Batman Arkham Origins officially announced by Warner Bros.

Fans eagerly waiting for word on the next Batman Arkham game finally got their prayers answered, as the cover to the upcoming May issue of Game Informer has revealed the newest game in the series: Batman: Arkham Origins. As a follow up to the two blockbuster Batman games, Batman: Arkham Asylum and Batman: Arkham City, the game once again grants players control of the Dark Knight as he swoops into his native Gotham City to wage his war against crime. The game is dated for release this October 25, and will come to the PS3, Xbox 360, Wii U, and PC platforms. Unlike the past two Arkham Games, Arkham Origins is a prequel, and is not being developed by Rocksteady Studios. Instead, Warner Bros. Montreal has taken charge of developing the game, utilizing the same Unreal engine to power this new installment and immerse players in the same kind of atmosphere as in the previous two entries. While details on the story and plot haven’t been fully fleshed out, Arkham Origins will center on a younger and more inexperienced Batman as he faces eight assassins on Christmas Eve. The latest issue of Game Informer also revealed one of the lead villains Batman will be facing in the game - the DC Universe’s most effective mercenary, Deathstroke The Terminator. Assigned as Creative Director for Arkham Origins is former Epic Games designer Eric Holmes, who left the studio to join Warner Bros. Interactive in Fall 2011. No stranger to comic book based video games, Holmes worked as lead designer for The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction and Prototype. Holmes had his work cut out for him, especially after the reception and favorable reviews the past two games have garnered under Rocksteady’s watch. It’s also known that legendary Batman scribe Paul Dini isn’t returning for this game, so how the plot connects and settles in the Arkham Universe is still unknown. Along with the announcement for Arkham Origins for consoles, Warner Bros. Interactive also revealed Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate for the Nintendo 3DS and Playstation Vita. A 2.5D game with Metroid styled exploration gameplay, it’s a direct follow up to Arkham Origins, and will be developed by Amature Studio. — DVM, GMA News