Batman: Arkham Origins

 PC
User Score
7.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 1705 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,089 out of 1705
  2. Mixed: 461 out of 1705
  3. Negative: 155 out of 1705

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. OldManGamerOMG
    Dec 4, 2020
    10
    First, you should know this game is riddled with bugs. Pun intended. Some of these bugs are game breaking and require a fresh start after 20 hours or more in a session. Some are tedious invisible objectives that take walking around until you find the place to click.

    That said, I still recommend this game, because it is among the best stories and voice acting you will find in a game. The    First, you should know this game is riddled with bugs. Pun intended. Some of these bugs are game breaking and require a fresh start after 20 hours or more in a session. Some are tedious invisible objectives that take walking around until you find the place to click.

    That said, I still recommend this game, because it is among the best stories and voice acting you will find in a game. The game play is very enjoyable, and among the most enjoyable as well, in my opinion. The combat is very smooth and fun. The graphics are still on par with games in 2020. The detective method in this game is absolutely fantastic.

    I would rarely consider a game with game breaking bugs worth recommending, but this game is an absolute joy and worth it for the story and/or game play alone.    … Expand
  2. Ray6701
    Sep 3, 2021
    0
    Incredibly boring and very disappointing and just bad story mode and loads of bad stuff
  3. MaxieZeus
    Sep 6, 2022
    9
    Not as good as the first two but that doesn't mean it's bad. It is not really a big improvement from city as city was from asylum, bu still it is an excellent game with what might be the best story and atmosphere in the series and of course boss fights. It should not be ignored by people who are planning to play this series.
  4. gamerblue
    Nov 13, 2013
    2
    This game is a HUGE step back from the series. The story feels like its thrown together and I can't even get past a boss (Deathstroke) when I'm only 7% into the game. I play games for fun, this is in no way fun at all.
  5. KannedFarU
    Dec 3, 2013
    3
    The combat system has definitely fallen far from the majestic tree that was Arkham City. Some gamers claim that it's just harder because it's technically earlier in the story line and Batman is less experienced. As a programmer I can tell you that's not the case. It's simply buggy. You will die a lot and it will not be fair or fun.
  6. David_wayne
    Nov 4, 2014
    9
    I don't get why there is so much hate coming to this game from both critics and gamers alike!!! Being a huge Batman fan myself, I played the last two Arkham games and absolutely loved them with a passion and hunger for more, and Origins was the perfect answer for that need. Yes the game is similar to the other two Arkham games,but Origins had the best story so far hands down with a greatI don't get why there is so much hate coming to this game from both critics and gamers alike!!! Being a huge Batman fan myself, I played the last two Arkham games and absolutely loved them with a passion and hunger for more, and Origins was the perfect answer for that need. Yes the game is similar to the other two Arkham games,but Origins had the best story so far hands down with a great cast of characters and voice acting was also spot on perfect. Now there are a few bugs and some terrible frame rate problems. And the multiplayer is fun also.Arkham Origins is a perfect story and more mature than ever which I enjoyed a lot.… Expand
  7. ShiverinEskimo
    Nov 5, 2013
    8
    Great story covering Batman's first acquaintances with many of Gotham's most wanted criminals. WB have picked up where rocksteady have left off and have produced the goods. Plenty to see and do and no shortage of action. Enemy difficulty ramps up as Batman himself levels up which keeps you on your toes. Voice acting and animation as good as ever. The 'more of the same' criticism is perhapsGreat story covering Batman's first acquaintances with many of Gotham's most wanted criminals. WB have picked up where rocksteady have left off and have produced the goods. Plenty to see and do and no shortage of action. Enemy difficulty ramps up as Batman himself levels up which keeps you on your toes. Voice acting and animation as good as ever. The 'more of the same' criticism is perhaps valid but there's also the 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' argument too.… Expand
  8. kman5473
    Jan 13, 2017
    6
    It's fun, but this is the black sheep of the Arkham series by far. Too many poor decisions were made to "expand" (really just "make easier) the game.

    The plot was exciting until the twist, when it was revealed that are main villain was, once again, the Joker. Be bold, game developers. It's better to be remembered for doing something that was too bold, than to be forgotten for playing it    It's fun, but this is the black sheep of the Arkham series by far. Too many poor decisions were made to "expand" (really just "make easier) the game.

