In gameplay terms, this means the status quo from the previous two Arkham games has been preserved you may be in Gotham City proper now, but you're still able to drop in on any random group of thugs and start beating on them, certain that they are criminals. Whatever Origins' shortcomings, I'd love to see future Batman games build on this system and increase its complexity. There are only a small number of these scenarios, but they really engaged me, forcing me to put together pieces in the environment and think like a detective. At certain points throughout the game, Batman encounters crime scenes where he can look for evidence and put together a virtual reenactment of the crime in question. The game explains via incidental dialogue that the chaos caused by the appearance of these powerful assassins has led to citizens bolting themselves indoors.Īrkham Origins' sole meaningful addition to the Arkham structure is the 'Case File System,' which emphasizes the oft-ignored 'world's greatest detective' part of the Batman mythos. Montreal to leave those streets barren of life. The plot setup serves dual purposes: It's an excuse for Batman to skip holiday dinner and roam the streets of Gotham, and it's an excuse for Warner Bros. On Christmas Eve of all nights, Batman discovers that a crime lord named Black Mask has put out a contract on his head, calling in eight assassins from around the world to put him down.

It picks up two years into Batman's crimefighting crusade, at a point where Gotham City's active criminal element has finally realized the threat this masked vigilante could pose. But every great moment or solid addition is held back by a legion of tiny flaws.īatman: Arkham Origins is an origin story for the events of the series rather than for Batman himself. It borrows a lot of things that still work from 2011's Arkham City, and it offers a fascinating take on Batman's relationship with his greatest villain. Montreal has taken over, but Batman hasn't survived the transition unscathed. Batman: Arkham Origins' version of the Dark Knight shares something in common with his latest game: Both are sloppier and less refined than the Batman we've become accustomed to.Īrkham Origins serves as a prequel to a series that, up until now, has been made popular by Rocksteady Studios.

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