The adaptation of popular IPs into video game franchises can be a fickle business. Despite this, it’s hard to argue that one of the greatest success stories of the last generation has been Batman’s Arkham series by Rocksteady Studios. Not only have fans embraced its loving recreation of Gotham’s masked avenger, but its core gameplay mechanics have remained incredibly tight, responsive and entertaining. For the series’ final iteration though, Batman will be seeing his biggest change yet with Batman: Arkham Knight's jump to next-gen consoles.

To date, both Arkham Asylum and Arkham City - even the non-Rocksteady-developed Arkham Origins - have been praised for their attention to detail in regards to the games’ characters and world. With the power of the next generation consoles behind it though, gamers are expecting an even higher degree of fidelity with Arkham Knight. Opening up a city as massive and iconic as Gotham City for players to explore is an impressive feat on its own but with the reveal of a new set of screenshots, it looks as though the character models and designs will also be making the generational leap in an equally-striking fashion.

Whereas previous screenshots have highlighted both the game's familiar villains and titular antagonist, this newest set focuses heavily on the character designs of Gotham City's thugs and grunts, and of course on the new Batmobile. While the city's riff-raff may not inspire as much attention as the introduction of a new Batsuit, it's hard to deny how sleek petty crime can look.

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The thugs of previous games have predominantly come in distinct flavors to match their respective crime bosses, but in Arkham Knight it looks as though Gotham's more generic grunts will be getting an upgrade. It's to be expected that each of the game's signature villains will have their own entourage, but the grunts that wander the streets are looking to be just as striking and varied. More and more each day, it's looking like Arkham Knight will be one of the first third-party games to truly showcase what next-gen consoles are capable of.

Another screenshot of note in the above release shows off the Batmobile speeding through what appears to be Gotham's sewer system. This gives new meaning to the statement that nothing will be able to stand in its way. This could simply be a way of quickly traveling from one end of the city to the other with fewer obstructions or a means of getting to an entirely new area. While the former seems more likely, it's no doubt tantalizing to imagine a return trip to Arkham Asylum.

With E3 just around the corner, it's expected that gamers will soon get an even more in-depth taste of Rocksteady Studios' upcoming title as well as some concrete details regarding a release date. As the final installment in the Arkham series, Arkham Knight has a lot to live up to. Judging by the information that has reached the public though, it's well on its way to giving Batman and his rogue's gallery of nemeses the fitting send-off they deserve.

With all the talk of how Arkham Knight will push the series forward, do you think it will live up to the hype of next-gen hardware's capabilities? Which Gotham City landmark are you most excited to explore?

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Batman: Arkham Knight is rumored to release on October 14, 2014 for the PC, PS4 and Xbox One.

Follow Andrew on Twitter @ThatRyanB.

Source: AGB