    The plot was exciting until the twist, when it was revealed that are main villain was, once again, the Joker. Be bold, game developers. It's better to be remembered for doing something that was too bold, than to be forgotten for playing it safe. I will say that immediately upon completing the main campaign, there is nothing left to do that makes me care about playing it anymore.

    Voice actors were solid.

    Biggest complaint is with the technical aspect. This game was running 60fps on max settings throughout until the one level when you return to Blackgate and fight in a prison room full of fire and moving cloth. Suddenly, despite lowering all of my GFX settings to the lowest, I had to fight in 12-20fps, which made the fight challenging only because I could no longer accurately keep my free flow rhythm going. Terrible decision on the developers part to utilize a piece of software for just one level without really doing any quality checks.    … Expand
  9. Bitek
    Nov 18, 2021
    8
    Excellent game. I do not understand all the negativity abut this game. It is well done Batman game with well done combat, cool gadgets and awesome boss fights. The game holds its own graphically even today. It is definitely good super hero game to play
  10. Lex_Luger
    Jul 27, 2014
    8
    Solid game that is not quite as good as Asylum or City, but good enough to satisfy fans of DC comics and Batman.

    Pros - Most of the villains origins stories are well done (Penguin, Bane, and Riddler) - Snow effects and Dx11 effects are nice, and run well on good hardware (optimized) - Good boss fights, better than City or Asylum - Good soundtrack Cons - horrible joker back story    Solid game that is not quite as good as Asylum or City, but good enough to satisfy fans of DC comics and Batman.

    Pros - Most of the villains origins stories are well done (Penguin, Bane, and Riddler)
    - Snow effects and Dx11 effects are nice, and run well on good hardware (optimized)
    - Good boss fights, better than City or Asylum
    - Good soundtrack

    Cons - horrible joker back story that was completely unnecessary, and basically ruins the story as a whole
    - Inexplicable gadgets and retcons that have no business in game (grapnel boost, Harley Quinn)
    - Batman, despite just starting out, is more powerful than ever    … Expand
  11. BasilZero
    Apr 18, 2021
    9
    Game: Batman Arkham Origins
    Genre: Action Adventure
    Developer: WB Games Montreal Publisher: Warner Bros Interactive System: Steam (PC) Year of Release: 2013 Length of Playthrough: 28 Hours Total Score: 90/100 Value Score: 9/10 • Story: 10/10 • Characters: 10/10 • GamePlay: 7/10 • Graphics: 9/10 • Sound: 10/10 • Music: 8/10 • Length: 8/10 • Replay Value: 9/10 •    Game: Batman Arkham Origins
    Genre: Action Adventure
    Developer: WB Games Montreal
    Publisher: Warner Bros Interactive
    System: Steam (PC)
    Year of Release: 2013
    Length of Playthrough: 28 Hours

    Total Score: 90/100
    Value Score: 9/10

    • Story: 10/10
    • Characters: 10/10
    • GamePlay: 7/10
    • Graphics: 9/10
    • Sound: 10/10
    • Music: 8/10
    • Length: 8/10
    • Replay Value: 9/10
    • Player Value: 9/10

    Pros
    +Open world mechanics like Arkham City but takes place in Gotham
    +Similar leveling system as the other Arkham games
    +Sidequests occur randomly even during main story missions quite frequently
    +DLC Cold Cold Heart is short but sweet
    +Boss Battles are some of the best in the series

    Cons
    -Tons of glitches such as going through floors, getting stuck, certain openable routes/doors not opening unless you reload save point ,etc
    -Annoying "Ozzy" error that occurs at times (in my experience, it only occurred in the DLC) but this is a common complaint among PC version users
    -Not much variety in sidequests like Arkham City

