Between the foreboding prophecies from Azrael and experiments found in Scarecrow's hidden lair, the previous game in the Batman: Arkham series, Arkham City, layed down the seeds for third game in the series. So imagine the surprise of some fans of the series when the next Arkham game would be...a prequel. But it wasn't just that the game would be a prequel, but many of the elements that made the first two games in the series great would not be included. Rocksteady would not be developing the game, replaced instead by WB Games Montreal, and Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill would not be returning to voice their respective famous roles, replaced by voice actors who would make Batman and Joker sound younger. Now, all that could make someone wary of the then announced "Batman: Arkham Origins", but the more I saw of the game through trailers and gameplay, the more I felt less worried. Now that the game has been released, does it live up to its predecessors? Well, yes and no.
As expected, the gameplay is very similar to Arkham City, I assume because WB Games Montreal used the same engine Rocksteady did. Not only that, but the same area of Gotham used for the Arkham City area was used once again, but still a main part of the city. So in a way, you won't have to look around too hard to find something when you knew where it was before. Besides that, many of Batman's gadgets are the same, and anything that may seem new is the same thing but only a little different. The disruptor that was handheld in Arkham City has taken on the appearance of the EMP gun also from the previous game. The rope launcher downplays the zipline aspect and has become more weaponized, as you are able to attach enemies to each other, or have fire extinguishers or gas canisters come flying at them to knock them out or disorient them. Finally, the "new" glue grenade is basically the freeze grenade from Arkham City, even with the ability to make a raft. The one new gadget added on that's a joy to use are the shock gloves you get halfway through the main story; they really add up on the combo meter. While being Batman this time around doesn't bring a new experience, it doesn't mean the player can't enjoy, you know, being Batman. I mean, what part of that doesn't get people excited?
In terms of difficulty, I found "Origins" a little harder than "City", but on par with "Asylum". That's an odd statement for me to make though, considering I completed it much quicker than the first two games, but this is the first Arkham game where school hasn't taken away my focus, so there's that. Things were harder to find and so were the boss battles, that aspect I felt has been improved compared to the previous games. Personally, boss battles in the Arkham games have always left me wanting more, as in, more hand-to-hand than strategy. In "Asylum", Bane fought like any other Titan and Poison Ivy had a giant plant you had to bring down; in "City", the fights with powerhouse monsters like Grundy and Clayface were very simplistic and repetitive. But with "Origins", when dealing with the assassins, you get the chance to actually fight villains on more of a level-field. The developers greatly hyped up the fight with Deathstroke, and it delivered. It actually took me an hour to beat him the first time around, as I had to find the groove and try not to get ahead of myself when countering, because I'll tell you, when Deathstroke hits you, he really hits you. My best advice for fighting Deathstroke is that the best offence is a good defense. Though I kind of thought Deathstroke would have a bigger presence in the game based on the hype, but it's forgivable. Even Bane, this time around was more fun to fight compared to the boss battle in "Asylum" since he isn't so huge...yet; besides that, it was nice to actually fight Killer Croc this time around rather than run away. After Deathstroke, my second favorite boss battle was Firefly. While there is a formula to it, this was the first time in an Arkham game where you fight an aerial foe, and that makes for good cineractive moments. Aside from that though, the boss battles aren't that thrilling, at least not to me. The most disappointing battle is with Electrocutioner. Think of the Mysterio fight in the 2004 "Spider-Man 2" movie tie-in game; the villain has a health bar, but all it takes is one punch to win. Not at all satisfying, but what do you expect from a guy who called himself "Electrocutioner"? At least when Joker kills him though, you get to scavenge is shock gloves for your own arsenal, so he did serve some purpose.
