The Arkham games have come to be known as the pinnacle of superhero-themed games. It doesn’t matter what your stance on Batman or even comic books is — much like the Dark Knight trilogy of films, they’re widely considered to be nothing short of incredible. Virtual Reality fans were given the treat of a lifetime when Batman: Arkham Shadow was announced earlier this year as the ultimate Batman experience, trading in the cowl for a Meta Quest 3 headset. Now, gameplay for Arkham Shadow was revealed at Gamescom.
The gameplay for Arkham Shadows differs slightly from other Arkham games in that you are quite literally The Batman. Instead of watching him use his Bat-tools to apprehend bad guys and swing from gargoyle-decorated buildings, you’ll be doing the work while exploring the dilapidated cityscape of Gotham City and Arkham Asylum. Even the detective aspect of the job becomes more immersive as you switch to detective vision to locate clues that wouldn’t be visible otherwise.
What doesn’t seem very clear is when Arkham Shadows takes place in the Gamescom trailer. Some of the characters we are introduced to include Harleen Quinzel before becoming the infamous Harley Quinn and The Ventriloquist. Fans of the Batman franchise might also be surprised to see Oracle walking around the asylum walls, presumably helping Batman on his way. It’s also unclear how open-world we can expect the final product to be.
The trailer above showcases Batman grappling to city rooftops and maneuvering through crime-filled alleys without the stopping points that have become traditional in virtual reality games. Concerning the fact that it’s a VR game, fans without an adequate headset will miss out on the experience. There’s hope that players will still be able to access the game, albeit not in the intended VR. We’ll come to learn more about this when the October 2024 release date approaches.
