Batman: Arkham City Xbox 360

Released on 21-Oct-2011

• Leaked video suggests unlikely co-op partnership for Arkham City?

  With the news dominated by the PSP2 today, only Batman: Arkham City is exciting enough to make us think about anything other than Sony's amazing new handheld. Well done, Bats: you sure know how to get our attention.

  What's the story? How about a mysterious new trailer that shows Batman teaming up with... The Joker in the new game?

  If the new trailer is to be believed - and it can't be right, can it? - Arkham City's much rumoured co-op mode will see Batman and his arch enemy working together to take out enemies. Eurogamer for one was so surprised by the video, leaked by French site Jeux Video, that it's contacted Warner Bros just to make sure the whole thing isn't a hoax - we'll bring you news of that tomorrow, if that's the case.

  Co-op's been the subject of speculation for some time with this game, but the assumption has been it will be Batman and Catwoman taking on Arkham City's thugs together. This twist - unless maybe it shows standard multiplayer? - would be unexpected, to say the least.

  Whoever Batman eventually teams up with, Arkham City is due for release on PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 later this year and we really, really want it.

• Batman: Arkham City previewed in San Francisco

  With Microsoft in town to show off games like Gears of War 3 and the brilliant Kinect title Child of Eden, the caped crusader decided to get in on the action too, offering a healthy chunk of Batman: Arkham City for Gothamites to get their teeth into.

  The sequel to the amazing Batman: Arkham Asylum hits the PS3, Xbox 360 and PC towards the end of this year, and based on the latest playthrough, we're in for a proper classic. With Arkham Asylum out of service, Gotham City's nutters have been corralled into a temporary prison on the streets of the city itself, and the game takes place within a huge chunk of real estate as Batman tries to unravel another of the Joker's hideous plots.

  New cast members include Two-Face and Catwoman - the latest demo sees the former trying to murder the latter before Bats saves the day - while Batman's moveset has expanded, allowing for a swooping dive that allows you to build up speed while gliding across town, and dozens of new fighting animations. You'll also be able to interrogate prisoners, if you can keep them conscious during the game's huge brawls.

  With new gadgets, new scenery, and a much bigger environment, Arkham City promises to be an astonishing achievement. Bring it on.

• Arkham City: Get ready for a long night

  If you were hoping Batman: Arkham City would be a nice long adventure to keep you glued to your console or PC for a good while, we have great news: Rocksteady, the game developer, has announced that the campaign will take at least eight hours to complete and it could turn out to be a good deal longer.

  "It's very difficult to put a number on it," said Rocksteady Dax Ginn in an interview with CVG. "I can tell you that our QA [testing] guys, who are ninjas and obviously know everything in the game, can do just the core story missions, nothing else, in about eight hours, just straight-lining. And they know exactly where to go and what to do - the most efficient way of doing it. So, someone who has no idea what to do and wants to complete everything it's going to be significantly more than that."

  We can wait for the new Batman game, no matter the length of the campaign. The follow up to 2009 smash Arkham Asylum, Arkham City promises lots more real-estate and plenty of new baddies to mess up. It hitting the PS3, Xbox 360, and PC on 21st October.

• Batman: Arkham City dated

  Get excited, Bat fans: Warner Bros has just slapped a street date for Batman: Arkham City, and UK audiences can expect to get their hands on the game on 21st October.

  We've seen the game, and we can't wait. A direct sequel to 2009's comic book classic Arkham Asylum, Arkham City ups the ante considerably by letting Batman loose in a section of Gotham itself - an area five times the size of the first game's island.

  We already know you'll be facing off against the Joker and Two-Face, and you can expect to run up against Catwoman and Calendar Man, too. Batman will have new gadgets to play with and an expanded arsenal of moves.

  The most important change is that you'll be covering a much larger area - an urban sprawl where you're free to pick your way between buildings and tackle roving gangs of thugs as you see fit. The first game was brilliant, but we're expecting this to be the most authentic comic book experience we've ever played.

  Batman: Arkham City will be available for the PC, PS3 and Xbox 360. We're so excited, we half want to try and get to bed early so we can sleep until October.

• Batman Arkham City has 40 hours of genius

  Batman: Arkham City is 40 hours of pure gaming genius

  Bats is back, and bigger than ever. According to the developers behind Batman: Arkham City, the new game offers around 40 hours of superhero carnage for you to enjoy.

  Speaking to The Guardian and reported by CVG game director Sefton Hill spilled the beans on what we can expect. "It takes over 25 hours to complete the main stories in Batman: Arkham City,he said. o keep players engaged for this length of time, not only do the characters and the story need to progress, but the core mechanics of the game they are playing need to change and adapt as well."

  On top of that, you can expect around 15 hours of side-quests, which you can take on as and when you please. "It's completely down to the player when and how they want to tackle this,said Hill. here's no right or wrong time. There's no other medium that can offer this kind of flexible experience where the viewer gets to tailor the experience they want themselves."

  Hill also added that the narrative of Arkham City has more in common with TV shows than movies. "In terms of narrative structure, I think games are much more analogous to an episodic TV series than a film,he explained. ou have, say, 15 hourly episodes to fill, each requiring its own narrative arc but each plugging into an overarching storyline. It requires a lot of planning to make sure that every single hour is consistent with each other, is feeding and driving towards a compelling crescendo, while remaining implicitly self-explanatory so players can pick up and play at any time and know what they are doing."

  Movies? TV? We don care which one Arkham City feels like as long as it feels like Batman, too.

  Batman: Arkham City swings onto the PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 on 21st October this year.

• Arkham City Robin is "troubled and dangerous"

  Batfans across the world wrinkled their noses and raised their eyebrows when it was announced that sidekick Robin would be making an appearance in special bonus maps for the forthcoming Arkham Asylum sequel, Arkham City. Just how would the brightly coloured youth with a penchant for "holy" exclamations fit into the brooding atmosphere established by the previous game?

