As a long-time fan of the Batman series and someone who has delved into the depths of Gotham City numerous times, I must say that Payton’s insights into the development of Batman: Arkham Shadow have piqued my interest significantly. The inclusion of the answering machine feature, reminiscent of Arkham Knight, adds a layer of immersion and intrigue that I find quite enticing.
The upcoming game, “Batman: Arkham Shadow,” has officially announced its release date on October 22. This release comes bundled with pre-orders or purchases of the Meta Quest 3/3S. Fans are eagerly speculating about the identity of the Rat King, and combat and predator gameplay have been extensively demonstrated. In less than a month, we’ll be on the edge of our seats to see how the story unfolds and where “Batman: Arkham Shadow” might lead for potential future installments.
In this conversation with Game Rant, Ryan Payton, head of studio and game director at Camouflaj, revealed details about the upcoming title, Batman: Arkham Shadow. As they were readying to unveil the news that the game would include challenge maps for combat and predator encounters, Payton also provided insights into the game’s challenge mode and the reasons behind its near exclusion at launch. He further discussed various aspects of the game, such as the relationship between gameplay and storyline elements, what players can anticipate from the campaign’s narrative direction, the enigmatic character of the Rat King, and exclusive lore-related features in Shadow that are being shared for the first time by Camouflaj. This interview has been condensed and clarified for easier understanding.
Batman: Arkham Shadow Features Combat and Predator Challenge Maps at Launch
Payton: We’re thrilled to share that, due to the community’s demand, we’ll be introducing challenge maps for both combat and predators when the game launches. Initially, this wasn’t included in our plans for creating the game.
For decades, we’ve been refining that feature set, creating a thrilling environment where team members can challenge each other to achieve higher scores. It offers an immediate entry point for players to immerse themselves in the game’s intense combat or predator encounters. Plus, it’s incredibly convenient if you want to share the game with someone in a hurry – just hand them the headset, and they’re instantly part of the action!
A few months ago, the project was hanging in the balance regarding development, but after revealing “Arkham Shadow” and witnessing the intense enthusiasm from the community about the game’s release, we decided to invest extra effort. The team did an incredible job fitting in the time needed to include combat and predator challenge maps at launch. We aim to provide free, post-release content updates for additional maps as well.
Question: In comparison to other developers, how challenging are the combat and predator aspects for you? Is one more difficult than the other in your opinion?
As a seasoned gamer deeply immersed in stealth games, I’ve got to admit, those Predator challenges are a tough nut to crack. Maybe it’s my impatient nature or the fact that I’ve been gaming for most of my life, but they seem a tad more demanding than the combat ones. Yet, surprisingly, I’m holding my own against Jared.
Batman: Arkham Shadow’s Design Caters to Players New and Old in the Arkhamverse and VR
Question: Since the last Arkham game released approximately 10 years ago and seemed to mark the end of the series until Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League appeared, was there pressure for Arkham Shadow to appeal to new players while also immersing itself in the extensive lore and context that connects the games surrounding it?
Payton: One of the major hurdles in crafting the story for Batman: Arkham Shadow was striking a balance between honoring the previous games in the series, which we’re big fans of and have incorporated plenty of lore and references from, and ensuring that the game is accessible to newcomers to the franchise. We wanted to make sure it’s easy for new players to jump into the world of Arkham.
It seems there are two advantages we’ve got: First, our tale is situated at a very early stage in Batman’s career, approximately six months after the events of the first game, “Batman: Arkham Origins.” I believe this allows players to experience being Batman more authentically through VR and step into his mindset without the weight of past experiences that would be present if we were further along in the franchise or timeline.
Additionally, let’s discuss a topic similar to what was revealed at Meta Connect – the upcoming Quest 3S. This device stands out for offering an economical entry into virtual reality (VR). It’s an impressive headset that includes Batman: Arkham Shadow in its package along with the Quest 3. We anticipate that this will be the first VR experience for numerous individuals worldwide.
Since it’s included with other purchases, many individuals might find Batman: Arkham Shadow to be their inaugural VR gaming adventure. To ensure a smooth and hassle-free experience, we aim to make certain that they don’t need prior knowledge of the earlier Arkham games. They can simply don the headset, observe their virtual bodies transformed into Batman, listen to Roger Craig Smith’s voice as Batman, and dive right into the narrative without any preliminary preparation required.
Q: Is there an Arkham game that you’ve come to appreciate more from a creative or design perspective having now developed your own?
Payton: I’d like to share something that might seem like a modest boast: When we began working on the game in 2020, “Batman: Arkham Origins” wasn’t as highly acclaimed online as it is now. As time passed, I recall playing the game and reading numerous forum discussions about it, as well as watching YouTube videos where people were gradually realizing how exceptional this game truly was, maybe even recognizing that it was somewhat underestimated when initially released.
