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Wheeling in villains from the crowd-pleasing Penguin to no-marks like Deathstroke, Arkham Origins wants to supply a backstory for the events of Arkham City. This really just equates to beating up bad people using the weighty punches, kicks and counters that have made the series so successful. Fistfights are broken up by stealthier sections that demand caution and light planning to subdue henchmen. It's a winning formula, but one that had been perfected in the last game and although this game goes out of its way to press all the same buttons, it does so with no finesse or invention. Snowing incessantly, Gotham City is a dreary place populated only by small groups of criminals, while the voice acting and script are functional at best. The result is a game with the disappointing air of a potboiler.