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BATMAN: ARKHAM ORIGINS E3 PREVIEW

Platforms: PC. Xbox 360, PS3, Wii U
Date: October 2013
Genre: Action-adventure, beat ‘em up
Publisher: Warner Bros.
Interactive Entertainment
The Batman: Arkham series is unquestionably
one of the biggest success stories of this
generation. Developer Rocksteady Studios’
clear reverence for the source material and an
innovative approach to combat meant that 2009’s
Batman: Arkham Asylum was met with critical
praise and healthy sales. Batman: Arkham
City cemented the series’ position as a modern
classic with some of the best review scores ever
seen. However, it was not immediately clear
where a sequel would take the Dark Knight.

46 • GameOn Magazine

Tackling the age-old problem of the tricky
three-quel, Batman: Arkham Origins sticks to
convention and moves the story back in time
to form a precursor to the first title. Initially
we were disappointed with this revelation,
expecting the franchise to continue its forward
momentum onto even bigger and better things.
Equally, the departure of Rocksteady Studios
also raised concerns as their understanding
and handling of Batman as a character and a
property was particularly careful and astute.
Recently, we got the opportunity to spend
some hands-on time with the game and found,
thankfully, that little has been done to deviate
away from the established Arkham formula.
Replacing the original developers is Canadian
studio Warner Bros. Games Montreal and
there is no question that expectations are
Batman Arkham Special Edition