Batman: Arkham Origins

Batman: Arkham Origins is an upcoming video game being developed by Warner Bros. Games Montréal and released by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment for the PlayStation 3, Wii U and Xbox 360 video game consoles, and Microsoft Windows. Based on the DC Comics superhero Batman, it is the successor to the 2011 video game Batman: Arkham City, and the third installment in the Batman: Arkham series. It is scheduled for release on October 25, 2013.

Arkham Origins moved development away from series creators Rocksteady Studios, and is written by Corey May and Dooma Wendschuh. The game's main storyline is set five years before that of 2009's Batman: Arkham Asylum and follows a younger and less refined Batman who has a bounty placed on his head by crime lord Black Mask, drawing eight of the world's greatest assassins to Gotham City on Christmas Eve. The game is presented from the third-person perspective with a primary focus on Batman's combat and stealth abilities, detective skills, and gadgets that can be used in both combat and exploration. Arkham Origins is the first game in the series to feature multiplayer gameplay.

A companion game, Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate, is scheduled for release alongside Arkham Origins for Nintendo 3DS and PlayStation Vita. A spin-off game of the same name for iOS and Android platforms is scheduled for release in late 2013.

Gameplay

Arkham Origins will feature similar gameplay to its predecessors. New gadgets to the Batman: Arkham series include: the Remote Claw, which allows Batman to target two objects and pull them together allowing him to knock enemies together or hit them with objects, while tethering two walled-points together creates a tightrope that Batman can traverse; the Shock Gloves, which allow Batman to block electric attacks, instantly disable some enemies and stun shielded ones, and short circuit some objects within the environment; and the Concussion Detonator, capable of stunning large enemy groups. Some gadgets from the previous games return in Arkham Origins, including: the Cryptographic Sequencer, which is used for hacking security consoles; the Batarang, a throwing weapon; the Batclaw, used for hooking on to surfaces; Smoke Pellets, used for stealthy exits and entries; Explosive Gel; the Disruptor, which can remotely disable guns and explosive mines; and the Grapnel Accelerator, an earlier version of the "Grapnel Boost".

The game introduces a fast travel system, allowing Batman to remotely summon his plane, the Batwing, to transport him to other areas of the game world quicker than gliding or grappling can allow. Enemy tower installations prevent Batman from summoning the craft in some areas and must first be disabled using various gadgets and abilities to make the Batwing available; the Batwing is not player controlled.Some towers can only be disabled when the player has obtained the necessary equipment.Players can traverse enemy-controlled areas using stealth or direct combat. Enemy attacks are prompted with a warning icon, which indicate the attack can be countered. Combat introduces a tracking system which assesses the players' efficiency, highlighting various achievements in battle such as avoiding damage and using gadgets. Combined with chaining attacks together, the performance is rewarded with experience points. These points can be used in a branching upgrade system to enhance Batman's abilities and gadgets, allowing players to upgrade multiple paths or specialize in one. The game introduces two new enemy types: the "Martial-Artist" who is capable of blocking, evading and countering Batman's attacks, and the "Armored Enforcer" who is invulnerable to harm until he is dazed and de-armored. Some enemies are armed with guns which significantly damage Batman. The player can use predatory tactics through stealth to tilt the odds in their favor. Many areas feature stone gargoyles placed high above, helping Batman remain concealed in between movements to set traps and knock out enemies.

Arkham Origins offers side missions including: "Crime in Progress", where Batman can assist the Gotham City Police Department (GCPD) to improve his reputation by accomplishing tasks such as rescuing police officers from a gang or preventing an informant being thrown to his death; "Most Wanted" allows Batman to pursue villains outside of the main story such as Anarky, who plants bombs around city. The Dark Knight system offers tasks of escalating difficulty that promote improvement in stealth and combat. Additionally, Batman's radio scanner also allows him to locate side missions. Completed side missions are rewarded with experience points and upgrades to Batman's equipment.

The game features an emphasis on Batman's detective skills: Batman can scan a crime scene using his "Detective Vision" (displayed in first-person perspective) to highlight points of interest and holograms act out theoretical scenarios of the crime that occurred. The crimes can be reviewed on the Batcomputer in the Batcave at will, allowing the player to view virtual recreations of the scene from different angles with the ability to move back and forth through the timeline of the crime, view it in slow motion, or pause it while looking for clues to advance and solve the crime. Small and large crime scenes are spread out over Gotham City.For example, reviewing the downing of a helicopter, Batman is presented with false and accurate clues; investigation of the scene can reveal that the helicopter was shot, allowing Batman to trace the bullet's trajectory to a murdered police officer and another crime scene. Once a crime is solved, the player is shown a Batman-narrated rundown of the crime. The Batcave also serves as a hub where Batman is able to change costumes, upgrade his equipment, and access challenge maps to practice combat - these maps were accessed separately from the main game in previous installments. Collectible objects will also be returning, in similar style to the "Riddler challenges" of previous games. A "1 vs. 100" mode tasks the player with surviving in combat against 100 increasingly difficult enemies. After completing the story mode, a "New Game Plus" mode is unlocked enabling the player to replay the game with all of the gadgets, experience, and abilities that they have attained; enemies are tougher and the on-screen icon that warns players of imminent attacks is disabled. Completing "New Game Plus" unlocks "I Am the Night" mode, in which the game ends if Batman dies.