Summary
Batman: Arkham Originshas had a unique fanbase since its release 10 years ago.Originshas been widely received as the least impactfulArkhamgame for multiple reasons, the most prominent of which is that it’s the only entry not developed by Rocksteady. This plantsOriginssomewhere in the camp of a Soulslike game that isn’t developed by FromSoftware, at least in terms of how imitators are held to the standard of FromSoftware’s games. That said, becauseWB Games Montreal’s prequelwas actually part of the Arkhamverse canon,Originshad even more of a responsibility to succeed.
Originstoday has much more of a cult following than it did a decade ago, with many fans uprooting from woodwork to exclaim their praises for it.Origins’ story manages to be surprising and unique while still adhering to the franchise canon that Rocksteady established, and seeing Batman interacting with villains such as Joker or Riddler for the first time is a wonderful experience that WB Games Montreal took advantage of to terrific effect. Seeing how theArkhamseries has led toSuicide Squad, it would be incredible ifOriginswas given its own prequel trilogy.
RELATED:Batman’s Latest Arkham Knight Skin is a Reminder of the Game’s Cosmetic Woes
The Arkham Franchise is Incomplete without Origins
EachArkhaminstallment is perfectly encapsulated within its own narrative and its sequels or predecessors serve as salient continuations. If theArkhamnarrative ended withJoker’s death inCity, for example, that would have been as great a bookend as if Rocksteady had decided only to makeAsylumas a lone game, ending it right then and there when Batman departs from Arkham Island.
But considering how many times different characters appear in the franchise, it is exciting to see how they all develop between games, and that progression makesOriginsa necessary chapter. Killer Croc and Bane alone are unbelievably different inOriginscompared to how they appear inAsylum, for example, and seeing Barbara go from the Police Captain’s mild-mannered daughter inOriginstoOracle inAsyluminforms fans that Joker crippled her at some point between those games.
August 05, 2025
How Arkham Origins Brings the Franchise Full-Circle
Asylumachieved enough world-buildingto have every relationship and interaction engaging without immediately knowing the context beforehand, butOriginshelps deliver that contextual information leading intoAsylumeffectively. Now, if fans were to playOriginsall the way throughKnightand experience the whole story in a linear, chronological fashion, they would get to see the first and last time Batman interacts with Joker, including when he locks Joker’s hallucination away and resists letting him subsume his psyche.
Enough Time is Left Between Origins and Asylum for More Arkham Prequels
Rocksteady may be trekking ahead with the continuity and featuring Task Force X as its new leads inSuicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, but either Rocksteady or WB Games Montreal should be allowed to travel back toOrigins’ prequel era and produce new games in that time period. There are surely more stories that prequel sequels could tell about Batman and his Bat Family companions that don’t necessarily retread stories already told, and there are still many iconic villains anOriginssequel could debut from Batman’s lengthy rogues’ gallery.
Batman: Arkham Origins
WHERE TO PLAY
Batman™: Arkham Origins is the next installment in the blockbuster Batman: Arkham videogame franchise. Developed by WB Games Montréal, the game features an expanded Gotham City and introduces an original prequel storyline set several years before the events of Batman: Arkham Asylum and Batman: Arkham City, the first two critically acclaimed games of the franchise. Taking place before the rise of Gotham City’s most dangerous criminals, the game showcases a young and unrefined Batman as he faces a defining moment in his early career as a crime fighter that sets his path to becoming the Dark Knight.