In 2020, I urged the team not just to play the Rocksteady titles like “Arkham Asylum”, “Arkham City”, “Arkham Knight”, and “Arkham VR”. The reason was not only because our narrative would be near “Origins” in the timeline. Instead, I felt we had a lot to gain from the creative aspects of “Origins”, such as its powerful storytelling, Roger Craig Smith’s performance, the epic boss battles, and much more. In fact, there’s so much to admire about “Origins”. I believe that when you immerse yourself fully in “Batman: Arkham Shadow”, you’ll notice influences from this game across various aspects of our project.
A: Apart from spanning multiple nights, does Shadow follow the Arkham series’ pattern quite closely? Are there any significant traditions within the franchise that Shadow appears to deviate from? At present, can you mention any such departures?
Payton: The Gel Launcher differs from Rocksteady and WB Montreal games because it’s specifically designed to emphasize the unique aspects of VR, making it a comfortable experience for players. I’m really satisfied with how this tool turned out. Regarding another gadget, the batarang, we’ve deviated quite a bit from its original flatscreen version. Instead of functioning like an endless supply of ninja stars, it operates more like a boomerang from the 3D Zelda series or even the axe from God of War, which served as our inspiration.
Players should remember to use their single Batarang wisely, as they can retrieve it from their chest, much like how Robert Pattinson’s Batman does in the Matt Reeves movie. This was quite a significant shift and caused some debate within the studio when we were brainstorming these changes.
Due to the presence of skilled Arkham veterans like Bill Green and Sophie [Leal-Bolea] who are fully committed at Camouflaj, we’ve often found ourselves debating whether departures from tradition were justified. The game you see is a product of these debates, with many elements that initially seemed necessary or desirable during development, but were eventually set aside as I came to understand the requirements for an authentic Arkham game.
How VR Interactivity Melds with Cinematics in Batman: Arkham Shadow
Question: In your explanation, you’ve pointed out that when players interact with Harvey Dent as Batman, they have the ability to influence the story by choosing whether or not to shake his hand. I’m curious, considering Bruce Wayne is usually friends with Harvey, how much does a decision like this impact the overall plot, if it does at all?
Payton: One question I often get from my team at Camouflaj is, “How significant are the choices we’re giving players?” Unlike Telltale games with complex branching narratives, our game offers a more immersive and intriguing experience for players. In essence, it’s about creating an engaging atmosphere that sparks player curiosity.
It’s clear that there are numerous fans of the Arkham series who enjoy replaying the games from scratch, and one aspect that contributes to the enjoyment is experiencing the story from various viewpoints or uncovering extra information by selecting different dialogue options – a feature we haven’t discussed but similar to Iron Man VR, we do offer multiple dialogue choices. Additionally, players will have chances to actively engage in actions like shaking Harvey Dent’s hand or choosing not to, and then observing the consequences. While there may be slight alterations in the story based on player decisions, I want to make it clear that this doesn’t equate to significantly different endings or dramatic plot shifts.
Regarding the comparison between Arkham Asylum and Arkham Shadow’s pie charts you provided, can you approximately tell me what proportion of the ‘Interactive Cinematics’ section is made up of interactive elements rather than regular cutscenes?
Payton: In Arkham Shadow, our ‘Cinematics’ section is larger compared to Arkham Asylum. I believe this is due to several factors, one of which is the increased amount of story content we have in the former game. However, when considering this expanded content, we also include the time you spend exploring story areas.
In simpler terms, let’s break down the scene where Batman follows Commissioner Gordon downstairs into the GCPD task force office, with District Attorney Harvey Dent present. From a cinematic point of view, the timer begins when you surprise Commissioner Gordon on the rooftop, continuing until the game hands over the next objective to the player, allowing them to swing across to the next building and transition into typical Batman gameplay.
In simpler terms, the time segment in this game is longer than usual cutscenes or pre-rendered cinematics seen in games like Arkham Asylum, yet it’s not solely focused on cinematic, character-driven scenes. Players are allowed to navigate and explore these spaces, and there’s environmental storytelling to take in. For instance, we have bulletin boards on the walls where players can optionally check for leads about the Rat King’s potential locations. However, this exploration is optional, and players who prefer to progress with the main storyline can do so without delving into these details.
Batman: Arkham Shadow Asks ‘Where’ is the Rat King, Not ‘Who’ is the Rat King
A: Could it be that the Rat King serves as the primary adversary for Shadow in this series, and the voices of other characters have been unveiled? Since Dr. Jonathan Crane, also known as Scarecrow, has been voiced by various actors in the franchise before, I was wondering if there’s any explanation as to why his current voice actor is bound to confidentiality?