    ---

    Series Scorewise comparison sake

    Batman Arkham Asylum GOTY (PC): 90
    Batman Arkham City GOTY (PC): 95
    Batman Arkham Origins (PC): 90    … Expand
  12. kevinyoki
    Dec 27, 2013
    7
    Regarding one of the reviews: "When you hit the level of perfection that Arkham City did, you can't change that without shooting yourself in the foot." In my opinion that's exactly what they did with this game. In honesty this game wasn't a complete failure, but it didn't have the heart the previous two games did. As you play throughout the game you can generally tell the developers wereRegarding one of the reviews: "When you hit the level of perfection that Arkham City did, you can't change that without shooting yourself in the foot." In my opinion that's exactly what they did with this game. In honesty this game wasn't a complete failure, but it didn't have the heart the previous two games did. As you play throughout the game you can generally tell the developers were sloppy and a lot of things will persistently bother you. I was a bit disappointed, as it was pretty clear this game was designed to be a guaranteed quick money grab riding on the success of the former batman games. But I'll give it a little credit, this game is still better than most of the trash they release these days. The story was good but not great. That's why I gave it a 7, which is a C, which is barely passing.

    Around the middle of the game I became frustrated by all of the things that was wrong with this game and I started to take note of them. I have decided to inform you so that you may be warned. They aren't spoilers:

    There are a LOT of things wrong with the combat system. Let me explain a few. I remember playing the previous two batman games and often getting 100x hit combos. It was difficult, but I remember it used to be deeply satisfying. In this game, that is nearly impossible. It's not that it is harder, but it is simply impossible to avoid getting hit under certain circumstances regardless of your playing skill. The problem is the "counter windows" (the little lightening symbols that indicate when an enemy is about to strike). Contrary to the previous two games, the "counter windows" are significantly shortened in this game. It is so short now in fact, that certain attack moves by batman take longer to execute than how long it takes for an enemy to display a "counter window", which leads to batman getting hit no matter what. Let me hit you with an example. Batman begins a double-front-flip-roundhouse-kick-to-the-face on a thug. In the middle of it, another thug comes up to him and throws a haymaker (the "counter window"). However, the "counter window" is so short now that batman cannot do anything except watch as he gets smacked before his foot connects to his original target. If the "counter window" were longer, batman would have countered the other thug before or after he had successfully kicked the other thug. This to me, is a major MAJOR flaw in an originally perfect, unique, and badazz combat system. I am extremely puzzled as to why the developers intentionally tweaked something so that it would be fundamentally broken. My guess to their answer is "we did this to make the combat harder". BULL. This is frustrating, not more challenging. Why take a perfect formula and ruin it? This totally turns me off from playing the combat bonus levels. Another thing that is wrong with the combat: lame gadgets. I know this was supposed to be "younger batman" but did they really have to take away all the fun gadgets? In arkham city I had so much fun chaining my combos being creative with so many of the quickfire gadgets. It was fantastic. Now there's only like four quickfire combat gadgets. And they're nothing new (ice grenade re-branded glue grenade? seriously?). And one more thing for the combat system: You cannot execute a glide kick unless you start from a ledge. Remember in the previous games when you were flying you got a little bat symbol over a thug's head if you could glide kick them (and it told you to press left click to execute)? Yeah, it's glitched even after the patch.

    And overall the game's just filled with glitches that constantly annoy you. The silent takedown from the back of an enemy sometimes just doesn't work and you end up awkwardly running into them and getting shot in the face. And there's a gadget called the disruptor (the same gadget that disables guns and such in arkham city, except heavily nerfed) in which its bullets sometimes do not register on the enemy. One time with the disruptor I shot an enemy with a gun about 20 feet away, clear line of sight, and I ended up using all of its three shots simply because it glitched and wouldn't disable his gun.

    Sometimes you finish a sidequest and the game tells you "you have unlocked a new waynetech upgrade" but it does not tell me which freakin upgrade I unlocked, or how to perform or use it. So I end up going through a good chunk of the game without knowing I could use a really cool combat move but couldn't because it didn't tell me about it.

    One of the biggest letdowns of the game were its bosses. To describe them in three words without spoiling anything: uninteresting, unintimidating, and repetitive. I remember the good bosses of this game in the past: fighting killer croc, in which you just felt so helpless and terrified, and fighting mister freeze, in which he learned your fighting techniques against him and countered you.

