I brought lots of info to the Spidey 2 forum (want to see The Stinger, Lazlow and Chrivette around ; )) and now its my favourite superhero, you will see more from me and I can see a lot of people coming here with the film hype

Every neoseeker board has an "Official Information Thread", I will start this off:

[url=http://news.teamxbox.com/xbox/7067/Batman-Begins-Announced]http://news.teamxbox.com/xbox/7067/Batman-Begins-Announced[/url]

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, DC Comics and Electronic Arts announced today that the companies have joined forces to bring Batman Begins to multiple videogame platforms in 2005. In this exclusive co-publishing agreement, a game based on the upcoming Warner Bros. Pictures' film starring Christian Bale will be released day and date with the film on the Xbox video game system from Microsoft, the PlayStation 2, the PSP, the Nintendo GameCube and Game Boy Advance.

"The theatrical release of Batman Begins will be the entertainment event of the summer. Leveraging our extensive experience with blockbuster franchises, we look forward to bringing this game to market," said Greg Richardson, Vice President and General Manager, EA Partners.

"The Batman fiction is rich with style, drama and action -- three elements that define this game and will help plunge players into the heart of the experience."


"Batman Begins is the darker depiction of Batman that we've all been waiting for, and we are teaming with EA to bring players an edgy, action game that captures this tale," said Jason Hall, Senior Vice President of Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. "Co-publishing Batman Begins allows Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment to continue its involvement in the development and marketing of quality games based on Warner Bros. properties."

"We're thrilled to partner with EA and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment to capture the magic of BATMAN BEGINS in a ground-breaking videogame," said Paul Levitz, President and Publisher of DC Comics. "This will mark the first time that a Batman video game has been developed to complement a film event, and we look forward to inviting players to step into the movie's reality and make the world of Batman their own."

Together, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and EA are overseeing all development and production aspects of the game, while EA alone will handle distribution. The companies will lead joint marketing campaigns. The game is being developed by UK-based Eurocom for the consoles, and by Vicarious Visions for the handhelds.

The Batman Begins film explores the origins of the Batman legend and the Dark Knight's emergence as a force for good in Gotham. In the wake of his parents' murder, disillusioned industrial heir Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) travels the world seeking the means to fight injustice and turn fear against those who prey on the fearful. He returns to Gotham and unveils his alter-ego: Batman, a masked crusader who uses his strength, intellect and an array of high tech deceptions to fight the sinister forces that threaten the city.

Credit to JoBlo.com

Ever since I bought my own X-Box a couple of months ago, I haven't necessarily turned into a "gamer" per se (other than massive NHL HOCKEY tournies with The Shootin' Surgeon and Indiana Sev), but I have started paying a lot more attention to upcoming games, including the BATMAN BEGINS tie-in game, featured exclusively in this month's XBN magazine. Below and above are a few screen-shots from the game, that will be released around the same time as the film (July 1st ), that can be enlarged when clicked upon. As for the game, here are a few of the goodies mentioned about it-- although even the producers of the game admitted that they could not say all that much, "There are some special guest appearances that are exclusive to the game."

"This is a harsher, darker hero. This is about this guy who's troubled, who has real problems. He has a purpose, he's angry, and this is about vengeance."

"Every area in the game is designed as a theater of fear, and that represents a fundamental shift in how the level design works for the game."

Having witnessed early stages of the fighting in the game, they were described as being akin to that of FIGHT CLUB's (the movie, not the game), "It's lots of elbows, lots of knees-- it's down, it's dirty and it's hardcore fighting."

"We want to keep players in control of the action-- when they're in control, that's when it's the most exciting."



"We want to keep cut-scenes to a minimum. We're really following the "Splinter Cell", "Halo" and "Half-Life" model, trying to do as much possible-- not everything, obviously-- as scripted events where we leave the player in control. Because once you grab control of that camera, you immediately rip them out of that situation, that scene."

"You'll see a lot of characters from the original of Batman, including Commissioner-- then Lieutenant Gordon." Wayne's English butler Alfred Pennyworth will also feed Batman intelligence during the game.

Most, if not all, of Batman's toys will be included in the game. It will be possible to use Batarangs, optic cables, and flashbang grenades (among others) either found in environments or including in Batman's wondrous utility belt-- two devices can be mapped to the XBox controller's White and Black buttons for easy use.



