![Project Apollo](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.timeextension.com/f29c55f4231e2/project-apollo.900x.jpg)
A bunch of remarkable footage has resurfaced online of Monolith Productions' abandoned Batman game that was in development for Xbox 360, PS3, and PC around the time of the Dark Knight Rises (thanks Eurogamer!).
The game, which was codenamed Project Apollo, was previously covered in an in-depth video from DidYouKnowGaming back in 2019, where the video game historian Liam Robertson spoke to several former Monolith to get the scoop on the project.
In the video, Robertson revealed the studio hoped to tie the game into the hugely successful Dark Knight series of Batman films, but that the project was ultimately abandoned after the studio was unable to convince the director to sign off on it. The tech from the game was eventually salvaged to help build the 2014 title Shadow of Mordor, with sources telling Robertson that some of the AI behaviours associated with the Nemesis System were originally built for the Batman project.
As mentioned, a bunch of incredible footage from this game recently resurfaced online, in a set of tweets from a user on Twitter called SpiderGeeky. This footage included a closer look at the open-world traversal, gadget load-outs, and stealth combat, and was apparently posted on Archive.org by a Batman fan/preservationist named Back2Life.
Looking more closely at the Archive.org page, it is possible the footage may been available online since 2022, but judging from the enthusiastic response to SpiderGeeky's thread, it seems that most people are only just now coming across it for the very first time.
[source twitter.com, via eurogamer.net]
Comments 6
This looks like everything I’d want in a Batman game. I don’t know how it would have turned out in the end (especially if they were going to rush it, trying to release it as a movie tie-in), but it might have been great.
Imagine if Rocksteady had been working on this game for the past ten years instead of Suicide Squad 😢
While this IS a fantastic looking and conceptual piece of Batman gaming media, knowing what happened with similar tie in games and how they’d get rushed into oblivion to reach deadlines (something Spider-Man has been facing ever since the early 2000’s and still faces to this day as recent as last year) I can’t see this coming out in a desirable state. Plus, we still have the Arkham trilogy…….and Arkham knight so it’s not the end of the world lol
I remember Gary Oldman saying in an interview that a Dark Knight game was coming out around the same time as the movie. Never knew why they canceled it.
Karate? The Dane Cook of martial arts?
I guess I'm just super partial to the Arkham trilogy. For sure since they were able to cast Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamhill it just felt like an interactive version of TAS. Feature-wise this looks good. Maybe not enough time has passed since Arkham for me not to expect a Batman game to have the same feel? not sure.
Oh wait, ya they even managed to cast Arleen Sorkin as Harley. PERFECT casting. I mean, the bar just doesn't get any higher for any game to follow for an established IP and version of that IP.
Hopefully the concepts aren't dead and may resurface in another game, Batman or not.
@Tasuki It's interesting that you bring that up because that was actually another Nolan related Batman game that was cancelled. The one you're thinking of was based around The Dark Knight. I also did a video on that. It was cancelled due to a bunch of problems related to the engine and the team being unable to meet a very tight deadline they had before EA's license would expire:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTCayY8FDT0
Tap here to load 6 comments
Leave A Comment
Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...