    I would recommend this game if it were around $20.    … Expand
  13. Anarion25
    Nov 4, 2014
    9
    Loved the first 2 games in the series but was really put off this by the bad reviews.
    I'm so glad I took a chance with it and have loved it all the way through. If you loved the first games then this is right up there. Ok there isn't anything 'innovative' and it follows a similar formula to Arkham City, but seriously.... If it isn't broken, don't try and fix it!
  14. Augusto
    Apr 15, 2022
    7
    I played this game in 2022 and it's kinda embarrassing how many bugs it has. They definitely get in the way of your fun. Enemies teleport around, the cape gets crazy and little bumpers on the ground block your way.

    It's not at all a bad game, but its definitely the worse on the franchise
  15. B2BigAl
    May 24, 2014
    9
    More of the same thing we had in arkham city, and I couldn't be happier about it. I haven't had any problems at all with glitches or technical issues, but I'm playing it 7 months after release so it may have been patched. I think the new devs have done a great job and I can't wait for the next installment. Love this game and the series.
  16. kuehnau
    Jan 18, 2019
    5
    There has been plenty of Batman games ever since the franchise first took off, many of those games fell into either an action adventure or a side scrolling beat-em-up arcade game.

    When Arkham Asylum first came on to the scene, it changed a lot of what we expect for Batman games. Unfortunately the design and game mechanics were so popular at the time of release that it simply encouraged    There has been plenty of Batman games ever since the franchise first took off, many of those games fell into either an action adventure or a side scrolling beat-em-up arcade game.

    When Arkham Asylum first came on to the scene, it changed a lot of what we expect for Batman games. Unfortunately the design and game mechanics were so popular at the time of release that it simply encouraged game developers to continue to copy the play mechanics for every iteration going forward.

    While this is an enjoyable game, that doesn't mean there aren't glairing issues with the product. The biggest being that it's simply a mimic of it's predecessors. You really aren't going to find anything new or unique with the game if you've played the previous installments.

    "Detective Mode" can be a frustrating experience. It often involves you just wandering around a crime scene, scanning objects until you meet a certain percent of the current investigation and then using Batman's seemingly magical technology to reconstruct the crime scene, to the point you can even reward and fastforward it. It's tedious and boring. It would have been better if they had just changed these into cutscenes or something. As it is right now, the only thing I can see this mechanic as, is filler to pad out the length of the game.

    Combat can be satisfying at times, but relies on a lot of context senestive situations and as a result, players are often going to just find themselves mashing buttons instead of engaging in any sort of meaningful combat. This problem is often compounded by the fact most boss fights in this game are really nothing more than a series of quick time events.

    It's not a bad game by any means, but it features many repetitive mechanics in the game that can make it long winded and tedious. If you are a fan of the other games, it's likely you'll enjoy this one too, but I recommend you wait to buy this game until it's on sale.    … Expand
  17. merc4hire
    May 28, 2014
    9
    Really great game. My personal favorite from the Batman Arkham games. This game has some really great and smooth gameplay, Graphics are great. The voice acting is perfect. I especially like the random conversations that the thugs have in the city. They are hilarious.
  18. hellcat5
    Dec 17, 2013
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I enjoy playing as batman, and I like the ability to use the batwing to get from one end to the other quickly. However, this batman seems to lack something. It's noticible that splash damage made this game, the makers of Brink, and not rocksteady. It's just not as fun when thinking of the other two previous games.

    I'm also not keen on the forced online mode. It doesn't seem fun at all trying to play FPS in batman game. Sure wish this was batman and robin playing together through the city in co-op mode, with more story. That would have been fun.

    WARNING: THIS CONTAINS SPOILERS BELOW THIS POINT

    mARK HAMill is the only joker outside of Heath Ledger, or Jack Nicolson. The Joker in this seems forced, too different in character from the other games. The change of both batman and Joker's voice in this game broke the asthetic for me, and the connection the other two games built.    … Expand
  19. mugen_is_here
    Jul 3, 2023
    0
    Disappointingly, this entry in the Arkham series falls short and fails to live up to expectations. Here are several reasons why it missed the mark:

    The once valuable Detective mode has been downgraded to the point of near-uselessness. The game's visuals are excessively dark, making it difficult to see, compounded by convoluted pathways, dead-ends, and misleading textures. Numerous    Disappointingly, this entry in the Arkham series falls short and fails to live up to expectations. Here are several reasons why it missed the mark:

    The once valuable Detective mode has been downgraded to the point of near-uselessness.

