Batman: Arkham Origins is a 2013
action-adventure game developed by
WB Games Montréal and published by
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. Based on the
DC Comics superhero
Batman, it is the follow-up to the 2011 video game
Batman: Arkham City and is the third main installment in the
Batman: Arkham series. Written by
Corey May, Ryan Galletta and
Dooma Wendschuh, the game's main storyline is set eight years before 2009's
Batman: Arkham Asylum and follows a younger, less-refined Batman. When a bounty is placed on him by crime lord
Black Mask, drawing eight of the world's greatest assassins to
Gotham City on Christmas Eve, Batman must bring Black Mask to justice, while also being hunted by the police and having to face other villains, such as the
Joker and
Anarky, who take advantage of the chaos to launch their own nefarious schemes.The game is played from a
third-person perspective, focusing on Batman's combat and stealth abilities, detective skills and gadgets for combat and exploration. Batman can freely move around the
open world of Gotham City, interacting with characters and undertaking missions. Aside from the main story, Batman can help the police deal with crimes and confront other supervillains terrorizing the city.
Arkham Origins introduces the ability for Batman to virtually recreate crimes, allowing him to investigate the scene and identify the culprit. The game is also the first in the series with a
multiplayer mode, in which players partake in a gang war between the Joker and
Bane.