Batman: Arkham Origins is the upcoming prequel to the critical and commercial smash hit Arkham series, and the first game in the franchise made by WB Montreal, who have taken over for original developer Rocksteady. WB Montreal will attempt to put its own spin on the series through a new narrative, as well as introducing multiplayer to the series for the first time ever. WB Montreal has also designed the game's boss fights to test out a player's understanding of the many different mechanics found in the game.
The game's multiplayer is currently in the beta process, but some users attempted to post footage of the mode on to Youtube. The videos have since been taken down, but thanks to GameNGuide's diligence we know what the mode will look like, including how playing as the thugs (normally the enemies the player takes down) feels in the new mode. Thugs may not have the gadgets and stealth abilities that Batman or Robin possess, but they do have one thing that can even the odds: firepower. The thugs and mooks of the game can use guns against other players, adding competitive gunfights to the game for the first time. It will be interesting to see if this new mode takes off as well as the single player campaigns have for the games in the past, or if players choose to forgo gang wars to play as Batman to take out the bad guys.
Boss fights in the game were also previewed in a report from The Financial Post, which revealed that WB Montreal set up each boss fight to test the player's mastery of a particular game mechanic. For example, one of the earliest boss fights in the game is against Deathstroke, who is one of the eight assassins hired by the Black Mask to kill Batman. In this fight, players must use their ability to counter enemy attacks and then unleash their own in order to defeat Deathstroke. If players are unwilling or unable to do so, then they will lose the battle. Each boss fight will play out similarly so that players must learn and command the full range of Batman's abilities while completing the game.
Batman: Arkham Origins will be one of the games to look out for when it is launched, and will be one of the last big titles heading exclusively to current gen consoles such as the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 before their next-gen successors are launched in November.