Highlights
- Arkham Origins offers a larger, more expansive Gotham City to explore, complete with beautiful Christmas aesthetics.
- The villains in Arkham Origins are more complex, with some having understandable motivations and philosophical moments.
- The portrayal of Bane in Arkham Origins is true to the character, showcasing his intelligence and fearless nature.
Rocksteady Studios is set to release Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League very soon, and since it takes place within the Arkhamverse, many DC Comics fans will likely be nostalgic seeing Batman and these characters again that featured in Rocksteady's Batman: Arkham trilogy. Yet, there is a black sheep within this series developed by WB Montreal, that of Batman: Arkham Origins, which features as a prequel to Batman: Arkham Asylum, and whether it's canon or not has been a subject of debate in later years.
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Arkham Origins tells a story set within Bruce Wayne’s early years as the Caped Crusader, as well as chronicles his first encounter with the Joker in the Arkham-verse. While it has not received the same critical acclaim as Arkham City, it is an amazing adventure in its own right. In some areas, Arkham Origins is a step above Arkham City.
7 More Of Gotham City Can Be Explored
Exploring The City Batman Calls Home
Arkham City introduced Batman fans to the walled-off section of old Gotham City, where the most infamous criminals and villains wound up being housed. Many locations ooze the city’s architectural aesthetic, and Batman can also visit the site where Bruce Wayne died and Batman was born.
Arkham Originsopens all of Gotham to explore. This includes the Royal Hotel, the site of an epic confrontation with the Joker. Also, the setting of Gotham on Christmas Eve is beautiful, with snow covering the buildings and streets, as well as holiday lights strung up on buildings and the bridge.
6 The Villains Are More Complex
Anarky, Lady Shiva, Bane, Are Standout Additions
The Batman universe is known for its colorful rogues gallery. Usually, the good guys and the bad guys are very distinguishable, especially if they just want total destruction and chaos. Arkham Origins comes with its own rogues gallery as well, including the assassins who are looking to kill him for the cash prize Joker put out. Some of these villains, however, could have been heroes at another time.
While the villains in Arkham Origins do reprehensible things, several of them do so in the name of their idea of justice. The assassin Shiva has become frustrated with the corruption of Gotham City, including Gotham’s police force, believing the only thing to do is to destroy everything and start over. Anarky wages a war against the corporations that have caused so much damage around the globe. In confronting these characters, the person behind the man under the cowl learns why these characters do what they do, making for interesting philosophical moments.
5 The Best Portrayal Of Bane In Video Games
Strong, Smart, And A Step Ahead Of Batman With Not Just Physicality
While Bane does show up in Arkham City, he is relegated to a side quest, where Batman must team up with him to collect and destroy chemical canisters scattered throughout the facility. Here, Bane is essentially nothing more than a muscle-bound brute.
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Arkham Origins portrays Bane in a way that is truer to the original character. He is an imposing figure, extremely muscular, but not comically so. He fears no one, even standing up to the Joker. Arkham Origins also refers to the character’s keen intellect, especially in one pivotal moment, where Batman learns Bane has discovered his secret identity.
4 The Relationship Between Batman and Alfred Is Fleshed Out
Alfred Also Made A Promise To Bruce Wayne’s Parents
Alfred has constantly been Bruce Wayne’s right-hand man, doing anything and everything to assist in his crime-fighting efforts. Arkham Origins explores this relationship between the two even further. In Batman’s interactions with Alfred, the butler is constantly worrying about him, suggesting that he just spend the night inside and let the police handle it. They even have a rare moment of conflict where Alfred tries to prevent him from going back out to find Bane, believing that he is in over his head.
While Batman is aggravated about this, he knows that it comes from a place of love. Batman losing Alfred would be like losing his parents all over again. Arkham Origins portrays Bane in a way that is truer to the original character. He is an imposing figure, extremely muscular, but not comically so. He fears no one, even standing up to the Joker.
3 It Leans More Into The Detective Side Of Batman
Arkham Origins Shows Why Batman Is The World’s Greatest Detective
In the Batman lore, Batman is known as “the world’s greatest detective.” While Batman does have some moments in Arkham City where he analyzes crime scenes, they are fairly sparse. Arkham Origins, however, leans into his detective side more.
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He can investigate a series of murders, piecing together the clues, and identifying culprits with his Detective Vision. The resulting scans allow Batman to create virtual recreations of the crime scene that he can skim through. It gives one the feeling that they are putting the pieces together and really solving crimes.
2 The Boss Battles Are Among The Best In The Franchise
Memorable, Heart-Pounding Confrontations With Deadly Foes
In the Arkham games, Batman confronts his enemies in multiple boss battles. One of the most memorable and intense from Arkham City is against Mr. Freeze, who cannot be attacked the same way twice.
Batman: Arkham Origins, has some of the most memorable in the franchise. They are cinematic like a Hollywood film, and put Batman in some unique situations. The fight against the assassin Deathstroke is one of the most exhilarating, pitting him and Batman in a one-on-one martial arts battle. The Firefly battle uses the bridge as a fantastic set piece and has Batman being dragged by Firefly through the air, as he holds on for dear life.
1 It Provides A Proper Final Joker Battle
Batman And Joker Are Inverse Mirrors Of Each Other
While the Joker did get his comeuppance at the end of Arkham City, the game pulled a bait-and-switch with the final boss fight. Those in control of Batman did not get to deliver the final punch to the jaw that the clown deserved.
While the Joker does not put up much of a fight at the end of Arkham Origins, it is still a satisfying finale to their wild night. Landing blow after blow on the Joker is cathartic. The setting of Blackgate Prison’s chapel makes it particularly memorable. It frames the encounter as the eternal battle between good and evil, light and darkness, especially with Joker trying to tempt Batman to break his one rule and kill the Joker. The remix of Carol of the Bells makes it particularly haunting, contrasting the light of the Christmas season with Joker’s twisted madness.
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