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Batman: Arkham Origins Review for Xbox 360

Batman: Arkham Origins Review for Xbox 360

Christmas Eve with Batman

Batman: Arkham Origins has a lot to live up to. The Arkham franchise set the bar incredibly high with Batman: Arkham City , and making a prequel to the wildly successful series that can live up to the Arkham name is an expectation of fans, especially after Rocksteady stepped away from the series. Warner Bros. Montreal had some pretty big shoes to fill, but the team pulled it off nicely.

Though, to be fair, the company did have every advantage. The combat system of the previous Arkham games had already been sorted out, and most of the game mechanics were already in place. All the team there had to do was come up with a convincing storyline and build upon an already solid foundation. Gladly, they didn’t try to reinvent the wheel here, and almost everything you remember and love from previous Arkham games has made its way to Arkham Origins .

And you will need all of those tools at your disposal because Batman has a serious problem: He’s being hunted by assassins. A lot of assassins. Black Mask is the mastermind of a plot to erase the Bat from existence by placing a $50,000,000 bounty on his head for any assassin who has the sack to take him down. Deathstroke, Deadshot, Bane, Copperhead, and others are given a chance to turn Batman into a pile of steaming guano for this nominal fee, which makes for a metric ton of boss fights for the fledgling superhero. This is easily one of the best parts of Batman: Arkham Origins , and the boss fights are varied and well paced. Batman can’t just wail on the supervillains until they’re beaten, either; each one has weaknesses that must be exploited to claim victory.

The mission structure of Origins will be familiar to any Arkham fan, and traversing the open world of Gotham gives you the freedom to do what you want. Feel like stopping random crimes? Just glide around until you spot some baddies that are up to something and take them down. Just want to kick some ass? Origins has you covered. Find the nearest group of criminals and hone your fighting skills to your heart’s content. But if you want to stick with the story, it is just as easy to stay on track by following the on-screen markers to your next objective. There aren’t any penalties for patrolling the streets of Gotham and completing tasks at your own pace unless you’re on a timed mission. The cityscape is littered with Data Packs from Enigma to collect; VR missions are available, and, of course, you can just go on a crime-fighting spree–whatever floats your boat.

Batman: Arkham Origins Screenshot

But playing as Batman isn’t so much about what you do; it’s about how you do it. Gadgets play as big a role in Origins as they have in the previous Arkham games. Many points in the game will require you to make effective use of your gadgets to advance, such as using a remote-control batarang or explosive gel to clear a dilapidated wall. Gadgets even come into play in combat where you can quick-fire batarangs at enemies to stun them or pull enemies toward you with the batclaw. Gliding and zipping around Gotham with your toys is as gratifying as ever, and traversing the environment can be almost as fun as combat. However, there were a couple of instances where I couldn’t move through certain areas as efficiently as I thought Batman should be able to, getting hung up on buildings or not being able to ascend with my batclaw to a point that should not have been a problem.

Fast traveling with the Batwing can alleviate these issues, but first you have to unlock each area of the map by bringing a telecommunications tower back online that has been shut down by Enigma. You can choose to do this as you progress through the game or go tower hunting immediately, but I found that completing these side missions as I progressed didn’t hamper my ability to travel very much at all. Although, any time I could use the fast-travel ability to skip crossing the ridiculously long bridge that linked the two sides of the map, I did. That annoyance has to be endured several times in the early stages of the game, and I was happy to skip it later on.

Batman: Arkham Origins Screenshot

Visually, Batman: Arkham Origins shines. It is easily the best-looking Batman game to date–from the stunningly bleak Gotham City, ambient weather effects, and excellent character models to the choreographed fight sequences and amazingly detailed cutscenes. Occasionally, I would experience clipping issues during the transition between gameplay and cutscenes, and more later on, particularly in cutscenes. These would typically be accompanied by a sound distortion that was wholly annoying when it happened, but thankfully, it did not happen that often. But when the cutscenes worked properly they were gorgeous, especially the ones that featured Batman flying through the skies of Gotham in the Batwing. The fight animations are extremely well presented (as they have been in all Arkham games), and there will be no shortage of you feeling like a badass as you take down the hordes of thugs that continually try to put a damper on your night.

To support the clean visuals, the soundscape of Batman: Arkham Origins is a polished piece of awesome. Although Kevin Conroy is no longer the voice of Batman, his replacement (Roger Craig Smith) pulls off the role with no issues. The voice cast of Origins is a who’s who of video game voice actors with Troy Baker as the Joker, Nolan North as the Penguin, and Peter McNicol as the Mad Hatter, among many other notables. Add to that the typical brooding orchestral Batman score and the library of standard sound effects, and you have a soundscape that rivals a Hollywood production.

Batman: Arkham Origins Screenshot

While I still believe that Batman: Arkham City is the best game in the franchise, Batman: Arkham Origins is a close second. The culmination of what has been cultivated in the previous games is apparent, and what you get is the cleanest and most accessible Arkham title so far. Even though the game doesn’t really expand much from what is done in Arkham City (although there are a few additions), it still feels fresh and fun while retaining the things that fans love about the series–great combat, an open world, and tons of villains.

In short, I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Batman: Arkham Origins . There is a ton of replay value here, and with a New Game Plus mode to explore, I’m ready to polish up my batarangs, throw on my classic Batman costume, and get to kicking supervillain ass, 60s style. Now, where did I put my shark repellant?

RATING OUT OF 5 RATING DESCRIPTION 4.0 Graphics
Some visual hiccups, especially in transition between gameplay and cutscenes. But overall, the game is beautiful. 4.5 Control
The Arkham control scheme works as well as ever. 4.5 Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
Excellent score that screams Batman and solid voice acting bring the streets of Gotham to life. 4.0 Play Value
Batman: Arkham Origins delivers the largest Gotham ever, with tons of gameplay that will keep you busy for a very long time. 4.2 Overall Rating – Great
Not an average. See Rating legend below for a final score breakdown.

Review Rating Legend
0.1 – 1.9 = Avoid 2.5 – 2.9 = Average 3.5 – 3.9 = Good 4.5 – 4.9 = Must Buy
2.0 – 2.4 = Poor 3.0 – 3.4 = Fair 4.0 – 4.4 = Great 5.0 = The Best

Game Features:

  • An expanded Gotham City and an original prequel storyline set several years before the events of Batman: Arkham Asylum and Batman: Arkham City.
  • Taking place before the rise of Gotham City’s most dangerous criminals, the game showcases a young and unrefined Batman as he faces a defining moment in his early career as a crime fighter. This sets his path to becoming the Dark Knight.
  • As the story unfolds, players will meet many important characters for the first time and forge key relationships.

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