Batman: Arkham Origins gets a bad rap. People call it the "black sheep" of the WB Games Montréal era because Rocksteady didn't make it. They're wrong. Honestly, looking back at the 2013 release, it has some of the highest highs in the entire franchise, specifically when it comes to boss fights that actually require you to use your brain. If you’re looking for a Batman Arkham Origins walkthrough that doesn't just tell you to "press X to win," you have to understand that this game is fundamentally about timing rather than just gadget spamming.
It’s Christmas Eve in Gotham. You’re a younger, angrier Bruce Wayne. You’re faster, but you’re also more reckless. This isn't the refined veteran from Arkham City. The game reflects that in its combat loops.
The Early Game Trap and the Blackgate Breakout
The game starts with a literal bang at Blackgate Penitentiary. Most players breeze through this. You’re chasing Black Mask—or who you think is Black Mask—and the game is feeding you the basics. But here is the thing: the tutorial is lying to you. It makes you feel invincible. You beat Killer Croc by dodging his charges and blowing up fuel tanks, and you think you’ve mastered the game.
You haven't.
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Once you hit the open world of New Gotham, the difficulty spikes. The bridge is a nightmare to navigate without the Fast Travel points, which you have to unlock by hacking towers. My advice? Don't ignore the Enigma towers. If you try to finish a Batman Arkham Origins walkthrough by just sprinting from story beat to story beat, you’ll find yourself woefully underleveled for the predator encounters later in the game. You need those XP dumps from the collectibles.
Dealing with the Deathstroke Skill Check
Let’s talk about the elephant in the room. Deathstroke. Slade Wilson.
This is where 50% of players quit or look for a guide. It happens on the Final Offer, Penguin’s ship. This fight is a rhythm game disguised as a brawler. If you mash the counter button, you die. Period. The game tracks your inputs, and if you're spamming, Slade will punish you with a staff combo that takes off a third of your health.
You have to wait.
Wait for the prompt. Hit it once. If you hit it twice, you've failed the sequence. It’s a grueling test of patience that most modern games don't have the guts to include. You’ll use the Batclaw to pull him in, but even then, he’s got tricks. Honestly, it’s the best boss fight in the series because it’s a mirror match. He’s everything Batman is, just without the moral code.
Navigating the Gotham City Police Department
After you’ve dealt with the assassins on the ship, the game forces you into the GCPD. This is the best predator section in the game. You're not the "legend" yet; the cops don't trust you, and they're actively trying to kill you. This changes the stakes.
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- The Vents are your best friend: The GCPD layout is vertical. Use the Jammer to take out the security cameras, or you'll get swarmed in the locker rooms.
- Don't kill the snipers first: Usually, in Arkham games, you take out the snipers. In Origins, the snipers in the GCPD often guard the paths to the evidence locker. If you take them out too early, the patrolling guards change their routes to something much more unpredictable.
- Smoke Pellets: Save these for the elevator ambush.
Many walkthroughs suggest using the Disruptor on every gun you see. I disagree. Save your Disruptor charges for the heavy gunners. The guys with the shields can be handled with an Aerial Attack (O, X, X or B, A, A), which is much more efficient than wasting a gadget slot.
The Joker and the Twist You Forgot
The middle act of the game centers on the Royal Hotel. This is where the narrative shifts from a simple "bounty hunter" story to the origin of the Joker and Batman's relationship. It’s chaotic. You’re climbing a skyscraper while it’s literally exploding around you.
One thing people get wrong about the Royal Hotel section is the Joker’s "carnival" floor. It’s a series of puzzles that are actually quite lethal. You need to be precise with the Remote Batarang. If you haven't mastered the brake and U-turn controls for the Batarang, go practice in the streets. You'll need to weave it through electrified gates to hit fuse boxes. It’s frustrating, sure, but it’s classic Arkham.
The Bane Problem
Bane in this game isn't the "dumb muscle" from the Rocksteady games. He’s the tactical genius from the comics. When you fight him at the hotel, and later in the Blackgate finale, you cannot use standard combat.
In the first encounter, it’s about the Ultra Stun. Cape stun him three times, then unleash. But in the final encounter? It’s a horror game. Bane is hunting you in the dark. You have to use the floor grates and the corner takedowns. If he sees you, it's basically a one-shot kill on New Game Plus.
