Two new challenge maps included in the Insane Night Map Pack | Batman Arkham Asylum

We've all been wondering, what new tricks Edios and developer Rocksteady have up their sleeves.  We've seen the tantalizing "X days until new free DLC" on the game's menu - but we've not yet known what it is.  Until now.

It's officially been announced today, that on September 17th, the Insane Night Map Pack will be available free from Xbox LIVE and/or PlayStation Store.  The map pack will offer two new Challenge Maps to perfect their FreeFlow Combat skills and continue to test players Invisible Predator prowess.

The "Totally Insane" FreeFlow Combat map players will be tested against scores of escaped lunatics hell bent on Batman's destruction in the asylum's secure records facility.

In the "Nocturnal Hunter" Invisible Predator map, players will have to exercise a wholly different approach, remaining in the shadows, utilizing Arkham's environments and Batman's gadgets to reign victorious over The Joker's army of henchmen below.

This is a great addition to an already great game, if you haven't, check out our review coverage here.

POW! Batman Arkham Asylum review

In the last 4 years, Batman has made a cultural resurgence into the hearts of many a fan, as well as introduced the worlds greatest detective to a whole new generation of followers. Since Christopher Nolan's re-boot of the film franchise, Batman is once again at the peak of his popularity. Flash forward to August of 2009, a fairly unknown independent development house out of London by the name of Rocksteady Studios, has just released the "Most Critically Acclaimed Superhero Game Ever" (Says The Guinness Book of World Records).

And I'm keen on believing it. You should too.

In fact, we're going to go crazy here, and tell you our score now - so you don't waste any further time in not playing this game. Mashbuttons gives Batman Arkham Asylum a 10 out of 10.

If you do enjoy our wordsmithing, then by all means please continue and click the "read more" link for our full thoughts on the experience.

There is no time - Arkham Asylum awaits!

Since earlier this year, we've written countless posts (11) consisting of countless words (1700+) hyping the game that no one saw coming (are we kidding?).

Batman appears as if it's going to be a hit (review forthcoming); so a sleeper it is not, however it's a bit surprising that a licensed game by a relatively unknown developer is getting as much attention as it is.

Good for them - the game IS awesome - be sure to come back soon for a full review.

So without any further words, Batman: Arkham Asylum is available today at your favorite retailer for the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3.

Bruce Wayne has gadgets man, gadgets!

In what has to be the final of 17 promotional videos for the Dark Knight's latest adventure, Rocksteady goes into some visual depth, showcasing how the Batarang, Explosive Gel, Grapnel Gun and Line Launcher are used in the upcoming Batman game.

I'm super-excited for this game, but can't help but wonder if they're over-marketing it? I think after the great (but short) demo, now all we want is the full game! Let us have it!



Batman: Arkham Asylum is available August 25th on Xbox 360 and Playstation 3

Check out some more Batman: Arkham Asylum footage | Making Of

It appears that with the release of today's Batman demo on Xbox LIVE and the PSN, that Eidos Inc. and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment are starting up the hype-train as they are releasing some "making of" footage for your hungry eyes. They are hungry, cause they're starved for some Batman love.

Check it out, and don't forget to download the demo and let us know what you think.

Video Below

Let Batman "demo" how he can kick your ass | Batman Demo

Let it be, that right now, you can download the Batman Arkham Asylum demo for the Xbox 360 or PS3 off of each of their respective downloading network thingies. (official names be damned!)

We'll have some thoughts and impressions this weekend, let us know what YOU think in the comments below.

Batman: Arkham Asylum gets an August release date | Finally

Hot on the heels of e3, Warner Brothers Interactive and Eidos pinned down an August 25th release (August 28th if you're across the pond) of the new, exciting title in the Batman series. About a month ago, there was a "end of summer" delay, adding a few more months for some spit and polish, which will be certainly evident in the final product.

Below is the latest trailer showing some "free-flow" combat you'll get to experience in the final version. Oh, and don't forget, if you happen to have one of those fancy PS3's, it may sway your purchase due to an exclusive (and free) downloadable Joker character to play in the challenge maps. It's a cool addition to be sure, but not one enough to pull me from the xbox 360 version.

Enjoy the video

Holy Bad-News Batman! | Rumor (UPDATE - Confirmed)

***Update: We just got official word from our contact, that this title has indeed been delayed until "end of summer 2009". Though this is bad news for us inpatient gamers, it's potentially great news, as an extra month or so of polish can really ensure a great gaming experience. On a scale of 1-10, how upset are you with a small (all things considered) delay to better the experience?

