Arcades are still popular in Japan, but in America, they’re something of an endangered species. Which is sad in its own way, but really, really frustrating when you hear about a game like the upcoming Batman.
Essentially, it’s an open-world racing/car-combat game where you zoom around Gotham fighting the Joker, Mr. Freeze, Bane, and other recognizable Batvillains, while using the various Batmobiles throughout the franchise’s history. Whether you want to trash villains in the Tumbler or use the ’66 series Batmobile to ram people off the road and pump late-model sedans with garish paint jobs full of bullets, the choice is yours. Here’s a gameplay montage:
By all accounts, the game is designed to make you feel like a complete badass. Even if you’re terrible at racing games:
“We knew the Batmobile had to drive really fast to give the player the level of excitement we wanted, but being able to take 90 degree corners at city intersections while driving hundreds of miles-per-hour was a real challenge… To solve this, Specular engineered a unique driving physics model that allows players of any skill level to drive the Batmobile at insane speeds and still make those 90 degree corners like a pro Hollywood stunt driver, and without giving up any player control over the car.”
So, wait. It’s an open-world racing game, with a dash of Twisted Metal, an engine that makes you feel like you’re ripping the Batmobile through Gotham? And it’s only going to be available at arcades? Just a note, Time Warner, a console port must happen. Don’t worry about the cost. The game kind of sells itself.