Comic book open world action game

Batman: Arkham Origins is a third-person open world action game. Explore a new prequel story in this third instalment of the popular Arkham series of Batman games.

Back to the streets

Set roughly five years prior to the events of Arkham Asylum, Batman: Arkham Origins tells the story of the beginnings of Gotham’s evil-doers. A mysterious character known as Black Mask sets a huge bounty on Batman’s head, prompting eight of the worlds most powerful fighters to try and take him down. After some investigation, the Caped Crusader finds Black Mask to really be that of The Joker. The gameplay and combat follow much the same vein as the rest of the Arkham series. Batman swings between city streets, twirling around patient hordes of nondescript baddies who line up one by one to try their luck, while occasionally breaking off to follow a glowing series of footprints on the floor. Bringing back The Joker after prematurely killing him in a previous title feels fairly cheap and thrown together, but Batman fans will still find this an essential play.

Gotham shine

Batman: Arkham Origins is perhaps the weakest of the Arkham games, but still above average. If a poor plot can be overlooked, players will find more of what they like.