Batman: Arkham Origins

 Xbox 360
User Score
7.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 824 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 571 out of 824
  2. Mixed: 156 out of 824
  3. Negative: 97 out of 824
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  1. Ottalaus_saus
    Sep 4, 2023
    7
    It's alright, it has great moments but sub-par ones as well. I wont spoil but some story elements feel rushed because theyre just stupid. Some "emotional moments" are just mega cringe and make little sense. However graphics are great and some cutscenes are epic af. This is arkham city again though, but arkham city was great anyways
  2. memus
    Dec 30, 2022
    6
    The worst Batman Arkham game is still surprisingly playable. WB Games Montréal tries to replicate Rocksteady's approach but fails to do so. However, the foundation by Rocksteady is so solid, that the game works anyway.

    Pros: + Game mechanics are directly copied from Rocksteady games and they work quite well. + Gotham lore is still well-written. + The game is set at Christmas, so    The worst Batman Arkham game is still surprisingly playable. WB Games Montréal tries to replicate Rocksteady's approach but fails to do so. However, the foundation by Rocksteady is so solid, that the game works anyway.

    Pros:
    + Game mechanics are directly copied from Rocksteady games and they work quite well.
    + Gotham lore is still well-written.
    + The game is set at Christmas, so playing it during the Holiday season was fun.
    + The outfits of the Black Mask gang are cool: suits, turtlenecks, and golden chains.

    Cons:
    - The main story is cheap. While Rocksteady games introduced a new angle on Batman and Joker characters that worked well specifically for video games, WB Games Montréal just rehashes ideas from Nolan movies. It makes the story predictable and disappointing. Like 4/10 at best.
    - Tutorials miss the mark. In half the places the stuff is over-explained: like you're not even given a second to think about the puzzles, Batman immediately voices the solution. In other places (like the Deathstroke fight), the new mechanics are not introduced/explained at all. It makes the difficulty curve hilariously uneven.
    - Open-world design clashes with the linear gadget tree. And backtracking is not a lot of fun in this one.
    - Bugs, bugs, bugs. The game crashed 10+ times on me. Interrogate actions didn't trigger from time to time. Some scenes were missing voiceover.    … Expand
  3. ehtaco
    Aug 19, 2022
    6
    Fine game. Despite the 6/10, I genuinely believe this game is slightly underrated by the masses. But I also kind of understand why. This is where the formula got tired. And it was rough because this game came out two years after Arkham City, yet in almost every aspect Origins is worse than Arkham City.
  4. JJ2FAS4U
    Dec 28, 2021
    7
    Atmosphere: 8
    Enjoyment: 7
    Gameplay: 7
    Graphics: 8
    Music: 7
    Story: 6
    Total: 7.17
  5. Fixil_CZ
    Sep 18, 2021
    7
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  6. Arya977
    Jan 17, 2021
    7
    Gameplay..............Great
    Graphics................Amazing
    Story.......................Good
    Score.....................Good
  7. Caldan
    Nov 15, 2020
    7
  8. soldar
    Jun 26, 2020
    7
    Es un juego que se queda corto a comparación de las entregas pasadas, dónde la historia no es necesaria y el gameplay no trae nada innovador
  9. SWFan523
    Jun 21, 2020
    5
    Huge disappointment. Was really hoping for more but got something that's a shell of the other Arkham games. Story is original and fun for a bit, but game is a port of Arkham City. Not bad, just disappointing.
  10. bigtv
    Nov 28, 2019
    7
    Not as strong as the other games in the series for sure, but you already knew that. It's still pretty damn good in all the ways that the rest are.
  11. Jimi360
    Mar 25, 2016
    6
    Though Arkham Origins admittedly does not get anywhere near the standard of Arkham Asylum or City, it is still a decent game that is worth playing for any fans of the series.

    Warner Bros Montreal attempts to take the fantastic Rocksteady series and continue it whilst telling the story from a viewpoint of a young Bruce Wayne within his first year of being the Bat. The combat system is as    Though Arkham Origins admittedly does not get anywhere near the standard of Arkham Asylum or City, it is still a decent game that is worth playing for any fans of the series.

