12 Reasons You Were Wrong About Batman: Arkham Origins

4. A Vibrant Environment

A recurring gripe that many have with Origins is that Montreal's Gotham lacked vibrancy and felt just a tad lifeless.

Whilst the lack of any Gothamites doing last-minute Christmas shopping is disappointing, Gotham during the winter really does look hauntingly beautiful. The inclusion of 'Old Gotham' - the future resting site for the monolithic Arkham City - gave many the chance to look at the environment in a new light. Christmas lights aplenty and covered in snow, the setting is completely transformed under Montreal's direction, in turn breathing new life into a setting gamers had traversed countless times before.

As well as the low, narrow streets of Old Gotham, Montreal also saw fit to introduce a completely new area as well - one much more vertical in nature. Towering above the impoverished areas of the city's suburbs, Gotham's financial centre is littered with interesting new locations to explore and really enables players to stretch their wings as Gotham's protector.

The increased verticality of the New Gotham area not only spices up navigation, but also Invisible Predator as well - players have to be aware of snipers watching their every move, and it all encourages a faster paced style of stealth not present in other titles.

Even though the citizens of Gotham may be absent as well as a distinct police presence, Gotham is a character in itself - something Montreal realised.