Batman: Arkham Origins is, by far, the best game in the series. They took Arkham City, created a new story, polished the gameplay and mechanics, and made some awesome changes to features, to produce a truly outstanding game. The story, side missions, and collectibles are all better than it’s predecessors. I enjoyed every bit of this game. I recommend it to anyone who liked the first two games and guarantee that it will be a treat for anyone who has never played one of the Arkham series games.
The stories in the earlier Arkham games had something to be desired, but this one is great. It is much darker than Asylum or City. It takes place in the early years of Batman when no one seems to trust him, but that soon changes as he spends Christmas Eve fighting off skilled assassins including Deathstroke and Bane. Yes, there is still the Joker as the main villain, but the game also gives us some interesting encounters with Firefly, Copperhead, and many other lesser known Batman villains. These new characters make Arkham Origins different from the previous two games which showcased already popular villains such as The Joker, Penguin, and Harley Quinn.
The combat system is a little different this time with the addition of shock gloves. These gloves charge up in the middle of a fight. When they are used, punches have twice the amount of damage. Though it seems like this would make combat easier, it doesn’t. Each individual hoodlum is easier to defeat, but there are many more to fight. The new combos and gadgets help to make the combat seem more natural and fluid, but overall the battles seem challenging. On top of that, the rooftops are covered with snipers which forces you to hide in the shadows as you travel. 
The environment of the game is great! The map is TWICE as big as Arkham City, and has a lot more to explore. The map is two sections of Gotham City that are linked together by a huge bridge. The buildings in this game are nearly twice as tall as the previous game so you will have some interesting gliding experiences.
The side missions have been improved. Previously, they gave you no reward. Now, you receive point towards an upgrade. The side missions aren’t super long and repetitive. They are short, but they can also be difficult. This made me want to complete all of them (and I did)!
Another improvement in the game, are the Enigma data packs, or Riddler Trophies. Instead of having 440, there are 200. This means you don’t have to spend 20 hours of your life trying to find little green question marks. Instead, you can spend about 6-8 hours finding data packs that actually give you something after completing them. I was sort of disappointed though, when I saw how easy the puzzles were, but nonetheless the collectibles have been greatly improved.
Overall, I have to give this game a 9/10 and the Knockout Medal. Though, to some, this may seem a little too similar to Arkham City, it is a great improvement to the series. I recommended it to all.
Graphics: 7/10
Dialogue: 9/10
Gameplay: 9/10
Replayability: 9/10
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