New Batman: Arkham Origins Details and Features Revealed, Including Nvidia Technology (29 Screencaps Inside)

Giuseppe Nelva October 17, 2013 3:41 PM EST

During a conference held by Nvidia in Montreal we learned further details on Batman: Arkham Origins, its features, story and the Nvidia technology that will be available for the PC version of the game.

Here’s a recap of the main points that were made during the presentation:

The city is about twice the size of Arkham City. Gotham City is made by two major parts (Nrth Gotham, and South Gotham) connected by Gothan Pioneers Bridge.There are also other environments.

You can call the BatWing to automatically transfer to the Batcave, as well as fast travel across the map.

The developers wanted to recreate “The” Batcave as the ultimate mancave. You can interact with it, speak to Alfred (the conversation system with him is advanced: he’ll share knowledge, insight and ideas with you dynamically during the game. The initial relation with him will be tense), use the workbench to collect gadgets, and find Easter Eggs.

The Batcave has a training gym. It’s made to showcase the combat system for players who didn’t fully appreciate its depth in previous Batman games. Its purpose is to make you master the combat system before the game ends, to give you the “empowering experience” of being Batman. It also lets you compete in challenges and rewards you with XP to upgrade Batman.

Cops are enemies alongside with thugs. The police still considers Batman an enemy of the city at this point of the Batman canon. He also has to break into the Police Department and steal information when he needs it.

The SWAT division actually strikes a deal with Black Mask to try and get the bounty on Batman’s head and retire.

The game will see the evolution of the relationship between Batman and Gordon from enemies to men that respect each other.

Fights will be ranked depending on performance (For instance A = Legendary Vigilante, B = Master Vigilante) and award varying experience.

Batman is very aggressive; the metaphor used is “When all you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail.”

Barbara Gordon plays an quite important role in the plot of the game

Nvidia technology:

Contact-Hardening Shadows for better and softer shadows.

Environmenyal Cloth.

Physix Particles.

HBAO+ Ambient occlusion.

Depth of Field.

Turbulence for blizzard effect, with smoke and fog reacting to aminations and Batman’s cape.

Tearing Cloth.

Tassellation for Snow: It deforms dynamically in real time with footprints and more depending if you walk, roll or slide for instance.

Snow has different depths depending on where you are, footprints look even better thanks to HBAO+.

Cape has tassellation, physics, HBAO+ shading. It reacts in a very realistic way as you move and fight.

Can’t say I’m not excited for this game, an we’re only a little more than a week away. Below you can see a gallery of screencaps from the presentation. Some of them show quite nicely the features mentioned above.