    The game's visuals are excessively dark, making it difficult to see, compounded by convoluted pathways, dead-ends, and misleading textures.

    Numerous detective mode "puzzles" rely on tedious rewinding and fast hints that are easily missed, with no option to hear them again. The lack of map indicators adds to the frustration.

    Bugs plague the game, such as following a sniper trajectory, losing it after a misstep, and never finding it again. Again, the absence of map assistance exacerbates the issue.

    Script overlaps occur frequently, interrupting bomb defusals with sudden triggered crimes or cutscenes, while the bomb timer continues to run.

    The game unnecessarily expands its complexity, leading to moments of extreme frustration. Searching for hidden paths becomes a repetitive cycle of jumping, sliding, and looking around with no apparent solution, thanks to a poorly designed detective mode. It's a frustrating experience.

    Contrary to popular opinion, the story fails to impress. It is as lackluster as the overall game, and attempts to justify it as a redeeming factor would be disingenuous.

    Boss battles prove exhausting, particularly the infamous encounter with Deathstroke. Many players have abandoned the game at this point, and subsequent boss battles are even worse, featuring drawn-out fights with overwhelming numbers or contradicting Batman's principles.

    Side missions offer little enjoyment. Penguin's crate challenges, enigma quests devoid of riddles, and others feel poorly tested, with difficulty levels spiking abruptly.

    The game suffers from a multitude of bugs. Batman's movements glitch frequently, preventing successful ambushes or resulting in awkward gliding and inability to navigate obstacles. Invisible walls impede progress, while enemies exhibit unrealistic behavior, constantly changing direction.

    Takedowns and combat controls are frustratingly imprecise. Ground takedowns often fail, auto-locking glitches in critical areas, and silent takedowns take too long to execute effectively. Environmental objects are poorly placed and fail to incapacitate enemies adequately. The grading system for fights often provides inexplicable and unjust ratings.

    The story revolves around rediscovering familiar villains, perpetuating a tiresome narrative trope.

    An inconveniently located bridge at the town's center hampers efficient travel to mission objectives, with an obstructing building that forces circumnavigation.

    While more points could be raised, it suffices to say that this installment stands as the weakest in the Batman series. Even Sega's "Batman and Robin" manages to outshine it, which speaks volumes about the game's overall quality."    … Expand
  20. adrenilinmatt
    Dec 3, 2020
    9
    This game is so underrated it hurts. On pc it runs beautifully and in 4k with max settings it still looks great. Just because it wasnt as good as Arkham City does not mean it isnt worth your time, on the contrary. It absolutely IS worth your time and what little money it costs to buy these days.

    Do yourselves a favor and dont overlook this one just because critic reviews are middling    This game is so underrated it hurts. On pc it runs beautifully and in 4k with max settings it still looks great. Just because it wasnt as good as Arkham City does not mean it isnt worth your time, on the contrary. It absolutely IS worth your time and what little money it costs to buy these days.

