Batman Vengeance Preview
We take an in depth look at Ubi Soft's upcoming Batman title
Generally, developers and publishers have taken a rather direct approach to superhero-based games--the subject material is commonly taken literally, and the games are meant for younger audiences. However, with Batman: Vengeance Ubi Soft seems to be challenging those conventions, as the game shares the decidedly gritty atmosphere of the film-noir-style animated series, both in terms of visuals and gameplay. Batman: Vengeance is an inherently dark game, simply because it takes place completely at night. But in the game, ambient environmental effects such as the scorched crimson skies above Gotham City, neoclassical architecture, and the generous use of real-time shadows, combined with general production elements such as a twisted plot and mature voice acting, help further evoke an innately enigmatic experience. "We wanted to do justice to the license, and we treated it in such a way that people would be able to get into this dark world and still have a lot of fun," explains Reid Schneider, the game's producer at Ubi Soft's Montreal studio.
Throughout the game's development, the Batman: Vengeance development team has paid close attention to the game's story and presentation. The gameplay is enveloped by a thick veil of plot twists and story development, and over 30 minutes of real-time cutscenes and just under 10 minutes of prerendered cinematics stylistically tell this latest tale of Batman's continuing adventures. "We were able to work directly with the editors at DC Comics in order to craft the storyline," Schneider reveals. "It was very important for us to have a really, really great storyline so that it wasn't just a run-of-the-mill story where Batman had to overcome a couple of enemies, triumph, and save Gotham. We wanted to create a story where there were a lot of surprises." A quick synopsis of some of the game's plot gives a clearer picture of the developers' intentions.
In the early stages of the game, Batman faces off against his mortal enemy, The Joker, who has kidnapped a mysterious woman. While Batman is in the process of saving the woman, Mr. Freeze and Poison Ivy enter the scene, and Batman is framed for an attack on Commissioner Gordon. All of these events are intertwined in the game's story, which should have its share of shocking revelations and surprise plot twists. "We wanted some bad things to happen to Batman; we wanted him to be in peril," continues Schneider. "We also wanted characters to die, or at least to create the illusion that characters had died. All of that was really important to us. So when we started developing the game we created the storyline and then built the gameplay and the game levels in synergy with the story--it was a new way of developing a game for us."
Adding further authenticity to the game is a professional voice cast, lifted directly from the animated television show. Most of the voice actors and actresses from the show, including Mark Hammil's Joker, Kevin Conroy's Batman, and Tara Strong's Batgirl, made it into the game. For anyone familiar with the animated series, the game's voices will sound just like they do in the show.
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- GameSpot Score7.4good
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Batman: Vengeance Movie 15
Batman chases an archenemy through Gotham in this movie.
- Oct 15, 2001
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