Batman: Arkham Shadow looks like a dark return to the Arkhamverse’s heyday, but you’ll need a Meta Quest 3 to play it

Not all heroes wear capes, some wear Meta Quest 3s

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

The Batman: Arkham franchise is returning with an all-new entry exclusively available on theMeta Quest 3VR headset calledBatman: Arkham Shadow. And aside from the Quest 3 exclusivity, we couldn’t be more excited.

In the 49-second cinematic trailer that just came out we watch as a rat scurries through the alleys of Gotham City; it looks terrified as it tears down drain pipes and leaps through debris while trying to escape something that’s hunting it down from the skies – a pursuer we eventually learn is Batman.

Just as the rat appears to have been cornered the tables turn on the Caped Crusader as hundreds of blood-red eyes illuminate the foggy street. They all rush towards Batman right before he detonates a smoke bomb and escapes the horde of vermin.

Beyond this short showcase which reveals the platform exclusivity and title, we also learnArkham Shadowis due in “Late 2024” – and that it’s being developed by Camouflaj andOculusStudios. Oculus Studios has been behind some massive hits likeAsgard’s Wrath 2and other titles worthy of being called thebest Oculus Quest 2 gameand even some of thebest VR gamesin general.

Meanwhile, Camouflaj is the award-winning team behind the stealth VR gameRépublique VRandIron Man VR– which allows you to live out your superhero fantasies as Tony Stark. We’re expecting stealth, action, and a dash of horror gameplay – ingredients for a fantastic VR game.

The trailer ends by revealing that we’ll find out more during Summer Game Fest on June 7. But we don’t think we need to wait that long to know what’s going on inArkham Shadow; this short teaser has already revealed a lot about the upcoming Batman VR game including who we might be up against, and when it’s set.

Batman: Arkham Shadow: Unmasked

The trailer’s focus on one particular pest has us convinced that the central villain ofBatman: Arkham Shadowis none other than The Ratcatcher. In the comics, he’s able to control rats, which is what appears to be happening here when the horde turns to attack Bats.

Get the best Black Friday deals direct to your inbox, plus news, reviews, and more.

Sign up to be the first to know about unmissable Black Friday deals on top tech, plus get all your favorite TechRadar content.

Supporting this theory further is that during one blink-and-you’ll-miss-it segment while the rat is being pursued by Batman it crawls through a gas mask - a common part of Ratcatcher’s costume given his other affinity for toxic gasses.

Ratctacher has previously appeared in the Arkham game series via Easter eggs – his gear is found inAsylum’s ventilation system, and posters advertise his pest control business inArkham City– and he’s made appearances in the Arkhamverse comics so we know he’s a part of this Batman’s rogue’s gallery.

He’s also not yet had a chance to feature properly in a game, which gives Camouflaj and Oculus Studios a lot of room to provide their own spin on the character without any major constraints of wider in-universe lore.

If The Ratcatcher is indeed a key villain in the game then we also have a good idea whenArkham Shadowis set in the universe’s timeline (spoiler alert for the games and comics up to the beginning ofArkham Knight).

The Ratcatcher City Story fromArkham Citytells us that the villain ended up on The Penguin’s bad side and he “was dragged screaming through the streets of Arkham City, followed by a trail of rats, into the museum and never to be seen again” (viaArkham Wiki).

We later learn he survived this encounter (minus his leftarmand an eye) and was hiding in Gotham’s sewers. That is until theBatman: Arkham Knight - Genesiscomic series – which serves as a prequel to theArkham Knightgame – when Ratcatcher is killed by the Arkham Knight.

These details suggest thatArkham Shadowis set before City – before Ratcatcher disappeared and was later murdered. Though we’ll have to wait until more concrete details are announced to know for sure,

With June 7 coming up quickly we won’t be left in the dark for too much longer. We just wish it was coming to other of thebest VR headsetslikePSVR 2, which hashad an unfortunately disappointing runso far.

You might also like

Hamish is a Senior Staff Writer for TechRadar and you’ll see his name appearing on articles across nearly every topic on the site from smart home deals to speaker reviews to graphics card news and everything in between. He uses his broad range of knowledge to help explain the latest gadgets and if they’re a must-buy or a fad fueled by hype. Though his specialty is writing about everything going on in the world of virtual reality and augmented reality.

Batman: Arkham Shadow review: an almost flawless VR experience

Batman: Arkham Shadow is the Meta Quest 3 game you’ve been waiting for

England vs Australia live stream: how to watch 2024 rugby union Autumn International online from anywhere