Grave Gamer News & Views — rocksteady games

Rocksteady Talks Up Batman: Arkham Knight’s Story

Following the cataclysmic ending of Arkham City – which saw a fatal resolution to a famed villain – Gotham has embraced a period of peace. The Batman is at his peak, a dark guardian watching the city. All is well.

But that makes for a pretty boring game, wouldn’t you say? That’s why Rocksteady is inciting a wave of chaos that rocks the city and...

Rocksteady Ends Their Batman Trilogy in the Next-Gen Arkham Knight

All good things come to an end, and Rocksteady’s expert tenure on the Batman: Arkham franchise, going back to 2009, has been more than good. It’s been brilliant. If it wasn’t enough that their portrayal of The Dark Knight and his gothic kingdom is one of the best outside of the comics he was forged from – even rivaling the character’s film appearances – Rocksteady went ahead and set the bar for the entire superhero game genre higher than Everest.

Batman: Arkham Knight, being developed specifically for PC, PS4, and Xbox One, serves as the final act in Rocksteady’s Arkham trilogy (2013’s Arkham Origins was handled by another studio, but you knew that, you keen reader you). “This is the natural end for the story,” said the game’s director, Sefton Hill. “We really want to go out in style.”

Revealed in this month’s Game Informer, you’ll notice a greater emphasis on the Caped Crusader’s favorite means of ground transportation, the Batmobile, seen only in cutscenes in previous titles. Now you’re finally licensed to drive the beast yourself. Gotham’s open world is being greatly expanded to accommodate this unarguably kickass new feature.

What’s a hero without his villains? One full year has passed since the arm-breaking spree Bats went on in Arkham City. Batman once goes on the hunt for a rogue’s gallery featuring Harley Quinn, Two-Face, Penguin, and the Scarecrow. If this is the final chapter, one has to wonder which of these madmen might be taking a last bow.

Batman: Arkham Knight releases October 14th, 2014.

Watch the debut trailer right hereabouts!

Rocksteady’s Next Batman Game Set in DC’s Silver Age Featuring the Justice League

According to a report from Variety, Warner Bros. is looking to poise their Justice League property as the next Avengers.  Unfortunately for the studio, they don’t quite have the build Marvel did with closely plotted films that led into each other.  That won’t stop WB from launching their characters in just about every other form of media, however, including video games.

Hot on the heels of their JLA gaming blitzkrieg that includes Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes and next year’s head-to-head fighter Injustice: Gods Among Us, now we’ve received word that ultimate Batman purveyors, Rocksteady, are crafting a prequel to their widely acclaimed Arkham series.  The stylized game will depict Batman in DC’s Silver Age (running between the 1950’s and ‘70’s) and focuses on the Dark Knight’s first encounter with the Joker.

The Justice League comes heavily into play as Bats will meet and even team-up with several members.  It’s suggested that, given the setting, we might just have a hand in the fabled group’s formation.  The earliest we’ll get to play Rocksteady’s fan-gasm of a game is likely 2014, but it’ll pave the way for a full-fledged Justice League film in 2015.  Comic fans, it’s okay to explode now.

The Red Herb Roundup - May 20th Edition

Welcome back to the roundup, folks.  These be the stories The Herb didn’t quite get to because get off my case, you don’t understand the amount of pressure I’m under.  On that note, I’d like to send a hearty shout out and welcome to our new followers out in the Tumblrvoid, and a sincere thank you to our veteran followers whose continued support keeps the blog from caving beneath my incredible laziness.

I’d also like to thank the gang from the witty, titty, and fun gaming podcast Smarter Than AI for having me as a guest on their fine program.  Some refined discussions were had about gaming at large over more brews than I should’ve been allowed.  The results were crammed into Episode V! 

And now for some poorly cobbled together news:

• Not only is Univeral’s Battleship adaptation a turd in the water, Double Helix’s first-person shooter tie-in is also dead in the aforementioned turd inhabited water.  I’d make a “You’ve sunk my Battleship” pun but that’d be as stupid as spending $220 million goddamn dollars on a movie based on a board game.
• ZeniMax Media, Bethesda’s parent company, went ahead and filed for a trademark on the term “Dragonborn."  This action was a rung down on the priority ladder, though, as ZeniMax filed for "Fus Ro Dah” first because saying you’re Dragonborn means nothing if you can’t shout the words of power.
• Rocksteady scoffed at our secret hunting abilities, revealing that there are at least 3 to 4 hidden Easter Eggs still remaining in Batman: Arkham City.  You seriously thought the Batman plays all his cards at once?  Fool, this is why you’re unconscious with a batarang lodged in your shoulder.
• June 12th is the official date the Metal Gear Solid HD Collection heads to Sony’s Vita.  The package is a little less collection-y than its console counterparts due to the absence of Peacewalker (because Konami already kindly offers the HD-less PSP version on PSN, fully equipped with none of the upgrades featured in the HD edition – you’re welcome).  Oh, and I’m obligated to add this: transfarring.
• Apparently Diablo III had some difficulties at launch.  There were consequences.
• Bioware wants to hear from you about where you’d like to see the Dragon Age franchise go next.  You’ll find no sarcasm in this bullet point; communication between consumer and creator should be applauded.
• What happens when Nintendo’s favorite little outsourced developer, Retro Studios, can’t decide between another Metroid or a new Star Fox?  If you’ve ever been painfully afflicted by Linkin Park and Jay-Z’s Collision Course, you already know where this is going: mash-up!  Mark it as an extreme rumor for now but whatever the hell they’re working on, E3 may definitely be the platform for a big reveal.

“This is For You, Mr. J” - Full Harley Quinn’s Revenge Trailer

I’ve seen spoiler warnings attached to this trailer (I’d rate it a “mild” on the spoiler-sauce scale), but if you honestly haven’t beaten one of 2011’s Games of the Year and arguably the best superhero game released in the last decade, then I recommend you clear your schedule of watching YouTube videos and get on Arkham Citybefore the...