Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate is a leaner, scrappier Arkham game.

A stand-alone game that accompanies console big brother Batman: Arkham Origins, Blackgate is a successful distillation of the world and mechanics of the Arkham games. Aside from some frustrating boss fights, Blackgate lives up to its pedigree, with a well-paced adventure, smart touchscreen integration and an appealing, well-designed world.

Blackgate begins with an exciting tutorial stage that effectively introduces Batman's dark, brooding world and his signature abilities. Picking up a few months after the events of Arkham Origins, Batman encounters Catwoman for the first time and ruins her in-progress burglary. Not long after her arrest, the adventure leads to Blackgate prison, where villains Penguin, The Joker and Black Mask have taken over. It's your job to explore the nasty environment, dispense justice, and take back the prison from its criminal overlords.

As in previous Arkham games, Blackgate centers on action that nimbly jumps between exploration, platforming, puzzle-solving, light stealth and combat. I beat up thugs of all shapes, sizes and criminal affiliations, used my bat-tools and "detective vision" to solve environmental puzzles and crept through dingy vents on my way to screw up Joker's evil plans. The pace here is a touch more deliberate, with complex environments and a structure that required more thoughtful exploration.