Introduction
Batman: Arkham Origins is the third major entry in the Arkham series and the first not developed by Rocksteady Studios.
Released in October 2013 for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii U and PC, Origins was developed by Warner Bros.
Games Montreal with assistance from Human Head Studios on the Wii U version and published by Warner Bros.
Interactive Entertainment.
Set as a canonical prequel to 2009’s Arkham Asylum and 2011’s Arkham City, Origins places a younger Batman on a violent Christmas Eve in Gotham City and introduces a story centered on a bounty placed by Black Mask that draws several high-profile assassins to the city.
Development and technical details
Warner Bros.
Games Montreal took over the Arkham franchise after Rocksteady established the series’ core combat, stealth and detective mechanics.
The studio retained much of the foundational design while adding its own systems and narrative focus.
Origins uses the Unreal Engine 3 technology that powered earlier Arkham titles and also marked the franchise’s first inclusion of a competitive multiplayer mode, developed by Splash Damage.
Narrative and gameplay
In journalistic terms: Warner Bros.
Games Montreal preserved the Arkham formula from previous titles while attempting to integrate new ideas and a distinct tonal direction.
The game frames Batman as a less-seasoned crimefighter—often described in coverage as a “younger, less jaded” version—forced to survive repeated assassination attempts and to investigate who is behind the bounty.
Notable encounters include an early, high-profile confrontation with Deathstroke that emphasizes patience and timing over brute force.
As rewritten from contemporary coverage: the Deathstroke encounter forces the player to prioritize defense and opportunistic counters, highlighting a measurable skill gap between the young Batman and a battle-hardened assassin.
Wii U GamePad and detective features
The Wii U release showcased platform-specific features.
The GamePad served as an always-available interactive map, a communications device for Alfred’s audio updates through the GamePad speaker, and an augmentation to detective mode.
Origins introduced a temporary “advanced detective” perspective that used the GamePad’s gyroscope to scan environments in first-person and reconstruct holographic crime scenes on-screen.
Reception and legacy
Critics and players generally noted that Origins took a few hours to fully engage—early impressions often referenced a period of adjustment before the game’s strengths became clear.
Reviewers pointed out subtle differences in control feel compared to Rocksteady’s entries, while acknowledging Warner Bros.
Games Montreal’s effort to extend the Arkham universe.
As the studio’s first major franchise entry, Origins remains a notable chapter in the Arkham saga for its narrative prequel role, platform-specific Wii U features, and for expanding the series with multiplayer.
Batman: Arkham Origins is the third major entry in the Arkham series and the first not developed by Rocksteady Studios.
Released in October 2013 for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii U and PC, Origins was developed by Warner Bros.
Games Montreal with assistance from Human Head Studios on the Wii U version and published by Warner Bros.
Interactive Entertainment.
Set as a canonical prequel to 2009’s Arkham Asylum and 2011’s Arkham City, Origins places a younger Batman on a violent Christmas Eve in Gotham City and introduces a story centered on a bounty placed by Black Mask that draws several high-profile assassins to the city.
Development and technical details
Warner Bros.
Games Montreal took over the Arkham franchise after Rocksteady established the series’ core combat, stealth and detective mechanics.
The studio retained much of the foundational design while adding its own systems and narrative focus.
Origins uses the Unreal Engine 3 technology that powered earlier Arkham titles and also marked the franchise’s first inclusion of a competitive multiplayer mode, developed by Splash Damage.
Narrative and gameplay
In journalistic terms: Warner Bros.
Games Montreal preserved the Arkham formula from previous titles while attempting to integrate new ideas and a distinct tonal direction.
The game frames Batman as a less-seasoned crimefighter—often described in coverage as a “younger, less jaded” version—forced to survive repeated assassination attempts and to investigate who is behind the bounty.
Notable encounters include an early, high-profile confrontation with Deathstroke that emphasizes patience and timing over brute force.
As rewritten from contemporary coverage: the Deathstroke encounter forces the player to prioritize defense and opportunistic counters, highlighting a measurable skill gap between the young Batman and a battle-hardened assassin.
Wii U GamePad and detective features
The Wii U release showcased platform-specific features.
The GamePad served as an always-available interactive map, a communications device for Alfred’s audio updates through the GamePad speaker, and an augmentation to detective mode.
Origins introduced a temporary “advanced detective” perspective that used the GamePad’s gyroscope to scan environments in first-person and reconstruct holographic crime scenes on-screen.
Reception and legacy
Critics and players generally noted that Origins took a few hours to fully engage—early impressions often referenced a period of adjustment before the game’s strengths became clear.
Reviewers pointed out subtle differences in control feel compared to Rocksteady’s entries, while acknowledging Warner Bros.
Games Montreal’s effort to extend the Arkham universe.
As the studio’s first major franchise entry, Origins remains a notable chapter in the Arkham saga for its narrative prequel role, platform-specific Wii U features, and for expanding the series with multiplayer.
