Batman: Arkham Origins' Cold, Cold Heart story DLC is a retelling of the Batman: The Animated Series episode "Heart of Ice", and it is a fantastic adaptation. Tackling the animated series' most famous episode was a risk, and the team behind the game pulled it off and then some. Cold, Cold Heart retells the story of Victor Fries, better known as Mr. Freeze, and reminds fans why he's the tragic villain that they've come to love.
[The following contains SPOILERS for Batman: Arkham Origins]
Heart of Ice was an early episode of Batman: The Animated Series, and it was the debut of that series' version of Mr. Freeze. Previously, Freeze had been considered a lame villain with an equally lame ice gimmick. However, Heart of Ice not only reinvented Mr. Freeze, but became so iconic that it became the basis for every incarnation of Victor that came afterwards. In fact, when DC tried to change Freeze's Batman villain origin, fans hated it so much that it was reverted back to the Heart of ice version, showing how iconic Victor's tragic story is. If there was any Mr. Freeze story for Arkham Origins to remake, then Heart of Ice would be the one.
Even beyond Freeze's story, Cold, Cold Heart adds a good amount of gameplay, providing new enemies to fight and gadgets to use. It does exactly what DLC should do by providing more worthwhile content. Players will definitely enjoy it, and fans of the animated series would likely jump at the chance to see this new adaptation of Freeze's famous origin.
Cold, Cold Heart Is Faithful To Heart Of Ice, Yet Also Innovative
In taking inspiration from such an iconic piece of Batman media, Cold, Cold Heart had a difficult line to walk, especially in the eyes of discerning fans. After all, Mr. Freeze's story is popular enough for DC to make a YA graphic novel based on Freeze. Despite this, the developers triumphed in their execution. The story of Cold, Cold Heart will be familiar to anyone who is even somewhat familiar with Heart of Ice, and while it hits some different beats than the original episode, it still possesses a similar narrative impact.
The plot follows Mr. Freeze's attempt to take revenge on Ferris Boyle, his former boss who ruined his attempts to find a cure for his wife Nora's terminal illness. In this version of the story, Freeze is successful in kidnapping Boyle, spurring Batman to do some serious detective work in order to track down Freeze and rescue the seemingly-upstanding businessman. From there, the story touches on some familiar territory, from Batman discovering Freeze's motivation, and the reveal that Boyle is actually far more callous than he appeared, albeit in different situations than the original story. It is a strong adaptation, and hopefully whatever Mr. Freeze is doing in Gotham Knights manages to meet a similar high bar.
While some may call it a playable version of Heart of Ice, Cold, Cold Heart actually goes its own way in a few different ways. However, it still manages to hold the emotional weight of the original story. As the title of Arkham Origins implies, it works perfectly as an origin for the Arkham version of Mr. Freeze, especially when one remembers that this version of Freeze actually gets a happy ending by the timeline's end.
Cold, Cold Heart's Locations & Setpieces Are Exquisite
Most players will say that graphics are secondary to excellent gameplay. However, good environments and stages can greatly elevate a game, and Cold, Cold Heart's additions to the game are extraordinary. The new scenes and settings for Batman to adventure through are beautifully detailed, acting as the perfect stages to show exactly what Arkham Origins did better than other Batman games as the DLC plays out.
Wayne Manor, where the story's explosive beginning takes place, is lovingly detailed, the designers perfectly captured the classiness of Bruce Wayne's famous abode. Having to sneak around Bruce's own home has a strong sense of tension, especially since it is the one place where Bruce should feel truly safe. It even makes for an excellent combat arena as Batman fights the thugs that are starting fires in the mansion. The other major location of the DLC, GothCorp, is an eerie industrial area that radiates ominousness. Mr. Freeze's presence is felt in the large portions of the building that have been frozen over, keeping Batman aware of the danger that he's in.
Cold, Cold Heart's level design was a definite triumph that made the DLC even better than its already high potential all the way through, ending with one of Origins's exceptional boss fights. Each scene nails the feeling that it needs to create, and it plays to the game's already-existing strengths in terms of gameplay. The DLC did exactly what it needed to do, and that was making Arkham Origins even better.
In Cold, Cold Heart, Ferris Boyle Finally Gets His Comeuppance
Ferris Boyle, Victor's former boss, was a character specifically made for Batman: The Animated Series in order to fit Freeze's new backstory. He is a cruel man who puts on a facade of being a generous humanitarian, when the only thing that he truly cares about is his own image and success. It is his destruction of Victor's attempts to save Nora that wind up turning the desperate man into Mr. Freeze. Unlike most of Gotham's villains, Boyle utterly lacks any tragic backstory, redemptive moments, or coolness factor, making him a simply loathsome figure. While Freeze proves himself to be more than just another cryokinetic DC Batman villain, Boyle shows himself to be nothing more than an unscrupulous, self-centered crook.
In Heart of Ice, Boyle's fate was never definitive. Batman left him half-frozen at his gala with an incriminating tape that would likely destroy his reputation, but the viewer is not told what became of him. In Cold, Cold Heart, Boyle is even worse than before. He even attacks Batman after his fight with Freeze so that he can attempt to beat Victor to death while the latter desperately begs him to fix his wife's malfunctioning cryogenic chamber. Thankfully, Batman manages to fight back to save Victor and Nora while acknowledging which of the men is the true monster in the story. In the end, Boyle's well-deserved arrest is confirmed, and Victor lives another day to search for his wife's cure and hopefully find the redemption Batman believes he can achieve.
Ferris Boyle likely remains one of Gotham's most hateable figures even as Gotham Knights' nears release, and seeing him be properly punished for his crimes likely pleased plenty of fans. His presence does plenty to further Victor's role as a sympathetic villain, and is necessary to make the origin work. In the end it succeeds, as Batman realizes that Freeze needs help, while Boyle deserves nothing but a jail cell.
Cold, Cold Heart goes above and beyond what was expected of it, and may be Arkham Origins best DLC. As a remake of a classic story, it succeeds, and as an engaging gameplay experience, it performs just as well. Batman: Arkham Origins brought back Mr. Freeze's most iconic tale and told it beautifully.