This Batman Game From 12 Years Ago Has Largely Been Forgotten, But Still Deserves a Sequel

by

Batman is a hugely popular character, appearing in successful comic books, movies, TV shows, and video games. He’s had a major impact on entertainment, shaping entire genres. Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight trilogy set a new standard for serious and realistic superhero films, while the Batman: Arkham video games revolutionized action combat with their unique style and gadgets – influencing games like Marvel’s Spider-Man and even franchises outside of the superhero world, such as Assassin’s Creed. While many of Batman’s achievements are well-known, some of his stories deserve more attention.

Despite being a strong entry in the series, Batman: Arkham Origins is often overlooked when people talk about the best Batman games. Today marks its 12th anniversary, and it’s frequently excluded from discussions about the core ‘Arkham trilogy’ – largely because it wasn’t made by the same studio, Rocksteady, that developed the other three main games. However, Origins is a significant part of the franchise, and many fans, including myself, consider it one of the greatest Batman games ever and believe it deserves a follow-up.

Why Is Batman: Arkham Origins Ignored?

As mentioned before, Batman: Arkham Origins wasn’t made by Rocksteady Studios, and that was a deliberate choice. Despite a few small inconsistencies, it’s still considered part of the official storyline and an important piece of this Batman’s overall narrative. Following the release of Batman: Arkham City in October 2011, Rocksteady started planning their next project. They ultimately decided they needed more time to develop a satisfying conclusion to the trilogy, one that would be ready for the new generation of gaming consoles.

Warner Bros. enjoyed releasing a new Batman Arkham game every couple of years, so they assigned WB Montreal to create a prequel to keep the series going. This satisfied Warner Bros.’ goal of consistently featuring Batman in games and allowed developers to expand on the game’s backstory. Since the Joker had died in Arkham City, a prequel offered a way to bring him back without altering the established storyline. This approach let them deliver more Batman content to fans while still taking the necessary time to develop Batman: Arkham Knight.

The lead-up to Batman: Arkham Origins was unusual. Some fans questioned whether it truly belonged in the Arkham series because it wasn’t developed by Rocksteady, the studio behind the previous games. A different actor, Roger Craig Smith, replaced Kevin Conroy to portray a younger Batman. Plus, Arkham City had been a massive critical and commercial success, and Origins struggled to reach that same level of acclaim.

Although developed quickly in just two years, Arkham Origins didn’t introduce as many groundbreaking features as Arkham Knight, which was notable for finally allowing players to drive the Batmobile. Reviews were mixed; while not outright bad, they weren’t overwhelmingly positive either. IGN scored the game 7.8/10, but criticized it for lacking originality and being the weakest entry in the series. GameSpot gave it a 6/10, describing it as predictable.

One of the harshest reviews came from Destructoid, which gave the game a 3.5 out of 10 and described it as a disrespectful and empty ruin of everything Rocksteady had achieved with earlier Arkham games. Many players were disappointed, as the game felt like a minor update to Arkham City rather than a true sequel.

In 2013, Batman: Arkham Origins sold well enough to be the 15th best-selling game of the year, but it didn’t perform as strongly as Arkham City (8th in 2011) or Arkham Knight (9th in 2015). While some negative reviews may have hurt sales, the game’s release timing was particularly challenging. It launched shortly after the massive success of Grand Theft Auto V and GTA Online, and right before Battlefield 4 came out. It also arrived just weeks before the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 consoles launched, and wasn’t initially available on those new platforms. Essentially, Arkham Origins was overshadowed by a lot of other major releases and events in the gaming industry.

Critics weren’t overly impressed with the game, and it didn’t sell particularly well, leading to it being seen as the odd one out in the Batman: Arkham series. When the Arkham games were updated for newer consoles like Xbox One, PS4, and Nintendo Switch, Batman: Arkham Origins was left out. This meant players could only experience it on PC or through Xbox’s backward compatibility feature.