    Do yourselves a favor and dont overlook this one just because critic reviews are middling and somebody told you its the worst arkham game. Youll be missing a hidden gem of a game.    … Expand
  21. Unlawfulsalmon
    Dec 26, 2013
    2
    The frustration this game made me feel made me uninstall it an hour after playing it for the first time. I would not buy anything from this developer again.
  22. Max_Killington
    Jan 15, 2014
    2
    Another name for this game should be "Scavenger Hunt: Batman Edition". Right at the beginning of the game (like second quest in) the fast travel gets disabled until you collect like 40 pieces of crap scattered around the map around the map. If it was a straight beat em' up game I'd be happy but even then there are huge gaps between the action while you swing around the map like spiderman.Another name for this game should be "Scavenger Hunt: Batman Edition". Right at the beginning of the game (like second quest in) the fast travel gets disabled until you collect like 40 pieces of crap scattered around the map around the map. If it was a straight beat em' up game I'd be happy but even then there are huge gaps between the action while you swing around the map like spiderman. What ever happened to the Batmobile? Instead of a solid beat em up or a strategic stealth game you get a poorly executed hybrid of both.… Expand
  23. AcidCasualty
    Nov 16, 2013
    6
    Bugs mostly fixed, it's an okay game at this point. Not nearly as great as its predecessors, however, it pales in comparison to the other Arkham games. AC especially blows AO away; the story of AO isn't nearly as gripping, and the controls aren't as intuitive, as the excellent middle child of this franchise.
  24. gerszom
    Dec 17, 2013
    9
    For me it was the best Batman game ever. Everything that was good in BAC and BAA you have here but more and stronger. The beginning of legend is very interesting in plot and characters. Younger Bruce is more violent and has bigger temper. I made this game for 100% with ever single collectible. And I want more. Of course after a patch that removed bugs. Gameplay is perfect, graphics, musicFor me it was the best Batman game ever. Everything that was good in BAC and BAA you have here but more and stronger. The beginning of legend is very interesting in plot and characters. Younger Bruce is more violent and has bigger temper. I made this game for 100% with ever single collectible. And I want more. Of course after a patch that removed bugs. Gameplay is perfect, graphics, music and voice acting too. If You ever played Batman before You will love this one, if not better start with BAA and then go to BAO. One big minus for me is that Mark Hamill doesn't give his voice to Joker.… Expand
  25. helloarty
    Feb 16, 2022
    9
    I don't know why everyone's hating on that part so much, but Origins truly one of the best games ever created, with insane attention to details, descent plot, a lot of additional content after credits, awesome dark city vibe etc. Yeah it's lose comparing to Arkham City and Knight as iconic masterpieces, but still must play and better than 99% games nowadays.
  26. Enpatsu
    Dec 26, 2014
    2
    game is over at deathstroke since its almost imposible to beat him plus so much bug i feel like playing unity again arkham city is a way better.......
  27. Batsharang
    Dec 24, 2013
    10
    The game brings us back to being the Batman with a awesome story, superb Boss Fights, a huge world and a lot of Batman Characters.

    If you love Batman Arkham Asylum or City, You will still love this
  28. csabber
    Nov 30, 2013
    9
    Taking over from Rocksteady for the third game, WB Games Montréal tries to reach the heights of the first two Arkham games with an interesting origin story of the Dark Knight. But can they live deliver and live up on the expectations? It's around two years after Bruce has put on the mask for the first time, so he still supposed to be a newbie at his outings at night. This Batman, howeverTaking over from Rocksteady for the third game, WB Games Montréal tries to reach the heights of the first two Arkham games with an interesting origin story of the Dark Knight. But can they live deliver and live up on the expectations? It's around two years after Bruce has put on the mask for the first time, so he still supposed to be a newbie at his outings at night. This Batman, however can act and look like a beginner but his moves tell us otherwise.

    When it comes to gameplay Origins is almost a clone to Arkham City. The combos, special moves and counters look and feel like the same. There are time when you feel the new team tried to innovate here and there, but those, like countering enemies, aren't decisive enough. On the other hand any game would be delighted to have a combat system like Arkham City, so in the matter of fact the gameplay still works perfectly. It's just that the innovation is missing, which is the game's greatest flaw. There are new gadgets, but even those are sometimes carbon copies of the missing ones, for example the Glue Grenade which has the exact same effect as the Freeze Grenade in Arkham City.

    One thing you can certainly be hyped for in the game is its story. The game delivers from that perspective putting in front of you a greatly crafted, interesting story which is furthermore amplified by the cast. The Joker, Bane, Black Mask star in the game but others have their important roles as well. It's a tale that is on par with the comic books. And one more word about the cast; even though the Batman's and Joker's voices has been replaced most of the time you won't notice any major difference as Roger Craig Smith and Troy Baker both make hard effort to genuinely impersonate those two epic characters.

    So, yes 8 assassins are after you on Christmas Eve to kill you even though you aren't as big player in Gotham as you'll become. Interestingly not all of them get the same amount of space. One thing the games does very well are the boss fights. In the first two games there weren't any really challenging and grand boss fights as we had hoped for (except Poison Ivy), but in this game almost every boss has its differently paced fight. There is a different strategy to beating every one of them. This keeps the games varied and you'll always look forward to the next boss. While beating up assassins and progressing in the story there is the moment when you suddenly realize that "this is THE time". The time when those two will meet...for the first time...and you are about to witness it all. It's a thing the creators weren't allowed to screw up. It had to be epic. And it is. The time when Joker reflects on his first meeting with Batman is just unbelievably awesome.

