Originally Posted by Digital Foundry
There are few surprises left when it comes to multi-platform releases on the current-generation consoles - especially where Unreal Engine 3 is concerned. Rocksteady's absence might have resulted in a experience that doesn't push the bar forward for the Arkham series, but the team at Warner Bros. Games Montreal has still done a great job at creating another strong Batman game that is well worth consideration. The engine enhancements also work well in producing a cleaner, more refined image, with the return of anti-aliasing and ambient occlusion in the 360 and PS3 versions standing as welcome additions to the solid range of graphical features on offer throughout the game.
The conversion work is generally solid too where the 360 and PS3 are concerned, although some of the frame-rate and stuttering issues on Sony's system do distract from the action when the engine is put under stress, and some of the srteaming issues across all formats are perhaps indicative of the UE3 technology being pushed to its limits. Unfortunately, the Wii U once again disappoints with considerably worse performance than the other formats. This is a shame, as the use of lower-resolution shadows and greater texture streaming problems could all be overlooked if the game ran far more smoothly. The pared-back GamePad features and the lack of multiplayer also comes across as a disappointment, making this version hard to recommend if you own multiple platforms.
On the whole Arkham Origins is a fitting finale to the series on the older consoles, before Rocksteady returns with a Batman title designed for next-gen. While it's less innovative than the first two instalments, the solid combat and familiar mix of stealth and action-based gameplay is well worth investigating. While Xbox 360 arguably offers up the smoothest gameplay experience on console, PS3 owners get exclusive DLC that includes the Nightfall challenge maps and extra Batman costumes based on the 1960s TV series and the classic comics' Knightfall story arc. Given the major frame-rate issues it's hard to recommend the Wii U game at all unless you have no other option. Meanwhile, as expected, the PC version stands alone in terms of performance and quality features, making it the default choice for enthusiast gamers.