  Clearly, developer Rocksteady heard the murmurs of discontent, as an update on the sequel official website seeks to put gamer minds at rest that the Robin of this series won be sporting bright green tights and pixie boots when the game releases on PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 on October 21st. Instead, hel be an angry young brawler, more in keeping with the game brutal aesthetic.

  "Our vision of Robin is the one of a troubled young individual that is calm and introverted at times but very dangerous and aggressive if provoked," explains the update. "The shaved head is inspired by cage fighters, because we thought that Robin might be doing that in his spare time to keep him on his toes."
  An insular cage-fighting skinhead Robin who lashes out at enemies with savage fury? Looks like Chris Oonnell and Burt Ward are out of a job

• New Game Plus mode confirmed for Batman: Arkham City

  Rocksteady Studios has confirmed that the upcoming Batman: Arkham City will include a New Game Plus mode.

  Revealing the news on its official forums, the developer revealed that players who finish the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC adventure will be able to replay it, carrying over all of their experience and gadgets from the first playthrough.

  However, the powered-up Batman will have to contend with an overall higher level of difficulty, with more cunning and powerful thugs populating the game world, while boss encounters will also be more difficult.

  Moreover, gamers will no longer be given a visual indicator of when enemies are about to attack, making it trickier to pull off counterattacks.

  Batman: Arkham City is out next month and is set to be five times bigger than the acclaimed Batman: Arkham Asylum, as well as featuring 3D support.

  Published: 07/09/2011

• Batman gets soundtrack album. No sign of Prince.

  Arkham City, the new Batman adventure, will be giving its cinematic counterparts a run for their money in October, as it launches a tie-in soundtrack album featuring new, Batman-inspired songs from a line-up of popular rock bands. Sadly, a cover of Prince's Batdance is not among them.

  Among the acts contributing are Panic At The Disco, Coheed and Cambria, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, The Raveonettes and Serj Tankian from System of a Down.

  The album will be released on October 4th, two weeks before the launch of the game, but those buying the collector's edition will get a code to download the album for free, with a bonus track by A Place to Bury Strangers.

  The full tracklisting is as follows:

  Panic! At The Disco - Mercenary
  Coheed and Cambria - Deranged
  The Duke Spirit - Creature
  Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Shadow On The Run
  Blaqk Audio - Afterdark
  The Raveonettes - Oh, Stranger
  +++ (Crosses) - The Years
  The Damned Things - Trophy Widow
  Daughtry - Drown In You
  The Boxer Rebellion - Losing You
  Serj Tankian - Total Paranoia
  A Place to Bury Strangers - In The Shadow (Bonus Collector's Edition track)

  
  Batman: Arkham City is released on October 21st on PS3, Xbox 360 and PC.

• Batman Arkham City - Review

  Super-powered sequel

  2009 Batman: Arkham Asylum was hailed by many as the greatest superhero game of all time, but Batman: Arkham City arguably takes the genre to new heights with the introduction of a stunning open-world setting and more fully-realised characters.

  Without giving away any major plot points, its premise sees different parts of the city claimed by villains vying for power, with each section of the world displaying a distinct personality. At about ten hours in length, the main story feels a little less focused than Arkham Asylum's tight plotting, perhaps due to the fact there are so many characters competing for top billing, from heroes like Robin, Catwoman, Alfred and Vicki Vale to villains such as the Penguin, Mr. Freeze, the Riddler and the Joker.

  Nevertheless, your journey through the campaign, from one brilliant set-piece to the next, is always engaging and remains a finely crafted experience rather than a sequence of loosely organised encounters, while the opening and conclusion serve as highpoints that will have Bat-fans frothing at the mouth.

  Amazing world

  Batman himself was the star of Arkham Asylum, but Gotham City takes centre stage in the follow-up. The open-world environment is much larger than the original game island asylum, and each location, from an atmospheric museum and a dilapidated subway station to the gothic streets and skyscrapers of the city exteriors, is presented in even greater detail.

  Stand on a rooftop and gaze out at the city before you and youl be floored by the architecture. Each building look unique, and gliding, leaping, climbing or rappelling across this urban playground offers as much exhilarating freedom as any open-world game to date.

  Electric combat

  Revolving around stealth, acrobatic combat and exploration, the core gameplay elements of Arkham City remain unchanged from its predecessor, with highly effective systems that are as simple to pick up as they are difficult to master. The free-flowing combat is still a game of timing as you leap from one target to the next, countering and chaining moves together to beat your way through crowds and increase the strength and speed of attacks.

  You have plenty of new gadgets this time round too, including a freeze gun, a smoke bomb and a remote electrical charge that can zap henchmen, each of which can be seamlessly used in battle alongside more traditional attacking moves. Your improved arsenal is a necessity given the large groups of enemies you face, who now carry shields, wear armour and take aim at you with knives and electric rods of their own.

  Good Knight

  Batman: Arkham City is fleshed out with a heap of side-quests and collectibles separate to the main storyline, which can be played as you go through the campaign or tackled after its conclusion. Answering a ringing payphone, entering a building on a whim or approaching mysterious figures in the shadows can set off all manner of optional, yet extremely substantial and satisfying quests featuring their own characters and sub-plots, from destroying weapons of mass destruction to tracking down serial killers.

  Batman: Arkham City offers a wealth of content and everything is polished to perfection, from the gameplay mechanics to the beautiful open-world setting. Playing as Batman is never less than a pleasure and the game offers one of the most impressive depictions of Gotham City in any medium to date. Quite how developer Rocksteady can go about improving on Arkham City has us stumped, but itl be a pleasure finding out.

  
  

  GAME's verdict

  Good:
  + The best superhero game ever.
  + Fantastic open-world setting.
  + Tonnes of things to see and do.

  Bad:
  - Story is a little less focused than Arkham Asylum.
  - Bosses battles could have evolved more.
  - Can this be bettered?
  

