Highlights

  • Arkham Asylum blew everyone away with its perfect adaptation of Batman, spectacular voice acting, and immersive storytelling. (92 Metascore)
  • Arkham City surpassed its predecessor, delivering an unbelievable open-world adventure with enhanced combat and a compelling story. (96 Metascore)
  • Arkham Knight presents a captivating last chapter, with fluid gameplay, but is polarizing due to intrusive Batmobile sequences. (87 Metascore)

In 2009, the relatively unknown developer, Rocksteady Studios, did something unusual. It released a comic book video game that was truly outstanding. Its name was Batman: Arkham Asylum. Asylum wasn't the first good superhero game, but great titles based on comic books were so rare that it was always a surprise to see one. And even more impressively, it wasn't just the one. The series consistently delivered high-quality games in the following years.

By this point, there have been a bunch of great titles – and a few mediocre ones – released under the Arkham banner. Which begs the question, how do they stack up against each other? Which is the best Batman Arkham game?

Updated February 5, 2024 by Mark Sammut: After a long wait, Rocksteady's Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League finally came out, launching to a mixed reception. While playing nothing like the previous entries in the series and featuring a whole new batch of playable characters, the 2024 release is still part of the Arkham universe, albeit as a spin-off rather than a proper Batman entry. Still, this could very well prove to be the franchise's final game; therefore, did it go out on a high?

12 Batman: Arkham Origins (Mobile)

Metascore: 63

Batman: Arkham Origins (Mobile) game
Batman: Arkham Origins (Mobile)

Platform(s)
Android , iOS
Developer(s)
NetherRealm Studios
Genre(s)
Beat 'Em Up

Despite having the same name, Arkham Origins on mobile is a completely different game from the one on Xbox 360, PS3, and PC. Primarily because on iOS and Android, the game was a brawler, not an action-adventure title. In 2021, Arkham Origins Mobile was removed from the Apple and Play Stores, so it is no longer possible to legally download the free-to-play game.

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It was a freemium game, so expectations for it were never high. The fighting was simple, and the lack of variety in Batman's opponents didn't help. However, the restrictive stamina system meant players could not brawl for long periods unless they wanted to spend money.

11 Batman: Arkham Underworld

Metascore: 64

Batman: Arkham Underworld Riddler
Batman: Arkham Underworld

Platform(s)
Android , iOS
Released
July 14, 2016
Developer(s)
Turbine
Genre(s)
Strategy

Underworld is a different sort of mobile game from Origins. It's also a freemium title, but instead of fighting Batman's villains, players control them. Similar to its companion app, Underworld was eventually removed from stores, and it lasted a far shorter time than Origins.

The goal was to build up a criminal empire using management skills. Players also get to partake in a little bit of fighting during missions. That said, the game was mostly about strategy. It was fine, but aside from the voice actors, it was an Arkham game in name only.

10 Batman: Arkham City Lockdown

Metascore: 69

Batman: Arkham City Lockdown Batman versus Deathstroke
Batman: Arkham City Lockdown

Platform(s)
Android , iOS
Released
December 7, 2011
Developer(s)
NetherRealm Studios
Genre(s)
Action-Adventure

Any game that followed Asylum and City was going to struggle to live up to their excellence. Arkham City Lockdown, however, has avoided any comparisons to those classics because it's nothing like them.

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The title has more in common with its successor, Arkham Origins (mobile). It's an iOS and Android fighter, where Batman takes on various goons. The brawling is simplistic and repetitive, but at least it's fast-paced. In comparison to most mobile fighters, it's fine; compared to the best of the Arkham series, it's mediocre.

9 Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate

Metascore: 68

Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate
Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate

Platform(s)
3DS , PC , PS3 , PS Vita , Wii U , Xbox 360
Released
August 25, 2013
Developer(s)
Armature
Genre(s)
Stealth , Metroidvania

With Blackgate, Armature Studio attempted to bring Arkham to handheld consoles. To do this, they made certain changes to account for the less powerful systems, the main one being the switch to a 2.5D perspective.

