Batman: Arkham VR Campaign Only Lasts an Hour

By Boston Blake 03 October 2016

• ps4
• rocksteady studios
• warner bros. interactive
• playstation vr
• batman
• dc comics

Rocksteady’s Dax Ginn reveals that the Batman: Arkham VR campaign will only last an hour, though players will be able to unlock an additional 90 minutes of gameplay.

As Sony prepares to release its PlayStation VR headset this month, gamers are looking forward to the numerous titles that will be available at launch. One of those titles, Batman: Arkham VR, will give players a chance to take on the wicked criminals of Gotham as the Dark Knight himself.

Little has been shared to date about the Batman: Arkham VR, but thanks to a new interview with Rocksteady’s Dax Ginn, gamers now have an idea how long the game’s campaign will last. According to Ginn, the main story in Batman: Arkham VR will last about an hour, with an additional 90 minutes worth of content for players to unlock as they progress through the game.

All told, players will have less than three hours of gameplay available in the game, an amount that would normally get many gamers up in arms about the lack of content. However, seeing as virtual reality is still so new, and Batman: Arkham VR is set to be one of many launch titles for PlayStation VR, the two-and-a-half hour length isn’t too concerning.

Additionally, considering virtual reality is a far different experience than traditional gaming, it’s possible players may not want much more than that as they enter the world of virtual reality. Besides, according to Ginn, Batman: Arkham VR will give players plenty of gameplay and be worth multiple playthroughs. Ginn said:

“The core narrative is about 60 minutes in duration, however additional content is unlocked that provides about another 90 minutes of gameplay on top of that. So there are plenty of reasons to play through the game multiple times in order to see everything that we have put into it.”

For those still worried about the short timeframe for the game, PlayStation VR owners will be able to pick up Batman: Arkham VR for a reasonable $20.

As for the gameplay, players can expect an intense, gritty experience not unlike Rocksteady’s previous Batman games. Rocksteady Principal Designer, Bill Green, shared a brief overview of what’s to come in Batman: Arkham VR in June on the PlayStation Blog. Green said:

“Batman: Arkham VR is an intense murder mystery in the style of the classic Batman comic books, but with a strong dose of the dark psychology that the Arkham games are well known for.”

Sadly, Batman: Arkham VR will be Rocksteady’s last foray into the Batman universe, at least for now. Hopefully whichever developer picks up the baton from here will carry forward with stories and experiences that are just as compelling, immersive, and intriguing as those provided by Rocksteady.

What do you think about Batman: Arkham VR’s running time? Is it too short, or do you think it’ll work well for virtual reality?

Batman: Arkham VR will be availbale for PlayStation VR on October 13, 2016.

Source: PressStart, PlayStation Blog