We already knew it was coming in October, but Batman: Arkham Shadow, the promising VR take on Rocksteady’s acclaimed superhero series, now has an official release date. It’s coming to Meta Quest 3 and the newly announced Meta Quest 3S on October 22 of this year.
Officially a canonical entry in the Arkham universe, Arkham Shadow takes players back in time, before the events of Rocksteady’s Arkham Asylum but after Warner Bros. Montreal’s Arkham Oranges. It will feature characters like Harley Quinn, Scarecrow, Two-Face, and Jim Gordon, and newcomer Ratcatcher will also make an appearance.
Gameplay-wise, it’s pretty much the same as ever in the series, with stealth, punching, fighting, gadgets, and detective vision all present – the obvious difference being that players get to experience it all through Batman’s eyes. It sounds pretty ambitious, and developer Camouflaj (known for its work on titles like Iron Man VR) has series veterans, including design director Bill Green, on board to help make it feel like a true Arkhamverse game.
The good news is that it looks pretty good. Eurogamer's Tom Phillips got hands-on with Batman: Arkham Shadow earlier this year and was impressed, saying that it “certainly takes advantage of the possibilities of VR and replicates Rocksteady's original work well.”
And now we know that Meta Quest 3 and Meta Quest 3S owners will have the chance to don the Batman cowl, prowl the streets of Gotham, and kick some thugs' butts with their actual fists starting October 22 of this year. There's no word on pricing just yet, but if you don't already own a headset, it'll be included with new Meta Quest 3 and 3S purchases through April 30 of next year.