  Review by: Tom aped CrusaderIvan
  Version Tested: X360
  Review Published: 19.10.11

  Published: 19/10/2011

  Published: 19/10/2011

• Batman Arkham City Review

  It good to be Bat

  
  

  Few games have given comic book fans as much to grin about as Batman: Arkham Asylum. Rocksteady crime-fighting master-class took the Dark Knight out of graphic novels and blockbuster movies and turned him into a bonafide videogame superstar. Suddenly, here was a caped crusader who was able to solve crimes as well as pummel baddies, while the setting a Victorian looney-bin stuck on an island in the middle of nowhere put him up against all his greatest foes. It a modern classic.

  And it left us with the question: how could the developer Rocksteady ever better it? How could they come up with a sequel that matched up to the original? The answer, thankfully, is ith ease Arkham City isn just the best Batman game wee ever played, it the best superhero game wee ever played too. It the adventure that both the Dark Knight and his fans have been crying out for.

  Dark City

  
  

  It bigger, brasher, and far, far battier, and it starts with a shift in locations. Following the events of the previous game, Arkham warden has become the mayor of Gotham City, and his first act has been to cordon off the slums of the metropolis, erect guard towers, and turn the place into a huge open air prison. It here that Batman finds himself drawn into his most dangerous mission yet a mystery that will ultimately hold the fate of all Gotham in the balance, while pitting him up against a truly deadly gang of foes.

  Arkham streets are filled with roaming gangs, their goons having sworn allegiance to one of the asylum leaders. The people in charge include the Penguin and Two-Face, and theye not to be taken lightly. Meanwhile, Hugo Strange is the new warden, and the Joker - poisoned by Titan and dying - lurks in the shadows with his own plots.

  It all adds up to one of the best open world set-ups wee ever seen in a game as Batman swoops over the city, tracking down the baddies and busting up their criminal empires. It a mission that will see him scaling the heights of the Wonder Tower, the huge framework of which dominates the skyline, and plummeting through the sewers to explore Gotham mysterious Victorian past. To say any more would be to spoil some of the delights and some of the horrors the plot has in store for you. Cameos abound, and the boss fights are bigger than ever. When it comes to delivering brilliant set-pieces in an open world, Batman only rival is The Legend of Zelda.

  Get Cape, Wear Cape, Fly

  
  

  A bigger world calls for new ways of getting around, and Batman can now glide through the air on his cape, and boost his way into the sky using his grapnel gun. Youl spend hours soaring amongst the peaks and rooftops of Gotham, and when you come down to earth, you can mix things up with some great new gadgets. Old favourites like the explosive gel and the batarang return, but you can also expect to mess around with the REC, an electrical shotgun, and an improved line-launcher that allows you to switch paths in mid-air.

  Every gadget as useful in combat as it is in puzzle-solving, and the brawling in Batman is as good as it ever been, with more enemies to take on at any one time, new animations, and a range of new take-downs to put your foes to sleep with. Bam.

  Beyond all that, if youe a comic book fan, youe in for the time of your life, with a range of side quests to play through once the main campaign is over, all of them leading you to a different classic villain. We can spill too much on this front, but we can tell you about Catwoman, who a playable character in the game with her own story missions, her own side quests, and her own vicious approach to combat and getting around. Arkham City the game is every bit as big as Arkham City the place and we defy you to get through all of this content in under twenty hours.

  So the bat back, and it brilliant to see him again. Whether he lurking in the shadows and plotting a stealthy take-down, or whipping through the skies on the trail of adventure, the Dark Knight simply never been as real, as fully-formed, or as brutally convincing as he is here. Arkham City is an astonishingly brilliant game, and that just leaves us with a very familiar question: what next?

   

  

  Bat-tastic!
  + Great new gadgets!
  + Huge environments!
  + Plenty of side-missions!

  Jokerific!
  - We want more!
  - Maybe throw in the Batmobile next time?
  - How long will we have to wait for a sequel?
  

  Published: 27/10/2011

• Batman: Arkham City tops UK charts

  Batman: Arkham City tops UK charts

  Batman: Arkham City has claimed the top spot in the UK's gaming charts, pushing last week's number one FIFA 12 into second place.

  Developed by Rocksteady, Batman: Arkham City allows players to enter the open-plan world of Arkham and wreak havoc on unsuspecting members of the game's shady underworld.

  Its launch this week has catapulted it to the zenith of the UK gaming world, doubling the figures seen for the release of its predecessor Arkham Asylum back in 2009.

  Other games that make up this week's top ten include the aforementioned FIFA 12, Sega's Football Manager 2012, Forza Motorsport 4, Just Dance 3, The Sims 3: Pets, Pro Evolution Soccer 2012, Rage, Zumba Fitness and Gears of War 3.

  Meanwhile, XBox 360 owners are set to benefit from a new DLC pack for Gears of War 3 - RAAM's Shadow - which is set to be released in December and will focus on the exploits of characters from the original title.

  Published: 04/11/2011

• Battlefield 3 holds steady atop UK charts

  Smash-hit shooter Battlefield 3 has retained its position atop the UK all-formats chart, despite a strong challenge from Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception.

  EA and DICE's acclaimed action game managed to continue its blockbusting pace to see off Naughty Dog's latest PlayStation 3 adventure, topping the official GfK-ChartTrack rankings for a second week.

  However, second-placed Uncharted 3 was still able to generate massive numbers of its own, recording the 11th best PlayStation 3 launch ever, while far exceeding the debut of 2009's Uncharted 2: Among Thieves.

  Third place went to FIFA 12, while the ever-popular Batman: Arkham City and Just Dance 3 rounded out the top five.

  Sega's latest Sonic the Hedgehog adventure, Sonic Generations, also cracked the top ten, slotting in at tenth place.

  Next week's chart will be rocked by the imminent launch of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, which is likely to break more than a few sales records when it debuts on Xbox 360, PC and PlayStation 3.