And EA (Electric Arts-- the company creating the game) has not forgotten about the Batmobile, although no one will discuss its role within gameplay.



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The Crippler: This looks like the first good Batman game and everything at the moment looks good. Let's hope it's as good as Spider-Man 2 but remember, this is the company who made Catwoman.

Everything looks solid from this description, graphics look good as do the gameplay elements and using the key to Batman, the intimidation factor to un-nerve criminals and make them sloppy. I am intrigued as to who are the special guest apperances, expect this to sell well...

This message was edited by The Crippler on Jan 15 2005.

i hate to be an ass, but just so you know, the mods would rather have you edit your post than double post

but good job with the info, keep 'em coming!

Some quotes from the preview of Game Informer for Batman Begins.

"Fear is an excellent motivator."

"In other games, you're always on the receiving end of fear." "In this, you are the one to fear."

"Go-find-the-key sucks. No one likes that."

Credit to gamespot.com

Batman Begins is the upcoming third-person action game from Electronic Arts and Eurocom based on the forthcoming film of the same name. Much like its movie counterpart, Batman Begins aims to restore the Caped Crusader to his former glory after some less than stellar appearances in console games. Fortunately, the game, which is being copublished by EA and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, will borrow liberally from its big screen cousin and will reflect its faithful spin on the Dark Knight's formative years. We stalked EA producer Reid Schneider to see how the game is shaping up.

GameSpot: When did development on the game start?

Reid Schneider: We began thinking about the concepts for the game about 16 months ago. We spent a long time deciding about the type of game we wanted to build. Shortly after that, we began working with Eurocom to bring that vision to life.

The team at Eurocom has done a great job building the game. Even more important, they have run with our original ideas, embraced them as their own, and enabled a really strong collaboration between all involved.

GS: What kind of experience does the team bring to the project?

RS: Eurocom has developed previous James Bond games, as well as Harry Potter titles for EA. JT Petty (the game's writer) and I previously worked together as the writer and producer on the original Splinter Cell at Ubisoft. Our executive producer, Rob Letts, came from Activision, where he worked on many Marvel titles. Our technical director, Gary Lake, came from Vivendi, where he was part of the Chronicles of Riddick team. Our development directors (Nana Wallace and Tim Coupe), brought a huge amount of experience from Maxis and Crytek as well. And, finally, our assistant producer, Erin Skeens, was a key member of The Lord of The Rings team at EA. We're really lucky to have so many talented people working on the game.

GS: How much access did you/do you have to the script, film cast, production sketches, etc.?

RS: Warner Bros. has been a great partner in getting us access to the script, cast, and film production. Their work has enabled us to make the game better and more true to Christopher Nolan's vision. The filmmakers have also been a great resource for us. We work with them regularly on our content.

DC Comics has also been helpful, as they have given us access to Denny O' Neil. Denny created the Ra's Al Ghul character and was the chief Batman editor for years. Denny has been working with JT on the story content.

GS: How closely are you going to follow the game's story?

RS: We are going to follow the film's key moments, but at the same time expand on the narrative presented there. With the game, we have the opportunity to go well beyond the movie experience to let players explore the iconic locations of Gotham City. For example, if Arkham Asylum is featured in the film for 15 minutes, we may have the game experience last for two to three hours there.

GS: Going in, what were some key elements you felt the game had to have?

RS: Similar to the way the film is setting out to reinvent the Batman franchise in movies, we felt we had to do the same with the game. One of the key focus points of the film is the notion that Batman uses fear against his enemies. We decided to make that a key component of the game. In our game, fear is a weapon that Batman can wield against his foes. We felt that the best way to create a compelling gameplay experience with Batman was to create a stealth action game with a strong focus on fear.

GS: How does the fear mechanic fit in with those elements? Could you explain the fear mechanic to us?

RS: The fear mechanic works very well with the character and his overall persona. As we spoke about above, this is central to the film and, thus, central to the game. The way the fear mechanic works in the game is that all environments are designed as "theaters of fear" for Batman to negotiate. All enemies are also built with the ability to sense fear and react accordingly. When you create fear in enemies, their behavior completely changes. Their fighting ability, weapon accuracy, and general environment perception all deteriorate. In most games, players are on the receiving end of the fear, but in Batman Begins, they'll have the opportunity to dish it out.

