Batman: Arkham Origins

[Teal]

Didn't see any threads at all on this one, so I thought I'd post impressions for anyone wanting them.

The short? If you liked the last two Batman games, this one is a must.

It's not really an "origin" of Batman, but of how he came to know the villains. The new team didn't mess with the formula much, but where they made additions, they're really good ones. Boss fights are really good, and will tax you, in some cases. The new enemy types include martial artists who can counter your counters, and Bane baddies who are strapped with the Venom toxin that makes them pretty darn tough. Seeing Gotham before the Arkham Prison is cool, too, although they've not only 'fixed' the old part of Gotham; it's now got a whole new part of Gotham City which makes it more than twice the size of Arkham City. Bottom line is that it's more of what has made the Arkham games so good.

And then there's online MP. I was ready to write this off as a cheap add-on, something I might play every once in awhile. And to be fair, it does seem rather difficult to find a match quite often. When you're playing as either the Joker's henchmen, or Bane's, the game plays kind of like a bargain version of Gears of War, with snapping to cover, blind firing, all that. But oh, when the wheel of fortune decides that you get to be either Batman or Robin...things get very interesting.

The game is 3 v 3 v 2, with the ground troops fighting for control points. But while they obviously have to watch out for one another, both teams must keep an eye out for the caped crusaders. The goons get points for capturing control points, killing enemies. Bats and the Boy Wonder get 'intimidation points'. They act exactly as they do in the single player campaign, hiding in grates, dropping from heights onto unsuspecting goons, sneaking up behind and taking baddies out. But the respective goons also have an ace up their sleeves; if they amass enough points, they can call either the Joker or Bane into the game (controlled by the person that 'knocks' on the door to tell them it's time) and those dudes are TOUGH. Joker has an incredibly powerful handgun, and the ability to see where enemies are. Bane? Bane is...Bane. He'll knock the hell out of most anyone. They can be taken down, but it isn't easy, and the Caped Crusaders can't simply drop down on them like the others.

I'm surprised at how much I'm learning to enjoy the MP mode. The bare mode would have been okay, but putting the two superheroes in the mix was a stroke of genius.

EDIT: I've been playing for a couple of hours now, with no problems finding games to play. This sucker is addictive.