Batman by way of Pandemic?

[Space Pirate Roberts]

Apparently IGN let the cat out of the bag early.

IGN says Pandemic making Batman 'for sure,' then pulls story

6 Comments by Justin McElroy Apr 3rd 2008 11:45AM
Filed under: Action

Last night, eagle-eyed members of NeoGAF spotted a story on IGN about developer Pandemic working on a new Batman game, moments before the story was then pulled. We're betting it was an exclusive let slip a bit too early, but that's just a guess. If you'll remember, this partnership of Bat and studio was rumored all the way back in May.

IGN didn't have details on the game but we're inclined to agree with the assumption that it's a Dark Knight tie-in meant to drop alongside the movie in July. As for the choice of Pandemic, best known for Destroy All Humans and Mercenaries, we're amiable enough. They're at least qualified to hurdle over the bar set by previous devs, so low as to be in danger of being melted by the Earth's molten core.

[Glass Joe]

Just give me an opened world Gotham, with a batcave that has all of the city's criminal activities on the bat computer and I'll be in heaven.

[Space Pirate Roberts]

IBTN. I've been saying since Spider-Man 2 that if they're gonna make superhero sandboxes, Batman is probably the best fit, especially if they Miller it up (but this is probably a Dark Knight tie-in, which might be close enough).

[YellerDog]

Haven't really had a good Batman game since the NES. Hmmm.

[Yoshi]

You're almost a year late on this thread.

[Space Pirate Roberts]

D'oh. I even posted in that thread.

[Space Pirate Roberts]

The latest word:

It's been the number one movie for four weeks in a row, has shattered numerous box office records in the process, and it stars Batman -- how, then, does The Dark Knight not have a corresponding videogame? Well according to a report from Kotaku, based on an anonymous source who claims to have played it, there is indeed a Dark Knight game in development -- and it's not in the best shape.

According to the source, the Dark Knight game is being made by Mercenaries 2 developer Pandemic, as has been heavily rumored for some time now. The game is reportedly set in an open-world rendition of Gotham City, which Batman can explore using his grappling hook and driving the Batmobile -- giving it, apparently, a similar feel to recent open-world Spider-Man games. And while it's based on the movie, it supposedly takes place after the events of the film (SPOILER WARNING: So, what, does that mean no fights with The Joker or Two-Face?)

Another thing it has in common with a certain recent Spider-Man game: According to the source, the Dark Knight game isn't looking very good right now, which probably explains why Electronic Arts (owners of Pandemic) hasn't shown it off yet. The source said the main issue is the combat, which is hampered by a poor camera, a "mashy" hand-to-hand fighting system, and a limited range of moves that quickly makes all the fights feel repetitive.

As Kotaku notes, with no official release date (or even any official acknowledgment that the game exists), there could be plenty of time to work out the game's issues. After all, according to CEO John Riccitiello himself, we know EA totally isn't about crappy licensed game cash-ins anymore, right?

[bVork]

I'll wait for a source more reliable than Kotaku before making any comments.