    Warner Bros Montreal attempts to take the fantastic Rocksteady series and continue it whilst telling the story from a viewpoint of a young Bruce Wayne within his first year of being the Bat. The combat system is as fluent as other games, no need whatsoever to alter with it too much, although new combos and gadgets added to Batman's armoury are very nice additions to combat and other aspects of the game. Multiplayer is also a nice addition, and a few extra hours of fun can be had with a nicely balanced multiplayer mode. The story within the game is solid enough and, though it may not be particularly memorable, it is a very standard story for an origin tale and provides a good dynamic between a inexperienced Batman and Alfred who is trying to do his absolute best for Bruce.

    The villains in this game are not any where near as strong as previous entries in the series, and the absence of Mark Hamill as the Joker is glaring throughout the game. Troy Baker does provide a decent performance, but it does not quite fill the gap left by Hamill. AI within the game can sometimes be idiotic, as I have often seen the most threatening enemy with armour and a gun walking directly into a wall, making it easy pickings for Batman.

    Arkham Origins is a decent game, as I said earlier, but if it is to be measured by the bar previous Arkham games have set then it must be said, it is disappointing.    … Expand
  12. emw
    Nov 30, 2015
    6
    I am a huge fan of the Batman games - Arkham Asylum and Arkham City. This game fell short. I have never played a video game that had as many glitches as this game. After finishing the main story, I encountered a corrupt save issue. This was annoying given that I wanted to finish a few of the side quests. Now I am forced to put the game on the shelf (unless I want to play through theI am a huge fan of the Batman games - Arkham Asylum and Arkham City. This game fell short. I have never played a video game that had as many glitches as this game. After finishing the main story, I encountered a corrupt save issue. This was annoying given that I wanted to finish a few of the side quests. Now I am forced to put the game on the shelf (unless I want to play through the game again). That's a frightening thought. While reading a few of the forums, it sounds like the corrupt save is a common problem. WB released this game far too soon. Enemies would get stuck in walls. Save points didn't always bring you back to the most recent save. Other times it would bring you back but not allow you to activate a switch that you needed to activate to progress. Oh the list goes on.… Expand
  13. JoshLuck1995
    Jun 5, 2015
    6
    Out of the 3 games already released, this, asylum and city. this is certainly the worst of the bunch. It feels different but not in the right way, the combat is far too easy, the dialogue is no where near as good, the storyline is pretty pants and my biggest complaint was how long it went on for!!! Come the end of the story is become a drag which is never good in a game.
  14. DreamcastUser
    Oct 19, 2014
    6
    First of all Warner Bro's handling of this game was mediocre. the story was ok and so was the side quests. However some of these glitches and bugs are inexcusable especially considering WB won't fix them.
  15. SirShortyTall
    Jul 22, 2014
    6
    Short Review: Meh. It doesn't really live up to the standards Arkham City had set. But it's a decent standalone game.

    Full Review: So I got this game a while back on my 360. I was already a fan of the previous two games and was delighted when I've heard of another one coming out. That being said, I was kinda disappointed when I played it. The epic plot line, engaging combat system, and    Short Review: Meh. It doesn't really live up to the standards Arkham City had set. But it's a decent standalone game.

    Full Review: So I got this game a while back on my 360. I was already a fan of the previous two games and was delighted when I've heard of another one coming out. That being said, I was kinda disappointed when I played it. The epic plot line, engaging combat system, and intriguing environment were all seemingly downsized in this would-be sequel (and I use that term loosely). I'll explain.

    So, point number one: Story. I could probably spoil the ending here because of how predictable it was, but I won't. There are absolutely zero plot twists and surprises to keep you on your toes. Even when there are, they make no logical sense whatsoever. WHY was that one guy posing as the other one? (If you played the game, you should know what I mean) How did that one guy even get there in the first place? And etc. The story isn't very compelling, either. It's just Batman fighting some "assassins" who appear to be just shoehorned in competing for a bounty on his head. All in all, the story's just uninspired and dull.

