Summary
The RocksteadyBatman: Arkhamtrilogy is still talked about constantly today, and for good reason.Batman: Arkham Asylumessentially proved thatthe superhero gaming genredidn’t need to just be terrible movie tie-ins or quick cash-grabs, but instead fully-fledged, big-budget experiences that not only stayed true to the source material, but integrated it into the video game medium in an innovative way. ThenArkham Citydoubled down on everything that made the first game great, and whileArkham Knightwasn’t as well received as the others, it’s still talked about fondly today. ButBatman: Arkham Originsis mostly left completely out of the conversation.
Released on Jul 27, 2025,Batman: Arkham Originsturns 10 years old today, and history hasn’t been all that kind to it.Arkham Originsmay have been a bit of a disappointment when it first launched a decade ago, but even some disappointing games deserve a second chance, andBatman: Arkham Originsis far from being a bad game, with some fans even going as far as to call it underrated.
RELATED:The Last of Us 3 Could Make Great Use of a Popular Batman Arkham Feature
Batman: Arkham Origins Is Still Criminally Underrated 10 Years Later
Following up on Rocksteady’sBatman: Arkham Citywas never going to be an easy task, especially when Rocksteady wasn’t the one at the helm. So, naturally, whenWB Games MontrealreleasedBatman: Arkham Originsback in 2013, it found itself in a strange spot, and one that garnered a bit of a mixed reception from both fans and critics. While some were just thrilled that they got to experience anotherArkhamgame, a good portion of the fan-base was disappointed inArkham Origins, seeing it as more of a side-step for the franchise than the next big thing.
WhereArkham Cityreally built upon the foundations ofArkham Asylumand added in plenty of its own content and identity,Arkham Originsinstead plays it a bit too safe, followingCity’s formula very closely and feeling very repetitive in the process. It didn’t help thatBatman: Arkham Origins' story was also a little confused, with its primary hook about assassins hunting downthe Caped Crusaderbeing essentially forgotten about just a few hours in favor of yet another Joker origin story.
But at its core,Batman: Arkham Originswas a solid game, and even its worst reviews still gave the game a decent score. This middling reception has leftArkham Originsin a state of limbo for the last decade, and Warner Bros. and Rocksteady haven’t done much to remind players of its existence. In both theReturn to Arkhamremasters, andthe upcomingArkham Trilogy,Batman: Arkham Originshas been left out, but a decade after its release, there’s definitely a desire to see it return in some form.
As mentioned plenty already,Batman: Arkham Originswas far from a bad game, and some of its biggest highlights easily stand toe-to-toe with Rocksteady’s best moments. For instance, one ofArkham Origins' biggest highlights was the central relationship between the Joker and Batman, and the general premise of this being aBatman Year One-esque story. While this has been seen plenty in the decade since, this was a fairly unique concept for a Batman game back in 2013, andArkham Originsdid a solid job of setting the stage for the Caped Crusader’s career.
Another big highlight ofBatman: Arkham Originswas its boss fights, and the surprising array of villains used for them. While the Joker, Penguin, Bane, and Riddler all make their return,Arkham Originsputs a lot of the spotlight on lesser-known foes like Anarky, Firefly, Copperhead, Lady Shiva, and Black Mask, and each one usually has some kind of unique boss fight that’s stayed memorable for a whole decade. Though it definitely doesn’t live up to the heights of Rocksteady’s entries,Batman: Arkham Originsdoesn’t deserve to be forgotten.
Batman: Arkham Originsis available on PC, PS3, Wii U, and Xbox 360.
MORE:Rocksteady’s Own Take on Gotham Knights Could Exhume One Abandoned Arkham Feature
