Last week we got our first peek at Arkham Origins villain Firefly; Microsoft eased our concerns about Ryse: Son of Rome; and Need for Speed Rivals showed off its Undercover Cops feature.

Arkham Origins Not Coming to Next-Gen; Firefly Introduced

The latest trailer for Batman: Arkham Origins popped up last week, giving gamers their first glimpse at Firefly. The high-flying villain was mentioned along with Killer Croc, Black Mask, Deadshot and Deathstroke when the studio unveiled the much-hyped multiplayer mode earlier this year. In the clip, players also get to see a few new weapons, including Shock Gloves, which can be used to electrocute the enemy, and a device that looks like a tablet, which can be used to disable explosives. Check out the video below.

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In other news, a message sent out via the game’s official Twitter profile confirmed that the prequel will not be released for next-generation consoles. According to the statement, “Arkham Origins will only be available on the announced platforms and is not coming to PS4 or Xbox One.”

Arkham Origins will be released Oct. 25 for PS3, Xbox 360, Wii U and PC.

Ryse: Son of Rome Gameplay Vid Released; Microtransactions Confirmed

A gameplay video for Ryse: Son of Rome hit the Internet last week. The 12-minute clip was released by a German gaming site, so it lacks the normal gloss of an official release; but it does give gamers a clear look at what to expect. The fighting is impressively realistic, and players are immediately immersed in the world of young warrior Marius Titus as he seeks revenge for the murder of his family. Microsoft also released a peek at the game’s “Gladiator” online multiplayer mode. Peep it below.

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The hype surrounding the Xbox One exclusive was dampened a bit when it was confirmed that the title would feature microtransactions. But Microsoft has assured fans that it won’t lead to a “pay to win” ploy, since the transactions are tiered and only available after certain levels are reached.

“Microtransactions are merely there as a convenience thing for people. It’s completely optional and is not required in any way, shape or form for gameplay. All content is accessible without using it,” Microsoft producer Justin Robey told Eurogamer. “The message is very simple: it’s optional and it doesn’t give you really any major benefit. We put it in for people who like to collect a lot of different things . . . There’s nothing sinister, we promise.”

New Need for Speed Rivals Trailer Released

EA unveiled more NFS Rivals during Gamescom this past week. The ability to customize the Need for Speed world has always been a selling point for the series, and that tradition will continue with Rivals. “All Drive” adds an extra layer of complexity by giving gamers the ability to flow seamlessly between single missions and multiplayer games. The game also features a new dynamic weather system to add more variability to races. And if that’s not enough to entice you, it looks like the Lamborghini Veneno will come out to play!

Rivals will be released in November for PS3, Xbox 360 and PC.

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