GS: Games based on movies are always a dicey prospect. What would you say are the biggest pitfalls a movie game can fall into, and how are you working to ensure Batman Begins doesn't fall into them?

RS: That's definitely true. I think the key is to have the goal of building a great game that would stand on its own without the license. The license then only adds to the game's value.

GS: Are you planning any exclusive content for the different console versions? Will there be any online features to any of them?

RS: The content will be very similar across all versions. We're not planning online for this game.

GS: What's one misconception you think people will have about the game, and why are they wrong?

RS: When we have shown the game, many people were really surprised by the cerebral and puzzle-based nature of it. I think most of them expected a brawler that will not require any thought. That is 100 percent opposite of what we're building.

I think people were also happy to see the stealth action focus and the ability to create fear in their enemies. The fear element is new to games, and we are really excited to show it off.

GS: Thanks for your time.

I think I speak for everyone hoping the game delivers...

PRESS RELEASE: ALL-STAR CAST SECURED FOR BATMAN BEGINS VIDEO GAME
Press release supplied by Games Press 13:00 10/02/2005

Chertsey, UK. – February 11, 2005 – Electronic Arts and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment announced today they have secured an all-star cast for the Batman BeginsTM video game. The game will feature the voices and likenesses of Christian Bale (Bruce Wayne/Batman), Michael Caine (Alfred Pennyworth), Liam Neeson (Henri Ducard), Katie Holmes (Rachel Dawes), Cillian Murphy (Dr. Jonathan Crane), Tom Wilkinson (Carmine Falcone) and Morgan Freeman (Lucius Fox), all reprising their roles from the upcoming Warner Bros. Pictures film directed by Christopher Nolan.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/press_release.php?aid=6753

how can they release the game before the movie comes out? doesn't that kill the whole movie

Well, they did that for Lord of the Rings 3. Game before movie.

I've found an article that came out in OPSM2 a while ago on Batman Begins if anyone's interested.

The thing with most superheros is that you can sum up the orgins of their powers in a sentence. Spider-man: bitten by a radioactive spider. Superman: alien goody-two-shoes. X-men: genetic freaks. Yet you can't sum up Batman so simply. He's an orphan like Superman, but he spends his money on weapons. His nocturnal habits involve bespoke form-fitting outfits, but not in the way you'd expect. He has a psychotic fear of bats, but he embraces it and reflects it onto those he despises most- criminals.

Likewise, in the real world he has exsisted in so many guises he can mean many different things to many different people. He's a comic book icon that spawned a cheesy TV show and then a movie series that went out like a damp firework once George Clooney squeaked into the glorified gimp suit. Imagine the major headache this causes when it comes to making a new film or game- both about batman. For film studio Warner Bros, game publisher EA and character owner DC comics there was only one answer... hit the reset button.

So in June, Batman Begins arrives as a complete antidote to every other interpretation of the characterthat has gone before, focusing on the life that tortures Bruce Wayne into assuming a vigilante alter ego. For the movie, a writer/director team has been assembled to take the Bat into darker territory- the director of Memento, Chris Nolan, and Blade screenwriter, David Goyer. To produce the game adaptation of the film, EA is treading a similar shadowy path, turning to a duo that knows a little something about handling strong characters in pitch-black settings; Splinter Cell's producer/writer team Reid Schneider and JT Petty. So does this mean we can now sum Batman up- Sam Fisher in fancy dress, right? Oh, it's easy to be cynical, but the answer is no. Instead of taking the character and dumping him in a stealth game, when Batman Begins hits PS2 the dark knight will become even darker and deadlier.

In fact fear is everyone's weapon in Batman Begins, as the story is dedicated to torment. Not your Wes Craven or Resident Evil grade scares, mind- we're talking worst nightmares, personal tragedies and mind-scarring images. As a boy Bruce Wayne witnesses his parents horrific murder and then mentally withdraws, leaving Gotham as a young man to evade the shattered memories that haunt him. On his travels he meets Ra's Al Ghul, master of psychological mind games, who trains Wayne in martial arts in order to quell his thirst for revenge against criminals. But then, on returning to his home city, he finds it under assault from a cowardly mob family and a psychologist- Jonathan Crane, AKA The Scarecrow- terrorising people with fear gas.

