the camera finally decided to pan down to where I had landed, a guard had me in his arms, and another was taking shots at me.

[caption id="attachment_361653" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Impenetrable layer of suck

This isn’t to say Catwoman is difficult beyond its impenetrable layer of suck. It’s actually extraordinarily unwilling to let you die. You know the whole “just kill me already,�countered by “I want to watch you suffer?�That’s the vibe going on in Catwoman. You can fall 20 stories, and?? you won’t die. No, it’s much worse. You have to then ??climb back up through its irrationally crappy platforming sections.

The only mercy it really has is sometimes, very occasionally, it will open up a shortcut, so you can get back up faster. However, this has the implication that the developers expected that you’d fall, so all those times they chose not to help you back up was just maliciousness. Checkpoints would have been better, but while Catwoman has these, ????I never saw them in platforming sections where they would have mattered.

So, I climbed up again and again, as a cat with nine lives that it couldn’t lose fast eno??ugh.

[caption id="attachment_361655" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

The bottom of the platforming sections

The effort to tell the story is token, at best. Like I said, I neve?r watched the m??ovie, so I don’t know how faithful it is to the movie’s plot. However, after the jewelry store heist, Halle Berry then chases around a cat for some strange reason. A lot of important narrative context is completely glossed over, resulting in storytelling that is just as messy as the game itself. I guess that at least makes it consistent.

The combat is simply misguided. You can either beat up guards until they cower in fear from your relentless slapping or kick them into dumpsters and other containers. At one point, early in the game, I opened up one of these containers and a guard just jumped in under his own power. I’m not sure if I beat him up enough prior to opening the trapdoor where he just decided that fleeing into a trash compactor would be better than facing Halle Berry’s tight pants, but it was extremely funny to watch. Of course, while the implication is that Catwoman doesn’t kill or even subdue her targets, I took every opportunit??y I had to knock enemies off ledges to the bottom of platforming sections. See how they like it.

To no one’s surprise, Catwoman is awful. It’s an archetypal licensed movie-game rushed out to take advantage of branding. Some of the developers moved on to bigger and better things, but yo??u can tell their hearts weren’t in it for this one. Well, except for who??ever was responsible for the puddles. They did a phenomenal job.

For previous Weekly Kusoge, check this link!

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Holy spinoff, Batman

Every so often, things pass us by. October in particular was a packed month, full of games like Vampire Survivors, Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope, A Plague Tale 2, Alan Wake Remastered Switch, Scorn, Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection, NHL 23, and No Man's Sky Switch: to name a few (and in this case, I'm be??ing literal, comparatively!).

So it makes sense that Gotham Knights would slip through the cracks, especially when codes were s?emi-limited for ?it at the time. It's time for Gotham's crew to face the music.

[caption id="attachment_358113" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Gotham Knights (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S [reviewed on an Xbox Series X])
Developer: WB Games Montreal
Publisher: WB Interactive Entertainment
Released: October 21, 2022
MSRP: $59.99 (PC), $69.99 (consoles)

As soon as I saw the RPG elements of Gotham Knights in that very first gameplay showing, I felt deflated. So you're going to take a highly narrative-focused action series and dump mid-2010s sensibilities (that h?ave be??en done to death by now) into it? Bold choice! It didn't really pay off.

I couldn't shake the sense that much of the Batman mythos was squandered here. "Batman is dead" ?is still an interesting premise if done right (even if it's been touched in various forms), and having his team of sidekicks come together to stabilize Gotham could allow for a lot of cool character interactions and growing pains. That's not even including the raw potential for The Court of Owls: the shadowy organization that's barely been covered outside of the source material. But the game is so concerned about gamey things like numbers, crafting, and minimap blips that a lot of the impact of said narrative falls to the?? wayside.

A lot of your personal enjoyment is going to come from the character you pick (your options are Nightwing [Dick], Robin [Tim], Batgirl [Babs], and Red Hood [Jason]. For me, the majority of the game was spent with the latter, who is, let's say, uneven at best. There's some cringey dialogue in there (that thankfully doesn't get too edgy), but his moveset, which involves non-lethal guns, does show some form of evolution from the Arkham formula. Choosing between all four characters to try and find your groove is a cool idea at the very least, and one of the few live servicey elements that actually has a point to it. It helps that you can swap at any time, and all of them level up together: avoiding ??one path of p?ainful grinding.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSJTK8-R_sk

Strangely, one of the very first things you do in the action game Gotham Knights is completely stop said action dead in its trac??ks, and look at a? clue-based minigame to try and open a door. It's bizarre, and you can tell that someone really had a bone to pick with the idea of copying the Detective Mode and wanted to do their own thing. Well, it's different!

Characters are loaded up with abilities and skill trees, and it's not nearly as intrusive or as busy as it could have been. Many of those skills are actually pretty fun to use and easy to trigger, and I found myself changing Bat-people often to see how everyone else handles. There's a bit of a disconnect here with the encounters: particularly how many enemies can feel spongey without putting up too much of a fight. As is the case with prior Arkham games boss fights can be a bright spot, but there simply aren't eno?ugh of them.

Where things go wrong is basically all of the other collectibles, which are rote "crafting" reagents or slow-drip cosmetic unlocks. The big red flag is collecting "clues" from enemies in the form of arcadey vacuumed pickups, which can trigger new leads. I don't know about y'all, but I don't want to spend copious amounts of time "chasing leads" and interrogating criminals. I just want to go from mission to mission like the old Arkham games and do my thing.

[caption id="attachment_358124" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Once you're playing the actual missions themselves, things do pick up. It's fun to zoom around the city, and missions are relatively bite-sized, broken up into multiple interludes that all play into a chapter-based system. Not all the b?eats hit, and not everything comes together, but you do get the sense that you're chipping away at a mystery, and the parts that involve the team itself are often insightful.

I couldn't help but see many of the same mistakes as the DCEU's Justice League film, though: in the sense that so much was rushed, and so much was jammed in without the proper amount of development. The events that unfold in this game almost feel like it could have been a trilogy, with Batman mentoring some of the squad in the first game, relying on them more in the second game, and then you spring the "Batman is dead" gimmick. If you don't already care about these characters?, a lot of the nuances will probably bounce off you: justifiably so. Too many factions are cra?mmed into this narrative when each of the major players could have carried a single entry.

