In 2009 Batman and Comic Book fans got a video game that they had been longing for in Batman: Arkham Asylum, then two years later the hit sequel Batman: Arkham City took Cape & Cowling to the next level. With the success of the Arkhamverse franchise; it was no shock or surprise that future Batman games were going to be on the horizon. What did catch gamers off guard was WB and DC Comics decision to create a new studio (WB Montreal) to helm the next chapter in the Batman: Arkham Saga, while Rocksteady (makers of Batman: AA & AC) continue to secretly work on a new video game, perhaps the long awaited sequel to Arkham City?
Set two years into Bruce Wayne being the Dark Knight, Batman: Arkham Origins is a decent prequel that definitely has its moments which makes it worthy of being a Batman game. However, WB Montreal does go a little overboard with the Quick-Time Events and it takes a little longer to grow on you than the previous Arkham games. The graphics is comparable to Arkham City, but Origins unfortunately has its share of bugs as well as glitches that make it feel as if there was some rough edges that weren't completely chipped away by the the time the game went gold. For the most part, WB Montreal didn't try to re-invent the wheel when it comes to their take in Batman: Arkham Origins and that's not necessarily a bad thing.
The Free-Flow style, Predator Mode, Detective Vision and all the Gadgets that make Batman the World's Greatest Detective are still intact; which WB Montreal got right by not deviating too far from the winning formula that Rocksteady fine tuned in Arkham Asylum and City. WBM does make some additions that helps set Origins apart from her siblings; a larger map, the ability to Fast Travel, new varieties of baddies to pummel and adding a bit more detective work to the Crime Scenes helps keep this prequel from not feeling too much like an exact carbon copy of Arkham City. The story, characters and voice acting are all pretty much spot on; even with the absence of Mark Hamill and Kevin Conroy, several voice actors from the previous two Arkham installments have returned to help keep Origins grounded in the Arkhamverse. Furthermore, both Roger Craig Smith and Troy Baker do a superb job voicing Batman and the Joker. If you're a Batman fanatic, like me, and thoroughly enjoyed Batman: Arkham Asylum and Batman: Arkham City, you'll most likely have a fun time gliding around Gotham in Batman: Arkham Origins.