Batman: Arkham Origins released today, and well buying it may be a foregone conclusion for most of you, here's what the rest of the world is saying about it. Interestingly, despite the amount of anticipation, some outlets would have you believe that Warner Bros. Montreal's own Arkham title isn't quite living up to the legacy built by Rocksteady. Still, others are saying it's still a solid game worth playing.
Check out the collection below:
Gamespot, 6/10 - "Batman has a long history of escaping from some of the deadliest, most elaborate traps a brilliant criminal mind can devise. In his bat-utility belt is a gadget to get him out of nearly any predicament. But in Batman: Arkham Origins, there's one trap Batman can't escape from: the trap of expectations. By now, there are two things that define action in the Arkham series: rhythmic, free-flow combat and stealthy predator rooms. Arkham Origins has those elements in spades. But it doles them out in a straightforward, predictable fashion that lacks the inspiration of the earlier Arkham games."
Eurogamer, 7/10 - "To its credit, it's hard to tell that Batman: Arkham Origins isn't one of its sister studio's earlier releases. That's some achievement, but it's also a mixed blessing...In truth, though, what Batman: Arkham Origins really recaptures is the solid middle of an Arkham game - the combat, the traversal, the little stealth arenas, the open-world puzzles and side missions - without really offering any highs. There's no batcave-on-Arkham moment, no shark in the museum. Perhaps the developers were too focused on not breaking all those wonderful toys, or perhaps they were bound to a tight deadline, but the game feels slightly flat as a result. Then again, if Arkham Origins proves anything, it's that Batman on a normal day is still better than most games on their best."
Polygon, 7/10 - "Batman: Arkham Origins' version of the Dark Knight shares something in common with his latest game: Both are sloppier and less refined than the Batman we've become accustomed to...Origins isn't a complete disaster. It borrows a lot of things that still work from 2011's Arkham City, and it offers a fascinating take on Batman's relationship with his greatest villain. But every great moment or solid addition is held back by a legion of tiny flaws...Batman: Arkham Origins presents a version of the popular superhero who is still learning and doesn't seem to totally understand why he does what he does. I just wish the game didn't share those vulnerabilities. WhereArkham Asylum and Arkham City surprised me with their ambition, Origins is comfortable taking the best from what has come before without contributing much of its own - or even fully understanding what worked about those systems. It's built on a solid foundation but it doesn't take the world's greatest detective to see that something significant is missing.
IGN, 7.8/10 - "Batman's always made the shadows his ally, but in Batman: Arkham Origins, he finds the shadow of his own previous games impossible to escape from. It's as good as Batman: Arkham City in most ways, having inherited an outstanding combat system, but it lacks interesting ideas of its own, and it's missing the polish and attention to detail that makes Arkham City and Arkham Asylum great action games...Technically, there's plenty of things to do around town, as it's terrorized by a lineup of villains like The Penguin, Mad Hatter, and Anarky. Yet most of their missions boil down to the same "Go here, beat up a group of thugs, and deactivate/blow up a thing," with variety limited to some of them having a timer on them."
Videogamer, 8/10 - "Batman: Arkham Origins is a wonderful version of somebody else's game. While a return to the Arkham series is welcome - and if you take only one thing away from this review, it should be that Origins is a worthy entry - there's no denying that Warner Bros. Montreal has taken Rocksteady's tremendous template and crafted a similar experience...Ultimately, this is like a cover song done by a band you're quite fond of. It may never be better than the original, but it's a great addition."
Game Informer, 8.50/10 - "Batman: Arkham Origins delivers more of what made Rocksteady's games great, but doesn't break new ground. Like a youthful Bruce Wayne, it isn't as crafty, and it takes its dings during combat, but still puts on a hell of a show when it needs to. Once Joker steps into the spotlight, it becomes a hard game to put down."
Batman: Arkham Origins is out now for PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Wii U.