    Second point: Gameplay. The combat system, for one, is almost a carbon copy of Arkham City's with no real additions, save for a few new enemies (who rarely show up) and, like, two new gadgets. The second thing I noticed about it is that it's much clunkier than its predecessor. Timing feels off, not as fluid or accurate, etc. It's still a good system to begin with, but it feels like it's trying too hard to be Arkham City when it isn't, really. Moving on to the predator segments of the game, I think Splash Damage did a good job on this part, actually. There are many more ways to take down enemies without even knowing the Bat is watching them, and at the same time the player is unable to clear the room just by firing a few gadgets and sitting on that vantage point. The rooms are also a whole lot more interesting and challenging, as their specific designs might sometimes prevent a "silent-takedown everyone" approach, especially in New Game Plus. This forces the player to come up with new strategies, which I applaud. I might even go so far as to say it's BETTER than Arkham City's predator levels. Moving on to bosses now. Yes, bosses are a very big part of this game, and thankfully, they're (kinda) varied and some are even for side missions only. The first boss (who I won't mention), though, can be pretty annoying as most of xir's attacks involve countering at very random times and, if you press counter just once at the wrong time, you fail the counter altogether and you get damaged. The worst part is: the game doesn't tell you what you're doing wrong. This is especially frustrating in New Game Plus where you can't see counter symbols at all, and can ruin the game for some. Aside from That One Boss who is fairly early in the game, almost all the other bosses are defeated by repetitive maneuvers. They are still challenging, if a little repetitive. Lastly, open-world exploration. It's virtually the same as Arkham City. You've got those relays to destroy (which are the same as the cameras), extortion data packs to collect (Riddler Trophies), random bad guys to beat up, side quests to do, and a pretty much lifeless city. Wait, isn't this supposed to be Gotham and not Arkham City...? Well, it is Christmas Eve. Almost nothing has changed, save for two exceptions. Now you can fly around the city to certain areas in the Batwing, provided you unlock the drop points first. Second, random crimes happen and they involve beating up both thugs and police (for some reason) who just love to Kick the Dog. I'd also like to mention the mystery-solving feature, but I'll just say it's just...meh. Nothing more I can say here.

    Conclusion: Since I need to wrap this thing up, it's time to write the conclusion. All in all, I think that this game is uninspired and plain for an Arkham entry. Still, it does have some redeeming qualities that potentially make this game enjoyable at times. But I feel like this game was trying too hard to be Arkham City when it really should've added in its own distinct flavor, like Arkham City did to Arkham Asylum. If you can get this game at less than full price, it's not a bad option.

    Batman: Arkham Origins gets a 6 out of 10.

    I'm SirShortyTall, and thank you for reading my review.    … Expand
  16. lordT
    Jun 16, 2014
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I believe that the reason this game is underrated is that the previous games were masterpieces, so Warner bros Montreal had to fill everyone's over the top expectations. So the game has a pretty great and original story it feels like a real batman adventure, but my only criticism is: Why did you have to bring back the joker god damn it? You just managed to take the attention by killing one of the most iconic characters of all time and than all of sudden you bring him back to your next game? I feel like you are much dependent on him, you would be nothing without him, but in realty no, batman has a pretty interesting and complex villain roster for example mister freeze but you forgot all of them and you focused on only the joker?(again........).

    The gameplay is a bit disappointing because it is a copy paste from arkham city, except one new annoying feature......... sigh.......... the shock gloves. This is a not welcomed edition to the arkham franchise because when you activate it it removes all the diversity from the villains and just lets you button-mash.

    The graphics are bigger and better.................................. that's all folks.

