Batman: Arkham Origins Reviewed

The bat is back with another installment in the series we need, but is it the one we deserve? (Spoiler Free)

 Batman: Arkham Origins is the first prequel game in the critically acclaimed series.  The premise is the crime lord Roman Sionis (aka. Black Mask) has put a fifty million dollar bounty on Batman's head attracting eight of the world's greatest assassins to Gotham City with one night (which just so happens to be Christmas Eve) to kill the hero and collect the reward. The game takes place towards the close of Batman's second year of crime-fighting meaning he is not well established with the people of Gotham and finds himself at odds with the police, most notably Captain James Gordon. As if this isn't enough trouble for Batman, a new criminal going by the name "The Joker" has appeared in Gotham City.

What I liked:
One of the big things about this game that makes it a little different that the first two is that there is more emphasis on Batman's supporting cast this time around. Alfred Pennyworth and James Gordon are both given much more prominent roles than their occasional cameos.  I really liked how the game focused on Batman establishing his allies as well as how they define the hero.  It's hard not to sympathize with Alfred who struggles to get through to Bruce throughout the story.  A minor complaint is that, though Barbara Gordon makes an appearance, I don't think the character is given enough to do, especially when the focus on allies is so strong in the game.

I thought that the story for the game was excellent.  It may not be on as grand of a scale as Arkham City, but I did find it more epic than Arkham Asylum.  The story sounds like it should be a simple enough concept; beat assassins before they beat you and then confront Black Mask.  But the story turns into so much more.  I can't reveal much without spoilers, but the game has its twists and turns that change the direction of where the story may seem like it's heading.  And like with any of the previous Arkham games, the Joker steals the show.

Speaking of the Joker, Troy Baker does the voice acting justice.  It's hard to top what Mark Hamill had built for the character but I think Baker acknowledges this and builds on the base of Mark Hamill's work.  The Joker seems to have a specific voice that has been established for him and Baker acts along the line of this voice with only some minor differences that are difficult to spot unless you're really looking for them.  In all honesty, the Joker does sound younger but with the same tone we've come to know which I think is a good thing for a prequel game.

The combat system had some welcome additions to keep it from being a complete rehash of Arkham City.  The first is the martial artists.  These foes are able to counter your strikes and may require multiple counters to avoid their full attacks.  I thought this was a welcome addition as it keeps you a little more vigilante as you can't just jump from foe to foe and have to spend a little more time dealing with a specific foe.  Another addition along these lines was the inclusion of the superior thugs.  These are bigger and stronger foes than the typical thug and are fought similar to a Titan-thug from the previous games.  They are a little easier to beat than a Titan-thug, but still provide the added challenge to the combat system.  Though it's not part of the combat challenges, I thought that the predator missions and maps were good but with a couple minor complaints that I'll get to later.

My last big praise for the game are the boss fights.  Typically the boss fights are the weakest parts of the game being just beat-downs on foes that can just cause slightly more damage (
with the exception of Mr. Freeze from Arkham City).  That changes in this game as button mashers may find out.  Deathstroke (or Slade to you Teen Titans fans out there) can counter your attacks leading you to counter back with the necessary timing in order to keep you from taking damage.  Other characters like Bane, however, were similar to the beat-em-ups but would require better thought and reflexes in order to keep yourself from being vulnerable to stronger attacks.  A minor complaint is that the boss battle with Firefly is difficult at first but once you figure out the system for attacking him it just gets repetitive.  Other bosses such as Killer Croc or Copperhead are perfectly fine, but they just don't shine as brightly as Bane or Deathstroke's fights.

What I didn't like:
This game is a low point for the predator missions.  As I mentioned the maps were good, having lots of opportunities, set up for taking out henchmen.  However, this also means they didn't feel as challenging as the missions in the previous two games.  One of my biggest complaints is how direct the remote claw is in take-downs.   This can allow you to take out 2-3 thugs before you even have to start planning your approach to the map.  I'm fine with using the claw to stun two henchmen or for a gas can take-down, but being able to sit back and hang three henchmen from gargoyles without any planning is just too easy.

In addition to gadgets that make things two easy, I have mixed feelings about the inclusion of shock gloves in close-combat challenges.  The problem is they are too easy to abuse.  The gloves can punch through armor, shields, and batons, which means you can pretty much just mash your way through foes without much thought.  I do see how they can be useful though.  If used properly they can be similar to star-power from the Guitar Hero series.  A little edge that may be necessary when things get too out of control, but like I said, the temptation to abuse the shock gloves in combat is still there and can take away a bit of thought from the battle.

One of my last complaints is that the villains seem a little flat.  This is usually a common problem for most Arkham games.  The problem is having a story that requires so many characters, a lot of them don't get their fair amount of time to shine.  All of the assassins, with the exception of Bane, never feel fully fleshed out.  Even Black Mask, the villain in the spotlight, gets hung out to dry once Joker steals the show.  That being said, the characters the significant characters get a really strong build up.  Characters like this include Batman, Joker, Alfred, Bane, and James Gordon.

My last complaint is that the setting is a little lifeless compared to the other Batman games.  It feels like a lot is reused from Arkham City but without the cameos and Easter eggs that made the game so intriguing.  Also, the map contains a bridge that, though it is necessary to the story, is a little too long and gets monotonous to cross when needed.

Closing Thoughts.

Let me just say how excited I was to dive back into the Arkham universe as Batman and begin to explore Gotham and encounter the characters that give the Batman franchise so much life as I'm sure many were as well.  This shows just how much this critically acclaimed series has to live up to, and how much pressure is on the company to make another hit (especially when it's not Rocksteady this time).  These games, though, are often always worth looking forward too, and I'm glad the company experimented with new ideas in this installment.

Overall, Batman: Arkham Origins is a good game that just doesn't quite step out of the shadow of its predecessor, Arkham City.  The new ideas are a bit hit and miss, which hopefully means the next installment will improve upon those.  What has already been established for the series wasn't ignored and was built on in order to keep the life in the series.  If you are a fan of Batman, or want an excuse to dive back into the Arkhamverse, than I seriously recommend checking out this game.  Compared to the other Arkham games, however, it tends to stand in their shadows and doesn't quite realize it's full potential.  But hey, it's still one heck of a game.

Final Rating: 8/10