Skip to main content
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+
US EditionUS CA EditionCanada UK EditionUK AU EditionAustralia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Games
    • Game Insights
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • The Big Preview
      • On The Radar
      • Indie Spotlight
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
    • Genres
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
    • Franchises
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Hardware
    • Insights
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
    • Computing
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
    • Accessories & Tech
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • Game Deals
    • Tech Deals
    • TV Deals
    • Buying Guides
  • Video
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Total Film
  • home
  • Games
    • View Games
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • The Big Preview
      • On The Radar
      • Indie Spotlight
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • View Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • View Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • View TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • View Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • View Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • View Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Hardware
    • View Hardware
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • View Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • View Deals
    • Game Deals
    • Tech Deals
    • TV Deals
    • Buying Guides
  • Video
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Total Film
Trending
  • Pokemon Winds and Waves
  • New Games for 2026
  • GamesRadar+ Replay
  • Mario Day deals
Don't miss these
Dragon Age 2
Dragon Age Dragon Age 2 was originally planned to be "much bigger" before EA made other demands, says series lead
Idris Elba in Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom City
Cyberpunk Canceled Cyberpunk 2077 DLC might have been better than Phantom Liberty, Cyberpunk 2 creative director says
Bloodborne
RPGs Demonschool dev says he "could find you 10 companies" that have pitched Bloodborne remakes, remasters, and spin-offs
Don Lee on the phone in a dimly lit bar in the debut trailer for Gang of Dragon.
Yakuza Like A Dragon Marvel Rivals publisher reportedly cuts funding for Yakuza co-creator's studio 3 months after debuting its first game
Key art for Highguard showing Kai riding a bear, Atticus with the Shieldbreaker, and Scarlet, crouched, aiming down sights
FPS Games Ex Highguard developers blame "hubris" for the game's failure in new report
Best Batman games: Batman getting ready to punch someone with Gotham in the background.
Action Games Ranking the best Batman games
Star Wars: Eclipse screenshots
Action Games Upcoming Star Wars games: Every new Star Wars game announced so far
GTA 6 reveal trailer screenshot showing a young blonde woman standing near a sunny rooftop pool, wearing a white and gold bikini
FPS Games GTA 6 devs "must be quaking" over so much hype, Hell Let Loose lead says: "Is there too much that people are expecting?"
Assassin's Creed games in order: All of the current Assassin's Creed protagonists on a misty white background.
Games Former Ubisoft vet says Assassin's Creed developer is "hated" by "many of their own" devs, but there's still hope for it
Shadow (Keanu Reeves) in Sonic 3
Movies Every upcoming video game movie you need to know about in 2026 and beyond
Star Wars: Eclipse screenshot shows two lightsabers with an advancing army in the background
RPGs Star Wars Eclipse: Everything you need to know about Quantic Dream's new action adventure
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
RPGs 5 years after the reimagined Star Wars RPG was revealed, KOTOR remake is "still in development," Saber boss confirms
Load screen artwork for Atticus in Highguard, leaping in front of clouds with a charged lightning spear
FPS Games Games like Highguard are just "gambling by investors" who "know ahead of time a flop is likely," says indie legend
Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic
RPGs Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic – Everything we know so far about the new Star Wars RPG
Highguard character in purple and black armor
FPS Games "There's no way this will flop": Laid-off Highguard dev says internal sentiment was high "but then the trailer came out"
  1. Games

Batman almost got an open-world game 3 years before Arkham City

News
By Sam Prell published 2 February 2016

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

  • Facebook
  • X
  • Pinterest
  • Flipboard
  • Email
Share this article
Join the conversation
Follow us
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Get the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more


By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

You are now subscribed

Your newsletter sign-up was successful


Want to add more newsletters?

GamesRadar+

Every Friday

GamesRadar+

Your weekly update on everything you could ever want to know about the games you already love, games we know you're going to love in the near future, and tales from the communities that surround them.

GTA 6 O'clock

Every Thursday

GTA 6 O'clock

Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O'clock experts.

Knowledge

Every Friday

Knowledge

From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what's on the horizon.

The Setup

Every Thursday

The Setup

Hardware nerds unite, sign up to our free tech newsletter for a weekly digest of the hottest new tech, the latest gadgets on the test bench, and much more.

Switch 2 Spotlight

Every Wednesday

Switch 2 Spotlight

Sign up to our new Switch 2 newsletter, where we bring you the latest talking points on Nintendo's new console each week, bring you up to date on the news, and recommend what games to play.

The Watchlist

Every Saturday

The Watchlist

Subscribe for a weekly digest of the movie and TV news that matters, direct to your inbox. From first-look trailers, interviews, reviews and explainers, we've got you covered.

SFX

Once a month

SFX

Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month!


An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
Subscribe to our newsletter

Batman does most of his work at night, but it's still unfortunate that a video game adaptation of Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight never saw the light of day. Such a project was in development way back in 2008, at the studio behind games like Destroy All Humans, Mercenaries, and Star Wars: Battlefront (the PS2 version).

