Summary
Gameplay footage from Monolith Studios' cancelled Nolan-verseBatmangame that was eventually turned intoMiddle-earth: Shadow of Mordorhas surfaced online.
Back in 2019,it was reported by Liam Robertson for Did You Know Gaming that Monolith Studios, the team behind Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, Middle-earth: Shadow of War, and theupcoming Wonder Woman game, had previously been working on a Batman game titled “Project Apollo”. That video went into great detail on why that project was cancelled, including showing off some footage of it in action.
Now, nearly five years later,a Twitter user going by the name Dageekydude has posted a thread on Twitterthat compiles a ton of new footage and information about the game that was previously unseen and discovered through Did You Know Gaming, Internet Archive, and developer portfolios.
Footage Of Project Apollo In Action
The title, named Project Apollo, appears to have taken place in the Christopher Nolan universe, as evidenced by the Batsuit being from Batman Begins and the Tumbler being featured in concept art. In the gameplay footage, Batman is shown flying through a much grimier-looking version of Gotham City than the one used in theArkhamgames, albeit with gliding that looks very similar to what was featured in that game.
We also see Batman utilising a loadout system that would have acted somewhat like a skill tree and allowed him to unlock certain abilities and gadgets. The footage also shows that random crimes, similar to theSpider-Mangames, would have happened as Batman explored Gotham, which presumably could be interrupted by the Bat.
The recovered gameplay footage also shows off Batman using his Detective Mode and using stealth takedowns on some basic thugs, which all seems like it was inspired by the Arkham games. The combat isn’t shown within the gameplay footage, but it’s said to have been similar to those games as well.
Why Didn’t Project Apollo Release?
Perhaps the most interesting thing about Project Apollo is that it was intended to be the introduction to the Nemesis System that ended up debuting in Shadow of Mordor, which would have let Batman run into the same thugs and villains and have them remember his actions. This didn’t end up happening, though, as Warner Bros. decided that it didn’t want two Batman series going on at the same time.
Although the Nemesis System has been woefully underused since the Middle-earth games,it has been confirmed to be featured in the upcoming Wonder Woman game. Here’s hoping we see it sooner rather than later.
This led Monolith Studios to retool the game into Middle-earth: Shadows of Mordor, which marked the official introduction of the Nemesis System, something we have barely seen anything of since. We might not get a Batman game like it any time soon, but it’s still our best look yet at what the game was shaping up to be.