I wouldn't say that the map that's presented in Gotham Knights is authentically Gotham, but it's not a bad open world setting either. There are plenty of opportunities to zip through with various grappling hooks, and although the map itself is too busy, it also means that ?you can reasonably wander around and find stuff to do randomly. Fast travel points and a vehicle that can be summoned nearly anywhere also add to the convenience of getting around.

[caption id="attachment_358125" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Going along with the live service theme, the core game has two player support, and there's also a four player side mode called Heroic Assault. At this point, I've been able to try two player co-op many times (mostly through the instant hop-in feature), and it was often a riot. In one session, I spent some time with anoth??er person who also played Red Hood (you can double up), who yelled, in character, "you want some?!" every time we would get into a skirmish. Then there's the co-op partner who didn't realize I was in their game for a solid 30 minutes, d?espite following them the entire time. It was seamless, and when I was done, I could hop back into my game quickly. If you're interested in co-op at all, you'll definitely want to jump in with someone you know (perhaps on a deep sale or when the game is eventually part of some promo) to get the most out of it; but I see where the team was going with it.

After playing Gotham Knights, I couldn't shake the feeling that a lot of it had the air of an Arkham-verse fan game. While the??re is something there, you can almost reach out and touch the design-by-committee elements? and witness the souls of some of the developers leaving their bodies. If you're looking for another "Open World: The Game," this one has you covered.

The post Review: Gotham Knights appeared first on Destructoid.

Kevin Conroy's Batman will be in the new Rocksteady game

Rocksteady has locked in a release date for Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. Alongside seei??ng the DC anti-hero squad finally debut, we'll also get to hear?????????????????????????? Kevin Conroy's voice as Batman once again.

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League will debut on May 26, 2023 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Seri?es X|S, and PC. We got a new trailer for it at tonight's Game Awards 2022, spotlight the squad dealing with what looks like the aftermath of their rumble with The Flash.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdrBPWNns84

As it soon becomes apparent, the Caped Crusader is hot o??n the??ir heels. And he also seems to have dropped the "not killing anyone" thing, too.

Confirmed during tonight's Game Awards, the late Kevin Conroy will still be the voice of Batman in the coming Rocksteady game. Conroy lent his voice to many iterations of Batman over the years, including voice acting for Rocksteady's Arkham series. And in Suicide Squad, we'll get one more portrayal. The Game Awards trailer closed with a tribute to the ac?tor.

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The voice for a generation

Kevin Co??nroy, the prolific voice actor who portrayed Batman across film, television, and video games, has died after a short battle with cancer. He was 66.

Conroy began his acting career on the stages of New York and San Diego after attending The Julliard School, where he studied alongside Christopher Reeve and roomed with Robin Williams. He performed on Broadway, did Shakespeare, and made the rounds on television, popping up in some of the biggest shows of the '80s. A celebrated actor, it was his command of his voice that would see him hit new professional heights when he was cast as Bruce Wayne/Batman in Batman: The Animated Series.

Arguably one of the greatest television shows of all time, Batman: The Animated Series reintroduced the Caped Crusader to the Saturday morning cartoon crowd with a darker, more mature tone than what was seen during the character's Hanna-Barbera era. It was one of the few cartoons of the time that could ?be equally appreciated by kids, teens, and adults. The show reimagined many of Batman's most famous foes, introduced Harley Quinn as a DC mainstay, and elevated the quality of animation for kids' cartoons. And at the center of it was Conroy, using his extensive training and education to create two distinct yet similar voices for Batman and Bruce Wayne, something that would become a staple of the role for the actors who followed him.

While Batman: The Animated Series would only last for two seasons, Conroy would continue to play the character for the next thirty years across a wide variety of DC programming, both animated and live-action. He also voiced the character in more than a dozen video games, perhaps most famously in the groundbreaking Batman: Arkham franchise. Conroy's last credited role as Batman came in 2022's Multiversus.

"He will always be my Batman."

DC Comics released a statement following Conroy's passing, with tributes paid by those who worked with him throughout the decades. Casting and Dialogue Director Andrea Romano said Conroy "was far more than an actor whom I had the pleasure of casting and directing �he was a dear friend for 30+ years whose kindness and generous spirit knew no boundaries." Mark Hamill, who went toe to toe with Conroy as The Joker across a wide array of projects, said, "He truly cared for the people around him �his decency shone through everything he did. Every time I saw him or spoke with him, my spirits were elevated." Recalling Conroy's response to the 9/11 attacks and his way with fans at conventions, Paul Dini, one of the producers of Batman: The Animated Series, described him as "A hero in every sense of t??he word. Irreplaceable. Eternal."

Oth?ers who??'ve worked with Conroy over the years have taken to social media to share their condolences:

On a personal note, I'm wiping away tears as I type this obituary. Like many kids of the '90s, Kevin Conroy was the Batman for me. No matter who took up the cowl in the live-action films, it was always his depiction of the character I cherished the most. My love and appreciation of his work would grow when I learned earlier this year that Kevin Conroy was gay. In this year's DC Pride issue, Conroy penned "Finding Batman," an autobiographical tale depicting his struggle with childhood trauma, being open with who he is, and the AIDS epidemic, all leading up to the moment he found his voice as Batman. It's a powerful story about how our life experiences shape us and how even the dour points in our lives can help us achieve that which we strive for most. In an anthology that celebrated how far LGBTQ+ people have come in this world, it's a beautiful if blunt reminder of how difficult the road has been to get to where we are today. [Update: Following his passing, DC Comics has made "Finding Batman" available online.]

Conroy is survived by his husband, Vaugh C. Williams, his sister, Trisha Conroy, and his br??other, Tom Conroy.

The post Kevin Co?nroy, iconic Batman voice actor, dead ??at 66 appeared first on Destructoid.

"I'm [a] Batman [game]"

Bruce Wayne has had many ups and downs in his personal life, in just about every single iteration of Batman media that he appears in: it's kind of his thing. And the same goes for the sea of Batman video games; w??hich, quite frankly, is filled with sunken barges of ill-advised movie tie-ins and project?s that just didn't have as much love and care as they should have.