You'll follow the same path in the game, tracking Crane's plans and the emergence of Batman as the saviour of crime-ridden Gotham. But crucial to the dynamic is something that turns what would be a standard third-person game on its head- remember, Batman doesn't just turn up when a crime goes down, he lurks in the shadows and pounces at the right moment. "When we first started working on this game, something that was immediately apparent was that this was a story of Batman as a truly scary chracter," explains Schneider. Indeed, everthing about the character's design, from what gadgets he uses (such as the new tank-like batmobile) down to the length of the ears on his famous suit, was debated and rejigged in order to make the character more imposing.

And once these details were handed over to EA, Schneider says it was clear what direction the game should take, "We came up with the central theme for our game: fear-based gameplay. It is your job as a player to scare your enemies, which weakens them and causes changes in their behaviour. Fighting becomes less strategic, shooting less accurate, and overall they become a lot weaker. Fear is your weapon. Unlike traditional stealth games, where you are the one being hunted, we offer the player the chance to be the hunter." On hearing it, the idea clicked with us immediately. For all thier finesse, heroes can be a little boring. Yet playing as a villian is one-dimensional. So it makes brilliant sense to couple the major attributes of the two- after all, isn't this why GTA works? And why has no one thought of treating an action game like this before? Give Solid Snake a sadistic streak and let's turn the tables on the henchmen and beat them down with their own exclamation marks.

But we were warned against drawing a parallel to that particular character. Any stealth character in fact, because, even though both Petty and Schneider say their time on Splinter Cell has informed their work on this game, Batman Begins isn't a game about hiding from guards and sneaking up on them. And Batman doesn't rely on bullets. "Stealth in Batman Begins is only a tool for intimidation," says Petty. "Batman doesn't stay in shadow because he's afraid; he stays in the shadows because it makes him more frightening. The whole game design is based around conquest through intimidation." This has always been an important part of the character's development and the pair promise that this idea has been woven deep into the game, featuring in mission objectives, scripted events and even dialogue spoken by non-player characters.

The tactics of using intimidation and the element of surprise run through both the more simple encounters with goons and the game's more elaborate set pieces, which flesh out all of the film's key moments. Crane's character is boss of Arkham Asylum- the nuthouse where nearly all of Batman's deranged criminal rivals will, at some point, spend a period of time- and a huge level is set there. Rendered in glorious detail, the mission setup requires you to use Batman's variety of equipment, including his parachute-like cape to sneak in before finding the right spots to show himself and scare enemies into submission. Key to this episode is finding ways to use the surroundings (and even other characters) to scare the thugs that protect the building.

Once inside the imposing building, it's down to you to upset the balance by setting free the lunatic inmates- letting them cause diversions while you watch from the shadows, choosing the right time to leap into the fray. Of course, you'll have access to a combat system (co-designed by the film's stunt co-ordinator, incidentally) that lets you fight foes hand-to-hand, but the overarching theme of this particular set piece leans less towards the blood-splattered cells of The Suffering and more in the direction of The Silence of the Lambs' subtlety. Think Manhunt instead of Metal Gear.

Picture the moment: a shadowy Gotham alleyway in the Narrows, the downtown slums that house whores, crime-lords and tramps. A hired goon patrols the street, protecting the backdoor to an office where the Gotham mob family, the Falcones, formulate their paln to corrupt the city's lawmen. Batman stands up on the roof, silently eyeing his prey. The guard walks back and forth, back and forth, occasionally stopping to look in one direction, and then another. After a while, Batman lowers himself into the shadows using his grappling hook, silently descending until he's suspended in the darkness overhead. Back and forth the guard keeps patrol, and it's then that you choose to pounce down. Sudden and into the light. The goon recoils, eyes wide- you would too if a horned leathery monster just appeared before your eyes. He fumbles with a gun, but his sudden adrenaline rush means he's too slow. The Bat towers overhead, menacing and ready to strike- there's nothing but black in store for the henchman. That and waking up in a prison cell hours later because, of course, Batman never kills. It's heroic altruism at a vicious and deliberate level. And it sounds chillingly engaging.

