The Caped Crusader has his work cut out for him in Arkham Origins.
By: Joshua Pruett
Let's get one thing out in the open: I love Batman. As far as comic book characters are concerned, I don't look any further for favorites. You see, I grew up watching the old Batman of Adam West, the wonderful dark-deco world of Batman: The Animated Series and all of the good and bad Batman films. (Nolan, I can't thank you enough.) I have collected the comics since Sword of Azrael and on the video game front, I've been playing since Batman Forever on the SNES. I even have quite a few toys and statues of the Dark Knight along with his infamous enemies. Now, in all of these different mediums, Batman has had his highs (Nolan's trilogy) and lows (Batman & Robin). The good thing is, he can take it. In the upcoming Arkham Origins releasing today, he has no choice but to.
When Arkham Asylum released back in 2009, I remember being slightly skeptical. Rocksteady was at the helm and other than an older PS2 game (Urban Chaos), I wasn't quite sure of their abilities to make a game where you actually felt like Batman. Let's face it, up until that point, we hadn't really had too much luck with must-play Batman titles. To this day, I couldn't have been proven more wrong. Arkham Asylum was an amazing offering that not only felt like being Batman, but enabled you as him. With it's success, Rocksteady pushed through the stellar Arkham City in 2011, further expanding our experience in being the Batman.
So what's got me all excited about Batman: Arkham Origins? Plenty. Check out my list below:
STORY. Rocksteady did a bang-up job of telling tales with Arkham Asylum and Arkham City. This time around, it's Warner Bros. Games Montreal calling the shots. My hope is that they build onto the universe Rocksteady helped setup, but expand it with some interesting storytelling. This is an origin story after all, taking place in the younger days of Bruce. It will be fun (hopefully) watching the story unfold. I will say, Arkham Origins has very intriguing line-up of villains. Copperhead, Black Mask, Anarchy, Firefly, Deathstroke, Deadshot and Lady Shiva are some of the newcomers amongst the returning Bane, Joker, Riddler, Penguin, Mad Hatter, etc.
With a story that takes place before, the voice talent sees a bit of a change as well. I panicked when I saw Batman and Joker getting changes because of my beloved memories of Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamil giving those roles their iconic sound. Gladly though, I was relieved when hearing some of Roger Craig Smith's Batman lines in some gameplay footage. It's noticeably different, but Batman's noticeable younger, so it makes sense. It's the Joker's change that irked me more. Just recently during New York Comic Con, a monologue of the classic graphic novel The Killing Joke was read by none other than Troy Baker. His likeness to Mark Hamil's Joker is pretty impressive. My fears were put to rest.
GADGETS. As with the previous games, you can't be Batman without that utility belt. It is one of the keys to your success and Origins plans to give you some new additions to your arsenal: shock gloves, remote detonator and concussion detonator to name a few. I always enjoyed the progressive upgrading available in the previous games. Let's hope they keep that up.
FAST TRAVEL. Arkham City was fairly large. It was really easy to get around thanks to your ability to use Batman's cape to glide. In Origins, that mechanic returns but to get someplace ridiculously quick, you can summon the Batwing. Although I am not sure if you can actually pilot it (that would be awesome), having access to this jet will make being Batman feel that much better.
UNLOCKS. The last two games were chock-full of unlocks in an assortment of flavors: missions, challenges, items, weapons, upgrades, collectibles, art, skins and game modes. There will be loads to keep you busy and coming back to reveal every nook, cranny and secret.
MULTIPLAYER. There, I said it. I know you're thinking: "A Batman mulitplayer, how the eff is that going to work?" I said the same thing with Assassin's Creed and Splinter Cell, which are some of the most unique multiplayer experiences you can encounter. Sporting a 2v3v3 format, players will take on gangs and rivals of the Dynamic Duo. These teams will be led by Joker and Bane. The remaining two players will don the cape and cowl of Batman & Robin. Though I am pondering how it works and plays, it sounds to be pretty dang fun to me!
MUSIC. Nick Arundel's score back in Batman Arkham City was nothing short of amazing. In fact, I'm listening to it now as this is written. He did a perfect job of marrying likeness of Danny Elfman's iconic Batman motif (without directly playing the motif) and the ominous attack of Hans Zimmer's Batman sound. There are parts that remind me of Batman: The Animated Series and parts that remind me of Phillip Glass. It's been one of my favorite soundtrack albums to date and I still listen to it very regularly. With much lovely sentiment toward Arundel's masterpiece, I was a little bummed when I found that Christopher Drake was composing Origins. After previewing a couple tracks, I had a change of heart. Also, I didn't know that he did the OST for the motion comic Batman: The Dark Knight Returns. Reassuring indeed. With that said, I am very much looking forward to analyzing, breaking it down and really giving it a solid listen.