  Published: 08/11/2011

• Batman: Arkham City PC release date confirmed

  Batman: Arkham City PC release date confirmed

  The PC release date for the highly-anticipated Batman: Arkham City has been announced by Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment and DC Entertainment.

  Set to hit UK stores on November 25th 2011, the game draws on the rich history of the Batman universe to provide players with classic characters, involving storylines and plenty of villainous foes to take down as the Caped Crusader.

  Released on consoles last month, the title went straight to the top of the UK all-formats chart, marking the fourth biggest launch of the year so far.

  The only games to have higher sales in the week of their release in 2011 have been FIFA 12, Gears of War 3 and LA Noire.

  In addition to its commercial success, Rocksteady Games' new adventure has received critical adulation to match the reception of its predecessor Batman: Arkham Asylum.

  The game world of Arkham City is five times larger that of Arkham Asylum, while players will be able to utilise plenty of new abilities from the Dark Knight's arsenal of gadgets and tools.

  Published: 09/11/2011

• Batman: Arkham City map pack out in December

  Batman: Arkham City map pack out in December

  A new batch of challenge arenas are to be added to Batman: Arkham City on December 20th 2011.

  Warner Bros Interactive and Rocksteady Studios have confirmed via the game's official Twitter page that the new content pack will include an all-new stage based on Batman's high-tech base of operations, the Batcave.

  It will also include the Joker's Carnival arena and a map set in the Iceberg Lounge, the Gotham City nightclub operated by the villainous Penguin.

  This is the latest in a series of add-ons released for Batman: Arkham City, with last week's Robin Bundle Pack allowing fans to play as the Boy Wonder himself, Tim Drake.

  Arkham City has proven to be one of the year's most acclaimed games, as well as achieving chart-topping success when the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 editions were released last month.

  The game is now also available on PC, with another version planned for Nintendo's new console the Wii U.
  

  Published: 28/11/2011

• Batman: Arkham City receives fresh DLC this week

  Batman: Arkham City receives fresh DLC this week

  Batman: Arkham City fans can expand their superhero experience with the launch of new downloadable content packs this week for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC.

  The first of these new DLC packages is the Arkham Bundle, which includes the previously released Nightwing Bundle Pack, Robin Bundle Pack and the Arkham City Skins Pack in a single download.

  With this bonus content, fans can play as Batman's sidekicks Nightwing and Robin in the game's challenge maps, or choose different looks for the Dark Knight himself.

  Meanwhile, the Challenge Map Pack adds three extra arenas to challenge mode, including the Joker's Carnival, the Iceberg Lounge and the brand new Batcave level.

  Warner Bros Interactive and Rocksteady Studios have also released an additional in-game costume, the Batman Inc Batsuit skin, as a free download this week to thank fans for their support.

  Game director Sefton Hill also revealed a special cheat code as a bonus - by pressing left, left, down, down, left, left, right, up, up and down on the main menu screen, players can select alternative Batman skins without needing to complete the game first.

  Published: 23/12/2011

• Wii U confirmed for European release before Christmas

  Speaking to investors, Nintendo has offered its first confirmation that its new Wii U console will launch in all major markets - including the UK - for Christmas 2012. The console, first revealed at E3 last year, was already pencilled in for a 2012 release, but it was unclear if that only referred to Japan.

  The console is an evolution of the existing Wii, with far more graphical power, HD graphics and an innovative new tablet controller which works together with the Wii remote. The console was shown off again at the Consumer Electronics Show earlier this month, and will be the centrepiece of Nintendo's presence at E3 in June.

  As for software, a new Super Smash Bros game is known to be in development while Legend of Zelda has been used for some demonstrations. Exclusive Wii U versions of smash hits such as Batman: Arkham City, Ghost Recon, Battlefield, Assassin's Creed and Darksiders also feature in the console's confirmed line up.

  So that's the Christmas shopping sorted nice and early then.
  

• Batman and LA Noire lead 2012 Video Game BAFTA nominations

  The finalists for the 2012 British Academy Video Game Awards have been announced, and this year everyone will be watching the detectives, as Batman: Arkham City and LA Noire top the lists with eight nominations apiece.

  Sony will be happy that Uncharted 3 and LittleBigPlanet 2 both get six nominations, while Skyrim and Portal 2 each have five.

  Categories include Action, Artistic Achievement, Design, Story, Innovation and, of course, Best Game. Batman and LA Noire rub shoulders with FIFA 12, Portal 2, Skyrim and Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword in that category. The omission of best-seller Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 may raise eyebrows, but that gets a nod in both the Action and Multiplayer categories.

  Promising indie projects get a look in thanks to the Dare to be Digital One's To Watch award, and there's also a public vote, with ten blockbuster games to choose between. You can head to http://www.baftagameaward.com to pick your favourite.

  The winners will be announced at a sure-to-be-lavish ceremony on March 16th.

• Batman: Arkham City and LA Noire lead GAME Bafta nominations

  The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (Bafta) has named the nominees for this year's GAME British Academy Video Games Award, with Batman: Arkham City and LA Noire leading the pack.

  Rocksteady Studios' superhero sequel and Rockstar's hard-boiled detective drama both scooped eight nominations each, including best game, music, design, artistic achievement and story.

  Following hot on their heels were Naughty Dog's globetrotting adventure Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception and Media Molecule's sandbox platform game LittleBigPlanet 2 with six nominations, while Portal 2 and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim scored five each.

  Meanwhile, a shortlist of ten titles was also revealed for the publicly-voted GAME Award of 2011, the winner of which can be chosen by visitors to the GAME Award website.

  Arkham City, Battlefield 3, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, FIFA 2012, LA Noire, Minecraft, Portal 2, Skyrim, Uncharted 3 and The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword are all in contention to claim the prize.

  Those who take part in the vote will also be in with a chance of winning a limited edition Star Wars Xbox 360 console, complete with a Kinect sensor and copy of Kinect Star Wars.