Here's a list of our top five Batman games throughout the ages.

5 - Batman: The Video Game (NES)

A da?rk horse pick that Bruce Wayne himself would have been proud of: the surprisingly influential movie tie-in game on the NES takes number five.

I recall renting this ages ago at my local Power Video, and I was completely blown away. Not only does it stray far from the Tim Burton movie it attempts to replicate, but it also utilizes that classic Sunsoft retro touch. Leaping off of walls felt like a natural extension of Batman; and I associate it with Batman NES more so than any other game before or after it (Ninja Gaiden included).

If I can still hear the soundtrack blasting in my head from memory as I'm writing this, you know it did something right. If you've played it before, you know exactly what I'm talking about!

4 - Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes

While most of you expected this list to be entirely populated with Arkham-universe gam???es, I figured I'd throw in a few worthy surprises.

Lego Batman 2 literally builds upon what made its predecessor work, while maintaining the family friendly appeal of the LEGO franchise in general. This is something I can just pick up with anyone and play basically at any time of day, no matter how I'm feeling. And seeing Batman interact with a ton of DC comics characters is the cherry on top. It's also one of the more packed LEGO games, which is good news for people who are tired of the ??sometimes worn formula.

3 - Batman: The Enemy Within

In what feels like the cusp of the downfall of Telltale Games, the studio put out Batman: The Enemy Within, and really hit hard on piloting the identity of Bruce Wayne and managing his fractured? ps?yche. While the first season was relatively light with Joker antics, this season took things in a decidedly more Joker direction, which was to be expected: as most roads in Dark Knight-dom lead to Joker.

Thankfully, Enemy Within managed to spice things up a bit, and took a different tact that allo??ws for some fresh takes on the Clown Prince's relationship with Bats.

2 - Batman: Arkham Asylum

As the big spark that kicked off Batman and made him relevant again in the gaming sphere: it makes sense why Asylum would be included as a no-brainer top five pick. Although it had some rough edges the Assassin's Creed-like combat system? was an instant hit, and it nailed the fantasy of playing as Batman, with all?? the wonderful toys to come with it.

Without Asylum, we wouldn't have seen a new wave of resplendence of Batman media.

Related | 10 most powerful DC comics villains on The Mary Sue

1 - Batman: Arkham City

That said! Arkham City is my favorite of the Arkham series, and takes the top spot overall. I know when it came out there were plenty of debates in regards to the merits of City and Asylum, and how the former was a bit too sprawling for its own good: but I was called to 100% City like a siren's song from the first hour.

The harrowing intro, the raised stakes, the increased rogue's gallery: it was all enough to cement it as my favorite Batman game of all time. I can remember flying through every inch of this ?city, before the franchise started to run out of ideas.

The post The top 5 Batman games, ranked appeared first on Destructoid.

Sefton Hill and Jamie Walker are moving on to a new adventure

Rocksteady co-founders Sefton Hi??ll and Jamie Walker are leaving the company. The pair? announced they will depart Rocksteady at the end of 2022.

In a letter detailing the shift, Rocksteady confirms that founding member and longtime dire?ctor of pr??oduction Nathan Burlow will take over as studio director. Darius Sadeghian will take over the role of Studio Product Director.

"With Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League nearly finished, they have both decided to leave Rocksteady at the end of 2022 and will begin a new adventure in gaming," reads today's statement. "We have the utmost respect and gratitude for Jamie an?d Sefton and wish them all the best in their new endeavor, and like many fans, we look forward to what they do next."

No word yet on what the duo will go on to do. Today's letter says the two will be moving on to a "new adventure" in gaming. Hill a??nd Walker wished Burlow and Sadeghian the best in taking the reins of Rocksteady.

"Now with Suicide Squad ??in safe hands, and the team here stronger than ever, it's time to hand over the reins, and for us to start a new adventure together in games," wrote Hill and Walker.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRKZ1ewc9f0

Keep steady

The duo of? Walker and Hill has been behind Rocksteady since it was formed in 2004. The two had previously ??worked together at Argonaut Games.

The team would go on to kickstart the Batman: Arkham series of games. The Arkham series grew, expanding out to other studios, and has become pretty pivotal for the modern sup??erhero genre.

Rocksteady is currently working on Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, which was pushed out of this year and into spring 2023.

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Multi-monitor support and a bevy of graphics options

The Bat-Family's new escapades aren't far off now. Today, WB Montreal released a new trailer highlighting some of the options PC players will have for their crimefighting ventures in Gotham Knights.

In a special PC trailer, we get to see some more of the crew in action, as well as footage captured using the PC version. Gotham Knights will support 4K resolution and ultra-high frame rate options, as well as ray tra??ced reflections.

WB Games also confirms that Gotham Knights will have Intel's XeSS A.I.-enhanced upscaling as an option. More options are shown in the trailer?, includin??g a menu full of toggles like resolution render and FPS limits, as well TAA upsample and more.

Particularly cool is the option to support ultrawide and multi-monitor PC setups for Gotham Knight. You kn?o??w, so you can play the new Bat game on a Batcave-style computer layout.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=REicHG5ZR3U

Basically, there are a bun??ch of tools and toggles for making the Bat-family's fight for Gotham look real??ly pretty.

The fight for Gotham

Gotham Knights is the new title from WB Games Montreal. Rather than following Batman like other Arkham-style games, though, this one sees the associa??ted Bat-crew taking up his mantle after Bruce's untimely departure.

Batgirl, Robin, Nightwing, and Red Hood are all playable, and the story looks set to focus in on the mysterious C?ourt of Owls. Still, today's trailer is a reminder that we won't just be seeing owl masks all the time; other villains like Mr. Freeze and Harley Quinn will also be showing up to cause some chaos.

The added PC options are nice to see, especially as Gotham Knights is focusing on the current generation of consol??e hardware. Hopefully it results in a good-looking Gotham to roam aroun??d in.

Gotham Knights lands for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S on October 21.

The post Gotham Knights sh??owcases its PC features in new trailer appeared first on Destructoid.

Also, Batman is "really dead"

Gotham Knights is set to pit the rag-tag Bat-family against the enigmatic Court of Owls. There's a good chance we'll see some other classic Batman villains as well. But it sounds like the Joker won't be among the rogue's gallery of Gotham Knights.

