The first time I played Batman: Arkham Asylum was in 2011, just a couple of months prior to the release of Batman: Arkham City. Because of Arkham Asylum, I decided to buy Batman: Arkham City. I bought it the day that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 was released. Rocksteady had created two fantastic Batman games, and I was really excited for another Batman game from them. Then there were reports that the next Batman game wouldn't be developed by Rocksteady. Instead of waiting for other people to review Batman: Arkham Origins, I decided to pre-order it from the PlayStation Store instead. It was a rushed decision, to be honest.
Batman: Arkham Origins was developed by Warner Bros. Games Montréal. They have had some experience with Batman, as they ported Batman: Arkham City to the Nintendo Wii U last year.
Arkham Origins takes place five years before the events of Arkham Asylum. Batman has two years of fighting crime under his belt, but he still is rather inexperienced. On Christmas Eve, crime lord Black Mask orders a bounty on Batman's head, catching the attention of eight assassins. As Batman, the player must defeat the eight assassins hired to kill him and bring down Black Mask while he's at it. The game takes place in both Old Gotham and New Gotham (aka Gotham City).
I found the story to be pretty good. It wasn't the best story out of the three, but it is still better than the stories told in other video games that are based on comic books. The thing I liked most about the story was the relationship that Bruce Wayne and Alfred are developing as Bruce begins to obsess with his alter ego, the Batman. I thought those pieces of the game were the best moments.
If you have played the other Arkham games or you're a fan of Batman, then you will be quite familiar with the villains that Batman faces in Arkham Origins. Even though we have seen these villains before, they are still fresh. What I like best about this game is the fact that some of the villains you encounter in Arkham Origins haven't been in either of the Arkham games previously. I won't name them off, but you will quickly find out which enemies Batman will have to face once you start playing the game.
Game play is very similar to the other Arkham games. Like Arkham City, Arkham Origins takes place in an open world environment. It still contains elements of stealth and action. Batman may not have super powers like Superman and Spider-Man, but he still holds his own against any enemy he faces. As in other Arkham games, Batman is fast and agile while in combat, using his hands and feet to knock out criminals. To further aid Batman in his vigilante duties, Batman acquires a lot of gadgets. These gadgets range from the Batarang to the Cryptographic Sequencer. A lot of these gadgets have been in the other games, but they're still a lot of fun to use.
I never found fighting petty criminals boring. As you progress in the game, enemies begin to be tougher. Some enemies wear body armor, making it difficult to take them down with just your fists. I really like how many ways there are to attack enemies. You can use the Batarangs, smoke pellets, Explosive Gel, and a bunch of other gadgets to knock out enemies or distract them.
The best fights take place against the assassins. I found them to be really unique. Best of all, they're very fast paced. Even though the fights with the assassins are fast, they aren't finished in a manner of seconds. Strategy is involved, but it is fun trying to figure out the best way to defeat them. Each boss fight is different from one another, and I really liked that. Some boss fights were better than others, but I won't share which ones were my favorite just yet.
There are a number of ways that Batman can traverse through Old Gotham and New Gotham. Like in Arkham City, Batman can use the Grapnel Accelerator to increase the speed in which he propels himself to buildings. You can also visit the Bat Cave on occasion to talk with Alfred, as well as acquire new equipment. To do so, you will need to go to areas that allow you to remotely call the Batwing. I was kind of hoping that you would be able to control the Batwing, but travel is all done through cinematic cutscenes. If that wasn't enough for you, Batman is also capable of gliding. To glide longer distances, Batman can free-fall and then spread his cape to continue gliding.
I like Batman: Arkham Origins. There's a lot to like about it. It is very similar to Batman: Arkham Asylum and Batman: Arkham City. And that is where issues begin to ensue. Because it is similar, I began to feel that it didn't add much to the Arkham world. It is important to remember that Batman: Arkham Origins is a prequel, but it makes me wonder what more the developer could have done had it been a sequel to Batman: Arkham City instead.
For the most part, the gadgets are the same. I love the gadgets that Batman uses, but it would have been cool to have seen some new ones as well. Lastly, the city is very dead. Arkham City hasn't even been constructed, but Old Gotham already is starting to look like it. Even Gotham City is dead. Everyone is mandated to stay indoors. It is hard to argue with that when the city is practically ran by criminals, though.
Overall, Batman: Arkham Origins is still a well made game. I have encountered a few glitches here and there, but they never broke the game for me. Even though Batman: Arkham Origins doesn't go far from the other two games in the series, it does a good job of maintaining what was already there. If you're wanting another Batman game to play on PC, PS3, Wii U, or Xbox 360, Arkham Origins will hold you off until another Batman game is made.
OVERALL SCORE:
7.9/10
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