Author: Will Westwater
It seems that not too long ago players donned Batman’s cape and cowl to glide and grapple about the cold, crime-ridden slums of Arkham City. Since the release of the last Batman video game two years ago, developer Rocksteady Studios, famous for “Batman: Arkham Asylum” and “Batman Arkham City”, has handed over the reins to developers Warner Brothers Games Montréal and Splash Damage Studios. The transition has been relatively seamless; however, “Batman: Arkham Origins” lacks the thrill and polish of the first two games.
The game takes place on Christmas Eve in Gotham City and the “Black Mask” has placed a $50 million dollar hit on Batman’s head. Assassins like Bane, Deadshot and Deathstroke are vying for a chance to take down the bat.
The player takes control of a young Dark Knight before his first interactions with both policemen and criminals. First encounters with both friend and foe are exciting and different as this kind of interaction was not present in the first two games.
“Batman: Arkham Origins” integrates new gadgets like the remote claw as well as an improved detective mode. The remote claw can lock onto an object and an enemy and cause them to collide, creating an explosion that is not only satisfying but also adds considerably to game play. In addition, the improved detective mode allows for Batman, “The World’s Greatest Detective,” to virtually recreate crime scenes in the spaces in which the crime was committed. The player can then pause, rewind and fast-forward through the events of the crime while walking around the virtual projected environment.
Unfortunately, the developers did little to update the scenery. Gotham City looks too much like the landscape from “Batman:Arkham City.” In addition, the game isn’t as technically sound. Oftentimes the frame-rate will lag or a transitionary cut scene will not have audio. This issue is especially prevalent during times when the game is saving or loading.
Some of these changes have been met with mixed reviews, but one change has received unanimous negative feedback – “Batman: Arkham Origins” no longer has the voice talents of Mark Hammill (The Joker) and Kevin Conroy (Batman). Instead, the Joker is played by Troy Baker, who played Joel in “The Last of Us” and Booker DeWitt in “Bioshock Infinite.” The Dark Knight is played by Roger Craig Smith, whose credits include “Ultimate Spider-man” (animated series) and the voice of Ezio in “Assassin’s Creed.” While the new voices enable a younger iteration of the characters, it is hard to part with the voices that date back to the iconic cartoon franchise.
“Batman: Arkham Origins” is good when it could have been great. Now in its third iteration, the game is showing its age.Those looking to get into the Batman video games should start with “Batman: Arkham Asylum” and work their way up. Though fun and entertaining, “Batman: Arkham Origins” lacks the freshness and sense of awe of its predecessors.
Batman Arkham Origins: PS3/ Xbox 360/ WiiU/ PC
MSRP: $60.00
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