    But however my biggest disappointment has to be: The city is lifeless, where are my riddles that let's me find tons of secrets and easter eggs, Where are my **** ton of gotham city stories or mentioned villains here and there(By the way that was my favorite part in the arkham series) they are all gone, so far i have scouted the entire city and i only founded 3 or 4 of those(For comparison in arkham city there were over 30 of them). I loved a joke by a user here on metacritic: ( his/her name is xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx)

    "this game is DLC for Batman:Arkham City.and if you like Batman Arkham City you can buy Batman Arkham Orgins.Graphic and gameplay same from Batman Arkham City.No new thing"

    i think that can sum my review really easy    … Expand
  17. ITZZZPERRY
    May 15, 2014
    7
    Batman: Arkham Origins is a great game on the Xbox 360. The story is good, but the gameplay feels too similar to prior experiences. This is it's biggest problem: it does not live up to the hype of the previous two games.
  18. PonceDeLeon292
    May 15, 2014
    7
    Note: This is a review by someone who played AO first, without experiences from the other Arkham games. While this will still be relatively biased, you cant accuse me of not knowing what im talking about because i know exactly how alike and unalike AO and AC are. I played and finished both games in less than a week nonstop. So, first things first... m. That's what the games is. Meh, A veryNote: This is a review by someone who played AO first, without experiences from the other Arkham games. While this will still be relatively biased, you cant accuse me of not knowing what im talking about because i know exactly how alike and unalike AO and AC are. I played and finished both games in less than a week nonstop. So, first things first... m. That's what the games is. Meh, A very large meh that tastes like cold breakfast burritos in your mouth. The story was not as it was marketed as, it was not focused on black mask as promised. Heck, the story wasnt even that great. The first mission or two feels soooo awesome but after the plot twist is revealed everything goes downhill form there. There are alot of bugs, i fell quite alot through walls, highways, entire buildings, etc and gliding ocasionally turns into weird jerking butterfly stroke animations. Also, combat is quite iffy, and the grappling isnt as sensitive as it ought to be. Character models are not that great to look at and on PC should the vsync or anti-aliasing be lowered or turned off, game items will start turning into weird colored glitches. However, they did get some things right. The Batsuit looks alot better (though in my opinion still fails to deliver the comic batman vibe) and the progressive damage looks alot cooler as well. The new voice actors are awesome at portraying a young angsty crew of Gothams misfits and loners. The graphics as well are great at the cost of alot of lag. The new grading system is great while the upgrading system is annoying.

    This ends my unbiased review of Origins.

    Here begins my full on rage at it compared to Arkham City

    WARNING SPOILERS WARNING

    This game, being my first Arkham game, really let me down. It did not live up to the hype at all. I mean, you beat on COPS. COPS. Yes, COPS. The pathetic reasoning that they are corrupt and want to cash in on the bounty on the Bat's head just doesnt cut it. I mean more often than not they are doing theyre job right and honestly, until batman shows up knocking heads and plowing up walls. Batman would never do that. Also, how could they possibly have so many SWAT members anyway? In fact, all the enemies are like that. Most criminals are not doing anything illegal asides from wanting to beat up a vigilante who wants to beat up them. Why would batman even give a crap? And where did they get all the military grade guns? The combat compared to City was HORRIBLE instead of stringing together attacks in a badass rythmic way, you either attacked nonstop in the hopes of a quick fight or only countered to play it safe. Enemies will attack you off screen, and when doing a beatdown instead of standing down like in City, they charge on and stuff their fists down your throat. The new enemies make this even worse, basically you roll all over the place in the boss battles. All the alternative suits are either ripoffs, boring, or both. I will praise however The other characters, pretty much just the villains. Deathstroke looks badass, Firefly looks... not lame, Bane is cool, Black Mask is more modern, and Copperhead is (Suprise!) a girl, and not silly looking, but Shiva doesnt make sense at all. Now we move to the more annoying aspect of the game that is that it copied EVERYTHING from City. From the ninja blood tracking to the Penguin arena battles, its just sad really. Also, while i praised the angsty voice acting, i think that the game is WAAAYYYY too angsty. Hell, even Gordon is angsty.