  Published: 20/02/2012

• Young Justice: Legacy to soar in 2013

  The teen heroes of the popular animated series Young Justice will be appearing in a new videogame based on the cartoon early next year.

  Little Orbit and Warner Bros Interactive have pencilled in a 2013 release date for Young Justice: Legacy, which is in development for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii and Nintendo DS.

  As with the TV show, Young Justice: Legacy focuses on youthful heroes such as Robin, Aqualad, Kid Flash, Miss Martian and Superboy, as they face off against iconic DC Comics villains and prove themselves to their Justice League mentors.

  Featuring a range of playable characters and online multiplayer modes, the game will also include an original storyline penned in collaboration with the show's writers Greg Weisman and Brandon Vietti.

  Matt Scott of Little Orbit said: "Our core mission is to create a unique experience that fits seamlessly into the world of the show and offers a new way to interact with these popular DC Comics characters."

  The DC brand is coasting on a wave of acclaim at the moment thanks to the continuing success of Batman: Arkham City, which is one of the frontrunners at the annual GAME British Academy Video Games Awards.

  Published: 23/02/2012

• Portal 2 and Battlefield 3 win big at GAME Baftas

  Puzzle adventure game Portal 2 and gritty shooter Battlefield 3 have emerged as the big winners at the GAME British Academy Video Games Awards.

  Valve's darkly comedic brainteaser won the evening's top prize of best game, while also claiming gongs for design and story, meaning it matched its three-award haul from the recent Game Developers Choice Awards.

  Meanwhile, EA and DICE's cutting-edge action epic claimed the online multiplayer and audio achievement awards and also snagged the GAME Award of 2011, the evening's only publicly-voted category.

  Other winners during the night included LittleBigPlanet 2, which won the family and game innovation categories, while LA Noire walked off with the prize for best original music.

  Batman: Arkham City took the action gong and the prize for best performer, which went to Star Wars star Mark Hamill for his cackling voice role as the Joker.

  Also claiming prizes were Kinect Sports Season Two in the sports/fitness category and Total War: Shogun 2 for best strategy game.

  Published: 20/03/2012

• Batman: Arkham City developer has "exciting ideas" for new game

  London-based developer Rocksteady took home the BAFTA for Best Action Game at the British Academy Video Game Awards last week, a prize deservedly won for the excellent Batman: Arkham City.

  But where next for the talented studio? "We have lots of exciting ideas about what we want to do next," game director Sefton Hill told VG247 during a post-show interview. "When you come to the end, you feel like you've put everything in... And then when you start a new game it's diverging, and everything becomes possible again. Immediately we sat down and thought right, what do we do next? And there were so many exciting ideas on the table."

  Hill wouldn't be drawn on what Rocksteady is working on next, but he wouldn't deny that capes and cowls are still very much on their minds. "You're constantly thinking about what can we do to improve the game," he said of Arkham City's popularity. "If you could press CTRL+ALT+DEL in my brain, it would be 90% Batman at any given time. It sort of means that I can't function in any other social capacity other than to talk about Batman."

  Batman: Arkham City is out now for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC.

• Xbox 360 - The Essential Games

  
  

  So, you've just got yourself an Xbox 360 - congratulations! You've now entered a world of fantastic HD graphics, powerful gameplay and everything Xbox LIVE has to offer, from online gaming and chat to streaming movies, music and more. There's only one question left - what games should I get?

  Worry not - help is at hand! Thanks to our wonderful customers who entered our recent Facebook competition, we can now recommend the top Xbox 360 games you need to get going, and our competition winners will tell you why!

  Presenting, the Xbox 360 Essentials List - as chosen by YOU!

  

  Action/Adventure

  The consensus was clear. If you want action and adventure on Xbox 360, there's only one man who delivers - Batman. Arkham Asylum broke the mould of what you could expect from a comic-book adaptation. Winner Oliver Brown says "Every time I played it, there were more and more secrets to find, even after finishing the game... The story was very well driven as well, creating an emotional bond with the man behind the mask and cape... and I feel it is essential, for some long term single-player action that you don't see much any more". This was followed by formidable sequel Arkham City, which you said was "pure badass Batman" and "one of the best super hero games of this generation but also one of the finest action/adventure titles available on Xbox 360"
  

  

  Shooter

  You must really like Battlefield 3. You voted for it at the Baftas, and it was the overwhelming winner here too! You all loved the sound, visuals and destruction, but winner Harlen Hatter tells it best: "The Xbox 360 manages to bring an incredible Battlefield experience directly into your front room. The game is a massive scale shooter featuring 4 diverse classes, vehicular warfare, dog-fighting and endless destruction. Oh, and this is usually happening all at once... If you want to call in an airstrike, you have to tell your buddy up in the aircraft to fly down and give you fire support. Every player has a role which makes you feel like a valuable asset to the team... It pushes the Xbox 360 to its limits."
  

  

  Sport

  Your top choice for sports action on Xbox 360 also won by a landslide. FIFA 12 is, according to winner William Chan, "...far superior to any other football games out there. Each goal you score in this game feels like a life accomplishment - even more, if you play LAN with friends. The whole experience is just unbeatable. The game is packed with different game modes which can be frustrating, but fun and rewarding once you get into the stride. This games is one of those laid-back games you can play at a mates house, a local pub or anywhere the pitch takes you." The varying game modes, realism and the ability to defeat your mates were firm reasons from many entrants, praising it as "the closest you will get to the beautiful game" and "an almost complete football experience".
  

  

  Sci-Fi/Fantasy

  You praised its epic scale, it's characters, and the emotional bond you make with Commander Shepard across the series - the Mass Effect saga is the essential Xbox 360 sci-fi experience! In the words of winner Curtis Taylor "This game will last you a long time, it's so immersive and you can play it how you like, you can play it like an RPG or if you're more of a 'run and gun' kind of player then you can just play like that and ignore the RPG aspects, this is what made this game stand out for me. I normally get bored of a game after finishing the campaign once but with Mass Effect, I played it through at least 3 times as I thoroughly enjoyed it. Mass Effect is a must-have for any gamer."
  

