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The Batman: Arkham series remains one the best lines of superhero games ever created in the eyes of many players. Eight years after the release of the final game, Arkham Knight, it still feels as though there’s been a void left in the wake of this franchise that nothing else has been able to satisfactorily fill. No series is perfect, though, and there are definitely highs and lows within each Batman experience Rocksteady (and WB Games Montreal) put out there Batman: Arkham ranked.
Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League is just around the corner and is Rocksteady’s promise of continuing the Batman: Arkham series by focusing on other characters and a variation on the gameplay style, but at the end of the day, there’s a special feeling to the Arkham games that may never be replicated. Whether it’s sneaking around Arkham Asylum to face off against Killer Croc or speeding through Gotham to keep the Scarecrow from engulfing the city in Fear Toxin, the Batman: Arkham series is nothing but action-packed, fun memories for many.
4. Arkham Origins
The one Batman: Arkham game not handled by Rocksteady suffers from, indeed, being a Batman: Arkham game not managed by Rocksteady. In defense of Arkham Origins, the game definitely received more negativity than was due upon its release, seemingly only because of the aforementioned lack of Rocksteady involvement. Many have called this the “one bad Arkham game,” and the fact that the Arkham Trilogy entirely ignores this title’s existence would suggest that Warner Bros. Games may even be a little ashamed of this entry and its tarnished reputation.
In reality, this really isn’t a bad game, just not one that saw the same level of innovation for mechanics or storytelling that the Rocksteady trilogy got, and that was never the intention. Arkham Origins was always meant to be a game to fill the gap between Arkham City and Arkham Knight by giving players more of what they loved after the massive success of the second title in the trilogy. It delivers on that with plenty of Batman hand-to-hand action and some great villain inclusions that never would have jumped out of the comics into this series otherwise. It still falls short of the rest of the series, but in no considerable way.
3. Arkham Asylum
Arkham Asylum gets its due credit for being the game that started it all. A Batman game that both gave every other superhero title a run for its money and truly helped usher in an age of cinematic gaming experiences.
Unfortunately, it does suffer from the classic aging issue that plagues many games from this era. The visuals, combat, and various other mechanics just don’t feel as good as they once did, especially with the vast improvements made by subsequent games doing that much more to make Arkham Asylum feel a bit archaic upon modern replay. If Dead Space can get a current remake after launching in 2010, then Arkham Asylum could certainly get one, considering it launched a year earlier.
2. Arkham Knight
Arkham Knight is the final game in the Rocksteady trilogy and is nothing if not polarizing among diehard fans. Some consider it an amazing game and a worthy finish to the series, with the stakes being higher than ever and the combat and visuals being cranked to a level that compliments everything fans love about these games. Some consider the story to be the most messy, full of predictable moments and plotholes, alongside the addition of driving sections that take up way too much of the title’s playtime despite not being something the series is known for.
Ultimately, the level of enjoyment a player gets out of Arkham Knight may come down to how they feel about an emphasis on the Batmobile and a story that, for most, doesn’t feel quite as unique or special as what came before. If those pills are easy to swallow, everything else about Arkham Knight soars.
1. Arkham City
It’s difficult not to consider Arkham City the peak of the series. Rocksteady buffed out all of the rough edges from Arkham Asylum and expanded upon them in a way that was absolutely mindblowing for players who had only experienced these mechanics in the limited space of the first game previously.
It’s difficult not to consider Arkham City the peak of the series. Rocksteady buffed out all of the rough edges from Arkham Asylum and expanded upon them in a way that was absolutely mindblowing for players who had only experienced these mechanics in the limited space of the first game previously.
The end result is a game that feels massive, both in the scope of its map, story, and fighting. It’s also aged incredibly well in contrast to Arkham Asylum and can easily still be played today without the weight of 12 years passing by being felt to any significant extent. Arkham City is undoubtedly a masterpiece of the early 2010s.
