It's no Arkham City, but this prequel delivers more than it slips.
Audio also continues to be a strong suit for this series. Even without Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill in their characters, the voice acting is great, especially Troy Baker, who makes the Joker come to life in wondrous ways – even if he's no Hamill. (Sorry, I'm a fan of the classics.) The music score is terrific, and really keeps the sense of dread in Batman's search for Black Mask going. The sound effects are typical for the series, nothing amazingly new, but just right for the Dark Knight's tone.
Batman: Arkham Origins does dwindle a little bit compared to the previous two games, thanks to some visual flaws and the completely lacking multiplayer mode. (Seriously, you'll play a time or two and then forget it entirely.) However, WB Montreal does do a respective job of paying homage to Batman, while carving out a fun entry in his ongoing game series. Check it out if you're a fan of the first two games, or just need to be Batman for a while.
Because everyone needs to be Batman, right?
(Review copy provided by Warner Bros. Games.)
Score: 8 / 10