  

  Party

  In what was the closest fought category, some top music and sports games narrowly missed out to the fun that is Dance Central. Making full use of the Kinect's motion controls to get you to match the dance routines on screen, it is, according to winner Dario Orlando, "All the fun of a night on the tiles, without drunk people stepping on your feet! Plus, with different difficulties, even those with two left feet can own the dancefloor!". You all loved the game's versatility ("guys' night in or girls' wine party"), but most importantly, the fun factor "there's nothing like making an absolute fool of yourself, especially if you couldn't even dance to begin with". So shake a leg and get dancing!
  

  

  Racing

  In another landslide victory, Forza 4 was your choice for pole position. You championed the graphics, realism and choice of cars, while the competitive gameplay and Kinect controls were also reasons you recommended it. It was clear from your entries that this game is a car lover's dream, as summed-up by winner Oliver Dyson: "The 'Autovista' system allows true car enthusiasts to get within 4-inches of closeness to over twenty different dream vehicles... Jeremy Clarkson will not only take you through the ins and outs of each vehicle but also let you compete for times on the infamous Top Gear circuit... Forza 4 is simply essential to anyone with a love of adrenaline, and a passion for the cars you can obtain in it."
  

  Many thanks to all of you who entered - there were some really good choices and reasons why. And if you are in the market for an Xbox 360, I hope the advice of your peers will help!

  As usual, if you have any comments on these games - or alternative essentials - feel free to share them below!
  

  Published: 17/04/2012

• Bring On the Bad Guys!

  
  

  

  This week sees the release of Prototype 2, where the Alex Mercer, hero from the first game seems to have become the new bad guy to beat. So, in celebration of all things vile and villainous, the digital team has once again been gently prodded to share with you our favourite evil-doers. These are the people, who, in the style of Bugsy Malone, are "the very best at being bad"

  
  

  

  Glenn - Mad Mod

  Diablo is the Lord of Terror and a Prime Evil of Hell. That's a job title that alone warrants a spot on our best bad guys list.

  He manipulates his opponents using their innermost fears and then obliterates them with his Demonic strength and incredibly powerful Spells. The strongest Demon in Hell, named after the Devil himself, and seemingly indestructible (Read - he's been destroyed a number of times, even with the Arch Angels helping and he's still keeps ticking, like a malevolent Duracell bunny), devious and able to possess his enemies, Diablo is the Ultimate Bad Guy. And he's back in Diablo 3!
  

  

  Marc - Analyst to the Stars

  The little girl from F.E.A.R. - Alma Wade.

  She was scary. Honest. Like the girl from the Ring (Japanese version, obviously). The first corridor experience with her and the ceiling of blood is one of the scariest scenes ever in a game.

  The Music and Sound was eerie too. It was just all far too scary and Alma was the cause of it all.

  Carl - Design Doodler

  Shao Kahn from Mortal Kombat. Because he is a massive #@+! and I can't kill him!

  

  Ali - Queen of the Internet

  My favourite video game villain is Revolver Ocelot. He started life in Metal Gear Solid as a random gunslinger who you could kill if you (as Solid Snake) waited for him to need to reload his revolver - he really should have named himself something with more than 6 bullets!

  After cutting off his arm you assume that's the end of him, but he's more maniacal than you realise as he replaces his arm with that of your dead clone brother Liquid Snake. In a strange twist of surgery his arm takes over his mind so you have to beat him again in Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. Finally the epic family feud of a lifetime is over, but with Metal Gear nothing ever seems to stay dead. Roll on Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance!

  James - Captain Category

  G-Man from Half-Life - not really a villain but still very creepy

  

  Nick - Colonel Category

  Wesker from Resident Evil.
  
  How many times did he die escape get retconned? Nigh on unkillable (until the muddle that was Resident Evil 5), the variety of his super powers (whatever the situation demanded, basically) and his smartass one-liners made him the man (ish?) well all loved to hate.

  Plus, sunglasses in those dark places, yes, THAT's how hard he was!

  Louis - Merchandising Meddler

  Wesker be top of my favourite picks, too. From his humble beginnings in a dual life as a scientist/Umbrella genius/STARS Leader, he goes about sacrificing his entire team in the name of science... and obtaining reliable combat data.

  After he is foiled by Chris and Jill, Wesker fakes his own death, escapes, and, not content with the destruction of Raccoon City, tries to continue his research away from the tenacious and meddling Redfield...

  But, Wesker is a bad guy and is therefore doomed to fail. After failing twice, mutating his body beyond belief and moving to Africa, he becomes nothing short of annoying and impossible to kill. The only way he is stopped is by being tackled by Chris and Eva and hundreds of bullets later, is engulfed in a pool of lava.

  Truly special, I'll always remember him for his rubbish sunglasses (worn at all times) and even worse Matrix-esque coat (RE 5). It was also really weird the way his accent changed too. He went from camp American to indignant English... I guess that cemented the transformation from mildly devious to completely evil!

  My second pick would be The Shredder (many Turtles games, but in particular, the 1989 TMNT Arcade Game). Not content with burning down April's apartment building, he kidnaps her too - forcing the Turtles into action and on a mission to end all missions. To a degree, menacing, but generally just annoying and incessant ; )

  Finally, I'd say my third pick would be Dr. Robotnik from Sonic. Generally, he's also just annoying, but also very devious and innovative. From trying to run Sonic down with a drill machine, to smashing Sonic with a giant wrecking ball, to trying to drown Sonic, to pitting Sonic against Metal Sonic in a race to save Amy Rose. Robotnik never gives up... You gotta love a good villain!