Speaking at San Diego Comic Con 2022 yesterday (via IGN), Gotham Knights creative director Patrick Redding says the Joker won't be in Gotham Knights. The door's still open for another c??lown-crime doer though; Redding would not confirm or deny whether Harley Quinn is in the game.

Redding also notes that Batman is "really dead" in Gotham Knights. There's been some speculation that may not be the real case, and who knows? Bat-stories have p??ulled off stranger twists. But for now, the focus is on the extended Bat-family.

To wit, there was also a new trailer shown, spotlighting Ba?tgirl's crimef??ighting capabilities.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxJcx86-vJU

A bad night in Gotham

It seems like Batgirl's got the usual lineup of Bat-gadgets and gizmos in Gotham Knight. She also has her ow??n Bat-bi?ke, which looks like it could make a big entrance.

I'm really a fan of the baton she has though. At multiple points it acts a regular blunt object or like a tonfa, but we also see it extend out into a longer reach weapon and cause shockwaves. Seems like she's set on making sure Gotham's evildoers don't stop fearing the ??bat symbol, even in Bruc?e's absence.

Batgirl is one of the four playable characters in Gotham Knights, alongside Robin, Nightwing, and Red Hood. And while she won't get to take down the Joker, she and ??the other crimefighters will still have plenty to deal with in the Court of Owls, it seems.

Gotham Knights will take a bit out of crime on October 25, 2022 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

The post The Joker won’t show up in Gotham Knights appeared first on Destructoid.

No not that Robin

Look, there's a lot of Robins out there. Here's where some of you will cue the "I grew up in the '60s when there was just one Robin!" voice: but each Robin has had a chance to shine in various stories with strong writing at the helm. There's more Robins even still that aren't in Gotham Knights! And there will continue to be Robins until the end of time. Batman isn't going anywhere, and neither are his wards. In the meantime, we have this Gotham Knights Robin trailer to watch. To be clear, it's Tim Drake!

So to be clear, we have Dick Grayson's Robin (who stars in Teen Titans Go, and eventually becomes Nightwing), Jason Todd's Red Hood (who was Robin at one point in most Batman timelines), and Tim Drake: who is typically seen as the "new younger Robin" in the classic costume after Grayson bailed. WB Games Montréal is showing off Tim with a new shortish clip, which focuses on his speed, "natural intelligence," and detective skills that "are on par with, if not better than Batman himself" in this particular universe, according to the developers. Man, I'm really anxious to see how that's shown in-game, because the actual "detective" work of many Batman adaptations can be clumsy at best.

That said, Tim's story probably interests me the most out of the core four. He's arguably the most attached to Batman, and hopefully the absence of Bruce informs Tim's personal journey throughout the game. That is, if the game is able to juggle everyone and the narrative all at once: it's a tall order. Hey, we actually get an explanation for his teleporting powers in the trailer (it's from Justice League tech)! It's a start. Man, I hope those team-based combos attacks are as s?mooth as they look in the trailer.

Remember, when Gotham Knights comes out on October 25 of this year, it's only on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X, and will be one of the few third-party games that are exclusi??ve to the current generation of consoles. Hopefully it'll justify that exclusivity.

Given that this was scheduled at the same time as this morning's Nintendo Direct Mini, I assumed maybe there was going to be a miraculous? Switch news sighting: but no dice.

The post The newest Gotham Knights trailer is all ab??out Robin (Tim) appeared first on Destructoid.

Big enough for the whole Bat Family

WB Montreal's Gotham Knights is ??sounding like a pr?etty big game. Or at least big in square mileage, when it comes to the city of Gotham.

In an interview with Game Informer, Gotham Knights game director Geoff Ellenor emphasizes the Batcycle'??s usefulness for getting around Gotham.

"??It's pretty big. I haven’t put one? map over the other, but our Gotham is a big place. I tend to spend a lot of my Zoom calls on the Batcyle driving around Gotham. It is one of the fastest and most chill ways to move around the city. It feels like a big place."

Gotham Knights executive producer Fleur Marty follows it up with a more direct comparison to? how big this portrayal of Batman's home will be.

"For sure it’s the biggest version of Got?ham that has been represented in video games," said Fleur. "The most import?ant thing for us is its density and verticality. It has a lot of layers. The Batcycle is the long-range mode of transportation."

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFtYcS3DPfM

Knight court

That's a big Gotham then, if we're comparing it to the likes of Arkham Knight. Good to know the?? Batfamily may have lost Bruce but kept some ??wheels around.

As for other tidbits from Game Informer's coverage, the pair also addresses what happens when two ?players pick the same character. It sounds like it's not only possible, but has some funny ramifications.

"We’re leaving it up to players.," said Fleur. "We know some people will want to have different characters, but some won’t care. I don’t want? to spoil any?thing, but there’s a funny moment in the game if you are playing as two of the same character."

I'm hoping for a "two Robins walk into a bar" joke somewhere. Gotham Knights is coming to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC on Oct. 25, 2022.

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Gotham Knights is out on October 25, 2022

This morning, as promised, WB Games has unveiled more info on Gotham Knights, and we finally have a release date folks! October 25, 2022. So here's a particularly interesting tidbit: a WB Games rep has informed Destructoid that "in order to provide players with the best possible gameplay experience, the game will release on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC, and will not be available for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One consoles. Yep, that's the Gotham Knights current gen situation, and every single era elicits its own set of pol??arizing responses to the news depending on the timing.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSZN_a9bu8Q

On one hand, this is a way for WB to "cleverly" charge $70 for the standard edition since it's current gen only. On the other, a lot of folks who actually own a PS5 and Xbox Series X have been waiting for the "next gen" to actually arrive outside of a select few PS5 exclusives. That time has come: at least for Gotham Knights. Today, the big reveal is gameplay of Nightwing and Red Hood �a regular old set of Robins �as they take on the Court of Owls, one of the more semi-recent (as far as Batman has been around) popular ro?gue groups in Batman's?? gallery. You can watch that below!

