The official trailer for the fourth and final installation of Rocksteady’s Arkham Batman series was released on Tuesday, Mar. 4.
The Batman: Arkham Knight trailer opens with a gruff, metallic voice-over warning the citizens of Gotham to “abandon the city” or face their “greatest fears.”
After scenes of panicking citizens play out, the trailer cuts to the Bat Cave.
Batman, clad in armor reminiscent of the one in Chris Nolan’s Dark Knight, stands in silent meditation.
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With the last will of Thomas Wayne (Bruce Wayne/Batman’s deceased father) being read via voice-over, the trailer cross-cuts between shots of classic villains (Penguin, Two-Face, Harley Quinn), and Batman driving the Batmobile (why does that boxy shape, and powerful, throaty engine rev sound feel familiar?) into the fray.
Story-wise, the new Arkham game is set one year after Arkham City, the second game in the series. Gotham’s usual suspects (Scarecrow, Penguin, Two-Face, Harley Quinn) are out to destroy Bruce Wayne’s beloved city, and naturally, Bruce’s alter ego is the hero Gotham needs to save the day.
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Or night. Bats are nocturnal.
Destroying Gotham City often makes for epic Batman stories—think The Dark Knight Returns, No Man’s Land, and The Dark Knight Rises—and the early game information tidbits suggest that Arkham Knight will live up to the “epic” tag.
The Gotham City game world will be five times bigger than the already massive Arkham City. That means more places to explore, more side quests, and more thugs (“three to five times” more, according to lead AI and combat programmer Tim Hanagan) for the Caped Crusader to chain combos and pound into the ground.
Impressed by the Batmobile in the trailer? It doesn’t just look and sound good. For the first time in the series, the Batmobile is fully driveable and functional, adding yet another layer of authentic Batman-epicness to the Arkham experience.
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Unlike the Arkham City: Origins, the latest Arkham iteration won’t have a multiplayer feature. Not that it matters, as the series is better known for its incredibly immersive single player experience.
No multiplayer might actually be a good thing. Rocksteady can then “focus on making the best single-player experience” they can, according to game director Rocksteady game director Sefton Hill in a Game Informer interview.
The most epic detail? Legendary Batman voice actor Kevin Conroy returns to voice the Dark Knight.
Batman: Arkham Knight is slated for release on Oct. 14, 2014 at GameStop for $59.99.
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