Batman: Arkham Origins and Lego Marvel Super Heroes: The reviews ... - The Messenger

A story set in the dark night of the vigil or a classic platformer, “lighter” and carefree here is the new titles from Warner Bros ahead of Christmas.
Batman: Arkham Origins There is little to do in superhero Batman is undoubtedly the most dark and decadent ever. Maybe that’s why, when you talk to him, refers to a character who is considered something more than a simple comic. It will be for the filmography that he is concerned, but it is as if the bat man enjoyed a reputation as a hero more “adult”, but also more “obscure”.

Video games dedicated to him, and especially the the last three, which were signed by the same Warner Bros, are definitely up to the character. The saga of “Batman: Arkham”, begun in 2009 by Rocksteady Studios with “Arkham Asylum” and then continued in 2011 with “Arkham City” has been a big hit among fans of the comics and even among lovers of “action game” . In fact, the video game “Arkham” is a really well crafted blend of action, plot and violence, not to mention the reconstructions of the characters, faithfully and truly spectacular.

The third installment in the series, “Batman: Arkham Origins “, this time developed by Warner Bros. Games Montreal, continues along the lines of the first two: the same third-person gameplay, enjoyable, same moves and spectacular fights (such as attacks from exploiting the abilities of the character of planar his cloak) and above all, the same gothic atmosphere, thrilling. The skyline of Gotham City’s dark masterpiece, its putrid alleys are the natural habitat of Batman’s most loved and most controversial, that represented perhaps for the first time by the genius of Tim Burton’s 1989 film. The snow and the fog of the city surround not only the character but also the player. It is one of those rare cases where a gamer ends become attached not only to history but also to the surrounding environment.

Even more so if you think that “Batman: Arkham Origins”, released October 25 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on November 8 for Wii U and PC, is set during Christmas Eve, and particularly at this time of year with the theme. It is a prequel to the first episode of the trilogy, in which Batman goes through a period of great existential crisis: not only criminals, but also the police against him. The “bat” is considered a criminal, corrupt politicians and leaders of Gotham City police want to delete. Bruce Wayne, who has assumed the identity of Batman for about two years, despite the difficulties continues to fight against crime. Here, as in Arkham Asylum, it all starts with the criminals who evade, but this time not from a mental hospital, but from prison. A Batman will face especially the fearsome Black Mask and his men, but during the adventure the Bat Man will also meet Calendar Man, The Penguin, Killer Croc, Bane, Deadshot, Deathstroke, Electrocutioner and many others. Many of the characters, Batman in the first place, they have the original voice actors of the series.

Nothing to say in short about the game itself, which once again focuses on the single-player campaign and offers many hours of fun. The problem of “Batman: Arkham Origins” is, if anything, being essentially very similar to the previous. The dynamics of the game, from “Arkham Asylum”, were almost identical. If the main innovation of the second chapter, “Arkham City” was the ability to move with great agility among perpetually whitewashed rooftops of Gotham and enjoy the beautiful landscape, “Arkham Origins” ends up being a hybrid between the claustrophobic atmosphere of the first chapter and the outdoor scenes in the second. Who will play for the first time in “Batman: Arkham Origins” will be certainly pleased, but those who have already tried the first two can not fail to notice the repetition inherent in this trilogy. Never change a winning team. But if it does not change, sooner or later get bored.

Lego Marvel Super Heroes Try to combine a classic game in a comic classic. The result can only be that you will get a classic video game. It is a few years that Warner Bros has decided to create a series of video games “built” with Legos, inspired by movie characters and particularly famous. They range from “Indiana Jones” to “Harry Potter” through “Pirates of the Caribbean” and “Batman.” In these games the environments and the characters themselves are made with the famous colored bricks, and therefore all elements are dismantled and reassembled. The last chapter of the series is dedicated to the most famous superheroes: those of Marvel comics. “LEGO Marvel Super Heroes”, developed by Traveller’s Tale and published by Warner Bros., was released in Europe between the 15th and 29th November for all platforms, from Xbox 360 and Xbox One to PlayStation 3, and 4 passing for Wii U, PC and Mac

It is a platform for all purposes, which follows quite the previous ones, and in particular “LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes.” Here, too, the whole world is made of Lego, and anything (including people) is in hundreds of destructible bricks. The plot really is not particularly noteworthy, but the video shows how many things you can do with the mythical Lego. And best of all, you can select and decide dozens of characters, ie all the most famous Marvel superhero, Spiderman Hulk. What is really special is that each one has its own characteristics and powers, which must be used to achieve certain goals. In fact, unlike the usual platform, because of the wide variety of characteristics of the characters, which you have to solve puzzles to move from one context to another are far from simple, or at least do not lend themselves to an immediate understanding. On the other hand, the characters have an energy bar, consisting of four hearts, which must be exhausted into a thousand pieces, even if they are actually immortal regenerate as if nothing had indefinitely. In short, while it is generally more difficult of the classic platformer (which is an advantage), on the other hand, in truth, in the long run it is quite boring. The transitions from one context and from one level to another, and the graphics are slow, with a few exploits, you can not define uplifting.

It’s more fun the concept of the game (which will certainly be particularly appreciated by children, especially because they can continue to enjoy the adventure of the game with the real bricks), that the actual implementation. Obviously, without detracting from the irresistible rendering of characters, likeable in their Lego version. Good dubbing and hilarious jokes, unless the subtitles are too big. A game for those who love Legos, less rewarding for others.