The 13-minute video is a pure walkthrough, complete with voiceover. It showcases Nightwing and Red Hood's abilities: the latter of which uses "non-lethal rounds," which still lets the creators get away with having a hero who dual-wields pistols. The best part of the video is that it's two-pla??yer co-op, so you can see how multiplayer will flow, as well as the team-up system. The UI will be customizable, and we get to see a bit of Belfry (hub) gameplay, where you'll choose story missions (you can fast travel into the open world from it), upgrade loadouts (through the workbench), and? watch some cutscenes play out.

And of course, the price tags are public ??knowledge now too:

• Gotham Knights Standard Edition ($69.99)
• Gotham Knights Deluxe Edition ($89.99 - with the base game, the Visionary Pack DLC, "exclusive gear and cosmetics," Beyond Suitstyle character skins inspired by the animated series, "and more")
• Gotham Knights Collector's Edition ($299.99 - Deluxe Edition + an augmented reality pin, a 16-page media book, "exclusive Gotham City map," a four-character statue diorama "and more"
• Pre-orders will get the "233 Kustom Batcycle skin" at launch

//www.tiktok??.com/@destructoid/video/7098403610672860422?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7052788164067706373

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Waking up to the Bat-Signal

After a little bit of info on Gotham Knights seemingly leaked out, it looks like a more official update is on the way. A new Gotham Knights update is airing tomorrow, May 10.

The update will go live at 6 a.m. PT, 9 a.m. ET. Since there's no stream link, it doesn't ?seem like it will be a live showcase.

Nightwi?ng and Red Hood look to be taking center stage for this update thoug??h.

//?twitter.com/GothamKnights/status/1523694379239882752

As for what's in store, we might have seen a hint of it already. A recent update to the PlayStation Store listing for Gotham Knights suggests it might have four-player co-op now. Though originally premiered as a two-player game with four charac?ter options, this four-pl??ayer could see the whole Bat Family hit the streets of Gotham together. If it's real, that is.

Knight, knight

It's been a little while since we last got an update on WB Montreal's new Bat game. It's set in a universe where Bruce Wayne, the Batman, is apparently dead. And now t??he extended Bat Family—Robin, Nightwing, Batgirl, and Red Hood—have to contend with the mysterious Court of Owls.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8TCfiF7Z2w

It's taking up the Bat mantle, as Rocksteady has been working on a different DC universe game in Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. Rocksteady's project isn't due out until spring 2023 at this point. Gotham Knights, meanwhile, is targeting the fitting month of Halloween. WB Montreal confirmed not too long ago that Gotham Knights will launch on Oct. 25, 2022.

It's not the only game set for this fall, though. The release schedule has gradually started to fill up, with Splatoon 3 headed for September and Square Enix isekai Forspoken also picking a date in October. And of course, Starfield is set to lift off in November. With the Summer Game Fest just around the corner, no doubt we'll start to see the fall get a little more packed. We'll see tomorrow what Gotham Knights has in store for October.

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Tough times for bad guys

It'd be hard enough committing misdeeds in the grim 'berg of Gotham City just knowing that one masked vigilante was on your tail... but four? This might be the fate that awaits the rogues' gallery of Warner Bros. Montreal adventure Gotham Knights, currently in development for PC and consoles.

While it has been common knowledge that the Batman: Arkham spin-off would feature co-op support for two players, a recent update to the PlayStation Store listing for the title now suggests that the open-world title may, in fact, support four-player multiplayer. Such a mode would see Robin, Nightwing, Batgirl, and The Red Hood take to the mean streets as a q?uartet, dishing out fistfuls of meaty vengeance.

Evildoers beware.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8TCfiF7Z2w

Of course, there has been no official word from developer WB Montreal as to whether Gotham Knights will indeed support four-player co-op. Additionally, the four-player co-op, should such a feature exist, might just be specifically tied to certain modes, rather than the main campaign itself. Finally, and more disappointingly, this might be a mere mistake on PlayStation's part. For now, we'll just? have to stay tuned to this Bat-Time and Bat-Channel.

Gotham Knights is currently in development for PlayStation, PC, and Xbox platforms with a tentative release date of 2022. Over at Rocksteady Studios, work continues on the repeatedly delayed multiplayer epic Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, which is currently expected to release in 2023.

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The Bat-Family sets a date for their fight against crime

Co-op action game Gotham Knights has finally set a release date. WB Games Montreal's brawler will take to the streets of Gotham?? on Oct. 25, 2022.

The new date was revealed this morning, and shared on social media. Though originally set for a 2021 launch, Gotham Knights was delayed into 2022 almost a full year ago. The?? Bat Crew is now finally getting their chance to take on crime this fall, instead.

//twitter?.com/gothamknights/status/1501558438681317380

The set-up of Gotham Knights is that Batman is dead (presumably), and his many protégés must take up the Bat-Mantle and fight the evildoers of Gotham in his stead. It's an action game that takes after the Batman: Arkham series, but with ?character-specific moves and abilities in play.

The four playable heroes are Robin, Batgirl, Nightwing, and Red Hood. It's also set to feature several Bat-verse villains—one of the early trailers centered around Mr. Freeze—but puts the Court of Owls at the center of the drama. The secret society is up to no good, and there's a legion of angry owl-fighters to bac??k them up.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=TV2op47sKmY

Those itching for some more heroic, Arkham-style adventures have been waiting patiently for more news on Gotham Knights. Now at least, the co-op brawler has set a date and looks to be one of the first big fall releases on the calendar. No doubt that timeframe will start to fill up as we get into the summer of game announcements, but Gotham Knights is getting out ahead of th??e pack and s?etting its sights on October 25.

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Traditionally, the collection includes three games

Batman: Arkham Collection Switch is pote?ntially on the way, thanks to a new listing from a retailer who has leaked several other high-profile games.

As you may recall, back in 2018, the French retailer/distributor WT&T indirectly confirmed the existence of Witcher 3 on Switch. That same source is at it again, as it recently put up a listing for Batman: Arkham Collection, which is potentially due out on Nintendo Switch on August 31 of this year (if it's not a placeholder). It seems like the perfect thing to announce at E3, then release a few months later. It's also great ammunition for softening the blow if a major upcoming AAA game is delayed.

