Batman: Arkham Origins

UPC: 883929319688

Platform: PlayStation 3

Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment

Developer: WB Games Montreal

Category: Action

Style(s): Third-Person 3D Action

Synopsis: Gamers return to the crime-addled streets of Gotham City to witness the Caped Crusader's formative years as a vigilante in Batman: Arkham Origins. Set five years before the acclaimed Arkham Asylum and Arkham City games, Arkham Origins stars a raw, unrefined Batman who is still an enigma to the police, but enough of a menace to the underworld that crime boss Black Mask has put a $50-million bounty on his head. The action finds players using detective skills, gadgets, and brute force to fend off eight would-be assassins, including Deadshot, Firefly, and Deathstroke.


Though developmental duties have been transferred from Rocksteady Studios to WB Games Montreal, the gameplay in Arkham Origins remains similar to the previous titles, with players exploring open environments, using new gadgets to access previously unavailable areas, and employing a mix of stealth and direct assaults to take down foes. Gamers earn experience points as they advance through the story, allowing them to upgrade Batman's gadgets and combat abilities. The game does feature new kinds of enemies, including martial arts specialists who are adept at blocking and countering attacks, and powerful enforcers who can't be harmed until stripped of their armor.


Arkham Origins also features new gadgets, including the Remote Claw, which lets Batman pull two objects or characters together at a high rate of speed, and the Shock Gloves, which can be used to block electrical attacks, stun foes, and short-circuit some objects in the environment. The game places a greater emphasis on Batman's detective skills, with players analyzing crime scenes all over the city, and in addition to numerous side missions and collectibles, gamers can head to the Batcave to take on combat challenge maps. And for the first time in the series, Arkham Origins includes a multiplayer component, with three playable factions consisting of Joker and his minions, Bane and his gang, and the team of Batman and Robin. ~ Christopher Brown, All Game Guide

Package Contents: Downloadable Content Code

Controls: Joystick/Gamepad

A prequel of sorts to developer Rocksteady's enthralling Arkham series, Arkham Origins so closely mirrors the look and feel of 2011's Arkham City that you'll wonder if you've purchased a remixed version or an alternate director's cut. And that is precisely Arkham Origins' biggest problem: even when it tries to be different, it still feels like deja vu.

Once again you must endure one long, distressing night in Batman's crime-fighting career, one in which the misunderstood hero has a bounty placed on his pointy-eared cowl by Gotham's most devious and deviant. Black Mask is offering a $50-million prize to the villain who takes out the caped crusader, with the idea that Batman will be distracted long enough to ensure his nefarious plan goes without incident. This, of course, gives players the chance to battle some new enemies in addition to confronting such familiar faces as Penguin, the Joker, and Bane.

The setting, style, and play mechanics are basically unchanged from Arkham City. Any creative freedom afforded by moving the timeline backward is squandered. Other than a younger Joker and a more hostile Gordon, there's little evidence to suggest this is an early point in Batman's history. Batman still looks hulked out, his fighting style and moves are unchanged, and he is equipped with a near identical collection of gadgets.

There's still no functional Batmobile, Batcycle, or flyable Batwing, so exploring the city is done as before, using the grappling hook to latch onto rooftops or gliding across the sky for a bit until you find another grapple point (which for some strange reason is more difficult than it was in Arkham City, resulting in travel that often feels disjointed). As Batman moves to his next objective, indicated by a green exclamation point on the map, he can respond to crimes in progress, collect data packs from Enigma, and complete side missions from some of the other villains in the game, such as destroying Black Mask's gas cannisters or disabling Penguin's bombs (all of which are clearly marked on your map, removing an opportunity to incorporate clues or detective work).

The city you'll explore at least looks a bit different, as the events in question take place on Christmas Eve. You'll prowl through the night amidst snowfall, icicles, "season's greetings" billboards, and other holiday accoutrements, and you'll be able to see your character's bat breath whenever you pause for a moment to take in the view. The gameplay, once again, rigidly alternates between beatdown ballet, where you rhythmically pummel thugs loyal to Penguin, Joker, Black Mask, and other villains, and "invisible predator" sequences, which involve silently taking out enemies one by one until an entire area is clear.

Each time you defeat a gang on the streets or inside buildings, you'll earn a varying amount of experience points based on your combat skill, with more varied moves, silent takedowns, and so forth earning you bonuses. These experience points are used to unlock upgrades such as improved armor in combat or more powerful batarangs, again, like before. Perhaps the most disappointing aspect about the gameplay is that you know exactly what to do as you venture into an area -- from pulling off vent covers to unlocking doors with your cryptographic sensor -- so there are no surprises or sense of wonder that was present in the first two games.

The one element designed to set this version apart is its online component, which was designed by Splash Damage, best known for the multiplayer shooter Brink. Multiplayer games feature two teams of thugs battling each other over control points on themed maps, with the added twist of Batman and Robin being able to stalk and hunt down enemies under the cover of darkness. It's thrilling to play as the heroes (you'll even be able to play as Bane or the Joker at certain points in the match), but these moments are fleeting. Rather than just let everyone play as their favorite hero or villain, you instead draw straws and wait your turn by spending the majority of your time as a nameless thug, slowly accruing experience to level up and get more powerful weapon options.

So while there were plenty of opportunities to offer a distinctive take on the series, the developers at Warner Bros. Games Montreal opted to trod the familiar path instead of branching out or taking a different turn. Arkham Origins is by no means a bad game, or even an average one -- it looks fantastic, plays well, and fans will get a kick (and punch) out of confronting some of the newer villains like Deathstroke and Shiva. You just have to temper your expectations and know what you're getting, which is largely the same game you've already played with a dusting of snow and some rearranged action sequences. Same bat time, same bat battle. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

the game requires Joystick/Gamepad.