Action

Batman: Arkham Asylum [X360/PS3/PC – Beta]

Batman: Arkham Asylum is an action-adventure stealth video game based on DC Comics’ Batman for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows. It was developed by Rocksteady Studios and published by Eidos Interactive in conjunction with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC Comics and was released in 2009. [Info from Wikipedia]

Throughout Batman: Arkham Asylums development the developers were shooting for a hard T rating. Based on early screens it seems that they intended for the game to have blood, but it appears that they had to tone it down to get the rating that they wanted.

Also, as we can read at Game Informer, it seems that the combat system in the game was changed at least 3 times before chosing the final one:

Combat went through three distinct revisions – the first one being a full rhythm action game! The second one was prototyped in 2D, which popped up whenever you got into a fight, and involved colored circles bashing into each other. This actually formed the basis of the final system.

FMMC noticed that Batman’s gliding was impaired when his cape was torn in the beta.

Thanks to Robert Seddon for the contribution!

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Dead Space [X360/PS3/PC – Beta]

Dead Space is a third-person survival horror / action game, developed by Visceral Games (formerly known as EA Redwood Shores) for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC. As we know the game was started with a Dead Space prototype for the original Xbox, but even the “next gen” version had some slightly differences in its beta build, as the models for the enemies and the main character (especially the armor). Also, the graphic / atmosphere of the game looks different: the final version is gloomier and less bright than some of the beta screens.

Thanks to CerealAndMilk for the contribution!

Images

I-Ninja [PS2/XBOX/GC – Beta & Concept]

I-Ninja is a fun and underrated action game that was developed by Argonaut Games and published in 2003 by Namco (in USA) and Sony (in Europe) for the GameCube, Xbox and Playstation 2. A Game Boy Advance version of the game was announced too, but later cancelled.

ininja-article

As it happened with Orchid (another Argonaut game that was later cancelled), originally I-Ninja had a much more colorful and stylized graphic, but the publisher was worried that it looked too childish, and wanted an edgier, grittier look. As we can see from the early mockup / target renders, the original style of I-Ninja looked a bit like Zelda: The Wind Waker (especially for the islands, the pigs and the scene in which Ninja is sailing a ship) but the 2 games were in development almost at the same time so it was just a coincidence. 

Manhattan Project (Blood Lines) [PSX – Beta]

Manhattan Project is the early working title of Blood Lines, an action / puzzle game developed by Radical Entertainment in 1998, for the original Playstation. In the game the player needs to touch the light sources that are placed in the levels, to change them in his own color. At the end of the time, the player that owns more lights wins the match.

From these early screens we can notice that the characters in the beta version were different and even the light effects are not like the final ones.

Thanks to Celine for the contribution!

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Video (from the final version):

 

[Video Article] Kid Icarus Wii

LiamRproductions has recorded a video-article in which he talks about the development of Kid Icarus Wii, a prototype that was in the work at Factor 5. It’s still unknown if the project will ever be finished or not, but it seems that after the closure of the american studios, F5 are still working on some Wii games in Germany . You can check the video article below, thanks to Liam for the video!