A reminder: the Arkham Collection is actually out on several platforms already (PC, PS3, Xbox), and consists of three games: Arkham Asylum, Arkham City, and Arkham Knight (as well as "all post-launch content"). Yep, it gives us the main "Rocksteady trilogy" and skips over the prequel, Origins.

This is mostly believable, as Batman: Arkham Collection Switch isn't a huge stretch. Isn't it wild that Arkham City, but not Asylum or Knight, was released on a Nintendo platform (Wii U)? Origins too! This would mark the first time Asylum and Knight have been available on a Nintendo device.

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It's not much? It's nothing!

Batman Beyond was an awesome cartoon series. It’s like if Spider-man was mentored by Batman in a cyberpunk future. Batman’s latex bodysuit is filled by a teenager who has to manage being a super-hero, life, puberty, and a secret identity. Plus, you get to see what happened to some of the rogue gallery from Batman: The Animated Series. It was schway.

There was a straight-to-video movie for the series in 2000, Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker. It was no Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, but it was surprisingly dark and enjoyable. T?here was still some Saturday Morning goofiness at the wrong moments, but definitely a good complement to the seri??es. It was, at the very least, a dark epilogue to Batman and Joker's troubled relationship.

Then there was the game; 2000's Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker for the N64 (also PS1 and Game Boy Color). Back in the day, it came out a few days after The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask, and there was no way it was getting my attention. Going into it?? for this article, I knew two things: It was so horrible it got a score of 1.5 out of 10 from EGM and it’s a beat-’em-up. Now I know too much. That did not adequately prepare m?e.

So, there’s this belief about the N64 that it didn’t get as much shovelware as the Playstation because of the prohibitive cost of publishing on a cartridge compared to a CD. That might be true because it didn’t get singular versions of every Hasbro board game. It got Monopoly, but I thought that was a decent translation at the time. That doesn’t mean it didn’t get bad games, though. It definitely got plenty. It got some of the worst.

Batman has had a shaky relationship with video games. There are some great standout titles, but a lot of them have been guano. I can’t claim to have played even half of them, so I can’t tell you if Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker is the worst. Playing it, it’s difficult to believe that there could possibly be anything more awful, but then you remember Batman Forever on?? Genesis and Super Nintendo, and all that therapy that wen?t into repressing memories of it comes undone and the killings begin anew.

I've had to ask this a few times, but how do you even screw up a beat-’em-up? The formula has been established since the �0s, and it’s so paint-by-numbers that it was the standard shovelware formula for most properties that couldn't figure out something more imaginative. A lot of them were completely mediocre and pointless, but usually, they were okay for a rental. It’s hard to make a weekend out of Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker, even if you wanted to.

The story of Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker is about�well, it’s in the title. The Joker has been believed dead for decades, but suddenly, he shows up as spry as ever. Bruce Wayne is absolutely certain that dude is dead, but this n??ew one is a pretty convincing facsimile. The movie actually deals a lot ?with the past haunting Bruce Wayne, but that’s difficult to translate into fist, so the game is more about fighting a few dudes in hallways.

The combat is potentially the worst I’ve experienced in a brawler, and I have experienced many. You’re given a punch, kick, block, and a special button to go with jump and crouch, but you can’t jump and kick. I’m not sure how that gets missed, since most people don’t get past the strategy of jump-kick at the arcade. The moveset in Teenaged Mutant Ninja Turtles was 90?% jump kick. Here, jumping is reserved only for the rare horrible platforming sections.

There’s a variety of suits available, but you only want to use defense. Trust me. Nimble lets you dou??ble-jump and glide, which rarely comes in handy and the jumping controls are so stiff I ??????????????????????????usually just got myself killed. The normal suit lets you use weapons that are so impressively useless. Attack is fine, but it isn’t worth trading off durability for harder kicks. Not when the defense suit reduces the damage you take while still dealing death with its special attack.

It’s actually a surprisingly varied feature for a game that has absolutely no variety. It probably sounded great on paper, but the Batman: Return of the Joker is five levels long and the AI is so incredibly limited. Even the bosses; their hearts are plainly not in it. I don’t blame them, they get to hang out exclusively in cyberpunk hallways and each has about one ??attack. That’s not enough demonstrable skills to get a job as a window washer.

If you check under the hood, you’ll only find a desiccated corpse. The game has so little color contrast that I dialed the brightness all the way up, and Batman would still disappear against the backgrounds. The stan??dard level music is a single track that plays for about 15 seconds and loops. It would be maddening if the game itself didn’t last less than an hour. Instead, it’s just the soundtrack for the daze it puts you in.

Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker is extremely low-effort. There are plenty of games out there that phone it in, miss the mark, fall short of ambitions, but this one feels like everyone just clocked in, browsed the dotcom bubble, then clocke?d out. It’s also possible that it was just extremely rushed. The fact that there were no credits in ??the game and I can’t find any online shows that maybe the devs weren’t particularly proud of the product. I still find it impressive that there are cases out there where the whole development staff chose to pull an Alan Smithee.

The result is the barest minimum you could pull off and still call it a game. You can look at something like Total Recall for the NES and think “wow, this is absolute misery, but at least the developers tried to follow the movie during the two levels I can actually make it through, and maybe if I keep playing I will see three nipples all on the same woman.�Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker has the imagination of a ??cardboard box, but unlike a cardboard box, you can’t get into it and ??pretend you’re having fun.

Just to top it off, it isn’t a cheap ??game. It runs north of $40 for the cartridge, and boy, it is nowhere near worth that. I can’t imagine buying this new. Just thinking about it, you could probably power a city with my second-hand disappointment. The Playstation version looks essentially the same as the N64, but I’m told it’s much more difficult. No thanks. One of the only things that made this game tolerable was that it ended before it could embarrass itself further.

For previous Weekly Kusoge, check this link!

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Just a heads up if you need some threatening holiday cheer

Holiday stories are sort of a thing in the Batman mythos, and it's one of the aspects that Batman: Arkham Origins got right. Yep, you too can enjoy an Arkham Origins Christmas if you fe??el like booting it up again. It even got a Mr. Freeze DLC!