The Most Efficient Way to Level Up
If you want to actually survive the late-game encounters, you need the Shock Gloves. You get these from Copperhead (a boss fight that is basically just a hallucination-fueled crowd-control test). Once you have the Shock Gloves, the combat becomes trivial—if you know how to charge them.
Build your combo meter. Don't get hit. Once the gloves are active, you can punch through shields, shock sticks, and armored enemies without needing specific moves. It’s a literal game-changer.
But don't rely on them too much. The game has a habit of stripping away your advantages during the "I Am The Night" mode.
Side Quests That Actually Matter
Don't just stick to the main path. Some of the "Most Wanted" missions give you upgrades that make the Batman Arkham Origins walkthrough significantly easier.
- Bird's Missions: These are basically just street fights, but they give you a massive XP boost early on.
- Anarky: His bombs are scattered around. Defusing them teaches you the layout of the city, which is vital for the fast-paced chases later.
- Mad Hatter: It’s a weird, psychedelic platforming sequence. It’s short, but it’s one of the few times the game breaks the "punch, counter, punch" mold.
- Shiva: This is the hardest side mission. She’s located at the Sheldon Park fountain after you hear a baby crying (it’s a trap, obviously). Beating her unlocks some of the best combat upgrades in the game. Do not skip this.
Why the Bridge is a Tactical Nightmare
The Pioneers Bridge is the longest bridge in the history of video games. It feels like it takes twenty minutes to cross. During the Firefly mission, this becomes a gauntlet.
The trick here is the Glue Grenade. It’s basically the Ice Grenade from the other games, but stickier. You can use it to create platforms in the water, but more importantly, you can use it to "pin" snipers. If you're being harassed by long-range fire while trying to climb the bridge's suspension cables, lob a Glue Grenade. It buys you five seconds of peace. In this game, five seconds is an eternity.
Common Misconceptions and Errors
People think the "Dark Knight System" challenges can be done anytime. They can't. Some of them are "missable" because they require specific predator rooms that don't respawn enemies once you've cleared them.
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For example, the "Worst Nightmare" track requires you to perform specific takedowns in specific rooms. If you clear the bank or the steel mill without doing them, you might have to wait until a New Game Plus run to max out your tree. This is a massive flaw in the game's design, but if you're aware of it, you can plan ahead. Always check your challenge rank before entering a named building.
Final Tactics for Blackgate
The end of the game returns you to where it started: Blackgate. But this time, it’s a war zone. The Joker has taken over, and the atmosphere is pitch black.
The fight against Bane here is purely about stealth. Stay out of his line of sight. Use the line launcher to move across the high ground, but be careful—he can pull you down. This isn't about being a hero; it's about being a predator. You have to chip away at him. It’s slow. It’s methodical.
Once you get past Bane, the "fight" with the Joker is more of a narrative beat. It’s a brutal, cinematic conclusion that cements why this game, despite its technical bugs at launch, is a core part of the mythos.
Actionable Insights for Your Playthrough
To truly master the game and get the most out of your experience, follow these specific tactical steps:
- Prioritize the "Disarm and Destroy" upgrade: This is the most important skill in the game. It allows you to permanently break weapons (knives, guns, shields). Without it, the late-game mobs will overwhelm you.
- Don't fast travel everywhere: While the Batwing is convenient, you miss out on "Crime in Progress" events. These are small, randomized fights that provide the steady stream of XP needed to unlock the high-tier health upgrades.
- Master the Quickfire Gadgets: Learn the keyboard or controller shortcuts for the Explosive Gel and the Batclaw. Using them mid-combo is the only way to keep your multiplier high enough to trigger the Shock Gloves quickly.
- Watch the floor: In predator encounters, WB Montréal placed many more floor grates than Rocksteady did. Use them. The AI in Origins is slightly more aggressive about checking vantage points, but they rarely check their feet twice.
- Be patient with the counter button: Especially on Hard or "I Am The Night" difficulty, the window for countering is smaller than in Arkham City. It’s better to dodge (double-tap jump) than to mistime a counter and lose your combo.
The game is a marathon, not a sprint. Take your time with the bosses, respect the rhythm of the combat, and don't let the bridge's length drive you crazy. You'll find that Origins has a soul that is every bit as dark and compelling as the rest of the series.