‘Batman: Arkham Origins’ for Xbox 360, PS3, and Wii U takes you back to the bat’s past

By Anthony John Agnello Published April 9, 2013

BAO_LOGO_MASTER_FINAL_JPG — Image used with permission by copyright holder

When there’s smoke you can usually be sure there is fire, and the smoke signals billowing out of Batman: Arkham City developer Rocksteady Games suggesting that the studio was working on yet another adventure for the caped crusader have turned out to be all too true. What’s more, the premise was even on the money. Going all the way back to July 2012, word was Rocksteady was making a game called Batman: Arkham Origins that delved into the hero’s past, and that game was officially announced on Tuesday morning. The details about the game are markedly different than what was expected, including the style and studio behind it.

Warner Bros. Interactive announced not one but two games on Tuesday. Batman: Arkham Origins will be out on Wii U, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PCs on Oct. 25. Like other late generation entries on those consoles such as Tomb Raider and God of War: Ascension, this game is a prequel to Rocksteady’s first game, Batman: Arkham Asylum. The game tracks Batman in Gotham City during his early career when he first gets into the crime fighting business. One villain definitely in the game is the assassin Deathstroke, as confirmed by Game Informer’s cover story on the title.

Recommended Videos

Game Informer’s story also confirms that Arkham Origins will be the first game in the series not directed by Sefton Hill. In fact, it isn’t the work of Rocksteady Games at all. Creative director Eric Holmes, formerly of Radical Entertainment, is making it at studio Warner Bros. Interactive. Holmes’ notable past works include the PlayStation 2 game The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction and its spiritual successor, Prototype.

Based on early artwork, the game will maintain the dark, grimy look of the first two games which is a departure from previous rumors. The early leaks surrounding Arkham Origins suggested that the game wouldn’t just go back to the character’s narrative past, but the literal past of Batman comics with a highly stylized look reminiscent of 1950s issues.

Warner Bros. Interactive is banking hard on its DC Universe properties this year between Arkham Origins and Injustice: Gods Among Us. These games will close out the publisher’s time on the current consoles, though. With Rocksteady and Arkham series mastermind Sefton Hill not working on this game, it’s hard not to wonder what they may be cooking up for the PlayStation 4 and Next Xbox that remains unannounced.

Topics

Anthony John Agnello

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Anthony John Agnello is a writer living in New York. He works as the Community Manager of Joystiq.com and his writing has…

Computing

Dell slashed the price of the Alienware m18 R2 gaming laptop with RTX 4080 by $420

The Alienware m18 R2 gaming laptop with Baldur's Gate 3 on the screen.

You should be on the lookout for gaming laptop deals if you're thinking about making an upgrade -- these devices are pretty expensive, so any discount will help cushion the blow on your wallet. Here's an offer from Dell to consider: a $420 discount for the powerful Alienware m18 R2 with the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 graphics card, which reduces its price to $2,380 from $2,800. You can either pocket the savings or use them to buy more video games and accessories, but you need to act fast because there's a chance that the gaming laptop's price will be back to normal as soon as tomorrow.

Why you should buy the Alienware m18 R2 gaming laptop
The Alienware m18 R2 makes a run at the best gaming laptops with top-of-the-line specifications and a striking design. In addition to the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 graphics card, which our gaming laptop buying guide says is among the top-tier GPUs, the machine is equipped with the 14th-generation Intel Core i9 processor and 32GB of RAM that's the sweet spot for high-end gamers, according to our guide on how much RAM do you need. You'll be able to play the best PC games at their most demanding settings on the Alienware m18 R2, and you'll even be prepared for the upcoming PC games of the next few years.

Gaming

3 PlayStation Plus games to play this weekend (February 14-16)

Players charge at each other in Chivalry 2's Arena mode.

PlayStation surprised us earlier this week and a new State of Play showcase that highlighted a ton of upcoming PS5 games to look forward to, such as Metal Gear Solid: Delta and Onimusha: Way of the Sword. However, we have a long time to wait for most of those games, and even longer if you want to snag them on PlayStation Plus. This month has no shortage of new games coming out to play, but if you don't have the time or money to get them all, PlayStation Plus has you covered. We picked out some gems from the catalog that might have gone under your radar at the time. Whether you want a deep RPG, fantastic party game, or hardcore multiplayer title, these are the games you should play this weekend.
The Outer Worlds
The Outer Worlds - Come to Halcyon Trailer | PS4

There's a good chance that Avowed will eventually make its way to PS5, but right now, there's no official word on that. What has been on PlayStation Plus for a while is the last major RPG from Obsidian, The Outer Worlds. Often compared to a Fallout in space, this is a more contained RPG experience where you explore several hub locations rather than a single open world. The entire game is a parody on corporations, capitalism, and class that hits way more than it misses. You are given a ton of different build options, and the companions are some of the best we've had the pleasure to meet. This isn't a huge game, but we do need to give you fair warning that it is leaving the service this month so you will need to commit to it if you want to finish it all. Even if you don't, it is worth a purchase to be ready for The Outer Worlds 2.

Gaming

How to rebind skills in Avowed

A spellcaster holds a book in Avowed.

Making proper use of all your best abilities in Avowed is the easiest of the tips and tricks you can take into the game. When you begin, you will have your healing and mana potions set on your quick select bar, followed by the first skill you unlock and first companion ability. That's great in the early game, but it isn't long before you unlock new skills that you want on that slot more than what is put there for you. You can always access all your abilities through the tactical menu, but that is a bit cumbersome. Instead, here's how you can remap your quick skills to whatever you want.