All the film's important moments are promised to appear in glorious game-o-vision, not just the Arkham assault. For instance, along with many Batman missions, flashbacks will see you playing as Bruce Wayne and learning the vagaries of his crime-fighting art from Ra's- but they promise to be tastefully used beyond the standard intro level. And, although the details of how it will be implemented are just out of our grasp, we've got a hunch that you'll also get to sit in the driving seat of the new batmobile- after all, it's an important part of the character and was the first element of the new saga to be shown, with the vehicle (four identical units were made for the film, costing a cool million apiece) splashed all over the newspapers. Schneider and Petty wouldn't be drawn on how it will factor into gameplay, but it's no stretch of the imagination to expect high speed chases in the style of the top notch vehicle sections in EA's stablemate, 007: Everything Or Nothing.

Actually, wait a second. Superheroes, an iconic vehicle and a famous city backdrop- we have to ask: weren't EA keen to make a game like Spider-man 2? Surely something along the lines of 'Gotham Theft Auto' would have been more of a surefire hit rather than this slower, grittier approach? "Not really," is Schneider's quick and honest answer. "We want to deliver a completely different experience. Our game has a very different pacing and rhythm, where the player will stalk and set up his opponents, then take them out when he's ready. It's all about a deliberate attack when the time is right."

And the time is definately right for a new kind of Batman game. It may be a traditional game structurally, but Batman Begins promises to strike fear into the heart of tradtional stealth and action games with its new tactical gameplay. Plus, Schneider and Petty admit they're going after all those who have made Batman games for this generation but failed miserably. "I don't think any of the Batman games before this one were allowed to go as dark as we will," says Petty, with Schneider adding: "With this game we are going back to the roots of this character. I sincerely believe that both the film and the game are going to deliver on that emotional experience and I think this is what previous games have not been able to achieve." It's a strong message to send out, but it's a confident one. Now the only thing we have left to fear is that the game only lives up to half its promise.

I'm back! ^Great find above bro.

Credit to thesuperherohype.com

More articles:

MainFrame:
New beginnings for a game related to those that have been around for years, sounds risky, but silverKnight's digging up the dirt on it anyway.

Batman games haven’t been the most popular as of late, the last three have been considered lackluster at best and have sold very little. Well, now there’s a movie coming, the so-called ‘re-invention’ of the Batman movies that fans have been anticipating for years, and as with most comic-based movies there is a game adaptation. Throw in Batman’s unsuccessful video game run and the fact that it is a movie-based video game: the chances of success seem rather low. But, the folks at EA seems to have beefed it up with plenty of features, and it is my duty to take you inside Batman Begins.

Batman Begins takes you where no Batman-based movie has gone before, Bruce Wayne after the tragic deaths of his parents and his unselfish vow to protect the weak and downtrodden, yet it is before any of his big-time foes like the Joker walked in. Hence the name ‘Batman Begins’. In the gritty town of Gotham, Mr. Wayne is just learning how exactly to fight the countless hoodlums and convicts who plague the city’s streets, and now he’s taking it upon himself to do more than simply apprehend them: he’s gonna scare the life out of them first. The title will adapt a new system called the fear system, which triggers a sense of sheer terror in enemies after you rattle them around a bit using stealth and shadows. Upon officially freaking out your enemies, their aim and strength will slowly pack less of a punch, and they’ll suddenly become liable to flee the area in fear. Which won’t be hard to do judging from some of the new things you can have old Bats do. For starters, you can suspend Bats from overhead poles, beams, etc., wait until an unsuspecting thug walks underneath you, and quickly snatch him, knock him unconscious, and toss him aside.

The team working on Batman Begins is no mere push-over as well. Technical director Gary Lake pitched in on the Chronicles of Riddick game, the studio of Eurocom itself has worked on both James Bond and Harry Potter titles, producer Reid Schneider and writer JT Perry worked on the first Splinter Cell game, and various others come from Maxis, Activision, and Crytek. Sounds like a lot of actiony stuff being incorporated into the game. But EA is dead set on blending the game between Action, puzzle, and stealth-action as seen in the Splinter Cell games.

