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| Batman: Arkham Origins |
It's no secret that I am a huge DC Comics fan and have been since my childhood. Were it not for the animated exploits of the Super Friends I would never have gotten into comic books in the first place. When my daughter was a little girl, she and I spent some quality couch time together watching Justice League, Justice League Unlimited, and Teen Titans. She absolutely loved the Flash and Robin, so much so that when my mother-in-law's dog had puppies, my daughter named them all as follows: Robin, Flash, Cyborg, Beast Boy, Raven, Supergirl, and Hot Dog (we just assumed that all the puppy naming made her hungry). On a related note, we wound up with Beast Boy but renamed him Banshee because my wife was an X-Men fan, even though that dog very much (too much) lived up to his original name.
My daughter and I also bonded over the Arkham series of video games. She actually beat Batman: Arkham Asylum one day before I did and I helped her navigate the subway tunnels, sewers, and underground cities of Batman: Arkham City. So, when I heard that Batman: Arkham Origins was being made, I reserved a copy and looked forward to more days of family fun with my little girl. On a day off, I picked up my copy of Arkham Origins and proceded to play. The intro scene set the stage for the game's plot as a young Batman found himself with a price on his head by Black Mask. In addition to dealing with a prison break and Blackgate Penitentiary and criminals running rampant in the streets of Gotham, Batman found himself hunted by six elite assassins, Deathstroke chief among them. I breezed through the Blackgate section, took out Killer Croc, and was on my way to get the Penguin on his ship named The Final Offer. After battling my way through the ship I was confronted by the second of the assassins, the Electrocutioner. I geared myself up for a major fight and then...I knocked him out with one punch (the ease of this fight should have been a clue for what was to come). I made my way down to the next room and began to rough up the Penguin for information, but I got drug back into the prior room by a Remote Claw by...Deathstroke.
Once the battle began in earnest, Deathstroke kicked my butt...hard! No problem; let's rematch. Butt kicked again...hard! Ok, now it's serious! Butt kicked...hard! I AM DONE MESSING AROUND! Butt kicked...hard! Go to the internet to get some tips. Ok, I'M READY FOR YOU NOW! Butt kicked ...hard! This process repeated about twenty or so more times. "$%@# THIS GAME!!!" I put the game down for a day, but I came back the next because this time, it was personal! After twenty-six more frustratingly, humiliating attempts, I finally beat him. Comparatively speaking, the rest of the game was a breeze.
By the time my daughter got to the game, she was excited about experiencing more Batman action. Like me, she blasted through Blackgate. She made quick work of Croc. The then completed the tower missions and some side missions. She was really getting into the game. Next, it was to the Penguin and the Final Offer. She fought her way through to the Electrocutioner, "What a joke!" she said. Slapped around the Penguin and then got dragged back to fight Deathstroke. She was familiar with Deathstroke from her days watching Teen Titans and was eager to fight him. First battle...crushing defeat. Second battle...crushing defeat. Third through thirty-fourth battle...crushing defeat. She asked if I could get past Deathstroke and then she would pick back up after that. I agreed. After another hour-and-a-half of getting my butt handed to me, she gave up and left the room more than just a little angry. She never picked up a controller to play Arkham Origins, or anything else with me again. She did pick up Injustice: Gods Among Us for a few days on her own, but the days of us playing together were over. My wife tried to convince me that in reality, I was probably just fighting the inevitable losing battle for her attention with makeup, sleepovers, and boys. But I knew what it really was...I knew that it was...DEATHSTROKE!!! So, if Arkham Origins' Deathstroke has cost you a relationship with a loved one, take your revenge by adhering the following proven strategies to put him down for good and regain your family.
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| I saw this loss screen way too many times. It drove a wedge between my daughter and I (not really, though). |
Part One
- Counter-attack, counter-attack, counter-attack! Taking the fight to Deathstroke early on in the fight is a good way to lose early. His reaction time is way faster than your attack so he is able to block your attack and beat you senseless about the head and shoulders with his battle staff. Instead, wait for Deathstroke to initiate a strike and then block and counterattack him but only when you see the on-screen prompt. Not timing the counter-attack correctly with open you up for a brutal counter-attack.
- Be careful, getting too greedy for damage will result in an unblockable counterstrike string from him. Be patient, block, counter, and chip away at his health meter early in the fight.
- Avoid using the grapple and elbow combination early because, while it is effective and can cause a fair amount of damage, Deathstroke will get wise to this attack in time and block it opening you up for a counter-attack barrage.
- Stick to the strategy above until Deathstroke backs off to about a screen away and blinds you. Be ready to block a lightning-fast succession of power staff strikes (a la Ra's al Ghul from Arkham City). Once you have blocked all the staff strikes you can now activate Beatdown mode in which Batman can land a large number of strikes causing a large amount of damage. One the Beatdown is done, Deathstroke will have lost his mask signaling the battle's second act.
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| Counter, counter, counter! |
Part Two
- In this segment of the battle, Deathstroke will advance to strike you with his battle staff. When this happens, block this to engage in a tug-of-war over the staff. Then when prompted, press block again (not a second before or after). After blocking a second blow, do some real damage. Continue this technique as necessary.
- In this stage of the battle, Deathstroke unveils the new technique of attaching the Remote Claw to you and then to a tank of explosive gas causing the tank to hurtle toward you causing big damage. If you time it correctly, you can press the counter-attack the tank sending it toward Deathstroke instead.
- No matter who gets hit by the tank, Deathstroke will back off across the screen to fire his rifle at you. When this happens, hit him with your Bat Grapple to pull him toward you and out of the animation for the rifle fire. Hit him with the Bat Grapple a second time to then use the grapple and elbow combo to land some big damage. Do not use it again though in the second stage unless Deathstroke goes for the Remote Claw again. Otherwise, continue the battle staff grapple tactic until the end of this part of the fight.
- Deathstroke will again blind you with a gas grenade so be ready for him to again unleash a barrage of staff strike, which you have to block with perfect timing. Then unleash another Beatdown segment. You will next destroy the power staff, causing Deathstroke to draw his sword, signaling the final part of the fight.
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| Bat Grapple Deathstroke to stave off his rifle attack. |
Part Three
- With his mask and staff broken, Deathstroke ups his aggression significantly. Again you have to be patient and wait for Deathstroke to initiate his attack first, which are faster now than before necessitating even more precisely timed counter-attacks. In stage three when grappling with Deathstroke over his weapon, there are now three instances that have to be countered before launching a counter-strike.
- Deathstroke may again attempt to use the Remote Claw/Gas Tank maneuver. Defend this as you did before and watch out for his use of the rifle. Use the Bat Grapple to bring him to you and elbow smash him. Use the grapple/elbow technique again and again until Deathstroke blocks it because it causes decent damage from a safe distance.
- Keep chipping away at Deathstroke until you get a cut scene in which he asks, "WHAT ARE YOU?" Congratulations, you've just beaten Deathstroke: The hardest boss in the entire game!
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| You did it! The Remote Claw is yours! |
There you have it! Deathstroke is defeated. The Remote Claw is earned. And your family honor is restored (well, at least mine was). There is a happy ending to my story as well because even though she has moved out on her own, my daughter and I are closer than ever. Especially when she needs money or food (JK, love you, sweetie).
