Batman: Arkham Origins get a bad rep in my opinion. It's a decent game in its own right. As long as you don't expect a Rocksteady game and play Origins (mostly) for the boss fights, you're good to go.

The game undoubtedly has a lot of weaknesses. The premise is interesting (one night to kill the Bat) but the story is like molded Swiss cheese with too many (plot)holes. The fights feel off and are not as fluid as in previous Arkham games. (In my head, I excused it as Batman being inexperienced in combat.) Then there's the map which is small and boring to move around in. It gets exhausting dealing with endless armed thugs on every rooftop. (Tip: For those playing 'I am the Night' mode, do not underestimate the snipers, especially in the Diamond District. Just restart, don't risk it!)

All of these flaws are forgivable. What isn't acceptable is that you can no longer play Origins multiplayer. Warner Brothers shut down the servers in 2016. There are about 6 MP achievements that you can no longer get which means you cannot 100% the game. This is a shame because Origins MP was pretty fun. I cannot recommend buying Origins except on sale for this reason.

All things considered, I still think Origins is worth playing for the boss fights. Going toe to toe with Deathstroke, countering Shiva blow for blow, dodging Bane's charges in the nick of time, fighting Monster Bane in a predator encounter. Every boss fight was worth the price. I'd love to see the Arkham games remastered someday like the Halo Master Chief collection. If that happens, I hope Rocksteady makes a playlist called 'Origins Boss Fights'.

Final thoughts: While the main campaign is meh, the DLC Cold, Cold Heart steals the show in terms of story. It is a Xmas must play DLC for Arkham fans. Also, Origins is the not the 'worst Arkham game'. That honor goes to Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate! Yes it counts as an Arkham game! If it doesn't, well , what makes for an Arkham game anyway?

Rating: 7/10 [C: Superior Vigilante]

Batman: Arkham Origins get a bad rep in my opinion. It's a decent game in its own right. As long as you don't expect a Rocksteady game and play Origins (mostly) for the boss fights, you're good to go. The game undoubtedly has a lot of weaknesses. The premise is interesting (one night to kill the Bat) but the story is like molded Swiss cheese with too many (plot)holes. The fights feel off and are not as fluid as in previous Arkham games. (In my head, I excused it as Batman being inexperienced in combat.) Then there's the map which is small and boring to move around in. It gets exhausting dealing with endless armed thugs on every rooftop. (Tip: For those playing 'I am the Night' mode, do not underestimate the snipers, especially in the Diamond District. Just restart, don't risk it!) All of these flaws are forgivable. What isn't acceptable is that you can no longer play Origins multiplayer. Warner Brothers shut down the servers in 2016. There are about 6 MP achievements that you can no longer get which means you cannot 100% the game. This is a shame because Origins MP was pretty fun. I cannot recommend buying Origins except on sale for this reason. All things considered, I still think Origins is worth playing for the boss fights. Going toe to toe with Deathstroke, countering Shiva blow for blow, dodging Bane's charges in the nick of time, fighting Monster Bane in a predator encounter. Every boss fight was worth the price. I'd love to see the Arkham games remastered someday like the Halo Master Chief collection. If that happens, I hope Rocksteady makes a playlist called 'Origins Boss Fights'. Final thoughts: While the main campaign is meh, the DLC Cold, Cold Heart steals the show in terms of story. It is a Xmas must play DLC for Arkham fans. Also, Origins is the not the 'worst Arkham game'. That honor goes to Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate! Yes it counts as an Arkham game! If it doesn't, well , what makes for an Arkham game anyway? Rating: 7/10 [C: Superior Vigilante]