The result isn't perfect. Combat and stealth feel shallow compared to the main Arkham games. Whereas, the environments are very repetitive and uninteresting. At least the game recounts the first meeting between Batman and Catwoman. An argument could be made that Underworld and Lockdown were more interesting games than Blackgate, but the fact the latter can still be played today gives it the edge.

8 Batman: Arkham Trilogy

Metacritic User Score: 7.0

batman-arkham-trilogy-switch-timed-exclusive-suit
Batman: Arkham Trilogy

Platform(s)
Switch
Released
December 1, 2023
Genre(s)
Action-Adventure

Batman: Arkham Trilogy for the Switch is in a strange place that makes it simultaneously a decent option but also difficult to recommend. As the title suggests, this package comes with Arkham Asylum, Arkham City, and Arkham Knight. While these projects are fairly old, the option to play them on the go using the Switch is enticing. Along with all the vanilla content that adds up to comfortably more than 30 hours for just the main stories, the trilogy also comes with the DLC, most of which are pretty darn good.

Now, the main sticking point is performance. The Switch was never going to compete with the PC or even PS4/XBO versions, and that expectation holds true. However, Arkham Asylum and Arkham City are more than playable on Nintendo's system, and the latter runs surprisingly well. Conversely, Arkham Knight is a bit of a mess, to the point of barely being an option. Anyone contemplating picking up this release should not take Arkham Knight into account.

7 Batman: Return To Arkham

Metascore: 77

batman return to arkham card cover
Batman: Return to Arkham

Platform(s)
PS4 , Xbox One
Released
October 18, 2016
Developer(s)
Rocksteady Studios , Virtuos
Genre(s)
Action-Adventure

Once a popular game is around long enough, it's bound to get remastered in some form, and that's what happened to the first two Arkham titles in this collection. They aren't the most inspiring remasters, though.

All Return To Arkham does is give both Asylum and City slight visual upgrades. It didn't improve the frame rate of the two games, so the gameplay is largely unchanged. Still, it's nice to have them both on newer consoles to ensure they are as accessible as possible; furthermore, this compilation is backward-compatible with the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. Plus, Return to Arkham is a fine package for people who never played the originals.

Still, it is hard not to be disappointed with Return to Arkham since it does not feel like an appropriate "definitive" edition for two of the greatest games of all time. Also, why was Arkham Origins left out? That game gets way too little love.

6 Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League

Metascore: 70

harley quinn, king shark, deadshot, captain boomerang (left to right)
Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League

Platform(s)
PC , PS5 , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S
Released
February 2, 2024
Developer(s)
Rocksteady Studios
Genre(s)
Action , Adventure

While not the worst Arkham game, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is the most disappointing and polarizing. Rocksteady's long-awaited return to this beloved universe steadily turned sour as more and more news regarding the project came out, particularly its game-as-a-service model and a combat system revolving around guns and loot. In the months before its launch, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League was surrounded by controversy and negative press, to the point of being dismissed as a failure before ever hitting store shelves. Rather than being one of 2024's most highly-anticipated releases, it became an early contender for one of the year's most frustrating drops.

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Does that mean the game has nothing to offer? Well, no. Visually, Kill the Justice League looks fantastic, particularly during its cutscenes. If nothing else, the graphics are of proper current-generation quality. The gameplay is the definition of a mixed bag. The minute-to-minute action is fast-paced, frantic, and has some weight to it; consequently, it can be fun for a couple of hours. Each member of the Suicide Squad has unique movement abilities that are fairly enjoyable to utilize. Unfortunately, the gunplay reduces the characters' uniqueness during combat, so they don't shine as individuals as much as they should. The story is fine too, although it does fall short of Rocksteady's high standards.

5 Batman: Arkham VR

Metascore: 74

Batsuit in Batman Arkham VR
Batman: Arkham VR

Platform(s)
PC , PS4
Released
October 11, 2016
Developer(s)
Rocksteady Studios
Genre(s)
Adventure

The chance to feel what it's like to be Batman is enticing and that's close to what Arkham VR offers. Although, it's mostly the detective side of the Dark Knight's crusade that players get to experience. They have to solve compelling puzzles to find out what happened to Nightwing and Robin.