    All in all. the game isnt that bad, but you definitely cant call it great. Again, meh.    … Expand
  19. wicked13
    Apr 29, 2014
    6
    Same old enough said
    The world is empty nothin new here I hope arkam knights is way better but got to wait
    Guess ill keep playin arkam city challenges till then
  20. Arendelleawesom
    Apr 27, 2014
    7
    I was very much so looking forward to this game I'm not the kind of person to dish out 60$ for a game though so I waited for the price to go down Mich to my luck though my friend loaned it to me. And this game right off the bat was awesome startong off with a satisfying boss fight and times came when I was so impressed I said to myself this is as good as its gonna get but it exceeded thoseI was very much so looking forward to this game I'm not the kind of person to dish out 60$ for a game though so I waited for the price to go down Mich to my luck though my friend loaned it to me. And this game right off the bat was awesome startong off with a satisfying boss fight and times came when I was so impressed I said to myself this is as good as its gonna get but it exceeded those expectations twice. There are annoyances though I'll name my biggest ones. There is a large building in the middle of gotham that can't be grappled over it has to be gone around to get to your destination. At times there are no grappling spots at all this is really bad when you need them most especially in a particular boss fight. The ai will somehow spot you out of the blue im talking you will be crouched behind a man and he will spontaneously turn around. Bat!an will fly into walls and things when you are doing air attacks. The riddler challenges are very easy. And that's pretty much it but overall I enjoyed batman aekham origins and if you liked arkham city you will like this game to.… Expand
  21. ECU
    Apr 18, 2014
    7
    While WB Montreal managed to keep some level of quality it's far away from the perfection created by Rocksteady in the previous Arkham games. WB somehow managed to brake the one of the most successful fighting mechanics. It's a prequel yes, but that doesn't mean that the game should be less good. The clever riddles are gone, the flawless story gone, fights are broken, gadgets are reused byWhile WB Montreal managed to keep some level of quality it's far away from the perfection created by Rocksteady in the previous Arkham games. WB somehow managed to brake the one of the most successful fighting mechanics. It's a prequel yes, but that doesn't mean that the game should be less good. The clever riddles are gone, the flawless story gone, fights are broken, gadgets are reused by different names, graphics are not improved(if not worse). But it's still a good game with lots of playtime and you will enjoy the most of it. Arkham Origins is a step back from the previous ones and I think they knew it and went with it anyway to make more time and money for the Arkham Knight. I hope it's worth it.… Expand
  22. sithsister
    Dec 20, 2013
    5
    I really really really don't know how to feel about Batman Arkham Origins. First of all I was stoked when I heard about it and preordered it as soon as possible. When I got it I locked myself in my room for the entire weekend and played. That at least was my plan, until a couple of bugs appeared that made it impossible to continue playing. But by now I've finished it thankfully theyI really really really don't know how to feel about Batman Arkham Origins. First of all I was stoked when I heard about it and preordered it as soon as possible. When I got it I locked myself in my room for the entire weekend and played. That at least was my plan, until a couple of bugs appeared that made it impossible to continue playing. But by now I've finished it thankfully they quickly came up with patches for the PC version and storywise it was a great game. Unfortunately the story couldn't unfold it's entre potential because the game-play just straight away sucked. Batman no longer moves as fluidly, which is especially annoying when having to deal with larger groups of enemies. The freeflow everyone loved in Arkham Asylum and Arkham City has become no more than a painful itch between your buttcheeks. And do I even have to mention the Electrocutioner?
    This game held so many great possibilities, but it's rather poorly made, and I kinda regret having paid 45€ for it. Anyways, playing it was great fun, the side-missions are fantastic and there's a lot about it fans of the franchise will love.    … Expand
  23. GrumpyArab
    Dec 18, 2013
    7
    When it comes to gameplay and story, this game is on par with Arkham City, if not better. However it is plagued with bugs and glitches (the online side is almost unplayable), and only few of them have been actually fixed. They released several DLCs without fixing many of the game breaking issues.
  24. VonSeux
    Dec 17, 2013
    6
