Batman: Arkham Origins is a multi-platform action-adventure video game developed by Warner Bros. Games Montreal and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment in October 2013. The publisher in Russia is the company "1C-SoftClub."
Batman: Arkham Origins is a prequel to Arkham Asylum – a game from 2009 that proved, through its own example, that superhero video games can be not only serious but also very deep, interesting, and engaging. The success of Arkham Asylum was expanded upon in the next installment in the Batman: Arkham series – Arkham City, which introduced many innovations, including a large open world. Arkham Origins, announced in April 2013, was expected to surpass, logically speaking, the previous games in the series, but miracles rarely happen in the real world. The new installment turned out to be good, and it's hard to argue with that, but it offers virtually no innovations.
It is worth reminding that the first two projects of the franchise were developed by the British at Rocksteady Studios, while Warner Bros. Games Montreal brought Arkham Origins to life, and there was hope that the Canadians could introduce fresh ideas into the gaming universe. However, the developers seemed to be afraid to rework what was already functioning well. As a result, Batman: Arkham Origins does not differ much from what was present in the previous game. Multiplayer was added, new gadgets and enemies appeared, as well as a new feature – the detective mode, in which the main character can rewind time in search of important clues. The city where Arkham Origins takes place has expanded even more in size. Of any significance, that’s all.
As already mentioned, Batman: Arkham Origins is a prequel to Arkham Asylum. The game tells the story of Bruce Wayne’s working days during the period when he had not yet gained the fame of a superhero. Arkham Origins portrays Wayne's emergence as the great and terrible Batman – the bane of criminals and scoundrels of varying degrees. At the start of the game, many do not believe that Batman even exists – this applies to both ordinary Gotham residents and police officers, as well as the villains prowling the streets of the eternally gloomy city. Only a select few know that Batman is by no means a legend, but a reality. Among them is the infamous criminal known as Black Mask, who timely recognizes the threat posed by the newly-minted superhero. Gathering a band of notorious criminals and killers under his banner, Black Mask declares a hunt, the main trophy of which is the head of Bruce Wayne.