    Arkham Origins is a really good looking game but there is very little innovation over Arkham City. It's not the best looking game of 2013, but looks great enough to hold up with the competition. Mainly the character models are those that stand out. Batman, Joker, Bane and all of the major characters look detailed. On the audio front it isn't as strong as City. Simply the prominent melodies aren't there that support you as the predator of the night. It's a bit of a disappointment.

    After you finish the main campaign, which shouldn't take longer than 8 hours, you can do the side-quests Arkham City style. The overall content here is somewhat less than in the second game, but you can easily squeeze out 20 hours by searching every inch of Gotham for data packs and tags on wall. What is very discouraging that WB Montréal didn't have the balls to bring some innovation where they really could have. And those are the side quests, which are again mostly copies of those in Arkham City. There you had to look for phones by the time the counter hit zero, here you have to race to bombs. Before you had to collect question marks, here you have to pick up data packs. The names and locations are changed, but most of the work you have to do remained the same. If this wasn't a Batman game everybody would call it a rip-off. Crime scene investigations are the one that stands out. Those are really new and fun, but it's not groundbreaking. We appreciate the effort though. When you're finished you can fight in the familiar challenge mode or the new multiplayer.

    Batman: Arkham Origins is a super game that took everything that made Arkham Origins a stellar title and kept all of them. However, they played it very safe introducing only a handful innovation none of which is strong enough to hold out. The side-quests are a real disappointment. When you are like Arkham City you are great, but after playing that game for 40 hours it's not enough just to be like it. Fans will appreciate the story, but everything else (missions, quests, places, etc.) is something we have seen already. And this is why the game will divide fans and players.

    Rating: 85/100; Replay Value: 3/5; To Beat: 8 hours (main campaign), 20+ hours (with collectibles); Played on: normal.    … Expand
  29. Morogath
    Nov 9, 2013
    7
    I have played about three hours now and already encountered multiple bugs, glitches, craches and all sorts of jacked up problems. Some parts of the fighting system are better than before, some are worse.... Reuse of Arkham City models, same weather, same empty streets (with the excuse of a storm which really doesn't seem that strong for every single citizen of gotham to be inside)...I have played about three hours now and already encountered multiple bugs, glitches, craches and all sorts of jacked up problems. Some parts of the fighting system are better than before, some are worse.... Reuse of Arkham City models, same weather, same empty streets (with the excuse of a storm which really doesn't seem that strong for every single citizen of gotham to be inside)...
    Overall it just feels like they were desperately trying to milk the cashcow.    … Expand
  30. KingWhirlWind
    Jan 21, 2014
    9
    If you wish to play a game like Arkham City, go play Arkham City. Arkham Origins is a total ''rip-off'', and it doesn't change a thing about the previous game. But I like it even more than City. Story is very good, combat is the same aka. perfect, and the new Gotham is very dark and mysterious as a place itself. Multiplayer isn't that good, but it's still enjoyable. Do recommend!
Page:

Awards & Rankings

23
#23 Most Discussed PC Game of 2013
29
#29 Most Shared PC Game of 2013

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
74

Mixed or average reviews - based on 17 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 17
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 17
  3. Negative: 0 out of 17
  1. Riot Pixels
    Dec 13, 2013
    65
    "You don't want to be the guys who messed up and ran into the ground one of the absolute, top-rated franchises of all time. You don't want that at the top of your CV. 'Yeah, I'm the guy who turned a 96 into a 60, that's my claim to fame,’ said Arkham Origins’ producer Ben Matts a couple of days before the game’s release. Turns out, they did exactly that.
    Read full review
  2. Armchair Empire
    Nov 27, 2013
    90
    There's definitely some re-tread going on with Batman: Arkham Origins, but the combat, the relatively good story (B-list villain aside), the powerful feeling of being Batman in video game form has only muted my enthusiasm for the franchise by the smallest of margins.
    Read full review
  3. PC PowerPlay
    Nov 25, 2013
    80
    You can't go wrong with sticking to Rocksteady's Bat-formula, however it is starting to feel a little played out. [December 2013, p.93]
See all critic reviews »