Batman: Arkham Origins Takes the Battle for Gotham Online

Batman may be a loner at the best of times, but even he’s willing to prove that life is a lot more fun with friends. Warner Bros has unmasked an unexpected multiplayer component for Batman: Arkham Origins, which will see you duking it out on the streets of Gotham in eight-player deathmatches. But there’s a twist.

Fighting for either the Joker or Bane, you’ll be divided into two teams of three goons. Your objective will be to conquer as much territory as possible, and wipe out your foes. However, you’ll be obstructed by the Dark Knight and his trusted sidekick Robin, who’ll be lurking in the shadows at all times.

There are shades of Splinter Cell’s legendary Spies vs. Mercs mode to the component. As the caped crusader and his ally, you’ll have access to unlimited detective vision, and the ability to swoop around the rooftops and spy on your prey. Grunts will be more limited, boasting bog-standard firearms and cover abilities.

As a thug, your objective will be to wipe out the other team. While playing as one of the heroes, however, you’ll be working to raise an intimidation metre and put an end to the fight. You’ll need to mix up your takedowns, because the more that you repeat the same attacks, the less effective they’ll become. Confused yet?

There is one more layer of complication. At one point per match, each team of thugs will be able to assume the role of their respective villain. Stomping around as either Bane or the Joker will augment you with more powerful moves, but these adversaries cannot respawn or regain health. In short, they can turn the tide of battle – but only in the right hands.

If all of that wasn’t enough, you’ll be able to customise your characters with up to 250 unlockable rewards. There’ll also be a range of levels, and – from reading a couple of hands-on previews – what sound like microtransactions, too. In essence, it’s a complete game built on top of the already announced single player adventure.

And that’s evidenced by the fact that it’s being constructed by a completely different team. Brink developer Splash Damage has been assigned production duties, while Warner Bros Games Montreal keeps itself busy with the solo component. Admittedly, we like the idea of the asymmetrical battles. But is it all really necessary?