One of the most common complaints from gamers this generation is how publishers are constantly shoehorning multiplayer modes into games that never really needed them (Dead Space, BioShock 2, Tomb Raider, etc.) That hasn’t stopped WB Games from announcing a brand new competitive multiplayer mode for the upcoming Batman: Arkham Origins.
Arkham Origins’ multiplayer is a three-way battle between Joker’s henchmen, Bane’s gang, and Batman and Robin. Bane and Joker’s gangs are made up of three players each, who are tasked with the usual multiplayer shooter goals of capturing territory and killing the other team. Meanwhile, two players are given the honor of suiting up as Batman and Robin, and they can earn points by knocking out the criminal players one by one. Batman and Robin will have access to their trademark assortment of wacky (and non-lethal) gadgets to work with, while the criminals will be able to equip a variety of different guns.
The multiplayer mode is being developed by Splash Damage, the team behind Enemy Territory: Quake Wars and the underrated Brink.
I know that when a company adds a multiplayer mode into a previously single-player-only series it usually turns out badly, but Arkham Origin’s multiplayer looks interesting — it almost seems like an evolution of the old Spies vs. Mercs multiplayer from the last gen Splinter Cell games. The Assassin’s Creed series has proven that “shoehorned” multiplayer modes don’t always have to feel like an afterthought, so I’m cautiously optimistic about Arkham Origins. I’m usually pretty cynical about these things, but at least they’re trying something different with their multiplayer and they aren’t simply slapping in some half-assed deathmatch or capture the flag mode.
Batman: Arkham Origins will be released for the Xbox 360, PS3, PC, and Wii U on October 25th.
UPDATE – WB Games has announced that the multiplayer mode will not be coming to the Wii U version of the game. “Multiplayerwill be available for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC,” a spokesperson for WB Games said. “The team is focusing development efforts on platforms with the largest MP audience.”
Third party support for the Wii U has become increasingly (understandably, some would say) half assed as the system continues to perform poorly at retail. Nintendo announced today that they’ve only sold 160,000 Wii U consoles in the last three months.