  

  Robyn - In-Yer-Face Interfacer

  Baron von Blubba. You know, the whale in Bubble Bobble! When time runs out it goes ape and super fast... Waaaaaah!!!! (o_o)

  Damien - Good Word Writing Man

  Does 'Dragonforce - Through the Fire and Flames' from Guitar Hero: World Tour count? Talk about an unbeatable enemy... No? Well then there's always the Joker in Arkham Asylum and City - played with delicious glee by Mark Hamill. He won an award for it and everything.

• Batman still hasn't uncovered all of Arkham City's secrets

  Even after seven months on sale, players still haven't found all of the secrets and Easter eggs hidden among the grim streets of Arkham City, developer Rocksteady has revealed.

  The British studio hid lots of references to Batman lore in its sprawling openworld superhero adventure, and some were discovered incredibly quickly. ""Some of them we put in there that were really obscure were found within a week," the game's director, Sefton Hill, told audiences at the Kapow! Comic Con in London. A secret lair for Scarecrow was just one of these teasers that fans cracked almost immediately. "We didn't think anyone would ever solve that," said Hill, "but it only took people two days."

  However, there are still a few mysteries to be solved, for those with detective aspirations. "There are still three or four things that people haven't seen - some of them very subtle things," Hill told the crowd. "There's one that we had right in one of the first demos that we did that nobody has found - it's in there if you look hard enough."

  Don't worry if you haven't got started on this fantastic comic book caper yet. It's out now on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC, and there'll be a Game of the Year edition, including all the game's downloadable content, due in the Autumn.
  

• Arkham City prequel to feature Justice League?

  Arkham City prequel to feature Justice League?

  Rocksteady are planning another game in their massively successful Batman Arkham games. But rather than a sequel to Arkham City, this new game will be a prequel. And this time, Batman won't be alone...

  According to Hollywood bible Variety, Batman will be joined by some of DC Comics biggest super hero characters including Superman, Wonder Woman and the Green Lantern. The plot details suggest the film will be set in the period where Batman first fought the Joker, and the formation of super-team the Justice League.

  The report goes on to say we won't see this game until 2014 "at the earliest", which has led to speculation that it may appear on the next generation of consoles.

  For those who want to see Batman team with his super-friends to take on the Joker before then, LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes will let you do just that, with a bit more fun injected. The DC heroes and villains will next be seen in brawler Injustice: Gods Amongst Us.

  Published: 12/07/2012

• Bring On The Bad Guys!

  
  

  

  This week sees the release of Prototype 2, where the Alex Mercer, hero from the first game seems to have become the new bad guy to beat. So, in celebration of all things vile and villainous, the digital team has once again been gently prodded to share with you our favourite evil-doers. These are the people, who, in the style of Bugsy Malone, are "the very best at being bad"

  
  

  

  Glenn - Mad Mod

  Diablo is the Lord of Terror and a Prime Evil of Hell. That's a job title that alone warrants a spot on our best bad guys list.

  He manipulates his opponents using their innermost fears and then obliterates them with his Demonic strength and incredibly powerful Spells. The strongest Demon in Hell, named after the Devil himself, and seemingly indestructible (Read - he's been destroyed a number of times, even with the Arch Angels helping and he's still keeps ticking, like a malevolent Duracell bunny), devious and able to possess his enemies, Diablo is the Ultimate Bad Guy. And he's back in Diablo 3!
  

  

  Marc - Analyst to the Stars

  The little girl from F.E.A.R. - Alma Wade.

  She was scary. Honest. Like the girl from the Ring (Japanese version, obviously). The first corridor experience with her and the ceiling of blood is one of the scariest scenes ever in a game.

  The Music and Sound was eerie too. It was just all far too scary and Alma was the cause of it all.

  Carl - Design Doodler

  Shao Kahn from Mortal Kombat. Because he's massive and I can't kill him!

  

  Ali - Queen of the Internet

  My favourite video game villain is Revolver Ocelot. He started life in Metal Gear Solid as a random gunslinger who you could kill if you (as Solid Snake) waited for him to need to reload his revolver - he really should have named himself something with more than 6 bullets!

  After cutting off his arm you assume that's the end of him, but he's more maniacal than you realise as he replaces his arm with that of your dead clone brother Liquid Snake. In a strange twist of surgery his arm takes over his mind so you have to beat him again in Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. Finally the epic family feud of a lifetime is over, but with Metal Gear nothing ever seems to stay dead. Roll on Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance!

  James - Captain Category

  G-Man from Half-Life - not really a villain but still very creepy

  

  Nick - Colonel Category

  Wesker from Resident Evil.
  
  How many times did he die escape get retconned? Nigh on unkillable (until the muddle that was Resident Evil 5), the variety of his super powers (whatever the situation demanded, basically) and his smartass one-liners made him the man (ish?) well all loved to hate.

  Plus, sunglasses in those dark places, yes, THAT's how hard he was!

  Louis - Merchandising Meddler

  Wesker be top of my favourite picks, too. From his humble beginnings in a dual life as a scientist/Umbrella genius/STARS Leader, he goes about sacrificing his entire team in the name of science... and obtaining reliable combat data.

  After he is foiled by Chris and Jill, Wesker fakes his own death, escapes, and, not content with the destruction of Raccoon City, tries to continue his research away from the tenacious and meddling Redfield...

  But, Wesker is a bad guy and is therefore doomed to fail. After failing twice, mutating his body beyond belief and moving to Africa, he becomes nothing short of annoying and impossible to kill. The only way he is stopped is by being tackled by Chris and Eva and hundreds of bullets later, is engulfed in a pool of lava.

  Truly special, I'll always remember him for his rubbish sunglasses (worn at all times) and even worse Matrix-esque coat (RE 5). It was also really weird the way his accent changed too. He went from camp American to indignant English... I guess that cemented the transformation from mildly devious to completely evil!