    Gets boring real fast. Mostly due the tired formula. Also very unbalanced going from press button multiple times to win to memorize everything with Rythim Heaven precision on the fight with Deathstroke. Unninpresive graphics, absent music, bad design...
  25. Tom360
    Dec 3, 2013
    5
    This is my first review on Metacritic which I'm writing out of frustration. I played all of the Arkham games, which are phenomenal. This newest iteration tried to make changes to the formula, with new studio WB Montreal taking the helm. Gotta say every change they've made negatively impacted the gameplay. Big battles are now very frustrating. The new gadgets don't really help too much inThis is my first review on Metacritic which I'm writing out of frustration. I played all of the Arkham games, which are phenomenal. This newest iteration tried to make changes to the formula, with new studio WB Montreal taking the helm. Gotta say every change they've made negatively impacted the gameplay. Big battles are now very frustrating. The new gadgets don't really help too much in a throwdown either. Level design is at times confusing. Such a shame considering the caliber of the last Arkham game near perfect. They were given an awesome template and brought it down with pointless changes. THUMBS DOWN.… Expand
  26. sissy25
    Dec 2, 2013
    6
    why does deathstroke have to have so much freaking life he is by far the most irritating aggravating complicated villain ever... fighting him makes me want to take my controller and throw straight through my tv in hopes of killing him!!!!!!!!!!!
  27. Danneskjold
    Dec 2, 2013
    5
    I'm a huge Batman fan and I so badly want to like this game. Unfortunately it's not doing anything for me. In Arkham Asylum, I was drawn into another world through an incredible plot, textures, music, and hidden Easter eggs. Here, the plot is very basic, the textures are non-existent, the music is forgettable. And just like in Arkham City, there are no Easter eggs (as in if you lookedI'm a huge Batman fan and I so badly want to like this game. Unfortunately it's not doing anything for me. In Arkham Asylum, I was drawn into another world through an incredible plot, textures, music, and hidden Easter eggs. Here, the plot is very basic, the textures are non-existent, the music is forgettable. And just like in Arkham City, there are no Easter eggs (as in if you looked at a piece of artwork in some way it would reveal the history of a Batman character) in the way that the first game had, instead, you've got these stupid Riddler puzzles to step on which add nothing to the enjoyment of the game. Worse, slight modifications have been made to the placement of Batman in 3rd person and the controls that make me feel less in control of Batman...it's hard to explain but somehow the controls have gotten worse since the first game. I don't want to keep playing the game through but I probably will so I can try and get my $60 out of it.… Expand
  28. boysfan4life88
    Dec 1, 2013
    7
    I wanted to love this game more than I can tell you. It was even the first game I've preordered in years. However, the glitches are simply unforgivable. There are challenges that you have to complete (seems cool at first but then you are faced with so many times that they aren't even completable. One challenge is to get an explosive gel takedown. Unfortunately for me, my game has aI wanted to love this game more than I can tell you. It was even the first game I've preordered in years. However, the glitches are simply unforgivable. There are challenges that you have to complete (seems cool at first but then you are faced with so many times that they aren't even completable. One challenge is to get an explosive gel takedown. Unfortunately for me, my game has a glitch that won't allow me to get an actual takedown but rather just knock the guy down. This is just one of many screw ups with this game. Even if you loved the previous two, as I did, this game will only piss you off. It had so much potential but fell so short. I've tried picking it up over and over again but every time I do, I quickly realize why I gave up on it in the first place. You are better off playing the other two over and over again. They are so much better.… Expand
  29. Xviperlive05
    Dec 1, 2013
    7
    It is a really good game and as a fan of batman and the comics that's saying a lot. but i feel like wbm just got lazy and just copy pasted arkham city in there and added VERY few. even the set pieces or the events are extremely identical to those of arkham city. wait a few months for a price drop then buy it
  30. Jeffafa685
    Nov 18, 2013
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Basically this game is split in two, a single player and... oddly enough a multiplayer mode. The single player focuses on how Batman met all of the characters, both allies and enemies, that he interacts with in the other two games in the series.

