Batman Arkham Origins
Arkham Origins is an open world action-adventure game that incorporates
elements of stealth game tactics. Batman can use his cape to glide around
Gotham city, and he can use the grapnel gun's retracting rope to attach to
out-of-reach ledges and extend his flight. Some gadgets obtained in previous Arkham
games are present at the start of Arkham Origins, while others become
available during play. Returning gadgets include: the Cryptographic Sequencer,
which is used for hacking security consoles; the Batarang, a throwing weapon;
the Batclaw, used for hooking on to surfaces; Smoke Pellets, used for stealthy
exits and entries; Explosive Gel, used to create openings in surfaces; the
Disruptor, which can remotely disable guns and explosive mines; and the Grapnel
Accelerator, an earlier version of the Grapnel Boost. New equipment in Batman's
arsenal include: the Remote Claw, which allows Batman to target two objects and
pull them together allowing him to knock enemies together or hit them with
objects; while tethering two walled-points together creates a tightrope that
Batman can traverse; the Shock Gloves, which allow Batman to block electric
attacks, instantly disable some enemies and stun shielded ones, and short
circuit some objects within the environment; and the Concussion Detonator,
capable of stunning large enemy groups.
Batman: Arkham Origins is a 2013 action-adventure video game developed by Warner
Bros. Games Montréal and released by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment for
the PlayStation 3, Wii U and Xbox 360 video game consoles, and Microsoft
Windows. Based on the DC Comics superhero Batman, it is the successor to the
2011 video game Batman: Arkham City, and the third installment in the Batman:
Arkham series. It was released worldwide on October 25, 2013.
Arkham Origins moved development away from series creators Rocksteady
Studios, and is written by Corey May and Dooma Wendschuh. The game's main
storyline is set five years before that of 2009's Batman: Arkham Asylum
and follows a younger and less refined Batman who has a bounty placed on his
head by crime lord Black Mask, drawing eight of the world's greatest assassins
to Gotham City on Christmas Eve. Villains like the Joker and Anarky take
advantage of the chaos to launch their own nefarious schemes, while Gotham
City's police tries to bring down the winged vigilante. The game is presented
from the third-person perspective with a primary focus on Batman's combat and
stealth abilities, detective skills, and gadgets that can be used in both
combat and exploration. Arkham Origins is the first game in the series
to feature multiplayer gameplay.
While the game received generally
positive reviews, it was heavily criticized for replicating content from the
previous Arkham games without improving upon them, or unnecessarily
modifying them. A companion game, Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate, was
released alongside Arkham Origins for Nintendo 3DS and PlayStation Vita.
A spin-off game of the same name for iOS and Android platforms was released in October 2013.
The game introduces a fast travel
system, allowing Batman to remotely summon his plane, the Batwing, to transport
him to other areas of the game world quicker than gliding or grappling can
allow. Enemy tower installations prevent Batman from summoning the craft in
some areas and must first be disabled using various gadgets and abilities to
make the Batwing available; the Batwing is not player controlled. Some towers
can only be disabled when the player has obtained the necessary equipment.
Players can traverse
enemy-controlled areas using stealth or direct combat. Using an enhanced
version of the series' Freeflow combat system, combat introduces a tracking
system which assesses the players' efficiency, highlighting various
achievements in battle such as avoiding damage and using gadgets. Combined with
chaining attacks together to maintain momentum, the performance is rewarded
with experience points. These points can be used in a branching upgrade system
to enhance Batman's abilities and gadgets, allowing players to upgrade multiple
paths or specialize in one. Enemy attacks are prompted with a warning icon,
which indicate the attack can be countered. Enemies are armed with weapons like
knives, lead pipes, and shields which can be countered. The game introduces two
new enemy types: the "Martial-Artist" who is capable of blocking,
evading and countering Batman's attacks, the "Armored Enforcer" who
is invulnerable to harm until he is dazed and de-armored. and Venom-infused
henchmen who possess superhuman strength, allowing them to grapple Batman and
use uncounterable attacks. Some enemies are armed with guns which significantly
damage Batman. The player can use predatory tactics through stealth to tilt the
odds in their favor. Many areas feature stone gargoyles or outcrops placed high
above, helping Batman remain concealed in between movements to set traps and
knock out enemies.
Arkham Origins offers side missions including: "Crime in
Progress", where Batman can assist the Gotham City Police Department
(GCPD) to improve his reputation by accomplishing tasks such as rescuing police
officers from a gang or preventing an informant being thrown to his death;
"Most Wanted" allows Batman to pursue villains outside of the main
story such as Anarky, who plants bombs around city. The Dark Knight system
offers tasks of escalating difficulty that promote improvement in stealth and
combat. Additionally, Batman's radio scanner also allows him to locate side
missions. Completed side missions are rewarded with experience points and
upgrades to Batman's equipment.
The game features an emphasis on
Batman's detective skills: Batman can scan a crime scene using his
"Detective Vision" (displayed in first-person perspective) to
highlight points of interest and holograms act out theoretical scenarios of the
crime that occurred. The crimes can be reviewed at will, via Batman's link to
the Batcomputer in the Batcave, allowing the player to view virtual recreations
of the scene from different angles with the ability to move back and forth
through the timeline of the crime, view it in slow motion, or pause it while
looking for clues to advance and solve the crime. Small and large crime scenes
are spread out over Gotham City. For example, reviewing the downing of a
helicopter, Batman is presented with false and accurate clues; investigation of
the scene can reveal that the helicopter was shot, allowing Batman to trace the
bullet's trajectory to a murdered police officer and another crime scene. Once
a crime is solved, the player is shown a Batman-narrated rundown of the crime.
The Batcave also serves as a hub where Batman is able to change costumes,
upgrade his equipment, and access challenge maps to practice combat - these
maps were accessed separately from the main game in previous installments.
Collectible objects appear in the game, and in similar style to those from
previous games. A "1 vs. 100" mode tasks the player with surviving in
combat against 100 increasingly difficult enemies. After completing the story
mode, a "New Game Plus" mode is unlocked enabling the player to
replay the game with all of the gadgets, experience, and abilities that they
have attained; enemies are tougher and the on-screen icon that warns players of
imminent attacks is disabled. Completing "New Game Plus" unlocks
"I Am the Night" mode, in which the game ends if Batman dies.
Watch Batman Arkham Origins Trailer : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pnK8akbd2M
Watch Batman Arkham Origins Gameplay Trailer : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_ajUQ5hQ9I
Watch Batman Arkham Origins Walkthrough : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NinxoQFGbg