Payton: Essentially, we’ve been saving the unveiling of the actor portraying Jonathan Crane, who could potentially take on the role of Scarecrow in the series, including possibly in Batman: Arkham Shadow (if you play the game, you’ll discover), for the perfect timing. The decision isn’t based on any specific story or lore reasons; we’re simply thrilled to collaborate with this exceptionally gifted actor and are waiting for the right opportunity.
You’re touching on a subject that I was hoping to kind of dive a little bit more deeply into because it’s something I’ve been reflecting on over the last few weeks… the story of the game was not designed as such to invite players, whether they’re playing the game or speculating about the game pre-release, about the identity of Rat King. It’s not a story that was designed as you would imagine perhaps a film like Usual Suspects was designed. Or even perhaps Arkham Knight to an extent.
As a fan, I have to say, the concept of turning Batman: Arkham Shadow into a scavenger hunt was never our intention. The story of this game is deeply rooted in Batman’s mission to bring down the Rat King and uncover the mastermind behind the chaos unfolding within Gotham City. While tracking down the Rat King and understanding his operations are significant aspects of the narrative, we never intended for it to be a pre-game mystery for either Batman, players, or the community to solve.
As a gamer, I hadn’t fully grasped the extent of excitement surrounding Batman: Arkham Shadow until I delved deeper into its details. Reflecting on this now, it’s clear that the anticipation for this game was fueled by the epic build-up seen in Arkham Knight. It made me realize the potency of the mystery box concept – like J.J. Abrams’ ‘mystery box’. Frankly, I didn’t expect fans to be as intrigued about unmasking Rat King as they are, an aspect that wasn’t initially planned for the game’s narrative.
Where I come from with that, is how in Knight you’re trying to find out who the Arkham Knight is the entire time and that is what pushes that plot along other than Scarecrow, but for me it’s Origins as well where it’s Black Mask at the start and you find out he’s Joker. I think coming off of Origins is maybe where myself and a lot of people might be thinking, “What is the big plot twist, what is the big identity twist here?” If you’re saying the identity matters less than the pursuit of the Rat King then that’s interesting.
As a gamer, let me put it this way: You’ve got the gist, but I’d like to emphasize the difference between Batman’s quest in both “Origins” and “Knight”. Unlike in “Origins”, where he wasn’t on a mission to unmask Black Mask, in “Arkham Knight”, I recall we had interactions between Batman and Alfred trying to identify who this Arkham Knight is. In contrast, you won’t find such moments in “Arkham Shadow”. Hope that helps!
In the hunt for a fresh adversary, it’s essential to pinpoint their hideout, understand their methods, and perhaps even uncover their true identity – but the ultimate goal isn’t just to discover who the Rat King is. The primary objective is to put an end to the Rat King’s activities.
Batman: Arkham Shadow is Brimming with Lore, Easter Eggs, and References
A: Does the Batcave depicted in Shadow match the one from Origins? It seems different to me, leading me to wonder if there’s a deeper narrative behind this change, or perhaps it has been extended or remodeled.
Payton: I believe we can agree that our Batcave differs significantly, as it is not located beneath Wayne Manor like in Arkham Origins. Instead, it resembles more the Batcave from Arkham Asylum.
If you’re intrigued, let me share an exclusive aspect of our game—it might not be our main highlight, but it’s something new that we haven’t delved into yet. In our game’s universe, similar to Arkham Knight, there’s a feature called the answering machine. As you advance through the storyline, you can press a button to listen to voicemails and messages left for Bruce Wayne. These communications become more intense as Bruce is deeply engrossed in his chase of the Rat King. This has been an enjoyable element we’ve been developing, and we can’t wait for players to explore it further when they start playing the game.
Is it more like a method for sending messages directly to Bruce Wayne, rather than using a public phone where you can receive messages from various individuals?
Absolutely, without a doubt, I concur! Beyond affirming our world-building endeavors, there’s another aspect I haven’t mentioned but would be glad to share if you find it intriguing for your audience: Similar to the game City, we offer radio stations that players can tune into.
We’ve recorded lots of different radio programming from some really cool actors who I don’t think we’re going to reveal ahead of time. I think we’re just going to allow the players to uncover this as they play the game. Some deep-cut DC lore in there, and it’s just something for the fans that really enjoyed listening to these different clips within Arkham City. We have a very similar feature like that in Arkham Shadow.
[END]
Batman: Arkham Shadow launches on October 22 for Meta Quest 3/3S.
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2024-09-28 13:24