Batman: Arkham Origins Review
The cape crusader is hunted down by 8 deadly assassins and the hunter becomes the hunted...
Arkham series rejuvenated Batman in the gaming world the same way Christopher Nolan did in Hollywood. Though Rocksteady was spot on with Arkham Asylum and Arkham City, new game maker Warner Bros has taken the safe path and retained the same gameplay. Arkham Origins is a prequel to the series where the cape crusader hasn’t met arch-nemesis Joker, is not friends with Gordon yet and the police find him a nuisance rather than an ally. Gotham City’s underworld king is the twisted Black Mask. Sick and tired of the meddlesome Batman, the gangster has taken out a $50,000 bounty on the Dark Knight’s head and the top eight assassins from all over the world decide to cash in on this.
Familiar gameplay
The familiar free flow movements and the gadgets are similar to the previous Arkham series. It is still all about fast paced attacks with kick and punch combo takedowns though. The slow-mo final move on your enemy is like Mortal Kombat’s fatality, which is a joy to watch. You do end up wishing that the action play had some new options apart from the typical block punch combo that becomes repetitive and boring after a point.
Same old graphics
Call them lazy or sticking to the tried and tested formula, but Warner Bros have retained the same design and graphics from Arkham City. No doubt it looks good and keeps you engrossed, but you do wish you could differentiate between the two games. The additions are so minor that they don’t even stand out. The Arkham series has taken out a new title every second year, so it’s time for them to start planning the next game from a clean slate and bring cutting edge graphics that will set it apart from the rest of the franchise. So game developers, please take some more time in developing the game itself.
Signing off
Arkham Origins’ story keeps things intact and interesting. Yes, it’s a rehashed version of Arkham City, but the multiplayer options comes with an interesting format of three vs. three vs. two. The teams are Bane’s thugs, Joker’s thugs, and the dynamic duo of Batman & Robin. It’s a game worth buying for every Dark Knight fan as it brings in good gameplay and fairly involving action.
Batman: Arkham Origins withstood competition from Grand Theft Auto V and FIFA 14 to claim the number one spot in its opening week in the UK. On PC, PS3, Xbox 360.
Flashback: Arkham City
Makes us feel like: Those imaginary fights we have where we beat up a load of thugs with a series of increasingly slick moves, then rescue the girl. But not the real fights where we just grumble uselessly for the entire night.
We loved: Batman, having duffed up the Joker in Arkham Asylum, was obviously not involved in the planning meeting where a portion of Arkham City is walled off and filled with criminals. Still, he loves punching dudes, so in he goes. As Batman’s navigating a city, rather than an asylum, his cape comes into play so you swoop moodily from building to building like a goth hang-glider. It looks awesome in 3D, too, if you can afford a 3D TV.
We didn’t love: Catwoman is sexy, sassy and lots of fun to control – complete with her own set of stilletoed kill-moves – but you only get to control her for around 10 percent of the game.
Plays like: The awesome combat of Arkham Asylum taken to its logical limit, coupled with Just Cause 2-style free-roaming.
Recommended food and drink: Knuckle sandwiches, obviously.
Who doesn’t want to be Batman? Available on PC, PS3, Xbox 360
From the December 2013 issue of FHM India.
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