Say it isn't so Bruce! Someone knocked over the jar of bees and they are flying in every direction this morning with buzz - buzz that our beloved Batman Arkham Asylum has been, (possibly) delayed until later this year. In fact the rumor comes to us via Joystiq, via Game Informer magazine, citing a "source close to the game" that the title is in push-back-city. This is a dark night indeed. We have inquires out to our contacts to see if they can confirm or deny the rumor.

We'll update as we learn more...

In the meantime, you can cry over this new video showing the combat in game in lots of super-slow-mo glory!

The Joker playable on PS3 edition of Batman: Arkham Asylum

So the exclusivity minions over at Sony actually showed up to work this week. They've been able to nab an exclusive character for the PS3 upon release. What character do you say? None other than the formidable Joker. That's right, upon release, PS3 owners will be able to download a free playable Joker to play in the challenge maps found in the game. More info will be available in the June Playstation: The official magazine.

Is this a precedent? Should Xbox 360 owners expect an equally exciting exclusive character to play in the challenge maps as well? My sources are mum for the moment, but at the current rate of news coming out almost daily on this game, if there is one, we're sure to learn about it soon.

If not, does this sway you one way or the other if you own both consoles? Leave some comments and let us know the general consensus here.

New Batman Arkham Asylum gameplay footage | Not for real! (Update)

***UPDATE: unfortunately the video is no longer available, we'll try to get it again, and put it up for you all***

The official name of this video is "Batman: Arkham Asylum Intensive Treatment Demo" and while that's a mouthful, I like to simply call it "4 minutes of ass-kicking"

Though it's another video of the Challenge Rooms, (we're still really excited to see some of the single-player campaign gameplay) this gives you a chance to see how the action-brawling aspect of the game will work. In the previous video (seen here) they showed off the stealth skills so it's nice to get a glimpse from those of us who like a rough-'n-tumble smack'em'up. Check it out, June is right around the corner, and the Batman Hype-train is running at full-steam. All Aboard!

Harley Quinn Character Vignette | Batman: Arkham Asylum

Another Day, Another Vignette (ADAV) - Today we bring to you, the "now-not-exclusive" video showcasing the most recently revealed villain the Dark Knight will be facing in his upcoming game; Harley Quinn.

Harley Quinn

REAL NAME: Dr. Harleen Quinzel
OCCUPATION: Professional criminal
BASE OF OPERATIONS: Gotham City
EYES: Blue
HAIR: Blonde
HEIGHT: 5 ft 7 in
WEIGHT: 140 lbs
FIRST APPEARANCE: Batman: Harley Quinn #1 (October 1999)

You may be getting tired of seeing Batman updates, but think about it this way, there's only a few more months before it's release, so it has to end soon, right? RIGHT? Ah, who cares, we can't wait to play this game!




Also be sure to check out all our coverage of Batman: Arkham Asylum in our previous posts.
Bane Character Vignette
Extended Gameplay walk-through
First gameplay walk-through

Bane Character Vignette | Batman: Arkham Asylum

Batman: Arkham Asylum is our Pirate story!

Since it seems that alot of the news we've been focusing on lately is of the new Batman game, it's with great reason. First, it looks kick ass, and second, we keep getting updates from Rocksteady, Eidos and Warner! (keep 'em coming, guys!)

Today we bring you a vignette of a recently revealed foe for Batman; Bane. Now, fans of the comic will no doubt know the name, but for those of you who don't, here's a brief rundown.

BANE
REAL NAME: Unknown
OCCUPATION: Professional criminal
BASE OF OPERATIONS: Gotham City
EYES: Brown (when on Venom: Green)
HAIR: Brown
HEIGHT: 5 ft 6 in (when on Venom: 6 ft 8 in)
WEIGHT: 140 lb (when on Venom: 350 lb)
FIRST APPEARANCE: Batman: Vengeance of Bane #1 (January , 1993)





Imprisoned from birth to serve his dead father’s sentence, Bane was raised inside the horrific environs of a Santa Prisca prison. Finding solace in smuggled book and meditation, he developed incredible powers of concentration. When he was subjected to military experiments with the experimental steroid Venom, his iron-forged will helped him survive when other test subjects had died and he manage to escape. Determined to prove his worth, he sought out Batman and broke the Dark Knight’s spine. But Batman recovered and managed to best Bane, cutting off the precious Venom supply that transforms Bane into a superhuman.

Check out the awesome new trailer! (available in HD at youtube.com)