Batman: Arkham Origins was a very solid entry, but the decision to not make a sequel was a mistake. While the game did a decent job of portraying Batman's early days as a crime fighter, there are other origin stories that were not elaborated upon. A sequel could have explored Batman's world even further, and to great effect.
Batman: Arkham Origins is the third game in the Arkham series, and is a prequel to the rest of the series. It takes place during Batman's second year fighting crime, and sees several of his rogues' gallery before they became infamous. For example, Harley Quinn was still just an intern during the game's events, and the Joker had yet to become Gotham's biggest threat. There is even an Arkham: Origins DLC based on Mr. Freeze that takes inspiration from "Heart of Ice", his debut episode of Batman: The Animated Series. Overall, the game is an interesting look at Batman's past.
A sequel to Origins could have delved into the background of characters that the first game didn't get around to exploring. This could have either added more intriguing aspects to these characters, or at least provided some excellent plotl ines and boss fights. The characters that Origins missed could have benefited greatly from a sequel that unfortunately did not come.
An Arkham: Origins Sequel Could Have Seen Harvey Dent Fall Into Two-Face
Two-Face is one of Batman's most personal foes for a different reason than most. Harvey Dent was an honest district attorney and a good friend of Bruce Wayne. However, after being scarred by a mob boss, Harvey lost his sanity and became Two-Face, a feared crime boss who decides his actions through the flip of a coin. Two-Face is a candidate to replace Riddler in Gotham Knights due to his intelligence, but it's his close connection to Bruce Wayne that would have given him a perfect story in an Origins sequel.
An Origins sequel could have seen Harvey as an early ally, helping Batman during his early cases. However, once his scarring happens, the player would see him spiral until he embraced the persona of Two-Face. This could see Bruce's reaction to Harvey's fall as it happened, adding more emotional depth to the story. Seeing Batman have to fight and defeat his old friend would be a high point of drama, specially if Harvey tries to fight against the Two-Face persona as he has done several times in the past.
As one of Batman's most personal opponents, the fact that Two-Face's origin was not portrayed in the original Origins is disappointing. Origins was Arkham Batman's best detective showing, and him deducing that Harvey had become a criminal could have been a powerful scene. Harvey Dent's story is one of the saddest in the Batman mythos, and not incorporating it into a game is a missed opportunity for fans.
Dick Grayson's Start As Robin Could Have Happened In An Origins Sequel
The story of how Dick Grayson became Robin is well-known to Batman fans at this point. A young gymnast performing in the circus, Dick was orphaned after his parents were murdered, and Batman took him in. Dick would go on to become the hero Nightwing, as well as a spy for a time, but it all started with him becoming the first Robin, the most iconic sidekick in comics. Although he is getting a starring role in the Gotham Knights, Gotham Knights' Nightwing is different from Arkham's, and Arkham's DIck Grayson was sadly underutilized.
In a sequel to Origins, the beginning of Dick's hero career could have been a major part of the plot. The player could have controlled Batman as he investigates the assassination of Dick's parents and tracks down their killer. From there, Dick's training could have been a thread of the main story, perhaps with a payoff in the end of Dick taking up the mantle of Robin at the end of the game. Dick's early days as Robin have not been explored very much, especially not in recent years. An Origins sequel could have explored that if one had come to .
Dick's presence in the Arkham series was quite minimal for such an important member of the Bat Family. He was DLC in City, exclusive to Arkham: Origins unnecessary but solid multiplayer mode, and played a minor role in Knight. As Batman's most famous protégé, Dick should have recieved some proper attention from the Arkham series. An Origins sequel could have done justice to his backstory, but instead he spent the bulk of the series on the sidelines.
An Arkham: Origins Sequel Could Have Seen The Beginning Of Poison Ivy's Crusade
Poison Ivy is one of the biggest names in Batman's long list of enemies. In fact, many of her recent incarnations have been less villainous, usually more interested in helping Harley Quinn than causing trouble. However, she is still incredibly powerful, and can be very dangerous. In a sequel to Arkham: Origins, it could have been shown how she ended up as such a deadly villain.
Pamela Isley does get a small mention in Arkham: Origins, but at that point she's still a mild-mannered botanist, and her transformation takes place entirely offscreen. This left her forgotten while Joker got his perfect story in Arkham: Origins. In an Origins sequel, the full scope of her transformation into Poison Ivy could have been explored. Both she and her mentor Dr. Woodrue, who betrayed her and caused her transformation, could be major players in the plot. A good way to set up Ivy's role for the rest of the series would be to have her take revenge on Woodrue, then have her rampage stopped by Batman. That would help to play up both the tragic and dangerous parts of her character.
Being such a popular character, Ivy would have been an excellent figure to feature in an Origins sequel. However, since such a game never came to be, the Arkhamverse version of Ivy's origins never received any attention, showing that Arkham ignored The Animated Series' most important lesson. Considering that she would ultimately play a major role and redeem herself in Knight, this is more than a little disappointing.
Batman: Arkham Origins could have been the jumping-off point for a sequel that could explore more of his ing cast. However, since no sequel came to , a lot of stories that could have been translated very well to video game format never got developed. Never making a sequel to Batman Arkham: Origins could be the biggest missed opportunity for the series.