------------------------------
What's getting you excited about this entry? Do you think it will live up to the past titles? Be looking for a full review very soon!
UPDATE: I picked up my copy last evening and popped it in before going to bed. So far, it feels very similar to City and Asylum, which is a good thing. In the looks department, everything is beautifully done! I am very impressed with the graphics. DAT TITLE SCREEN, DAMN! I didn't get to play long, but I launched into the story and am loving it so far. I can tell the story is going to be a lot of fun to tackle! I am still unclear about fast travel. Looks like it's just going to be a point to point system of getting around, no flying. Oh well. I am excited to check out the multiplayer mode and I am liking the way the game is being presented. Stay tuned for a full review!
Picture source: Batman Arkham Origins website
STORY. Rocksteady did a bang-up job of telling tales with Arkham Asylum and Arkham City. This time around, it's Warner Bros. Games Montreal calling the shots. My hope is that they build onto the universe Rocksteady helped setup, but expand it with some interesting storytelling. This is an origin story after all, taking place in the younger days of Bruce. It will be fun (hopefully) watching the story unfold. I will say, Arkham Origins has very intriguing line-up of villains. Copperhead, Black Mask, Anarchy, Firefly, Deathstroke, Deadshot and Lady Shiva are some of the newcomers amongst the returning Bane, Joker, Riddler, Penguin, Mad Hatter, etc.
With a story that takes place before, the voice talent sees a bit of a change as well. I panicked when I saw Batman and Joker getting changes because of my beloved memories of Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamil giving those roles their iconic sound. Gladly though, I was relieved when hearing some of Roger Craig Smith's Batman lines in some gameplay footage. It's noticeably different, but Batman's noticeable younger, so it makes sense. It's the Joker's change that irked me more. Just recently during New York Comic Con, a monologue of the classic graphic novel The Killing Joke was read by none other than Troy Baker. His likeness to Mark Hamil's Joker is pretty impressive. My fears were put to rest.
GADGETS. As with the previous games, you can't be Batman without that utility belt. It is one of the keys to your success and Origins plans to give you some new additions to your arsenal: shock gloves, remote detonator and concussion detonator to name a few. I always enjoyed the progressive upgrading available in the previous games. Let's hope they keep that up.
FAST TRAVEL. Arkham City was fairly large. It was really easy to get around thanks to your ability to use Batman's cape to glide. In Origins, that mechanic returns but to get someplace ridiculously quick, you can summon the Batwing. Although I am not sure if you can actually pilot it (that would be awesome), having access to this jet will make being Batman feel that much better.
UNLOCKS. The last two games were chock-full of unlocks in an assortment of flavors: missions, challenges, items, weapons, upgrades, collectibles, art, skins and game modes. There will be loads to keep you busy and coming back to reveal every nook, cranny and secret.
MULTIPLAYER. There, I said it. I know you're thinking: "A Batman mulitplayer, how the eff is that going to work?" I said the same thing with Assassin's Creed and Splinter Cell, which are some of the most unique multiplayer experiences you can encounter. Sporting a 2v3v3 format, players will take on gangs and rivals of the Dynamic Duo. These teams will be led by Joker and Bane. The remaining two players will don the cape and cowl of Batman & Robin. Though I am pondering how it works and plays, it sounds to be pretty dang fun to me!
MUSIC. Nick Arundel's score back in Batman Arkham City was nothing short of amazing. In fact, I'm listening to it now as this is written. He did a perfect job of marrying likeness of Danny Elfman's iconic Batman motif (without directly playing the motif) and the ominous attack of Hans Zimmer's Batman sound. There are parts that remind me of Batman: The Animated Series and parts that remind me of Phillip Glass. It's been one of my favorite soundtrack albums to date and I still listen to it very regularly. With much lovely sentiment toward Arundel's masterpiece, I was a little bummed when I found that Christopher Drake was composing Origins. After previewing a couple tracks, I had a change of heart. Also, I didn't know that he did the OST for the motion comic Batman: The Dark Knight Returns. Reassuring indeed. With that said, I am very much looking forward to analyzing, breaking it down and really giving it a solid listen.
------------------------------
What's getting you excited about this entry? Do you think it will live up to the past titles? Be looking for a full review very soon!
UPDATE: I picked up my copy last evening and popped it in before going to bed. So far, it feels very similar to City and Asylum, which is a good thing. In the looks department, everything is beautifully done! I am very impressed with the graphics. DAT TITLE SCREEN, DAMN! I didn't get to play long, but I launched into the story and am loving it so far. I can tell the story is going to be a lot of fun to tackle! I am still unclear about fast travel. Looks like it's just going to be a point to point system of getting around, no flying. Oh well. I am excited to check out the multiplayer mode and I am liking the way the game is being presented. Stay tuned for a full review!
Picture source: Batman Arkham Origins website
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