After seeing Dark Knight, I had two thoughts: 1) that was awesome, and 2) hey, where's the shitty tie-in video game? Fear not - there's actually two Batman games on the way. They might not suck, either.
The first game is the one you may have heard about already back in April. It's being made by Star Wars: Battlefront developer Pandemic Studios and is based on the film. It's supposedly set right after the events of Dark Knight actually, which could be interesting if written well. It will feature open-ended gameplay like GTA or the Spider-Man games and you'll be able to joyride around Gotham with a Batmobile and grappling hook.
However, there's been no official info on the Dark Knight game - not even an announcement. It was confirmed by sources within EA after Gary Oldman just off-handedly mentioned it in a G4 interview. According to the AP, the game's fate is in doubt due to "missed deadlines" and "questionable quality", among other things. Though they missed the film's release date, it's possible they could release it at the same time the DVD hits the shelves.
The second game is called Batman: Arkham Asylum and it's the cover story for the upcoming issue of Game Informer. It's being developed by Rocksteady Games (Urban Chaos: Riot Response) and published by Eidos. While EA has the video game rights to the Batman films, apparently Eidos has the rights to the comics. Having the rights for just the comics seems like a pretty good deal to me, seeing as the films are based off the comics in the first place. As long as they don't rip off specific scenes from the films or put Christian Bale's face on the box, Eidos can probably do anything Batman-related they want. The game will be co-published in North America by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment.
Instead of allowing you to roam around Gotham, Rocksteady's game will be set entirely within Arkham Asylum, the mental facility where all of Gotham's supervillains are ultimately locked up. Batman ends up trapped in the Asylum somehow and has to face off against all of his old foes. It actually sounds a little like the premise for graphic novel Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth (which is a good thing).
Because Batman's so badly outnumbered in the asylum, he'll have to rely on his wits and stealth to survive in some cases. It'll play up the "private investigator" side of Batman and make you solve a puzzle or two, as well. If the Dark Knight game is aiming to be GTA, then Arkham Asylum is aiming to be BioShock. The game will be co-written by Paul Dini, perhaps best known for being writer/producer for Batman: The Animated Series and Batman Beyond (which is also a good thing). The game is set to be released sometime next year for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC.
If it looks like I'm showing some preference for the second Batman game here, it's because I actually know something about it. It's quite possible both games could be solid in their own little way. So long as neither game features voicework by Jack Nicholson or Michael Keaton, I'll maintain enthusiasm in both.
