The Batman: Arkham games are widely regarded as some of the best comic book games ever made, alongside Insomniac’s Spider-Man. Rocksteady Studios combined excellent freeflow combat, outstanding voice acting, and a captivating rendition of Gotham City to create an unforgettable collection of action-adventure superhero games.
Although Gotham Knights is not part of the “Arkhamverse,” its recent release has inspired us to compile a chronological list of the Batman: Arkham games for those interested in playing (or replaying) some of the best Batman games available.
Batman’s Arkham Series has one of Gaming’s Greatest Combat Systems
Before the release of Batman: Arkham Asylum on August 24th, 2009, the Batman games franchise had a long history of being lackluster. Although the series had been popular in comics, TV, and movies, video game adaptations were often mediocre at best. Some notable disappointments include Batman: The Rise of Sin Tzu and Batman: Dark Tomorrow, which received very low ratings.
Thankfully, on August 25th, 2009, Batman fans finally received the game they deserved. Batman: Arkham Asylum exceeded all expectations and is still regarded as one of the best comic book games ever created.
The game’s world was well-realized, with impressive stealth mechanics and the majority of the voice cast from the animated series reprising their roles. But what really stood out was the combat system, which is considered one of the greatest in gaming history.
Rocksteady Studios, the developers behind Batman: Arkham Asylum, managed to create an incredible combat system that perfectly captured the essence of the Dark Knight. With its fast-paced, free-flowing style, the combat system was a standout feature of the game and helped to solidify its place among the best superhero games ever made.
How Many Batman Arkham Games Are There?
Below we’ve outlined two ways to approach the Batman: Arkham games:
1. Arkham Asylum (2009)
- IMDb Rating: 9.2/10
As previously mentioned, Batman: Arkham Asylum is the game that started it all. Developed by Rocksteady Studios, it was originally released in August 2009 for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Windows. Later on, it was ported to Mac OS in 2011 and remastered for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in 2016.
In the game’s storyline, Batman captures the Joker in Gotham City and takes him to Arkham Asylum. However, things quickly go awry when the Joker orchestrates a jailbreak and takes control of the facility with the help of other notorious villains. As always, it’s up to Batman to restore order and take back control of the asylum.
Arkham Asylum offers a fantastic gaming experience with a wide variety of gadgets and weapons available to the player. The game’s combat system is both easy to use and visually impressive and is perfectly balanced with well-executed stealth sequences. All of these elements work together to make for a truly immersive and enjoyable gaming experience.
2. Arkham City (2011)
- IMDb Rating: 9.4/10
Following the massive success of Arkham Asylum, Rocksteady Studios released a sequel, Batman: Arkham City, in 2011 for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Windows. Later on, it was ported to Wii U and Mac OS in 2012 and remastered for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in 2016.
The game takes place after the events of Arkham Asylum, where a portion of Gotham City has been transformed into Arkham City by the villains from the previous game, under the control of Dr. Hugo Strange. The introduction of Catwoman is also a notable addition to the game, as she becomes a playable character during certain parts of the story.
In terms of gameplay and mechanics, Batman: Arkham City doesn’t make any significant changes compared to its predecessor. However, players are introduced to a variety of new gadgets and weapons to add to their arsenal. Overall, Batman: Arkham City continues the high-quality gaming experience of the first game and further cements the series’ reputation as one of the best comic book adaptations in video game history.
3. Arkham Origins (2013)
- IMDb Rating: 8.2/10
Set on Christmas Eve in a snowy Gotham, Batman: Arkham Origins features a younger and less-experienced version of the Dark Knight. With a $50 million bounty on his head, Batman becomes the target of many notorious criminals in Gotham, including the Joker, Black Mask, The Penguin, and many others. The game’s ending also hints at the reopening of Arkham Asylum, which sets up the events of the subsequent game in the series.
Unlike the previous games in the series, Batman: Arkham Origins features a different voice cast, with Roger Craig Smith playing Batman and Troy Baker playing the Joker. While Rocksteady Studios established the Arkhamverse, this game was developed by WB Montreal, the studio responsible for the upcoming Gotham Knights game.
A mobile version of the game was also released, although it plays differently than its console counterpart. Developed by NeatherRealm, the mobile version is a brawler game that follows the same narrative beats as the console game.
4. Arkham Knight (2015)
- IMDb Rating: 9.0/10
Batman: Arkham Knight is the latest game in the main series, developed by Rocksteady Studios and released in 2015 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows.
Continuing the storyline from Arkham City, the game takes place on the streets of Gotham City and features Scarecrow and a new villain, the Arkham Knight, as the main antagonists.
The game’s standout feature is the introduction of the Batmobile, which adds a new dimension to gameplay. However, other aspects of gameplay remain largely unchanged from the previous entries, albeit with some refinements.
As of now, Batman: Arkham Knight is the final game in the main series.
6. Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League (2023)
- Releases May 26, 2023
This is an upcoming action-adventure game that is set to be released in 2023 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Windows. This will be the fifth installment in the popular Batman: Arkham series, but fans can expect some major differences from the earlier games.
One of the biggest changes is that players won’t be controlling Batman, as the protagonists of the game are actually the Suicide Squad members – Harley Quinn, Deadshot, Captain Boomerang, and King Shark – who are fighting to save the world from a greater threat than they themselves posed.
This time around, the alien entity Brainiac has set his sights on Earth and has also managed to brainwash most of the Justice League. The sudden switch of roles between antagonist and protagonist isn’t the only game-changing feature of Suicide Squad, as it also puts a greater emphasis on team-based play.
