Legends start within whispers, embellished, and shared throughout time until it barely resembles the truth it's based on. Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate aims to tell the tale of the start of Batman's legend in the handheld format. Blackgate serves as a companion piece to the events that transpire in the console versions, 3 months after the events to be exact, in the cosy confines of the maximum security prison aptly named Blackgate Prison.
The premise should sound familiar to anyone that has played any of the Batman games in the Arkham trilogy. Bruce Wayne's alter-ego finds himself facing waves of bad guys lead by villains from his now famous rogue gallery. The prison is divided between the evil figure heads and its up to him to help the guards trapped within the walls and to ultimately bring order back to the correctional facility. Unlike the past games that immersed you in the streets of Gotham City and the haunting grounds of Arkham Asylum, Blackgate is scaled to a 2.5D presentation. Which means you'll be controlling the caped crusader in a world that I'd describe as Castlevania like with elements of Metroid, (Metroid-vania!) and yes that means wondering around collecting items needed to advance to certain areas of the prison.
I must admit that at first the perspective took some getting used to but for veterans of the series you should adjust to it in no time, due to all too familiar play mechanics. Unfortunately, issues quickly arise due to the smaller format and limited perspective. One of the center pieces in the series is Batman's fluid free-flowing combat mechanic. While simple on the surface the well-versed will discover a system that is deep enough to merit the Dark Knight's savageness in combat. When transferred to a 2.5D perspective it becomes anything but fluid. Enemies tend to stack up to your right or left and on occasion even line up directly with Batman himself leading to unwarranted combo breaks and sudden skips in combat animation. Another signature play mechanic does make a successful transition to the smaller screen(s), the detective mode works just fine. Activated via a simple tap of the lower screen or if you need to scan the environment closer you would simply hold down your finger and use the D-pad to scan for clues. The ease of use is a welcomed addition but the forced need to constantly make you scan walls that are obviously destructible is not; I credit this to developer's need to overuse a platform's touchpad.
Overall I found Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate to be flawed and riddled with constant reminders that you are in fact playing a dumbed down version of the outstanding console franchise. Although, fans of the series will find enjoyment in discovering all the collectible suits and clues that further touch upon the vast lore of Gotham and all its insanity.