They say that imitation is the highest form of flattery; if that’s the case, then Batman: Arkham Origins is a testament to just how well Rocksteady Studios designed their first two games in the Arkham series. The developers at WB Games Montreal have made no secret of the fact that they are fans of Rocksteady’s first two games in the series, and as such, have done their best to keep nearly every aspect of Arkham City intact, with a few new updates and gadgets that, while technically defying the ‘younger, less experienced’ character idea, change up the formula in some interesting ways.
After seeing Arkham Origins in action up close at E3 2013, and playing it for ourselves, it’s safe to say that fans looking for more Arkham City will take to Origins without missing a beat. Whether that satisfies a majority of Rocksteady’s fanbase remains to be seen, but there’s no question that this take on Batman is a familiar one.
Developing a spin-off game that is destined to be directly compared to one of the best open world titles in recent memory is challenging bad enough, but WB Games Montreal was founded to add their name to the Arkham franchise, meaning they can’t shy away from the task. In an effort to subtly distinguish their game, the developers have turned to a film noir Christmas backdrop, and the layer of snow on the streets and rooftops does help set their story apart from its predecessors.
From a mechanical standpoint, almost every single interaction, combat encounter and cut-scene follows the formula laid out by Rocksteady. So for fans who thought that Origins would be an…origin story, allow us to confirm that Batman isn’t going to be stumbling off of ledges or getting overpowered in combat any time soon. His suit may be less streamlined, but for all mechanical intents and purposes, this is Arkham Batman through and through.
The extended cinematic trailer for Origins showed that Deathstroke would be taking a direct approach in dealing with Batman (much to his surprise), but he won’t be the only sparring partner for the dark knight on this particular evening. We’re not just talking about the seven other assassins (some confirmed, others we’re still hoping to see) descending on Gotham, but the new enemy types introduced to make combat a bit more varied.
A new armored thug offers Batman an enemy too strong to counter, and too well-protected to simply punch into submission. The strategy used to take him down doesn’t vary too greatly from the heavies of Arkham City, but having Batman tear off pieces of body armor to weaken the thug was a nice touch. The same is true of the new ‘martial artist’ enemy type, more adept at hand-to-hand combat than the standard hired muscle. With a fighting style much closer to Batman’s own, the martial artist could give players more reasons to think defensively.
Although this Batman is not the master detective and strategist from a a fictional standpoint, WB Games Montreal has a added a few new gadgets to make their own mark on the property. First, a Remote Claw has been introduced, capable of being fired over a distance, and connecting two separate points. If they are hard points (like gargoyles or walls) then the rope between the two grants the player a tightrope from which to attack. If it is attached to two soft point (enemies or loose objects) the line retracts, slamming the objects or people together.