While up to four players can take on the roles of the Suicide Squad members for cooperative multiplayer, solo players can also hand off control of the other team members to the game’s AI. Additionally, players can switch between characters for different strengths and abilities, allowing them to customize their gameplay experience.
All four playable characters have unique abilities. And this holds true for both combat and travel mechanics.
Suicide Squad also boasts a huge change in the series’ setting. The Arkham games have been almost entirely focused on Batman. This generally means that players have been able to explore various times and places within Gotham.
But a change in the protagonist opens up the possibility of wildly new settings. And in this case, the series has moved beyond Gotham and into Superman’s home of Metropolis. This makes for an exciting change for a series that’s well known for expansive and fleshed-out open-world environments.
Of course, the Arkham series is just as well known for storytelling as it is for open-world game mechanics. And Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League continues that tradition.
Portable Series and Expansions
Arkham City Lockdown (2011)
Batman: Arkham City Lockdown was a mobile fighting game that was first released for iOS in 2011, and later for Android in June 2013. However, it is no longer available on either platform.
The game featured many characters from both Arkham City and Asylum, and focused mainly on combat rather than story. Players could engage in battles with various villains using Batman’s signature gadgets and moves.
Batman: Arkham Origins (mobile) (2013)
Batman: Arkham Origins (mobile) is a mobile action game that was developed by Netherrealm Studios and released in 2013 for both iOS and Android.
In many aspects, it is the same as Arkham City Lockdown, however, it only has one cutscene. The story line is that of Batman: Arkham Origins but with a few alterations.
Arkham Origins Blackgate (2013)
Released in 2013, Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate is a spin-off of the main game, and was designed specifically for hand-held gaming devices. It features a 2.5D side-scrolling gameplay format, and was initially released for the Nintendo 3DS and PlayStation Vita.
However, it was later ported to other platforms such as Windows, PlayStation 3, Wii U, and Xbox 360 in 2014. Despite the game not being in 3D, it still manages to capture the fluid combat and well-executed stealth sequences that the main game is known for.
Arkham Underworld (2016)
Unlike all the other games in the list where you play the Batman, the Arkham Underworld edition was a mobile strategy game where you take up the role of Gotham City’s recognizable villains such as Two-Face and Harley Quinn.
The mobile game, Batman: Arkham Underworld, was released for both Android and iOS platforms in July 2016. The objective of the game was to become the most wanted criminal in Gotham. However, the game was unfortunately removed from both platforms in 2017.
Arkham VR (2016)
Arkham VR is an adventure game designed for PlayStation VR that was first released in October 2016. Unlike the other games in the series, it is not centered around combat but rather on puzzle-solving and exploration.
The game takes place between the events of Arkham City and Arkham Knight and features the player assuming the role of Batman as he tries to solve the mystery of Robin and Nightwing’s disappearance following the events of Arkham City.
Batman Court of Owls (To Be Determined)
There have been reports suggesting that WB Montreal is developing a Batman-related project following the cancellation of the Suicide Squad live game.
Despite the lack of official information, the buzz around the upcoming release of Batman: Court of Owls is growing stronger, with many signs pointing towards a Bruce Wayne game featuring the Court of Owls as the villains.
Fans have been eagerly awaiting an official debut of the game, but so far, none have materialized. However, there are indications that an announcement may be made in the coming year. Until then, rumors surrounding the game will likely continue to circulate.
Overall, the Batman Arkham video game series is among the most popular in both the superhero genre and the entire video game market.
If you’re interested in more games like GTA for example, you should know what is their order from the first release to the last. Grand Theft Auto is a video game series that has captured the imagination of gamers around the world. The game had one of the most successful evolutions and there is no human on this planet that didn’t hear of this game.
FAQs
1. Why Is Batman Rated M?
The Batman video game series, including Batman: Arkham, has been rated M for mature due to its violent content, including graphic depictions of violence, blood, and gore.
The games also contain mature language and themes, including references to drug use and sexual content.
The M rating is intended for audiences aged 17 and up and is meant to indicate that the game is not suitable for children or younger teenagers.
The rating is determined by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB), an independent organization that assigns ratings to video games based on their content.
2. Is Suicide Squad a Sequel to Arkham Knight?
Yes, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is a sequel to Batman: Arkham Knight, taking place five years after the events of Arkham Knight. The game can be played solo or in co-op mode, and will explore the consequences of the Joker’s death and Batman’s disappearance.
3. Why Are Arkham Origins Not in The Arkham Collection?
Arkham Origins was developed by Warner Bros. Games Montreal instead of the original developer, Rocksteady Studios. Therefore, it was not included in the Arkham Collection, which only includes the games developed by Rocksteady.
Arkham Origins was developed for the previous generation of consoles, while the Arkham Collection was released for current generation consoles.
4. What Is Joker’s Real Name?
One of the biggest secrets in the world of DC Comics has been revealed as one of its most iconic characters, an enigmatic villain, gets an official name. In the latest issue of Flashpoint Beyond #5, the Joker’s real name has been revealed:Â Jack Oswald White.
Conclusion
the Batman: Arkham series has been a massive success and has become one of the most popular superhero video game franchises of all time. With its immersive gameplay, intriguing storyline, and iconic characters, it has won the hearts of millions of gamers worldwide.
The series may have come to a close with Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, but the legacy of the Dark Knight lives on in the hearts of his fans.