Apart from following the story from the movie almost exactly, the game will also go beyond the movie, featuring expanded levels in various hot spots across Gotham such as Arkham Asylum. The game boasts some stunningly detailed graphics which look amazing no matter what your standards are, and the environments seen in-game are just as stunning. In the sound department, actors from the movie will be lending their voices to the game. Christian Bale who plays Bruce Wayne and his larger than life alter-ego Batman donates his own voice, along with those of Liam Neeson, Morgan Freeman, Michael Kane, Katie Holmes, Cillian Murphy, Ken Wattanabe (Deep inhalation). Lot of talent for one game. As far as music goes: It is probably safe to say that you can expect the creepy and suspenseful tunes seen in most other Batman movies, but there’s also the rumored presence of such bands as Green Day who are believed to be recording songs for the movie, though it is still unconfirmed whether or not their music will appear in the game.

Batman Begins really isn’t getting the attention it deserves in my opinion. The whole EA ‘controversy’ seems to be obscuring most opinions on the game and that seems somewhat unfair. Batman Begins is rounding out to be the Batman game and overall action title that some have been yearning for. Innovative in an explosive out of the box sort of way, but we’ll have to see how this all pans out when Batman Begins hits shelves June seventeenth.

Credit to ign.com for the following:

The Dark Knight's Got Game
EA tries to do Batman justice with its new videogame.
by Hilary Goldstein
March 17, 2005 - Nothing is more frightening for a comic book fan than the sight of Arnold Schwarzenegger encased in plastic, smoking a cigar and attempting to deliver a deadpan line. Though it's been eight years since Batman & Robin, the scars remains as fresh as the first cut. However, with David Goyer's script and Chris Nolan's direction, it appears those wounds may finally be healed this summer with the release of Batman Begins. Electronic Arts has an even greater stigma to overcome this July -- The videogame adaptation.

If the movie's bad, you can almost guarantee the game will be even worse. And if that game happens to star Batman, well, forget it -- those games almost always suck. Talk about a monumental obstacle to overcome. Fortunately, EA is working with what appears to be a dynamite Dark Knight movie and has assigned former Splinter Cell designers to create a Batman game that may actually kick some ass.

The Shakedown
Batman Begins the videogame loosely follows the movie. That is, rather than going from point-to-point attempting to literally recreate every movie moment, Batman Begins selects the key plot points and extrapolates from there. The major characters are all voiced by their movie counterparts and the game version of Double B stays within the context of a Year One tale. That means no Joker, no Poison Ivy, no other big-name Bats villains outside of Ra's Al Ghul and Scarecrow. Unlike most movie adaptations, BB doesn't throw in a bunch of filler villains to fatten things up. This time around EA's decided to instead make the gameplay broaden the game. Novel concept, eh?

Know Fear
There is one major theme running throughout the new Batman movie: Fear. What is it little Bruce Wayne fears as a child? How does that fear drive him? How does fear affect others? The major villain, The Scarecrow, is an instrument of fear. Criminals are a cowardly lot, but in the comics Batman also fears. Nightmares of his mother's final scream, of pearls scattering across a back alley as a gun erupts wake Bruce Wayne even decades after the incident. Just as the film uses fear as a backdrop, so does Batman Begins the videogame.

Each criminal has a heartbeat that can be heard when targeted. As Batman defeats enemies or performs special actions, an enemy's heart rate increases. Each individual enemy has a fear rating and the entire area has a fear level, which affects that rating. The more Batman does to put the bad guys on edge, the easier it becomes to kick the crap out of them. Some will cower in fear, others may run in horror.

Picture Batman hanging from a rope and snatching up an enemy. His friends are suddenly on edge. Where's Eddie go? Another enemy falls unconscious. Then a gasoline barrel explodes and an awning comes crashing down. A silhouetted form drops from the sky wings spread like a demon. Sound like the comic? It's also in the game. By using his presence, Batman can quickly turn the tide of battle.

Man or Demon?
As the number of unconscious bodies rises and special Fear Events are achieved, Batman's reputation increases. The higher the rep, the more respect Batman garners. Remember, he's still new to Gotham, so at first many think the Bat is just some clown in a rubber suit. An increased rep increases the ethereal nature of Batman. Conversations go from, "You're just a guy in a mask" to "Batman, please don't eat my soul!"

As a Year One tale, it's important to have some sort of reputation function. There aren't many superhero games that allow the character's renown rise. By the end of Batman Begins, the Dark Knight should become a shadowy myth criminals fear without question. Getting Batman to that point is your task as a gamer.

