Batman: Arkham Origins (mobile)

Gameplay

Arkham Origins relies heavily on an arcade-style combat system, and is not heavily story-driven. Using a series of quick, penetrated attacks by swiping and tapping the screen with their fingers, combined with blocking and altering Batman's stance, players can unleash a combo of strikes that can be used to defeat enemies one at a time. The default "Assault" stance allows more damage to be inflicted on enemies at the consequence of taking more damage, while the "Guarded" stance, which can be switched back and forth with the Assault stance during combat, allows the player to retain and strengthen their defense and offers them the ability to heal over time, but does not have the damage potential of Assault. After charging, the players also have the ability to use Special attacks, including Batswarm, Batarang, and Health Boost. Some specials give defensive/offensive buffs to the player, others heal the player, while some are offensive attacks. In addition to their normal basic attacks, enemies also have an uncounterable, more powerful "Enrage" attack activated after the player deals considerable damage, which can only be blocked.

Arkham Origins uses stamina, with each mission requiring a certain amount of stamina, and when the player runs out of stamina, he has to wait for it to recharge, or buy more with money/premium currency. The types of currency used are "WayneTech/Wayne Enterprise" points, a premium currency used both to buy combat boosts, and Upgrade Points, the currency earned in-game. Upgrade Points are used in the Upgrades section, where the player can upgrade several things, including their stances, Special abilities, and their passive abilities (i.e. basic attack damage/critical rate), although WayneTech points can also serve the same purpose. In the Upgrades screen, the player can also acquire and upgrade Batsuits, using either WayneTech or Upgrade points. Each Batsuit costs a certain amount of currency, while certain Batsuits, like Darkest Night and Red Son, require unlocking through various purposes (i.e. logging on with a Warner Bros ID account). To upgrade Batsuits, the player has to acquire certain items, such as Tier 1 Armor or Arkham Origins Cowl, with each upgrade requiring a certain amount of the items, as well as different items (i.e. Red Son needs a Red Son Cowl, Arkham Origins needs an Arkham Origins Cowl). The items can all be earned by completing missions, which sometimes do or do not give items. Players can also use WayneTech points to "Detective Search" for items, which guarantees at least a single, random item. Each Batsuit upgrade/a better Batsuit acquisition will upgrade the player's stats, an example being that the Long Halloween suit has 5 more Speed than Arkham Origins, the starter suit, and that an upgrade of Arkham Origins can also let the player acquire 5 more Speed. Each suit also has a certain perk, such as more fire defense, poison defense, or basic attack defense, or (in the case of all the Arkham Origins suits) simply upgrading Batman's natural abilities.

In addition to the main missions, including boss battles against notorious villains, there are also Most Wanted missions, some of which also feature battling notorious villains (an example is Copperhead, who showed up in an Uptown Gotham Most Wanted mission), in addition to the usual thug enemies. There are also "Ambush" missions, where a mission appears that was not viewable before, and cannot be avoided, unless the player completes that mission or dies in the attempt, with the latter making the mission disappear.

Characters

Arkham Origins features returning characters from its console counterparts. The main character is Batman, who is fighting numerous villains who are at loose in Gotham City. The six main villains pinpointed in the intro include Bane, Firefly, Electrocutioner, with the game also featuring Black Mask and a Most Wanted mission featuring Copperhead.

Setting

The events of Arkham Origins take place in Gotham City, and like Batman: Arkham City Lockdown, the game does not offer players the ability to roam the environment freely. Instead, Gotham is separated into four districts: Downtown Gotham, Industrial District, Uptown Gotham, and The Docks, with the player starting out with access to just a single district, but the player can unlock new districts by completing main missions and defeating district bosses.

Development

In October 2013, at New York Comic Con, it was revealed that Batman: Arkham Origins would be coming to iOS and Android mobile platforms, developed by NetherRealm Studios, who created Arkham City Lockdown. Ed Boon serves as Arkham Origins' creative director. The mobile version can be connected to the console version to unlock exclusive content, such as the Red Son Batman suit, for use in both versions. Exclusive Batman skins for the mobile version include designs from JSA: The Liberty Files, Batman Beyond, Blackest Night, and Injustice: Gods Among Us.