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Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate is a metroidvania spin-off of Batman: Arkham Origins, developed by Armature Studio for the Nintendo 3DS, and is set directly following the events of that game. It retains the free-flow combat of the console entries on the 2-D plane. It was later released on the Wii U eShop as Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate Deluxe Edition.
Gameplay[]
Armature looked through the back log of the previous Arkham games to see what features would work for Origins Blackgate. The developer took many features from the main console games, such as grappling, gliding, crouching and climbing, and were able to implement them in the 2.5D space, while supplementing them with gadgets that include: the Batarang, a throwing weapon; the Batclaw, used for hooking on to surfaces; and Explosive Gel that can now be shot over a distance. As Batman cannot jump in the game, the grapnel gun is used to access higher points in the environment. The game does not feature an experience point system, with the entire game being item-based.
The free-flow combat system that is present in the other Arkham games has been built from the ground up. Batman still moves from left to right, but has the ability to be in the foreground or the background. Director Mark Pacini added that they've included a few more layers to the predator/detective mode. Players are able to see the sightlines of the enemies, which immediately allows players to know whether Batman can be seen or not by enemies. When Batman is in detective mode, Batman changes color based on their proximity or based on how close he is to being seen. Vantage points, floor grates, silent takedowns, glide kicks, weapon use, and breakable walls return from the console games as well.
Origins Blackgate offers side missions which help the player to piece together the events that lead to the explosion which caused the mass breakout. The level design allows the player to face the bosses of the game in any order, at any time. As such, the game features multiple endings, based on which boss the player faced last. The game also features different suits for Batman, each with their own attributes, that are made available based on the order the game is played.
Plot[]
While patrolling Gotham one night, Batman spots Catwoman stealing from a governmental building and gives chase. Several Department of Extranormal Operations agents mistake him for Catwoman's accomplice and try to capture both, but Batman avoids them and eventually defeats Catwoman, leaving her to be arrested. Two weeks later, Captain James Gordon contacts Batman for help on a prison riot at Blackgate, which was made possible by a mysterious explosion; the inmates have taken numerous hostages, and the prison has been divided into three main territories, each one held by the Joker, Penguin, and Black Mask. Upon entering the prison, Batman encounters Catwoman, who informs him of hostages held inside the maximum security area of the prison, known as the Arkham Wing. At this point, Batman may choose to go after any of the three crime bosses; before leaving, Catwoman also informs him that Joker has cut the air supply to the wing, leaving the hostages with minimal air.
On his way to the Joker, Batman encounters Warden Martin Joseph, whose office has been rigged with bombs. While attempting to free Joseph, Batman is attacked by Deadshot, who has been hired separately by all three crime bosses to kill him. After defeating Deadshot, Batman rescues Joseph, who reveals that the Joker is in his office. Batman defeats the Joker and acquires the codes needed to shut down the gas set to release on the hostages. Before leaving, however, he notices that the air supply was not cut as Catwoman had stated. On his way to the Penguin, Batman again encounters Catwoman, who informs him of a fighting contest hosted by the Penguin. Batman is forced to battle the Penguin's champion Bronze Tiger, who is also reluctant to fight. After defeating Bronze Tiger, the Penguin orders his men to kill Batman, but Bronze Tiger fights them off, allowing Batman to pursue and defeat the Penguin. On his way to Black Mask, Batman learns that the latter is attempting to overload Blackgate's power generators and cause a chain reaction that will kill his rivals. After defeating Solomon Grundy in the prison's sewers, Batman subdues Black Mask and thwarts his plan.
Once the Joker, Penguin, and Black Mask have all been dealt with, Batman is able to enter the Arkham Wing, only to find that there are no hostages, just a weakened Bane. Catwoman appears and reveals that she lied about the hostages so that Batman would help her reach Bane, whom she was hired to recover. Batman pursues Catwoman to the prison's docks and defeats her, but as he begins to interrogate her about her employer's identity, a SWAT team led by Rick Flag arrives to arrest Catwoman. As they leave with her, Batman flies off into the night, questioning the team's actions.
The ending of the game depends on which boss was defeated last. The Joker is found by several Blackgate guards, whom he presumably kills before taking one of their uniforms to escape. The Penguin bribes a corrupt guard to release him from his cell, and as he leaves, he kills the guard for being rude to him in the past. Black Mask is also found by some guards and takes one of them hostage; another guard tries to shoot Black Mask, but misses and hits a pipeline, causing an explosion which forces Black Mask to make his escape while screaming in pain.
Throughout the game, Amanda Waller and Rick Flag are seen monitoring the events of the breakout. In a post-credits scene, it is revealed that Waller was the one who hired Catwoman to break Bane out of Blackgate. Per Waller's orders, Catwoman was released, but she did not complete her mission, and Flag's team was forced to return Bane to police custody. Despite this, the operation was not a complete failure, as the team managed to pick up Deadshot and Bronze Tiger during the riot, whom Waller intends to recruit into her squad. As Waller's helicopter flies away from Blackgate, one of Batman's trackers is seen on its underbelly.
Reception[]
The game was received averagely, with the 3DS version getting a 68 on Metacritic and a 69.57% on GameRankings. The Wii U version got a 60.00% on GameRankings (according to 2 reviews).
External links[]
- Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate at Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate at GameFAQs
| Batman series | |
|---|---|
| Movie license games | Batman • Batman Returns • Batman Forever • Catwoman (2004) • Batman Begins |
| DC Animated Universe games | Batman: The Animated Series • The Adventures of Batman & Robin • Batman Beyond Chaos in Gotham • Batman: Vengeance • Rise of Sin Tzu |
| Lego Batman series | Lego Batman: The Videogame • 2: DC Super Heroes • 3: Beyond Gotham |
| Batman: Arkham series | Batman: Arkham City Armored Edition • Batman: Arkham Origins • Arkham Origins Blackgate • Arkham Trilogy |
| Other games | Batman: Return of the Joker • Catwoman (GBC) • Batman: Dark Tomorrow • Batman: The Brave and the Bold • Injustice: Gods Among Us • The Telltale Series • The Enemy Within |