The team at Warner Bros Montreal inherited quite a bit when they made Batman: Arkham Origins. Sure, there’s the big stuff like the ingenious, game-unlocking realisation that Batman should be good in a melee fight but useless (or tactical) against guns. And there’s the idea that a game about Batman should showcase his detective skills as much as his ability to simply lamp people.
But there’s the small stuff, too, and the small stuff almost matters more. There’s that corkscrew unspooling of the bat-rope as it races towards a grapple point. There’s that The unhurried, stoical Batman walk, the stately walk of a man who fears nothing in this world. I have only seen one person do this walk in real life – well, on cable TV, if that counts as real life – and it was noted fashion photographer Nigel Barker, strolling away from a nasty run-in with a contestant on America’s Next Top Model. I have never loved or feared him more. What a walk.