When it comes to the tone of the game, while the first two felt felt more like the comics, "Origins" felt more like the Christopher Nolan films in terms of realism. Yes, there are strength enhancing drugs like Venom and a man with bleached white skin and green hair, but there's some science behind them to make it more believable, especially compared to giant plants, zombies, and shape-shifters from before. Given the time in Batman's career where this game is set, this is the turning point in Gotham where the supervillain has become more prominent over the organized crime and corrupt cops that Batman originally set out to fight, and it's this night that eventually leads to the events and construction of Arkham City. Aside from the realism, another aspect I found similar to the Nolan films was Bruce and Alfred's relationship, which we get a lot more of compared to "Arkham City", considering it's just the two of them at this point, i.e., no Oracle or Robin (although Barbara does make an appearance and helps lead you to some of Penguin's weapons caches in one of the side missions). Bruce and Alfred have some good emotional moments, such as when Alfred, worried about Bruce's safety, tries to keep him from going out and or to work with the police. There is also a moment when Bruce is feeling doubt about himself after Bane breaks into theBatcave and almost kills Alfred, feeling he can't protect Gotham when he can't even protect his home, but Alfred is able to pick him back up, convincing to head out to Blackgate to stop the Joker's prison riot. I could definitely see those moments being acted out by Christian Bale and Michael Caine.
Now almost every time I would see a news item for the game, I would see comments of people whining that Conroy and Hamill weren't playing Batman and Joker, who in this game, were voiced by Roger Craig Smith and Troy Baker, respectively. First off, I would like to take the time to those so butt-hurt over the recastings to get the fuck over it. Conroy and Hamill were not the first people to voice Batman and Joker, they're not always going to, and they won't be the last; yes, they're the definitive voices of each character, but that doesn't mean no one else can play them or get the chance to. That being said, Troy Baker totally nailed it as the Joker, making himself, along with John DiMaggio, who voiced Joker in the direct-to-video animated film "Batman: Under the Red Hood", a worthy successor to Hamill. Baker's Joker had great moment from his first reveal to the final moments of the story, especially during a small segment largely inspired by the seminal Joker story "The Killing Joke", even giving a variation of the book's speech on memory.
As for Roger Craig Smith, I thought he did well as Batman, but not as well as I thought. Now, I don't want to contradict my earlier statement, but he could have sounded a little more like Conroy. I wouldn't be saying that if it weren't for the fact that this game is a prequel, and honestly, I had a hard time believing that Smith's Batman becomes Conroy's Batman. In comparison, Baker's Joker could definitely pass for Hamill's. Smith's Batman sounded angry all the time and had a lot of screaming moments; again, it's those moments I could see Christian Bale act out. Despite that, if you look at this game on its own, Smith is good as a young Batman, and I like his "all-about-the-mission" attitude. I mean, this Batman is initially all "Fuck the police!". Seriously, he fucks the police up in this game. It's kind of a fun aspect to see in the game, since this is a point in Batman's career where he prefers to get things done himself.
If you enjoyed the Riddler challenges in the first two games, I don't think you'll be disappointed. In this game, he isn't actually Riddler yet, but Batman calls him "Enigma." For his first true outing, Riddler has gathered blackmail on many prominent Gotham citizens that will be released unless Batman finds the datapacks and takes down the relay networks, interrogating dispatchers along the way. That means there's no riddles this time around, but at least that gives your brain a little rest. You do get a little easter egg in the form of the first Riddler trophy once the side mission is complete though.
Once you complete the game, don't just skip the credits. You're in for some treats, including a new Joker song, and a radio broadcast that players of the first two games will see resonate. Not to mention, there's a post-credits scene that's set up for something, but I'm not sure what exactly. Without spoiling too much, let's just say it involves a certain government funded team of villains and their certain handler, with her "Justice League Unlimited" voice actress reprising her.
As a quick note, I'd also like to give this game props for getting Robert Constanzo back to play Harvey Bullock, as he did in "Batman: The Animated Series." That was quite a treat.
As the new entry in this series, it doesn't bring anything overall new, in fact, some may feel it brings a little too much familiarity, but gamers should get be able to enjoy a good story, fighting some new bosses, playing as Batman again, and of course, moments with the Joker.
Now, if you're still upset that we a got a prequel instead of a straight-on "Arkham City" sequel, I don't think you'll have to worry. Kevin Conroy did let it slip that he was working on a new Arkham game. Since it turned out that he wasn't referring to "Arkham Origins", that could only mean he's working on the sequel, and that Rocksteady is presumably behind it. By that logic, one may say "Arkham Origins" is just trying to cash in on the franchise, only being made to keep fans tide over until Rocksteady's next game came out. Does that mean we can't enjoy "Origins" for what it is though? I don't think so. This game has only brought more to the Arkham-verse, showing how relationships between characters formed, and as I said before, the turning point in Gotham's criminal world. And besides, who doesn't love an origin story?
RATING: 8/10
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