Batman: Arkham Origins

Batman Arkham Asylum surpassed both video-game players and reviewers expectations tremendously back in 2009. The sequel, with even greater graphics and game-play did so even more two years later. Therefore a third Arkham game was inevitable.

Due to the events at the end of Arkham City, Arkham Origins is a prequel so some of Batman's old foes are resurrected. The game begins with the villain Black Mask placing a bounty on Batman's head on Christmas Eve. This attracts the attention of 8 super-assassins including Deathstroke, Bane, Lady Shiva, Deadshot. To top that all off Batman also comes across several side-super-villains like Edward Nygma, Penguin, Mad Hatter and The Joker.

Whilst the graphics are not as detailed as Arkham City, the game play is amazing. Its fast, slick and Batman is brutal. Sure there are glitches here and there but hopefully a patch will be released soon. The city is massive (although perhaps not as big as previews said but still). You can explore the industrial side of Gotham and the side that would eventually become 'Arkham City'. Plot-wise, a lot (and I mean A LOT) of it has been taken and expanded from Batman Begins. I have no problem with that though.

The game would get a 10 from me if it weren't for those bloody glitches though. Excellent game otherwise.

I don't know why for God sake this game is so hated...first to say is my favourite from all Batman games.The story is amazing,the graphics and the most enjoyable thing is probably the boss fights.Troy Baker's Joker is such a good choice.Bane was also well portrayed in this game.I wish i could erase my memories and play it again for the first time.

Albeit not as original as either 'Batman: Arkham Asylum' or 'Batman: Arkham City', 'Batman: Arkham Origins' is still fun and, for avid Batman and DC Comics fans or even fans of comics and games, this is a great buy!

You're introduced to some fascinating characters, arguably many of whom have appeared in other games in the same franchise, but you're catching them before they have really come to understand Batman as being either their ally or their enemy. Some, of course, have made up their minds already and will never change them.

As with all the Arkham games thus far, the cinematics are incredible and there are several sequences involving both Batman and The Joker that hold up as well as if the inspired Paul Dini had written them himself. On that note, however, Dini's presence is sorely missed and it was a mistake to remove him from the production team even before the ill-fated 'Harley Quinn's Revenge' had gone into development several years ago.

That is not to say that Arkham Origins is bad. It isn't. You get to explore Gotham almost without barriers, the fighting system is still good and the story is incredible, even though it feels like it starts to lose steam and fall into clichés towards the end of its run.

Fans of comics like 'Batman: Year One', 'Batman: The Long Halloween' and 'Batman: Dark Victory', to name but a few will definitely enjoy some of the characters and events that crop up here and, for the seasoned game player, the Arkham series is still enjoyable. It just needs something a little new, perhaps coupled with a return from some characters who have been absent from the Arkham series and from Gotham City for quite some time. The Arkham series should also take a more adventurous step (that Rocksteady quite possibly would have done had it retained its licence over the franchise) and give the player controlling Batman a bit more chance of actually piloting the Batmobile and/or the Batwing and other assorted vehicles.

The voice cast here really has to be commended. Unlike some other gamers, I grew used to Roger Craig Smith as Batman/Bruce Wayne quite quickly, but he still seems like a flawed addition when compared to Kevin Conroy, who has been voicing the character for so long that his successors can sound a bit alien in the role. Anyone who has seen 'Batman: Gotham Knight' (2008) will also know that Conroy is still capable of playing a young Batman/Bruce Wayne, so Smith's presence here does seem kind of redundant. On the other side of the coin, however, Mark Hamill was irreplaceable and, yet, he had to be replaced after he hung up his joy buzzer and razor-edged playing cards. Troy Baker is an excellent replacement for Hamill and, while I would still love it had Hamill surprisingly leapt back into the role once more, Baker is an energetic and memorable Clown Prince of Crime and, if nothing else, a scarily effective Hamill impersonator at times.

Those returning to their Arkham Asylum and Arkham City roles remain inspired choices, whilst long-time Batman animation music composer, Christopher Drake delivers a fine score that, whilst up to his own standards, misses out on some of the quirkiness that made the music of the previous two games, as composed by Nick Arundel and Ron Fish, so unique and tailored to this interpretation of Batman.

The Batcave is awesome, holding an Anton Furst/Nathan Crowley/Goonies feel all at the same time (hopefully next time Wayne Manor will get more of a showing as well), and Gotham is still a fascinating place, especially as players are given the chance to explore regions that previously weren't available, such as those areas of Gotham that were underwater during Arkham City. Even though the Christmastime setting has been ridiculed for cutting corners (as it was snowing through most of Arkham City), this time period demonstrates just how unrelentingly hostile Gotham City is. Villains like The Joker and new-breed, Anarky, wage war on Gotham during the season of family and giving -- it is almost like something out of the pages of Frank Miller's 'The Dark Knight Returns'.

However, I agree with one reviewer who complained about the ridiculously long bridge! But other complaints about the static nature of the opening sequences are a point of personal preference -- I found them to be a useful tutorial that helped me to brush up on my old techniques from the last two games, whilst not being killed too often!!!

So, in summary, there's plenty to enjoy here, particularly as the game is set in the Dark Knight's formative years but, next time, perhaps Warner Brothers will either take a chance or return to trusting Rocksteady to take those chances on their behalf! All the same, the Arkham series remains one of the most effective and enjoyable ways of introducing or reintroducing both new and long-term fans to the mystique and intricacy of the Batman comics and his world in general!

This is game is amazing, it is a amazing take on Batman, Gotham and the Characters. The gameplay is also quite impressive with a good balance of Combat & Predator missions as well as full use of Batman's detective skills. The winter/Christmas setting works perfectly as a contrast from the darkening story.

While the game is amazing it feels like it should be setting up another trilogy of Batman games. It doesn't feel with like it connects with the timeline that Arkham Asylum to Knight set up. The result of this being it's outcasted by most fans. Making it quite underrated.

Rating: 8.75 / 10. Impressive but doesn't feel like it belongs to it's franchise.

So this third game of the Arkham Saga you must know that this game is not really an official game because it is not the same publishing house that created the first two So as I have already said in the previous ones I will talk about two things always the first is the story So this timeThis game is a prequel So in this story they don't really tell from the beginning the story of Batman which was never mentioned when Batman was a wanted man Then Commissioner Gordon wants everything to set Batman up but at the same time another person also wants it or the black mask who has hired assassins that's how they want to take him Batman is Batman has to sign all this So what do I think of the story for me the story Among the four games I consider it the most beautiful for me it was better than all because in this story we really have a beautiful Batman and U. SBatman who was seen in Arkham City who seemed like an idiot instead in this Origin for me it was really beautiful for example that this is a Batman who wants every way to save Gotham and no he uses any way to save that hateful bounty for something that doesn't matter to meI like it I didn't like That black mask was actually the Joker Ugh But it's really impossible that they always put this character in everything interesting you find him it seems like he's just a black mask and a bad guy No why do I have to put the Jokers every day the story I rate 8.5 Alice let's start thereplayability The only negative thing about playability if this game is set in the past how is it possible that everything is very sophisticated compared to the previous two which had increased in the present the same thing that also happened in the Star Wars prequel trilogy and then this time the map it's for all of Gotham City since the previous two which were set on the island of Arkham Asylum is arkham city and then the movements are really fantastic and then this time to go to places much further away flying vehicle and then here there are a lot of resignations secondary but the one that II like it much more when Batman investigates murder cases. This one is much more beautiful regarding the game. I found it very beautiful, unlike the second one but less beautiful than the first and I can't wait to talk about the last game too to conclude I vote 8.5.