Instead of developing their relationship, the game tries to pose questions.
![batman arkham city review common sense media batman arkham city review common sense media](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/sites/default/files/styles/ratio_1_1_small/public/product-images/csm-game/lego-batman-3-box-art.jpg)
#Batman arkham city review common sense media how to#
It’s a compelling premise that’s quickly abandoned when the game makes a compulsory, unavoidable shift in focus towards Batman’s relationship with the Joker.Īrkham Origins intriguingly purports to tell the “origin” of Batman and the Joker’s relationship, but the game has no idea how to develop these characters: They puzzle over each other for a single scene before immediately dropping into familiar rhythms. Set only a few years into Batman’s mission to stop crime, the game shows the first time he faces off against a new breed of criminal in the form of eight super-powered assassins hired to kill him. Sadly, since Arkham Origins is a prequel and Gotham needs to exist for the rest of the series, that isn’t an option. To hell with its citizens: I wanted to watch Gotham City burn.
![batman arkham city review common sense media batman arkham city review common sense media](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/sites/default/files/styles/social_share_image/public/screenshots/csm-game/batman-arkham-origins-b.jpg)
But after suffering through only a few hours of Batman: Arkham Origins’ tired missions, frustrating boss battles, insipid writing and undeniably noticeable bugs, I felt a growing sense of disgust. Through meticulously built Bat-gadgets, clever level design and stories that drew heavily from the Caped Crusader’s rich mythology, Batman: Arkham Asylum and Batman: Arkham City lived up to the mission of Bruce Wayne: Protect the people, and protect Gotham City. Until now, the Arkham games were meticulously crafted to make me feel as though I wasn’t just playing a game, but taking up a mantle.