For those of you who completely blocked this game out of your mind, Arkham Origins has a troubled history for myriad reasons. It's very clear that WB rushed it, as it was plagued with bugs upon release (particularly PC) that weren't prioritized until after paid DLC was released. Oh, and the Wii U DLC ports were canceled after WB sold people the Wii U edition. This was, in part, because Rocksteady (who had handled Asylum and City) did not work on the game: that honor went to WB Games Montréal, who hasn't had a major project since until 2022's Gotham Knights.

With all that out of the way, Arkham Origins is a decent holiday game that takes place on Christmas Eve, and deals with a younger Batman (voiced by Roger Craig Smith instead of Kevin Conroy) taking down Joker (voiced by Troy Baker instead of Mark Hammill). The cast shift portended the entire feel of the game. It was an "off-brand" Arkham in many ways from to?p to bottom, but it did maintain a lot of the core that people knew and loved, and has been viewed more favorably over time.

If you actually want to play it from scratch, the process is incredibly annoying on consoles. It's not part of the re-release trilogy pack, and does not have a current-gen version. Other than PC, your options are PS3 and Xbox 360: the latter is compatible with Xbox One, but you need the disc.

Just saying: it's an option! There aren't that many Christmas games out there. If you want a better open world comic romp, Miles Morales is fairly recent. Plus, there's always Christmas NiGHTS!

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To the Batmobile!

Hot Wheels was never really my thing as a child. I had a few of the toys, like the ones that feigned damage when they crashed, (such is my destructive nature), but I never had what you could call a "collection." I have to admit, however, the new DC Comics DLC headed to recent racer Hot Wheels Unleashed? looks fab, and a??lmost gets me antsy for the real thing.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iaKmvNJfXA

As revealed by developer Milestone, the two incoming DLC packs celebrate the heroes and villains of the DC universe �in particular those pertaining to The Dark Knight himself, Batman. The fun begins on November 11, when Hot Wheels Unleashed kicks off its "DC Sup??er-Villains Racing Season." The season will feature six all-new vehicles representing a wicked Rogues' Gallery of Cheetah, Black Manta, Deathstroke, Bane, Poison Ivy, and Harley Quinn. The season will also see new items added to the title's Basement and Customization modes as well as "plenty of coins for everyone."

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRz3dn4jAus

On December 2, the Batman Expansion DLC will add a Gotham City-themed racetrack, along with a slick Batcave environment and a slew of Bats-related customization items. Five new vehicles will also arrive as part of the expansion, stylized after classic characters The Penguin, The Joker, and Robin, along with two new vehicles patterned after Batman himself. A troublesome hazard known as The Joker's Funhouse Split will also be made available for the Track Builder. The Batman Expansion is inclu??ded in Hot Wheels Pass 1, or can be purchased separately on launch day.

Neat-looking vehicles. I love Harley's roadster. I can easily see how people become Hot Wheels collectors in the real world �stacking? cabinets with dinky, p?olished vehicles. To be honest, the last thing I really need is yet another compulsive collecting hobby, so maybe I'll just keep my How Wheels hoarding restricted to the digital realm for the time being.

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This is not just a signal... It's a warning

In an hour from now, DC Comics will kick off its DC FanDome 2021 live stream, offering up several hours of info pertaining to the company's upcoming movies, TV shows, video games, comic events, and more. The show kicks off at 10:00 PT / 13:00 ET / 18:00 BST / 19:00 CEST and is?? expected to run around four hours in total.

Fans tuning in can expect a glut of updates and info and most of the DC Comics/Warner Bros. properties. Scheduled to make an appearance are updates on Warner Bros. Montreal's Gotham Knights, and the first gameplay footage of Rocksteady's anticipated Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. Ed Boon is also scheduled to make an appearance, though it is uncertain whether the NetherRe??alm Studios' director is planning to reveal any new film or video game projects.

Speaking of film, audiences wait with bated breath for a new trailer for The Batman, which will see Robert Pattinson take up the mantle of The Dark Knight. More info is also expected on the cinematic adventures of Dwayne Johnson's Black Adam as well as sequels for Shazam! and Aquaman.  On smaller screens, fans can expect updates on an array of TV shows including Batwoman, Harley Quinn, Supergirl, and The Flash, as wel??l as debuting shows Peacemaker, and Superman &am??p; Lois. These titles represent a small selection of the DC Comics brands and panels expected to appear this afternoon.

You can watch the entire event below, or tune in via the official DC FanDome website. Have fun!

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=RADmFACrWWQ

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Straight Outta Gotham

Warner Bros. Interactive, alongside studio Rocksteady, dropped the key art for the upcoming comic book epic Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League??, which is currently in development for PS5, PC, and Xbox Series X/S.

The simple but effective artwork sees the viewer a hapless victim of the posse of rampaging reprobates, as the POV lies flat on its back, looking u??pward at the colorful but frightening visages of Deadshot, Captain Boomerang, King Shark and, of course, the irrepressible Harleen Quinzel. It seems we've come off for the worse in this particular encounter. Time to tap out, methinks... Where's Peacemaker when you need him?

Described as a "genre-bending action-adventure shooter", Suicide Squad received an explosive cinematic trailer during E3 2020 before going very dark, as Batman: Arkham veterans Rocksteady continue to chip away at the ambitious game's development. Exciting news is on the horizon, however, as Warner Bros. has previously stated its intention to release new updates on Suicide Squad during DC FanDome 2021, an upcoming one-day stream packed with updates and info on all manner of DC Comics-related movies, games, and TV shows. So, hopefully, we'll be getting our?? first look at Suicide Squad's gameplay, (as well as a possible release window), in a few weeks' time.

DC FanDome kicks off October 16 and can be watched live over on the official site and its related social media.

//twitter.com/suicidesquadRS/status/144138??7032475885581?s=20

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Every time we flash the Die Fledermaus signal, he unplugs his phone and leaves town for a week

Tim Burton’s Batman Returns is the best Christmas movie for people who don’t want to commit to the whole cheer thing. A lot of people say Die Hard, and I love Die Hard, b?ut it doesn’t have Batma?n in it. It also doesn’t have Danny DeVito eating fish, so I think I rest my case.

Batman Returns would be mashed into game form on a stupid number of platforms and some of them were actually good! Almost all of them were entirely different games, however. You got a completely different experience depending on what console you played it on. Potentially the best Batman Returns version, however, for the SNES.

