11 years have passed since the release of Batman: Arkham Origins, and each year, on Christmas, I download and play the game from the very beginning – and it’s the perfect time to, once again, close another year.
Batman has been one of my favorite superheroes, and for all the good reasons. When I first played Batman: Arkham Asylum, the first title of the franchise, I was amazed at how good the game was, and then Batman: Arkham City was released, and it was even better.
Then Batman: Arkham Origins came out, and that was the ultimate release. The game has kept me for over a decade, replaying its story over and over again without getting bored a second of it, and my feelings whenever I play it are still holding strong.
Unlike what we had already seen, Batman: Arkham Origins was a great surprise, especially when I first watched the official trailer with Batman fighting with Deathstroke, which still gives me goosebumps, 12 years later.
Those trailers were so good, I remember wishing they’d make an animated movie about it – or even better, a realistic movie. I mean, who doesn’t want to see 11 of the best assassins trying to kill our superhero on Christmas Eve?
Batman: Arkham Origins
Get the cheapest key to play Batman: Arkham Origins on PCs (Steam), Xbox, and PlayStation.
What is Batman: Arkham Origins?
Let’s start from the very beginning, shall we? Unlike Arkham Asylum and Arkham City, which were developed by Rocksteady, Batman: Arkham Origins is a game developed by WB Games Montréal and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment.
The game was released back on October 25, 2013, and it’s currently available for Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Wii U.
WB Montréal was chosen to develop the game given the amount of time Rocksteady needed to create Arkham Origins’s successor, Batman: Arkham Knight, which would have resulted in “a long time without an Arkham game.”
When it comes to the actual gameplay, you have it all, from action to moving stealthily to doing detective work, it pretty much covers all of Batman’s actual work. But the story behind this game is what makes it so exciting and unique, and what made most fans fall in love with it.
Batman: Arkham Origins is the third installment in the critically acclaimed Arkham series, and it brings a fresh perspective to the Dark Knight’s early years. Set on Christmas Eve, the game unfolds in a snow-covered Gotham City, adding a festive yet haunting atmosphere that sets the perfect stage for a thrilling holiday adventure.
With Black Mask putting a bounty on Batman’s head, eight of the world’s deadliest assassins descend on Gotham, eager to claim the prize.
In addition to the main storyline, Arkham Origins is packed with side missions and collectibles that add hours of gameplay. From dismantling the various criminal networks throughout the city to solving the Riddler’s puzzles, there’s always something to keep you engaged.
The addition of the Crime Scene Investigation mode adds a detective element to the gameplay, making players feel like the World’s Greatest Detective.
The gameplay of Batman: Arkham Origins retains the core elements that made its predecessors successful while introducing some new features and improvements.
Everything you need to know about the gameplay
Arkham Origins builds on the solid foundations of its predecessors, offering the same fluid combat system and stealth mechanics that fans have come to love. However, it introduces new gadgets and enemies that require you to adapt your strategies, especially if you’re coming from older titles.
The game continues to use the Freeflow combat system, which allows for seamless and fluid fighting, and you can chain together attacks, counters, and gadgets to take down enemies with style.
The combat mechanics feel satisfying and responsive, making each encounter feel impactful. New enemy types and combat scenarios require adapting and strategizing.
Batman has an array of high-tech gadgets at his disposal, which are integral to both combat and exploration. Some of the key gadgets include:
- Batarangs: Can be used to stun enemies or hit distant switches.
- Explosive Gel: Can be used to blow up weak walls and structures.
- Grapnel Gun: Allows Batman to reach high places quickly.
- Remote Claw: A new gadget that lets Batman tether objects and enemies together, adding a new layer of strategy.
Stealth gameplay is a significant aspect of Arkham Origins, and what makes it even greater. For example, you can utilize Batman’s stealth abilities to silently take down enemies. Predator encounters challenge you to use the environment, gadgets, and Batman’s agility to outsmart and eliminate enemies without being detected.
The Detective Mode also returns once again, enabling you to see through walls, analyze the environment, and track enemies. The game also introduces Crime Scene Investigations, where you can reconstruct crime scenes and piece together clues to solve mysteries.
Gotham City is more expansive in Arkham Origins, offering a larger open-world environment to explore. The city is divided into several districts, each with its unique atmosphere and challenges and you can traverse the city using Batman’s gliding abilities and the Batwing, which serves as a fast travel option.
In addition to the main storyline, there are numerous side missions and collectibles to keep players engaged:
- Most Wanted: Side missions where Batman can take down Gotham’s most dangerous criminals.
- Enigma (The Riddler): Collectible data packs and puzzles scattered throughout the city.
- Anarky: A series of bomb threats that players must diffuse.
- Crime in Progress: Random encounters where Batman can stop crimes happening in the city.
I can honestly admit that I loved every and every main and side quest in Arkham Origins, which not many games can achieve. And when it comes to battling with the big bosses, you get to fight with Deathstroke, Bane, and Firefly, among others – which are pretty challenging, to say the least.
