Introducing Batman: The TellTale Series
TellTale Games will soon release the first edition of their new Batman series, and ComiConverse's own Crystal Kendrick is here to get you ready for the big day.
Introducing Batman: The TellTale Series
On August 2nd, 2016, TellTale Games will be releasing their first ever Batman visual novel! This visual novel titled, Batman: The TellTale Series, will be the first of it’s kind. Developed by an award winning games company, Batman: The TellTale Series is already setting up for a massive reception.
Credit: TellTale Games
So what is a visual novel?
Pretty much a video game and a comic book combined.
Visual novels are highly story driven. They always give the user multiple different choices to make during the course of the game to advance the story. Since visual novels are based on the user’s choices, various different storylines are possible (think “choose your own adventure” books). Every choice the player makes affects the gameplay throughout the whole story. Due to the choice driven nature of these games, someone could play the game many different times and get a different story each time. This is why visual novels are something you’ll want to play over and over again, ensuring you get your money’s worth! There is many different types of visual novels out there to play. Some are romantic, some horror and some, like Batman: The TellTale Series, are based on comic books.
Credit: TellTale Games
If you’re worried about how a company you may not have ever heard of is going to do Batman justice, well just know that you are in good hands. In 2012, TellTale Games took the gaming world by storm when they release The Walking Dead. The Walking Dead, based on the AMC TV series of the same name, launched the company into a recognizable name in the gaming world. The visual novel won numerous “Game of the Year” awards as well as many other accolades. The game is widely believed to be one of the best visual novels of all time.
TellTale isn’t a one-hit wonder however. TellTale was responsible for The Wolf Among Us which is based on the Fables comic book series. Unlike The Walking Dead and the Batman series, The Wolf Among Us is canon with the comics and serves as a prequel to the series. The game was well received by critics.
So it is clear that TellTale knows how to work with comic to video game adaptations. TellTale is also the company behind Game of Thrones, Minecraft; Story Mode, and even a currently untitled Marvel game in the works for a 2017 release! If them being entrusted with converting such big name media into visual novel format doesn’t convince you then you could always go try and play some these games and see for yourself.
Credit: TellTale Games
So where does Batman:The TellTale Series come into all of this?
Well for starters, the game is based on the Bill Finger and Bob Kane comics. The game will not be tied into any specific storyline and will be a completely independent entity. Players will play as Batman the hero and Bruce Wayne. The game is set just a few years after Bruce decides to be Batman, which the CEO of TellTale Games, Kevin Bruner, hopes will allow the player flexibility in which path they choose to take during the game.
aThe game will be similar in the way it plays to previous TellTale games. It will have quick time events, meaning the player only has a certain amount of time to react to whatever is going on in the game, which puts them right in the middle of the action and ups the tension. The game will also adopt a “non-photorealistic” style, similar to Jim Lee, Greg Capullo, and Neal Adams for the artwork.
The TellTale Tool game engine has even been updated so that this game can be played on it with this type of artwork!
The game will have five episodes and each episode will be released one at a time.
No word yet on how often each episode will be released. Batman: The TellTale Series will be ported to many different systems. The game will be available on Xbox One, Xbox 360, Playstation 3, Playstation 4, iOS, Android, OS X, and Microsoft Windows. So whatever tech you have, the game should be able to work on it with no problems!
Are you excited for TellTale's new Batman series? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
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Source: TellTale Games