THE RISE OF A MADMAN
Batman is back in yet another hard day’s night, and this time he is furious. It’s not entirely unwarranted, but this usually stoic superhero feels strangely unmoored when fueled by rage for the entirety of a long open-world adventure. Perhaps that is the point. Batman: Arkham Origins is a prequel, set early in Bruce Wayne’s vigilante career, before he became a symbol Gotham could rely on. He is still raw, mistrusted, and largely alone. Even Captain Gordon—years away from becoming commissioner—doesn’t believe in him yet. Apart from Alfred, Batman has no allies.
Some of the classic villains make their chronological debut here, though many were already familiar to players from earlier entries. Their presence, combined with Batman’s inexperience, helps explain why this game leans more heavily toward outright brawling than careful predator tactics. Enemy numbers are often overwhelming, and Batman’s short fuse feels mirrored in the combat design itself.
Arkham Origins was developed not by Rocksteady, but by Warner Bros.’ own studio, while Rocksteady focused on the far more ambitious Arkham Knight. Rather than leave a gap in the franchise, Warner opted for a prequel using the same engine and core mechanics. On paper, it made sense.
In practice, the story is surprisingly thin for a game with “Origins” in the title. Set during a chaotic Christmas Eve, the plot revolves around a prison escape that leaves the corrupt Commissioner Loeb dead and puts crime lord Roman Sionis—Black Mask—at the center of events. Sionis places a massive bounty on Batman’s head, drawing a lineup of hired killers to Gotham. Some appear in the main story, others as side content.
Despite this setup, the narrative rarely engages. Instead of learning much about Batman’s formative years, we mostly witness Gordon’s rise and a few villains’ introductions. Batman’s own arc feels oddly underdeveloped. As the hours pass, I kept asking myself: Why does this need to be played at all?
Thankfully, the answer often comes from the mechanics. Arkham Origins is essentially Arkham City again—bigger, slightly refined, and mechanically confident. The early sections are the strongest, when Batman investigates crime scenes, retraces events, and navigates Gotham to piece things together. The new map is expansive enough to justify a fast-travel Batwing, though on PS3 the loading times blunt its usefulness.
Controls remain familiar, which gives series veterans an immediate advantage. Traversal challenges help you master dive-bombing and grappling boosts, and combat feels faster and more fluid than before. Chain takedowns come together more reliably here than in previous entries, making this my favorite Arkham game in terms of pure hand-to-hand combat.
That said, something important is lost along the way. The invisible predator encounters—once the most thematically appropriate way for Batman to operate—are fewer and less inspired. Aside from one standout optional hitman fight, these sequences feel underdeveloped. One new gadget is introduced, but little is done to meaningfully evolve the formula.
Instead, the game leans hard into the series’ trademark brawling. The enemy roster is familiar: grunts, brutes, armored foes, acrobats. You juggle gadgets, counterattacks, and crowd control while the camera does its best to keep up. When it fails—and it often does—cheap hits from off-screen enemies can feel unfair.
Arkham Origins doesn’t strive for originality. It refines rather than reinvents, and that’s enough to make it solid. Most boss fights are unremarkable, often boiling down to tougher standard enemies supported by waves of henchmen. One exception stands out: a tightly directed fight against a jetpack-equipped pyromaniac that shows how effective focused design can still be.
The core mechanics remain strong, and that consistency matters. The Arkham series has a mixed track record with experimental boss fights—Killer Croc in Arkham Asylum and Penguin in Arkham City come to mind. Mr. Freeze remains the gold standard precisely because that fight built directly on established mechanics rather than discarding them.
Visually, Arkham Origins is a series low point. Gotham is easy to navigate but lacks character. Districts blur together, with few memorable landmarks beyond a central bridge. It’s functional rather than evocative. Still, the improved traversal and fast-travel partially justify the trade-off.
Forgettable does not mean unplayable. Moment to moment, Arkham Origins can be genuinely fun. New gadgets make revisiting areas worthwhile, and the hacking mini-game adds some light flavor. The skill system is shallow—more ladder than tree—but that simplicity keeps the focus on execution rather than numbers.
In the end, Arkham Origins is a game for fans who already enjoy the Arkham mechanics. It offers little in the way of memorable storytelling or lasting atmosphere, and its lore contributions are minimal. This was my second playthrough, yet I remembered almost nothing from the first—which says a lot.
Some fans were disappointed by the replacement of Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill with Roger Craig Smith and Troy Baker. Personally, I think they did an excellent job. Their performances aren’t the problem.
Arkham Origins isn’t bad. It’s competent, occasionally exciting, and mechanically confident. But as a chapter in Batman’s story, it feels oddly unnecessary—a well-made echo of better games that came before and after it.
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