  My second pick would be The Shredder (many Turtles games, but in particular, the 1989 TMNT Arcade Game). Not content with burning down April's apartment building, he kidnaps her too - forcing the Turtles into action and on a mission to end all missions. To a degree, menacing, but generally just annoying and incessant ; )

  Finally, I'd say my third pick would be Dr. Robotnik from Sonic. Generally, he's also just annoying, but also very devious and innovative. From trying to run Sonic down with a drill machine, to smashing Sonic with a giant wrecking ball, to trying to drown Sonic, to pitting Sonic against Metal Sonic in a race to save Amy Rose. Robotnik never gives up... You gotta love a good villain!

  

  Robyn - In-Yer-Face Interfacer

  Baron von Blubba. You know, the whale in Bubble Bobble! When time runs out it goes ape and super fast... Waaaaaah!!!! (o_o)

  Damien - Good Word Writing Man

  Does 'Dragonforce - Through the Fire and Flames' from Guitar Hero: World Tour count? Talk about an unbeatable enemy... No? Well then there's always the Joker in Arkham Asylum and City - played with delicious glee by Mark Hamill. He won an award for it and everything.

  Published: 22/04/2012

• Games you can't afford to miss from 2011

  
  

  There's no denying it, we've been spoiled rotten by the flood of quality games this year. There isn't enough time in the day to get through them all! Fortunately, the Christmas holidays are here to give us a little more time to catch up on the best of 2011.

  We've hand-picked a selection of games from this year's release schedule that are all worthy of your Christmas Gaming time...

  Batman Arkham City

  

  A comic hero game that turned out to be very good? We were left speechless when Arkham Asylum was released in 2009. Even more incredibly, Rocksteady Studios' sequel managed to be even better than the first!

  Batman Arkham City sets you in a massive open world, players assume the role of a Batman imprisoned in the sprawling super-prison of Arkham City. Every nemesis you could hope for makes an appearance in the game - as well as an epic storyline offering dozens of hours of gameplay, there's a huge quantity of sidequests and missions to explore once you've put the baddies to bed.

  Uncharted 3

  

  This third outing for Nathan Drake is his grandest adventure yet. Set amongst deserts, lost cities and ruins, Uncharted 3 is a technically astonishing PlayStation 3 game that features all of the exploration, fighting and explosive set-pieces we've come to expect from the series.

  Better multiplayer, more customisation options and some of the most impressive motion-capture animations to hit gaming make Uncharted 3 an unmissable, cinematic rollercoaster. Don't miss out on one of gaming's finest adventures.

  The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim

  

  If you can't get your money's worth out of a game like The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim, you're very hard to please indeed! Bethesda's follow-up to the best-selling game Oblivion left players and critics alike reeling. A gorgeously rendered, enormous world stuffed with terrifying dungeons, endless quest-lines and open-world dragon fights, Skyrim packs more content into a side-quest than most games manage full stop.

  Are you an archer, berserker, magician or rogue? Whatever your play-style, there's a highly customisable role for you in this most epic of RPGs. Hundreds of hours of gameplay are here for players to gorge themselves on, all spread across a game that is likely to become one of the most fondly remembered of this generation. The greatest RPG of all time? It might just be.

  Gears of War 3

  

  Tying up all the loose ends of the previous games, this climax to the best-selling Gears of Wars franchise sees Marcus Fenix and co set out to finish the Locust Horde once and for all in Gears of War 3. Some of the most awesome baddies the series has ever seen make their appearance in this conclusion, and there'll be no shortage of sweaty palms once the fighting's over.

  Multiplayer provides endless re-playability for the game, as you team up with friends to take on wave after wave of Locust forces. If you'd rather rip your friend's face off than lend a helping hand, you can now fight as the enemy, raining horrible destruction on your whole family once the Christmas pudding's gone down.

  FIFA 12

  

  Once mocked by gamers for churning out what often amounted to little more than annual updates, EA has been on a charm-offensive these last five years or so, bringing significant innovation and improvements to their flagship footie title every single time.

  FIFA 12 sees the introduction of a far more dynamic system for defending where you can link up with an AI defender to put pressure on attackers. Head to Head seasons allow you to take part in a highly competitive ladder tournament, while simply playing the game also adds points to your chosen club. It's as addictive as ever, and about as fully-featured a sports game as we could hope for.

  The Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword

  

  The perfect game to settle into while the family are having a good old row downstairs,The Ledgend of Zelda Skyward Sword will charm the pants off you with it's perfect telling of the classic Zelda tale, mixed with the best combat and world design the series has ever seen.

  Set prior to the events of the N64 (and now 3DS) classic Ocarina of Time, Skyward Sword starts off in a beautiful cloud city by the name of Skyloft. Of course, it's not long until Link's childhood friend Zelda is whisked off into the lands below, beginning a fantastic journey of world exploration, soaring flight, and devilishly tricky dungeons. Skyward Sword is a must-play for any Zelda fans, past or present.

  Published: 14/12/2011

• New Batman game due this year, Warner Bros reveals

  Following Arkham Asylum and Arkham City, a third Batman game will be released this year, publisher Warner Bros has slyly revealed.

  The news came not through the usual games industry sources, but as part of a call to investors by Time Warner's Chief Financial Officer John K. Martin. Talking up the success of the media giant's gaming arm, he told shareholders that "we also have a strong games release this year, which will include the next release in the Batman Arkham franchise."

  While that nugget may have been of only passing interest to the money men on the other end of the call, it's a pretty big bombshell for gamers, with the Arkham series being one of the most popular and successful superhero adaptations of all time. There's no further information on what form the game will take, or when it will be released, although the previous games launched in August and October respectively.

  Rumours persist that the third game will be a prequel, set in the colourful comic book Silver Age, and will find Batman working with members of the Justice League. Warner Bros, perhaps wisely, is keeping quiet on the details.

  For the most recent entry in the Batman saga, check out Batman: Arkham City Armoured Edition for Wii U.
  

  Published: 13/02/2013

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