Superhero beat-’em-ups were a dime a dozen on th??e SNES and Genesis. Take a spi??n on the wheel, you’re either going to get a passible one or a title that’s just plain awful. They’re going to sell based on who’s on the cover, so why put any effort into them.

Some were decent, though. Batman Returns on the SNES comes to us from Konami while they were still in their prime. To give you an idea of the talent on hand, Etsunobu Ebisu �Ebisumaru himself �is credited for planning and programming. It’s interesting to see such names on a licensed g??ame based on an American movie.

It’s also nice to see the score is based on Danny Elfman’s themes. While 1990’s Batman on the NES was pretty co??nvincing in telling us they weren’t needed, I’m steadfast in my belief that Batman’s real theme is the one that Danny Elfman composed. Probably because I grew up with the Animated Series, but I’m too old to change my opinion.

Batman Returns is pretty standard for conveyer belt beat-’em-ups. The controls are rather close to Streets of Rage. You technically have one attack butt?on but can pair it with jumps and grabs. The great thing about the grabs is that they’re absolu??tely brutal. By default, Batman just slams the enemy into the ground, but if you move towards pieces of the set, you can bash them against windows and railings. You can also grab two enemies and slam them into each other, which is pretty ambitious for an SNES game.

It certainly? doesn’t reinvent the wheel. The only wrinkle it really puts in the tapestry is some side-scrolling levels and a driving stage. There’s even a special move that attacks in all directions but damages your health, a?nd screen-clearing bombs. It’s more or less just following the recipe.

The combat is just so powerful and impactful. It reminds me slightly of The Death and Return of Superman, but a little tighter? and more reliable. You’re j?ust bashing dudes.

Streets of Rage but with Batman is a pretty easy sell for me, but Batman Returns does have its deficiencies, many of which it shares with its contemporaries. Your opponents, for example, are lacking in variety. They’re all clowns. All of them. Different types of clowns, sure, but clowns. That’s pretty true to the movie, but I feel like a street tough or two could be thrown in. Of course, then I remember that my beloved Streets of Rage has you fight palette swaps of thugs for the entirety of the game, and things begin to make more sens?e.

There’s also no co-op, which is also true to the movie because this is before things were ruined by Robin. Still, I feel co-op is a?n? important feature when it comes to trashing clowns. Maybe Catwoman could have stood in? She was sort of grey. Or better yet, just throw in Alfred. It would be amazing.

The bosses are also cheap, which?? is true to the �0s beat-’em-up. You’ll probably drop the most lives on them, rather than all the children’s entertainers you’re savaging on the street.

Another complaint, there’s no fight against Christopher Walken. Sure, I don’t think Christopher Walken deserves to get beaten up by Batman, I just feel like it’s some?thing I want to experience.

The game’s also rather brief �again, typical of the genre at the time �however, Konami’s love of limited continues gets in the way. It may take a few attempts before you reach the end, but it’s at least doable, unlike the port of Final Fight on the SNES.

That means it doesn’t overstay its welcome, which was a problem encountered by a certain other superhero game of its genre. And really, if they were just planning on showing off the same dingy streets and the s??ame make-up wearing freaks for the entir??e runtime, best wrap it up early.

Yet, what’s there is incredibly solid. The combat has a good sense of physicality, the aesthetic is true to the movie, and it’s the chance to experience what it’s like to be Michael Keaton. I may be a bit biased because I absolutely love Batman Returns for SNES and Konami’s early work, but�that’s it. That’s my w??hole point. I might be a bit biased. Do w?ith that what you will.

For other retro ?ti??tles you may have missed, click right here!

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Brand new details to be revealed October 16

Fully aware that it has been a day and an age since we last received any meaty information on the release, Warner Bros. Interactive has released the key art for its upcoming DC Comics adventure Gotham Knights, currently in development for PC and consoles.

The purple-hued pic sees our four heroes, Robin, Nightwing, Batgirl, and The Red Hood, stepping forth on the dark and dangerous streets of Gotham City �the presence of the dearly departed Batman reflected in the puddled pavement. All incredibly skilled in the fine art of bone-breaking, one remains utterly befuddled as to ?why anyone low-tier criminal would even c??onsider squaring off against what is, essentially, a band of rich ninjas.

We'll find out soon enough, either way, as developer WB Montreal, (of Batman: Arkham Origins fame), has announced that we'll be receiving a glut of new details surrounding Gotham Knights on October 16, when the multiplayer adventure takes the stage at DC Comics online event DC FanDome. This event will bring fans up to speed on every facet of the DC uni??verse, from comics, to TV shows, ??to movies and, of course, video games.

DC FanDome kicks off October 16 and can be viewed on the official website and its related social media. Gotham Knights will launch in 2022 on PlayS??tation, X??box, and PC platforms

//twitter.com/GothamKnights/status??/1433776913634430977?s=20

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Zero Point #2

There's a bit of cross-media marketing going on right now between DC Comics and Fornite, and Batman is no stranger ??to that whole process!

As you may r??ecall, the "Zero Point" comic series debut??ed recently: which thrusts Bruce Wayne into the Fortnite universe, and forces the World's Greatest Detective to figure out why he has to relive a blood sport battle royale contest every day whilst losing his memory. Of course, there are skins and stuff to earn a?nd buy as a result.

There's sort of two things going on here. Zero Point readers (either physically or through the DC Unlimited service) are getting one code p??er issue to input for free stuff (first issue was a Harley Quinn skin, the second issue is the Zero Wing bat glider), and Epic, in true Epic fashion, is just letting you buy the stuff over scattered increments.

That's where Batman comes in. Just yesterday Epic unleashed his bundle into the storefront, which is going for 2,100 V-Bucks (roughly $20) and includes the Batman Zero skin, his tattered cape, a grappling axe harvesting tool, the aforementioned Zero Wing glider that's sort of a double-up reward, and the "Batman From Zero" loading screen that's seen in the header in this very story. You can find the full schedule of reveals here, with eventual ?updates ??for when you can buy them on the store (Harley is in June, for example).

That's basically it for now: Issue #2 is out, and you can buy some skins and make Batman do the Naruto run and/or dab.

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