    So the main villain isn't Black Mask. If you've played the last two games, I'll give you one guess as to who the actual main villain might be. Yes, it is indeed the Joker. The whole situation basically amounts to a bait and switch involving the Joker. Needless to say, about a third of the way through the plot Joker takes over and you focus on him for the rest of the campaign. Is it really a good thing in my mind? Well, while I think that an Arkham story without the Joker would be sort of pointless, I do think this series really has seen enough of him. I mean he is a great character (one of my favorite of all time), but too much of a great thing make it turn sour. This isn't really a problem with the Joker in my mind, but with the whole idea of a prequel in general (I'll get to that in my final thoughts).

    So the plot is a cop out, but the combat and general gameplay is pretty good. Granted, it is basically the same engine as the last game with a few tweaks and an aesthetic facelift, but it never really stands out as anything other than Arkham City 2.0. Now I will say, Arkham City had some tough shoes to fill. But this was a different studio, and in that case, its a bad thing because they really didn't come up with many new ideas... just copy and paste the old game and change the setting... kind of. That brings me to "Gotham City"... if you can even call it that. The map from the last game makes up about half of the total city you can explore, with a new south section added in. Now the old map has alot of changes (apart from just the lack of walls), but its obvious the map from the last game was simply copied over and revamped a little. Most of the tall skyscrapers and lit up metropolis are still unreachable in this distance, and that is really disappointing. When this game was hyped up, I was expecting all of Gotham to be open for exploration. Instead, its kind of like a better looking Arkham City without civilians. Yeah, civilians are nonexistant. This is explained in the story but it still doesn't really help. All you find are criminals openly carrying guns on rooftops and hordes of enemies sitting in the middle of the road ready to fight. It doesn't feel like an actual city at all, just like another open prison.

    On top of that, the game has massive bugs. As of Mid November 2013 many seem to be fixed thanks to a much needed patch, but for anyone who played through the game before the update, it took away from the already somewhat passable campaign.

    The multiplayer is a bit of a mixed bag. You can play as one of three factions, three of jokers gang, three of banes gang, or batman and robin. Bane and Jokers gang basically play a game of third person shooter domination, while batman and robin hunt down and eliminate members from both sides. The gang gameplay feels alot like Ghost Recon, and thats not necessarily a bad thing, but it pales in comparison to being the dynamic duo. Playing as one of the two heros is alot of fun. Thats the only game mode so far, and it looks like more may be added in the future but when that will be is out in the open. There are also only four maps... and they get boring pretty quickly. The matchmaking is atrocious. If there are not eight people in a lobby the game will not start until there are. It takes forever.

    Overall, this game was a disappointment, though its not as awful as I made it sound earlier. The big issue is, this was a prequel, and had big shoes it needed to fill. Alot of the story issues and general gameplay probably would have been fixable if this premise hadn't been in the position it was. Batman doesn't feel like a brand new, inexperienced vigilante. Occasionally there are little hints that suggest he needs more training, but otherwise this feels like the hardened, tough fighter we saw in the last two games.

    That being said, the story (though flawed) is immersive and the combat is still fun to play with. The boss fights and scenery is varied well enough you don't feel like your retreading old areas. The multiplayer (when it works) can be quite fun and playing as both the gangs and the heros is fun and really keeps you interested. The voice acting and character development are suburb, the plot doesn't slow down or drag, and the challenge mode is still fun to tinker with.

    If you like Batman, or either of the last two games, you won't hate this game. But still, after the monumental achievements that were Arkham Asylum and Arkham City this game just doesn't do enough to really reach those levels, and it has a lot of technical issues that still need to be fixed.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

66
#66 Best Xbox 360 Game of 2013
7
#7 Most Discussed Xbox 360 Game of 2013
13
#13 Most Shared Xbox 360 Game of 2013

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
74

Mixed or average reviews - based on 46 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 28 out of 46
  2. Mixed: 15 out of 46
  3. Negative: 3 out of 46
  1. Pelit (Finland)
    Mar 11, 2014
    83
    Arkham Origins is very fun to play and very easy to forget as soon as you're done. Kicking butt as Batman is still a joy and the Invisible Predator scenes are as excellent as ever, but the game's almost complete lack of surprises weighs the experience severely down. [Nov 2013]
  2. Hyper Magazine
    Dec 28, 2013
    80
    That it's so thoroughly entertaining despite being mostly identical to its predecessors speaks volumes about the quality of Rocksteady's original design, and of Warner Montreal's understanding of same. [Jan 2014, p.68]
  3. X-ONE Magazine UK
    Dec 7, 2013
    80
    It's a case of more of the same, but with such good source material this isn't a bad thing. [Issue#105, p.87]
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