Batman: Arkham Origins - Cold, Cold Heart

"Cold, Cold Heart" spins a compelling yarn on the origins of Mr. Freeze with impressive detail and dialogue. Just don't expect many changes to the series' combat or a satisfying resolution.

It’s Batman’s first encounter with his icy foe, Mr. Freeze, in the Arkham series. Was it epic?

Cold, Cold Heart feels like a legitimate addition to the Arkham Origins lore, and not just a cheap cash-in. It’s definitely a side story that’s too big to be shoved into the core game, even if it doesn’t really innovate in any meaningful way. While I wouldn’t go out of my way to buy Arkham Origins just for it, I’d implore any current owner to take a look.

Cold, Cold Heart is a self-contained adventure that retells the familiar Mr. Freeze origin story. That's good news and bad news, because while Freeze's motivations are some of Batman's rogue's gallery's most sympathetic, this version sadly seems to have virtually no interest in putting a new spin on it. It's almost identical to the Batman: The Animated Series episode Heart of Ice, so if you've seen that (and you should) there are no surprises.

The 'Cold, Cold Heart' DLC is rewarding enough for restless fans, but with so much time and resources committed to the campaign, it's surprising there isn't more meat on the bone. It's a shame, since this standalone introduction to a famous villain is the kind of formula that could have worked for several others post-release, had that been WB's overall strategy. As it stands, it meets the expectations of most slimmed-down, story-driven DLC - for good and bad.