Return to Gotham City to ring in the New Year, Arkham Origins style. When the CEO of GothCorp is kidnapped, by Mr. Freeze, Batman sets out to bring him to justice. Along the way, he will uncover the tragic history of his new enemy, prompting our hero to attempt the impossible: save the victim and the villain. Hours of narrative-driven gameplay and new Open World content await...!

Cold, Cold Heart is an action-packed story add-on for Batman: Arkham Origins. Set on New Year’s Eve, Cold, Cold Heart sheds light on the tragic origin story of Mr. Freeze and allows players to discover how he earned his place as one of Gotham City’s greatest villains.

What's great about this add-on is that it takes the original game and spins another game out of it. We are also introduced to new locations including Wayne Manor and GothCorp. You also get access to new gadgets including Thermocharged Batarangs and Thermal Gloves and Batman is also equipped with his powerful Extreme Environment (XE) suit to take down Mr. Freeze and his Cryo-thugs.

I only really have one slight moan about this content and that was the save points tend to be a little clunky. On occasion I was killed, only to have to go back to a rewatch a cut sequence instead of being able to get back into the thick of the action. This isn't always the case, but when it is it's frustrating.

This add-on also relies on the gamer not rushing headlong into battles or situations. This is a sure way of dying almost instantly. What you have to do is take your time and study your environment. The Cryo-thugs, who carry ice weapons that will freeze you on impact, are easy to take down when you work out how to avoid their bursts of ice and that you need to take out some of the normal thugs first.

The Electro gloves are also invaluable as they incapacitate enemies faster, as you send volts of electricity through their bodies.

The environments require you to be familiar with all the gadgets in your arsenal, as it's best to do everything covertly. Disabling the most powerful weapons (by jamming them) and picking off the enemies individually is by far the quickest way forward.

It's interesting to watch the tragic origins of Mister Freeze unfold and witness Batman's first encounter with the tragic villain.

If you own Batman: Arkham Origins and love it, then Cold, Cold Heart adds another dimension to the original. This could be the best £8 you spent on a game this year.

9

Darren Rea