If you’re picking up Batman: Arkham VR along with your new PlayStation VR headset next week, don’t expect to spend much time immersed in its virtual Gotham City. Rocksteady Studios brand marketing producer Dax Ginn told Australian gaming news source Press Start that Batman: Arkham VR can be completed in “about 60 minutes,” though bonus content will squeeze additional playtime out of its surprisingly brief campaign.
Batman: Arkham VR‘s short length sharply contrasts with the epic adventures featured in previous series entries like Batman: Arkham Asylum and Batman: Arkham Knight, and the game’s limited amount of content could set a precedent for future PlayStation VR releases.
Announced at E3 earlier this year, Batman: Arkham VR is a first-person virtual reality game that allows players to assume the role of the famous DC Comics superhero. Arkham VR‘s gameplay focuses on environmental exploration and detective work, challenging players to piece together a mystery using Batman’s unique arsenal of gadgets, tools, and weaponry.
Publisher Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment has carefully managed player expectations for Batman: Arkham VR in the months after it was unveiled, pricing the retail version at under $20 and describing the experience as more of a playable vignette than a full-fledged Arkham series sequel. A recent trailer, seen above, intercuts brief snippets of gameplay footage with player reactions, emphasizing the novelty of the experience over its length and complexity.
Though players can breeze through Batman: Arkham VR‘s core storyline in 60 minutes or less, Rocksteady’s Dax Ginn assures that unlockable sidequests will encourage multiple playthroughs.
“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,” Ginn said. “So there are plenty of reasons to play through the game multiple times in order to see everything that we have put into it.”
Batman: Arkham VR launches alongside Sony’s PlayStation VR headset on October 13.
