Batman: Arkham City Harley Quinn's Revenge PlayStation Network

Released on TBD

• 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

• 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

• Editor's Choice - Harley Quinn's Revenge

  
  

  

  
  
  

  

  The Bat is back in this fresh expansion pack for Xbox LIVE and PlayStation Network; trouble is so is Harley Quinn. And the Joker's main squeeze is suitably enraged (and even more cutely psychotic than usual) about how things turned out for the love of her life at the end of Batman: Arkham City...

  Time then to head back out on to the mean streets (and into the smoggy skies) in this third-person action adventure - but this time playing as the Boy Wonder as well as 'Cape Fear' himself, Batman. This time round, Robin's been let out of his cage, well, those challenge rooms of the main game, and is now free to flap about Arkham itself.

  Given that he sports the world's worst superhero name, that might sound like an unappealing proposition - but those clever developer chaps at Rocksteady are the first people in Robin's 72-year career to actually sort out his goody-two-shoes image problem. With a lethal staff, a new zip-line gadget, shurikens, sticky bombs and a bullet shield, he's now officially a 'Bad Ass'; yep, his days of getting wedgies from Joker's henchmen are now officially over, folks.

  

  Tag teaming between our two heroes, you're off to the city's steel mill to clip the increasingly frayed wings of the city's new self-appointed head bad gal, Quinn, who's taken police officers hostage to act as Bat bait. What this means is a two-hour-plus campaign that involves those usual but brilliant stalwarts of detective work and predatory takedowns mixed with punching and kicking 50 shades of brown stuff out of Quinn's motley crew of thugs and freaks (who are now sporting some very natty Harley-inspired designer threads, dontcha know).

  Short and sweet, Harley Quinn's Revenge is the perfect epilogue then to Arkham City's surprising denouement. And for those who miss the Joker as much as Harley does, fret not because he'll be back. In 2014...

  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

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