Mayhem in Arkham
Grant Morrison's Arkham Asylum is one of the greatest Batman stories ever told. Batman Begins brings the experience of being trapped in an insane asylum to the forefront. One of the largest levels, Batman must battle his way through guards and mental defectives. Sure, this doesn't have the classic Bat villains seen in Arkham Asylum, but it is an incredible recreation of the famed institution for the criminally insane. Though you may miss out on Poison Ivy and the Joker, there are plenty of head-banging lunatics to mingle with.

Legendary Batman scribe Denny O'Neil claimed this was the best representation of Arkham Asylum he'd ever seen. Believe it.

Outlook
In terms of recreating a Batman worthy of his comics counterpart, EA is definitely on the right track. Just as the SNES The Adventures of Batman & Robin emulated the spirit of the animated series, EA's Batman Begins has captured the essence of the Dark Knight. The use of fear as a primary gameplay device and the ability to use stealth and strategy to take on enemies gives BB an authentic feel. It's still unknown if the gameplay can match the atmosphere, but this is certainly the most faithful Batman game in a decade.

There's quite a bit more going on with Batman Begins. There's combat, stealth and gadgetry as well.

X-Box Play Preview. Credit to ign.com:

March 17, 2005 - When Batman Begins is released this summer, the Batman franchise will be looking for a fresh start as a video game and a movie. Both media have been plagued by less-than-stellar installments, so it's difficult not to be skeptical of EA's new Batman title. Today we had a chance to see the game in action, and while it is still in pre-alpha phases it already has the potential to be better than Batman Vengeance and Rise of Sin Tzu combined. The game is a combination of stealth, action, and new variable based on fear. It's also filled with scripted events that drive the story and reveal mission objectives. JT Petty, who penned the original Splinter Celland Pandora Tomorrow stories, re-wrote the Batman Begins story for the game.

So far the game resembles Splinter Cell in a few ways. Batman has many of the same moves as Sam Fisher, such as the ability to scale pipes, shimmy along ledges, and use cables to sneak across building tops. His cape allows him to sail across gaps, and he can also use his grappling hook to latch onto objects and zip towards them. Another move the caped crusader shares with Ubisoft's super spy is an optic cable that allows players to see under doors.

Unlike Splinter Cell, the stealth is not based on dynamic lighting and instead enemies appear on the map with red vision cones. This system allows gamers more freedom of movement without worrying about alerting the bad guys. When Batman does get the jump on someone, he doesn't kill them, but instead knocks them out with a series of debilitating blows. The combo system consists of punches, kicks, and vaults, with on-screen indicators telling players when to go in for a finishing move or a vault attack. Currently these actions are handled by the press of a single button, also switching the camera to a cinematic angle while the Dark Knight shows off a flashy animation. Sure, it looks pretty, but it also somewhat removes players from the action. He can also interrogate enemies and gain information about a level by holding his victim by the neck and roughing him up.

The targeting system is handled with the D-Pad and provides small on-screen indicators of what Batman can or cannot interact with. This includes enemies, switches, and grapple points. This allows players to survey areas from a distance and maintain their cover.

The most original aspect of the game is the fear meter. Batman has the ability to see each enemy's heart rate and whether or not they are packing heat. When an enemy is scared they suffer from decreased shooting accuracy and combat errors. If they are really spooked they will cower on the floor or turn tail and run away. Fear increases with slick combat moves and environmental triggers that can freak out more than one enemy at the same time. This sets off an area fear meter that measures the collective fear of the characters in an environment.

Different character classes will respond to this system uniquely. The common thug will be terrified easily while it will take a little more to put fear in the heart of a skilled ninja. We saw this gameplay element in action in the Arkham Asylum. The dark corridors of the building were filled with cells housing the insane test subjects of Dr. Crane. By staying out of sight and slowly maneuvering over the heads of his enemies, Batman was able to release some of the inmates in order to freak out the henchmen guarding the halls. Not only did this make them more vulnerable to attack, but it contributed to Batman's reputation meter. With a high reputation, Batman's foes view him as an unstoppable demon that haunts the streets of Gotham.

We were also treated to a quick preview of a level that takes place in the Gotham tenements. Like the Asylum, this level was dark and spooky, tying into the theme of fear that runs throughout the game. Batman Begins will feature a total of nine levels, more of which will be revealed as we get closer to the release date. We'll have more information on the game as it becomes available.