The combination of combat, stealth, gadgets, and exploration creates a rich and engaging gameplay experience that kept me hooked from start to finish, and it still does to this day.
Why I love playing Batman: Arkham Origins on Christmas
The entire game is set on Christmas Eve, with snow falling gently over the dark, gritty streets of Gotham City. The Christmas atmosphere in Batman: Arkham Origins is one of its most distinctive and enchanting features and one that makes me come back each year and replay the whole game.
The snowfall adds a serene, almost magical touch to the otherwise grim urban landscape, making it feel both peaceful and tense at the same time – especially if you wear headsets or in-ears and listen to the sounds.
Speaking of sound, the game’s soundtrack incorporates subtle holiday-themed music, blending traditional Christmas tunes with darker, more intense orchestral pieces.
You can listen to the game’s soundtracks from Spotify (you know, just to get you into the game’s dark Christmas spirit):
Throughout the city, you’ll find various Christmas decorations, including twinkling lights, Christmas trees, festive banners, posters, and more. It’s a city in which the holiday joy has been completely lost and danger is all over Gotham.
There are so many enemies, the game seems endless
Although there are 11 main assassins that are trying to kill you, in reality, there are even more enemies that you’ll have to beat.
Apart from the main and most difficult enemies, which I’ll list below, there are many others that you’ll encounter throughout the city, including gang members, SWAT officers, and Blackgate prisoners.
Here are all the main villains in Batman: Arkham Origins:
- Black Mask: The game’s primary antagonist who puts a bounty on Batman’s head.
- Deathstroke: A highly skilled mercenary hired to take down Batman.
- The Penguin: Organizes a heist in Gotham City.
- Deadshot: A master marksman targeting Batman.
- Firefly: An arsonist causing chaos with his flamethrower.
- Bane: A formidable opponent with enhanced strength.
- Joker: Makes a dramatic appearance as the game’s final boss.
- Mad Hatter: Sets traps and puzzles for Batman to solve.
- Riddler: Leaves riddles and challenges throughout Gotham.
- Killer Croc: A cannibalistic hunter with immense strength.
- Copperhead: A venomous contortionist and assassin.
- Electrocutioner: A pit fighter with electrically charged weapons.
- Anarky: Sets bombs around Gotham that Batman must defuse.
Deathstroke is arguably one of the most difficult enemies that you’ll encounter – if not the hardest one. It took me a few times until I was able to finally beat him, but I will not spoil anything, apart from giving you a simple tip: Have YouTube running in the background, you may have to watch a walkthrough or two.
Riddler was fun, but it took lots of time until I finally destroyed everything that he added through the city. Anarky will make you move from one place to another and defuse the bombs he set, which is a fun way to explore Gotham City even more.
I had also lots of fun trying to find Deadshot. By looking at the clues he left behind, I was able to track him pretty quickly while I was completing other side quests. As always, it was a great pleasure seeing Penguin, and the battle with Firefly was one of a kind.
Playing Batman: Arkham Origins Multiplayer in 2025 and beyond
Back in the day, Batman: Arkham Origins had a Multiplayer mode in which players could play together in a competitive gameplay that included Bane and Joker’s gangs. You could play both as an enemy or as Batman or Robin (yes, Robin was also in it), but the official online services were closed in 2016.
Thankfully, the amazing community found a way to make it possible to play the Multiplayer mode using third-party patches, and there’s even a Discord server that you can join and play the game alongside other players – and yes, it still pretty much active.
As a lone wolf, I like playing the storyline more than the multiplayer mode (although it’s so much fun interacting with other players), but if you want a closer look at the Multiplayer mode, here’s a quick look:
Continue the tradition each Christmas Eve
Just before 2024 comes to an end, Batman: Arkham Origins is the perfect way to close another year. It’s those cold nights when I like putting in a bit of wine, starting my PC, and entering the world of Gotham with my Marshall EQ Mode in-ear headphones at their highest volume.
Last but not least, if you’re wondering why I haven’t mentioned Batman: Arkham Night in the article, is simply because I didn’t really enjoy the game, and I haven’t even finished until this very moment. I’ve tried, I really tried, and I may have installed it over 5 times. It’s one of those situations, “It’s not you, it’s me!”.
I liked that you could drive, but driving the Batmobile was weird, and Gotham looked odd to me, not full of life and without giving the same feeling the older titles gave me. So Batman: Arkham Origins is still my favorite choice, along with Arkham City, which I also enjoy playing now and then.
Download 4K Ultrawide Batman: Arkham Origins Wallpapers
Want to customize your desktop screen with some Christmas lighting, snowing, and Batman in Gotham City? We’ve created a collection of high-quality, 4K ultrawide wallpapers that you can download and use completely for free from our Flickr account.
We will upload even more wallpapers in the near future for many different games, so make sure to keep it saved in your bookmarks.
Have you played Batman: Arkham Origins and its older titles? And if so, which one is your favorite and why? I’d love to hear your thoughts and experience with the gameplay for each title, so head over to the bottom of the article and let me know in the comments section.
