Parent's Guide: Batman: Arkham Origins - Age rating, mature content and difficulty

Batman: Arkham Origins is a free-roaming action game that puts you in the bat-boots of the caped crusader himself. With a plot that sees eight of the world's finest assassin's drafted in to kill you, and a $50 million bounty on your head, Arkham Origins is a game that's all about making you feel like a super hero - and is a game that any Bat fan will love.

With the entirety of the Arkham City to explore, Batman has a variety of gadgets at his hand to help him get around. Using a grapple hook, he can shoot up to higher ground, before leaping off the roof, and using his cape to fly (or rather, fall with style) around the city. While there's a twisting plot to follow that introduces you to many Batman villains for the very first time (the game is a prequel of sorts, that stars an inexperienced Batman), there's plenty to be done when you aren't especially following the story, too, with a sprawling city, and the collectables/side-missions it holds waiting to be discovered.

While older teens should have no trouble with Batman Arkham Origins, there are a few things some players may struggle with. The game itself is rather complex, and finding your way around the city isn't always as easy as it should be - although there is a waypoint marker built in to a compass at the top of the screen, managing your waypoints, and even telling if your objective is above or below you can be tricky. The game does require the use of dual analogue sticks, too, with a camera that doesn't stick quite close enough behind you for you to forgo having to adjust the viewpoint yourself.

Although you're a crime fighting good guy, Batman: Arkham Origins does contain a few things parents may want to be aware of. First off, while Arkham is full of dangerous criminals, most of them seem to be fairly well spoken, with little bad language on show. What there is is mild, with the occasional "sh**" and "b**tard" making their way into the dialogue.

In terms of violence, while there's little blood on show, some of the scenes here can be quite impactful. Whether it's Batman pressing his boot into the face of a fallen bad guy to make him talk, before stamping on his throat to knock him out, or bending an attacking baddie's arm in a way it's likely not meant to bend, complete with a crack, it's certainly more forceful than the 60s TV show, although Batman does very rarely kill people. Look at any enemies you've beaten using Batman's scanner, and it'll let you know their heart rate, and that they're unconscious. You do come across dead people during the course of your investigations, although they've died at someone else's hand - one scene in the jail near the start of the game sees several bodies hanging from nooses from the roof.

Age Ratings

Format Reviewed: Nintendo Wii U