Batman: Arkham Origins review round up

Batman: Arkham Origins is out today for those of you don’t want a physical Pc copy or actually play on the Wii U. It’s a prequel top the previous games, and progenitor Rocksteady has passed on the reins. It’s now under the helm of a new studio, Warner Bros Montreal. Is it any good, or does it wallow in familiarity.

Here’s what critics have to say of the game:

• CVG: 7/10 – Batman still owns the night, but he’s lacking the edge that made his previous games so unforgettable.
• Eurogamer: 7/10 – What Batman: Arkham Origins really recaptures is the solid middle of an Arkham game – the combat, the traversal, the little stealth arenas, the open-world puzzles and side missions – without really offering any highs.
• IGN: 7.8/10 – Arkham Origins is a bit of a disappointment in its lack of new ideas and use of win buttons, making it the least interesting of the trilogy. But as excuses to dive back into the excellent free-flowing combat and predator takedowns go, this story isn’t bad.
• Game Informer: 8.5/10 – Batman: Arkham Origins delivers more of what made Rocksteady’s games great, but doesn’t break new ground. Like a youthful Bruce Wayne, it isn’t as crafty, and it takes its dings during combat, but still puts on a hell of a show when it needs to.
• GamesRadar: 4/5 – Arkham City was big, and in trying to match that size, Arkham Origins strains under the pressure, ending as an extremely fun, flawed journey into an empty Gotham.
• GameSpot: 6/10 – In the absence of new elements, the tried-and-true free-flow combat and predator mechanics feel routine rather than inspired. Origins is worth experiencing for the way it sets the stage for the events of the other Arkham games, but it also resides squarely in their shadows
• OXM: 8/10 – It doesn’t bring many new tricks to the table, but Origins is still thoroughly entertaining. It does, however, beg the eternal question – why do these people still insist on living near Gotham City?
• OPM: 8/10 – Origins isn’t entirely a step up for the series – more a step on, that adds enough and expands in the right places to make this feel like a proper entry into the franchise rather than a simple mechanical sequel.
• Polygon: 7/10 – It’s built on a solid foundation but it doesn’t take the world’s greatest detective to see that something significant is missing.
• Videogamer: 8/10 – Ultimately, this is like a cover song done by a band you’re quite fond of. It may never be better than the original, but it’s a great addition.

It is not the greatest Batman game ever made, it’s just a tribute. that seems to be the general consensus; it’s really more of the same, just missing the spark that made the first games so good. The boss fights are pretty good though!

We got our own copy a little earlier this week – just not in time time to do the sort of comprehensive review you deserve – so we’ll have that for you next week.

Instead, watch these videos of Darryn playing the game.

Last Updated: October 25, 2013