'Batman: Return to Arkham' release date news update: Set for October; no PC version for HD remaster bundle

The highly anticipated "Batman: Return to Arkham" will hit shelves Tuesday, Oct. 18, a side-by-side comparison video released by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and Rocksteady has revealed.

The video, which was published earlier this week, showcases just how much the graphics in "Batman: Return to Arkham" has improved over those of its predecessors, which were released for older consoles.

Compared with the PlayStation 3 versions of "Batman: Arkham City" (2011) and "Batman: Arkham Asylum" (2009), the upcoming HD re-release features better definition, improved shading, brighter colors and more detailed looks for the characters. SuperHeroHype notes that "Return to Arkham" also has upgraded models, effects, lighting and settings.

When "Batman: Return to Arkham" was announced back in May, the HD re-release of "Arkham Asylum" and "Arkham City" was given a July 26 release date. However, in June, it was announced that the launch would be delayed indefinitely.

"After reviewing the progress of the project, the team at WB Games has decided to delay the release of 'Batman: Return to Arkham' to give the team at Virtuos Games additional time to deliver a polished 'Batman Arkham' game experience," reads a statement from Warner Bros.

According to Polygon, reports indicate that the delay was caused by frame rate issues and problems with porting the video games to new consoles.

On top of offering gamers the opportunity to play both "Batman: Arkham Asylum" and "Batman: Arkham City," "Batman: Return to Arkham" also includes all Game of the Year edition bonuses as well as all the downloadable content from both games.

In "Batman: Arkham Asylum," the first game in the series, gamers can face off against villains such as Harley Quinn, The Joker, Bane, Poison Ivy, Killer Croc and Scarecrow. In "Batman: Arkham City," the sequel, the lineup of dangerous criminals also include Mr. Freeze, The Riddler, The Penguin and Two-Face.

In a response to a Facebook follower, the team behind "Return to Arkham" explained why there is no PC version being planned, writing, "Because the PC versions of 'Batman: Arkham Asylum' and 'Batman: Arkham City' are already running at higher resolutions than those for previous generation consoles, we decided to focus development solely on PS4 and Xbox One."

"Batman: Return to Arkham" will cost $49.99 in North America, £39.99 in Europe and €49.99 in the U.K.