It's no Arkham City, but this prequel delivers more than it slips.
Batman: Arkham City is an insurmountable hurdle when it comes to trying to top it. The 2011 release remains one of the best comic book games ever made, a sweeping epic with miles of terrain to cover, countless thugs to beat up, and a story that stands head and shoulders above most of Batman's tales. So when WB Montreal was given the mounting task of producing the next Batman game in Rocksteady's place, you could tell the pressure was really on the team to deliver.
Rather than try to top it, however, WB Montreal opted to take the prequel route with Batman: Arkham Origins, introducing us to a fresh, younger Dark Knight as he patrols the streets of Gotham, aware that his hated nemesis, the Black Mask, has put out a $50 million reward for his head – a payout that has attracted a number of lethal thugs, including the returning Joker.
Like the first two games, you don't always have to stay on the straight and narrow. This city is even larger than the ones the first two games offered, giving you plenty of room to run around, find side objectives, locate hidden goodies and mercilessly beat thugs into unconsciousness. It's a little too big at times, which means your first stop should be freeing up communication towers so you can merely travel by Batwing and save yourself a few extra minutes of swooping around.