Unseen64 has a video detailing the game's troubled development at Pandemic Studios, and while the sneak peek provided is only a glimpse it's interesting to see what could have been, and to learn how this never-announced game impacted those who worked on it.

YouTube YouTube
Watch On

Even with a talented, veteran studio working on Batman: The Dark Knight, management decisions and a buggy engine brought work to a crawl. Add to that the fact that Pandemic Studios was sold to EA mid-development and you can see how things became a total mess. Worse still, Pandemic's Brisbane offices were shut down when development ceased, with news hitting employees on Christmas Day.

You may like
  • Viggo Mortensen in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Concept art for Eidos-Montréal's canceled Lord of the Rings game has emerged
  • Best Batman games: Batman getting ready to punch someone with Gotham in the background. Ranking the best Batman games
  • Lego Batman Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight release date confirmed at The Game Awards after early leak

Seen something newsworthy? Tell us!

Image: Warner Bros.

Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
Sam Prell
Sam Prell
Social Links Navigation
Former News Editor

Sam is a former News Editor here at GamesRadar+. His expert words have appeared on many of the web's well-known gaming sites, including Joystiq, Penny Arcade, Destructoid, and G4 Media, among others. Sam has a serious soft spot for MOBAs, MMOs, and emo music. Forever a farm boy, forever a '90s kid.

Read more
Viggo Mortensen in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Concept art for Eidos-Montréal's canceled Lord of the Rings game has emerged
 
 
Best Batman games: Batman getting ready to punch someone with Gotham in the background.
Ranking the best Batman games
 
 
Lego Batman
Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight release date confirmed at The Game Awards after early leak
 
 
A lego version of Batman standing on a rooftop in front of a large moon, taken from Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight
Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight aims to be the "definitive Batman story"
 
 
Screenshot of Anthem machine pilot lying on the leafy ground with visor open
Dragon Age veteran says scrapped Anthem Next "could have been" up there with No Man's Sky's legendary turnaround
 
 
GTA 4
Rockstar's wildest ideas "wouldn't have been as good as GTA," says ex lead, who respects Larian ditching Baldur's Gate 4
 
 
Latest in Games
Peak mesa biome
Peak came about after a bet between Content Warning and Another Crab's Treasure leads to see whose game would see more
 
 
Mass Effect
"F***ing Colonel Shepard dies in Mass Effect 3, and that makes us the Worst Company in America," former EA exec laments
 
 
a ditto human sitting on some logs with pikachu and pichu
Pokopia's unhinged dialogue is tempting me away from Animal Crossing: "It's a pretty nice butt, don't you think?"
 
 
A lady looks shocked.
55-year industry vet made the first CRPG, got laid off, went bankrupt, but "I don't care": "Business does not love you"
 
 
Dragon Quest 11
Dragon Quest creator says English is "a simple language," so "the flavor tends to get lost" when translating games
 
 
Resident Evil Requiem
Resident Evil Requiem is too scary for series veteran Hideki Kamiya, who argues Capcom "should make a 'non-scary' mode"
 
 
Latest in News
Peak mesa biome
Peak came about after a bet between Content Warning and Another Crab's Treasure leads to see whose game would see more
 
 
Jin, Mugen, and Fuu standing in a row
Samurai Champloo is getting a live-action Netflix series from One Piece studio, and the original creator is on board
 
 
Bill Skarsgård as Pennywise in the It: Welcome to Derry finale
It: Welcome to Derry season 2 is officially in the works, as showrunner promises "something greater" than season 1
 
 
Mass Effect
"F***ing Colonel Shepard dies in Mass Effect 3, and that makes us the Worst Company in America," former EA exec laments
 
 
a ditto human sitting on some logs with pikachu and pichu
Pokopia's unhinged dialogue is tempting me away from Animal Crossing: "It's a pretty nice butt, don't you think?"
 
 
A lady looks shocked.
55-year industry vet made the first CRPG, got laid off, went bankrupt, but "I don't care": "Business does not love you"
 
 
LATEST ARTICLES
  1. Peak mesa biome
    1
    Peak came about after a bet between Content Warning and Another Crab's Treasure leads to see whose game would see more
  2. 2
    Samurai Champloo is getting a live-action Netflix series from One Piece studio, and the original creator is on board
  3. 3
    It: Welcome to Derry season 2 is officially in the works, as showrunner promises "something greater" than season 1
  4. 4
    "F***ing Colonel Shepard dies in Mass Effect 3, and that makes us the Worst Company in America," former EA exec laments
  5. 5
    55-year industry vet made the first CRPG, got laid off, went bankrupt, but "I don't care": "Business does not love you"

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google
  • Terms and conditions
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Accessibility statement
  • Careers
  • About us
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility Statement

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...