Xbox’s backward compatibility wasn’t perfect. To play Batman: Arkham Origins on Xbox One or Series X, you needed the physical disc. A digital version wasn’t available, which meant players with the disc-less Xbox Series S couldn’t play it at all. Over time, this is making the game increasingly difficult to access for those who originally played it.

Why Batman: Arkham Origins Is Great and Deserves a Sequel

I was incredibly hyped for Batman: Arkham Origins. I was a huge fan of the previous Arkham games, so the idea of a new one, even with a different development team, was really appealing. When the game came out, I was twelve years old and my mom said I had to wait to get it. Being a typical, somewhat spoiled pre-teen, I completely lost it and started crying. Honestly, I’d outgrown tantrums like that, but I was just so excited for Origins that I burst into tears.

I had to beg my mom for a while to get Arkham Origins, but it was totally worth the wait! I was completely hooked by the dark, snowy Gotham City, the story of a young and troubled Bruce Wayne becoming Batman, and the amazing boss battles, especially against Deathstroke. While the game definitely built on what Arkham City did, it still felt fresh and unique.

It was a welcome change to actually explore Gotham City instead of being stuck in a prison. The game’s Christmas setting and blizzard created a really cool and immersive atmosphere, making the story more enjoyable. Plus, what could be more fitting for Batman than facing a challenge during the holidays?

WB Montreal’s game built upon the foundations laid by earlier Arkham titles, particularly by expanding Batman’s role as a detective. A key feature was the ability to reconstruct crime scenes, a mechanic that would also appear in Arkham Knight. Players used holographic technology to review events, searching for clues, which offered a change of pace from combat and highlighted Batman’s intelligence. The game also included red herrings – false evidence designed to challenge players and encourage careful analysis.

What really sets Arkham Origins apart is its take on Batman. In previous Arkham games, Batman is usually portrayed as stoic, experienced, and a bit of a loner. He’s already well-established as a superhero. But Arkham Origins shows us Batman in his second year, allowing us to see a more vulnerable and developing side of the character.

At this stage, he’s still fueled by anger and a desire for revenge, and he’s starting to enjoy how effectively he instills fear in Gotham. He actually interprets the reward offered for his capture as proof that his methods are working – it means he’s truly disrupting the criminals and forcing them to react. However, his excessive pride and lack of self-awareness almost lead to his and Alfred’s deaths, even though his butler repeatedly begs him to stop his reckless behavior.

Batman’s strength doesn’t come from gadgets or physical power, but from his courage to fight evil without superpowers. He consistently chooses to confront injustice, and he doesn’t do it alone. Batman inspires others, and he’s most effective when working with brave allies like Alfred and Jim Gordon, who help him protect Gotham. He’s not about revenge; he represents hope and encourages people to fight for what’s right, even when facing overwhelming odds.

What sets Batman: Arkham Origins apart is its compelling story of Bruce Wayne’s journey to becoming Batman, exploring his self-discovery and the qualities he needs to embody the hero. I wish WB Montreal had continued to develop this more sensitive and conflicted version of Bruce Wayne in future games. It would have been great to see proper introductions to characters like the different Robins and Nightwing, building on the themes of Origins and highlighting the strength that Batman gains from his allies.

Last year’s Batman: Arkham Shadows is a follow-up to Arkham Origins and is a fantastic VR game for Meta Quest. However, VR gaming isn’t for everyone, and the cost of the equipment means many fans won’t be able to play it. A lot of players are really hoping for a traditional sequel to Arkham Origins on consoles, even though Shadows is a great game in its own way.

The years between Arkham Origins and Arkham Asylum hold a lot of potential stories. The main Arkham games feature villains with established histories with Batman, and it would be great to see how those rivalries began within that universe. While rumors suggest Rocksteady is currently developing a new Batman game, it seems unlikely we’ll see a continuation of the Origins storyline beyond the VR experience – though fans can still hope!

https://comicbook.com/gaming/news/lego-batman-legacy-dark-knight-cancelled-batman-game/embed/#

Read More

2025-10-25 19:12