OFFICIAL Batman Begins Cover Art. Taken from the gamecube version:

Source-gamesradar.msn.co.uk

[22/03/05 11:40]
EA emerges from the shadows to give us a sneaky glimpse of the Dark Knight's next crime fighting caper

Games based on Batman, one of the most famous comic book caped crusaders, have a reputation for being stinkier than a pile of freshly laid bat mess, which is absolutely criminal considering the wealth of creative potential that's loaded into the source material.

Hoping to buck this depressing trend is Derby-based developer Eurocom and publishing powerhouse Electronic Arts, who have been charged with the task of producing the eponymous game of the upcoming Batman Begins movie.

Focusing intensely on the self-made superhero's well-honed, hunter instinct, and his ability to instil fear into his enemies, Batman Begins seems to offer a refreshingly original, mature and altogether more realistic approach to how the Dark Knight should be handled as a gaming avatar.

"Batman Begins seems to offer a refreshingly original, mature and altogether more realistic approach to how the Dark Knight should be handled as a gaming avatar"

After all, without the inadvertent, transmogrifying effects of a freak accident, like a bite from an irradiated arachnid or lethal exposure to gamma particles, Batman has to rely on a uniquely DIY approach to kicking criminal cojones.

Rather than bundling into the fray with feet and fists flying, players will have to employ a far more thoughtful, cautionary strategy in order to triumph over the nefarious inhabitants of Gotham City, as Ben O'Donnell, assistant producer on Batman Begins, explains.

"Every room is built like a big puzzle," reveals O'Donnell, "and while there are multiple ways of overcoming enemies, it's all about finding the optimum way of doing it."

Solving these puzzles is achieved by surveying environments for objects that Batman can interact with, such as grapple points or weak structures. Once identified, these action points can be utilised with a context-sensitive move or one of DK's trademark gadgets.

Whether this will provide players with any real semblance of a challenge remains to be seen, but certainly the action points in the level demoed to us, which admittedly was fairly early in the game, were more blatant signposts than discreet pieces of intricate puzzle.

As well as casting his surprisingly hawk-like bat eyes over surroundings, Batman can scan enemies to reveal what weapons they are holding and what their current state of vulnerability is - an addition that should provide an extra tactical depth to decision making.

Certainly, EA was keen to highlight what they are touting as the 'fear mechanic', which, as O'Donnell explains, is a system that "plays on Batman's reputation of being a dark, mythical character that is a ghost story among his enemies".

By using the fear mechanic, players will have the opportunity to put the Dark Knight's rarely explored dark side to good use by putting the willies up undesirables and frightening the living bejeepers out of them.

As enemies become increasingly terrified their heart rate and vulnerability rises, making them far easier to take down with a little bat-shaped whup-ass. And if a crim is a real pant wetter he can even drop his weapon or simply collapse on the floor in a pathetic, blubbering excuse for a tough guy.

Another nod to Batman's more shadowy side is his ability to interrogate certain enemies. If a goon has some important information, Batman can put the hurt and fear on them so bad that the beans just come spilling out.

According to O'Donnell, "pretty much everything in the game has been designed with the fear mechanic in mind," which, in our opinion, is a good thing, as scaring the squitters out of the henchmen in the sections we saw was a whole heap of fun - we can't wait to sample it some more.

As a movie tie-in, EA and Warner seem to have a working synergy that should ensure the game is as consistent with the film as possible.

Besides featuring the voices and likenesses of the movie's all-star cast, which includes Christian Bale, Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman, EA has had access to 3D scans of all the sets, as well as the newly designed Batmobile (apparently there will be three driving levels set around the streets of Gotham).

In addition, fight and stunt coordinators from the movie have been used to ensure the close-quarters style of combat in the game is as authentic and refined as possible.

As a game, well, we'd need to spend far more time with it before we could say, without hesitation, that it will delight gamers regardless of their level of infatuation with the Dark Knight.

What we can say with more than just a modicum of confidence, though, is that Batman Begins will probably be the best Batman game ever.

Batman Begins is out for PS2, Xbox, Gamecube and GBA in June, and will also be released for PSP

http://www.eagames.com/official/batman/batmanbegins/us/home.jsp

Official Batman Begins site.

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