Christmas With The Batman, an Origins Story

When I first heard that the new Batman game would focus on the masked crusader's origins, I was ecstatic. Now here's a hero with an extensive back story and lots of flying mammal skeletons in his closet. Plenty of material to choose from for a new game, I said. And patiently waited.

An origin story, almost

The creators of Batman Arkham Origins chose to stick to the well crafted formula set by Arkham Asylum and Arkham City games. The combat is still smooth and dynamic, gadgets are aplenty, and the atmosphere is galvanizing. Unfortunately, beyond that, the game does not stray out of its comfortable and preset foundation. A pity, since the title Origins states a beginning of something new in development.

Let's have a closer look under the cowl, because Arkham Origins is still a solid noteworthy title.

A relentless kingpin known as The Black Mask puts out a hit on Batman. Moments later (literally) a slew of shady foes answer the call to kill: Deathstroke, Bane, Copperhead, Deadshot, Anarky, Firefly and Penguin. Looks like there will be no Christmas dinner for Bruce Wayne. Alfred will have to feed the bats again, alone. And on his Birthday no less—OK, I made that one up.

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A night in Gotham 

Out of the cold winter night Batman descends on a criminal-infested Gotham City. Swiftly proving that the production values in this game are staggering. The large gloomy city is designed to mirror characteristics of Tim Burton's Batman flicks: many archways, domed structures, tall steeples, grimy alleyways, odd statues, and rooftops. And the best part: By using his famed grapnel gun, Batman can easily scour the entire impressively detailed Gotham City landscape.

Since the entire city is under martial law, there are lots of criminals to bust and stalk. This allows plenty of opportunities to utilize Batman's silent take-down techniques and gadgets like batarangs, explosive gel mines, smoke bombs and numerous other crime-busting devices. The majority of fights are executed using the fluid combat system established by Origins predecessors. You'll counter, dodge, and flow from one foe to the next, gain experience, unlock more abilities, and feel great about it. It's awesome. Except, it was all done in previous games.

Now you may point out—as my friend did—that this is a beat 'em up game after all. Yes, that it is. And a fine one at that. However, this is a third entry in the Batman franchise. And for a game that promises to present a “young, raw, more unrefined” Batman, it still feels like you're controlling an experienced master crime-buster we all know from the previous games.

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Opportunity cowed 

Playing through certain parts of the game, I felt like there were many opportunities for the designers to come up with something different. When the anti-authority angst-y youth, Anarky, threatens to blow up Gotham's economic centres of power, Batman is tasked with disarming the bombs. After doing so, Batman engages Anarky in combat and busts his face. I would have gotten more enjoyment trying to convince Anarky to join my side, and have him target some of my foes.

Mad Hatter makes a brief appearance, offering a brief respite from combat. He forces Batman into a 2-D dreamworld where the Dark Knight has to rely on his platforming skills. This could have been a perfect side-quest to inject more puzzle-like elements into the gameplay. I would love an opportunity to use Batman's legendary computer—you know, the one takes up half the Bat Cave. Instead, we are, once again, tasked with finding collectibles, and doing missions to unlock extra content and additional moves. Not a very creative way to extend play time.

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Diving into delights 

Fortunately there are plenty of great moments in the game: Free-gliding through all the numerous structures will give you a feeling of total immersion and non-linear progression. It's fun. It's functional. It's all about being a powerful kick-ass hero. You now have an option of setting objectives according to your priority. By doing so, a giant Bat Signal will mark the spot you need to get to. This makes navigation a breeze, and you are never left wandering astray. You can also use Batman's slick jet to move onto drop off points, providing you disable Riddler's jamming towers. Nygma!!

I really enjoyed investigating crime scenes using Batman's scanner, and seeing the entire crime in a virtual reality state, where I could rewind time to see past actions and study the area for all possible clues. In a true Batman game tradition, the original tone-setting music is simply incredible, and can easily match any big budget Hollywood score. Also, the boss battles use the foundation of the solid combat engine, and allow you to exhibit all of Batman's skills and gadgets. I especially like how Batman scavenges his foes' weapons, and converts them to his cause.

It's hard to recommend this game to a newbie. If you never played Batman: Arkham Asylum, or Arkham City, I suggest you try those out. For the price of this game you could have both. And lets face it, you'll still probably get this game to complete your collection. Most likely at a lower cost, since you'd have to blow through two Batman games before getting to this one.

Batman Origins gets four scuffed Bat-cowls out of five. 

Developer: Warner Bros Games Montreal

Publisher: Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment

Platform: PC, PS3, Wii U, Xbox 360

Genre: Beat-'em-up

Released: 2013

Happy Holidays, Hope It's Pure West!