Batman: Arkham Origins is an underrated gem that doesn’t get enough love from Warner Bros. While this is something many Arkham fans know, there’s still a stigma against this entry since it wasn’t reviewed as well by critics at the time.
However, the tide has changed in recent years, with some fans even considering this to be the best game in the series. Considering how often the Rocksteady Arkham trilogy has been re-released, we think it's time for WB Montreal’s Arkham Origins to get the remastered treatment.
The most obvious reason to remaster Batman: Arkham Origins is its quality boss fights. While there were some decent bosses in previous games, Mr. Freeze in Arkham City comes to mind; most don’t compare to the showdowns Origins has. Deathstroke’s fight is often considered the perfect use of countering and combat. Another noteworthy boss battle is the one against Bane, as fans take on this fearsome foe multiple times, making his Asylum fight look like a joke in comparison.
Considering the highs in this installment, it’s odd that Arkham Knight chose not to have big boss battles. Sure, there’s a decent stealth battle against the self-proclaimed Arkham Knight and a cool fight against Riddler after finding all his trophies, but that’s it. Most “boss” battles are relegated to Batmobile fights, which are good but immediately overstay their welcome.
Another great reason to remaster this prequel is the story. Tales about an inexperienced Batman are common, but Origins carves a solid tale that redefines this character’s mission. It’s fun seeing how he and Commissioner Gordon establish their relationship in this game, with both characters seeing each other as antagonistic forces. The emphasis on Bruce and Alfred’s bond is also pretty great, with this one scene always being shared online.
Unlike City and Knight, we appreciate how Batman: Arkham Origins forces the Dark Knight to realize that he can’t do this mission alone. Seeing Bruce appreciate Alfred is really good, so it’s an even bigger shame that the other installments ignore his arc here. While Asylum is a solid, self-contained tale, City and Knight relies on his toxic loner persona, which can make it hard to root for this character.
Gameplay-wise, Origins is that solid Arkham formula fans have grown to love. At the time, it was criticized for not doing anything new, which is a fair criticism. While the mechanics feel pretty good in this game, especially the PC version, sometimes this feels like an Arkham City expansion.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t help that the city lacks civilians, which doesn’t change with Knight. That’s not to say this is a bad game, but it is far from it. There is an argument that this is just more Arkham combat.
Visually, Batman: Arkham Origins is lovely, with some great character designs and awesome CG cutscenes. There’s also plenty of great choreography throughout, especially when the athletic Copperhead appears. Some would argue it’s a bit too clean, lacking some of that Tim Burton-esque feel from Asylum and City, but this game is still great.
Speaking of visuals, the PS3 version has two exclusive costumes: Azrael’s Knightfall suit and Adam West’s Batman ‘66. Both costumes look amazing, and it’s a shame they are stuck on Sony’s old console. That’s another reason this game should get a remaster since everyone should get these costumes.
Content-wise, Batman: Arkham Origins has plenty of things for gamers to do. The main campaign is a beefy 10 or so hours, which can get longer if players want to do everything. Aside from some solid post-game content, there’s also a DLC campaign called Cold Cold Heart, which adds a short Mister Freeze storyline. It’s nothing special, but there is a level set in Wayne Manor, and that’s pretty cool.
With more underrated games getting love from fans these days, Batman: Arkham Origins deserves to be on that list. It might not be very original, but this is an incredible adventure for The Dark Knight and would have been a timely release when The Batman came out. How did WB Games not re-release this in time for that movie?
At the very least, if we never get a remaster, fans can still buy Batman: Arkham Origins on PC. That's the best version, and it runs well on Steam Deck. It's a shame that modern console owners are missing out, as Switch owners would have preferred this over that horrible Arkham Knight port.