It's an engaging and imaginative game that makes good use of the PlayStation VR. Nevertheless, Arkham VR doesn't match the scale and depth of the bigger entries in the series, and it does come across as a tech demo. Nevertheless, die-hard fans of the Caped Crusader should check out this spin-off.

4 Batman: Arkham Origins

Metascore: 76

Batman-Arkham origins header
Batman: Arkham Origins

Platform(s)
PS3 , Xbox 360 , PC , Wii U
Released
October 25, 2013
Developer(s)
WB Games Montreal
Genre(s)
Action , Adventure

This prequel could've easily been a disaster. Rocksteady wasn't the developer, and Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill weren't on the voice cast. Yet, all of their replacements did great, especially WB Games Montréal, who proved they could make a solid Arkham game.

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The only downside to Origins is its lack of invention. Besides some shock gloves, it doesn't do anything that its predecessors didn't. The map is just Arkham City's open-world with a Christmas coat of paint, although the setting is still quite visually pleasing. Ultimately, more Arkham is always a good thing, especially when it delivers a compelling story with fun boss battles like Origins does.

Batman: Arkham Origins received a Mr. Freeze-themed expansion called Cold, Cold Heart.

3 Batman: Arkham Knight

Metascore: 87

The Batmobile in Batman: Arkham Knight
Batman: Arkham Knight

Platform(s)
PS4 , Xbox One , PC
Released
June 23, 2015
Developer(s)
Rocksteady Studios
Genre(s)
Action

Arkham Knight presents the end of a story that started with Asylum, and it's a truly captivating last chapter as Batman has to deal with his own mental instability caused by The Joker. Not every aspect of the narrative is amazing, though, as the titular villain twist is fairly predictable for anyone remotely familiar with the comics or wider Batman lore.

Arkham Knight's combat and predator sections are just as fluid and fun as ever; in fact, from a gameplay perspective, this title is arguably the best Batman Arkham game. Yet, they're constantly intruded on by the polarizing Batmobile sequences. Controlling the fancy car isn't awful, but the game forces players to use it too often. Overall, though, Arkham Knight's positives heavily outweigh its negatives.

Batman: Arkham Knight received quite a lot of DLC Season of Infamy: Most Wanted is probably the best expansion in the Arkham series; conversely, A Matter of Family might be the worst.

2 Batman: Arkham Asylum

Metascore: 92

batman fighting joker injected with titan
Batman Arkham Asylum

Platform(s)
PS3 , PS4 , macOS , PC , Xbox 360 , Xbox One
Released
August 25, 2009
Developer(s)
Rocksteady Studios
Genre(s)
Action , Adventure

Nobody knew what to expect from Arkham Asylum before it was released. Comic book games didn't have the best track record, after all. When it hit the shelves, though, it blew everyone away.

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Fighting mechanics, stealth sections, tone, everything about the game fits The Dark Knight perfectly. Likewise, the voice acting is spectacular, with Kevin Conroy's Batman and Mark Hamill's Joker being arguably the best adaptations of those DC characters. And they were assisted by the game's wonderful writing. Fans will never forget the time they first strolled around the Joker-ran Asylum.

1 Batman: Arkham City

Metascore: 96

Batman In Arkham City
Batman Arkham City

Platform(s)
PS3 , PC , Xbox One , PS4 , Xbox 360 , Wii U
Released
October 18, 2011
Developer(s)
Rocksteady Studios
Genre(s)
Action , Adventure

It was a lot to ask of Arkham City to match the quality of the near-perfect Asylum. Against the odds, though, the Arkham Asylum sequel managed to surpass its predecessor by delivering an unbelievable open-world adventure. Rocksteady succeeded by enhancing things the first installment established instead of replacing them.

For instance, the wonderful combat added lots of new gadgets and attacks. Whereas, the confining Asylum has been replaced with a full city that's filled with things to do. And the larger area leaves room for more of Batman's friends and foes, including Two-Face, Penguin, and Catwoman. Each new character joins Batman in an incredibly engaging story, which has one of the best video game endings of all time.

Batman: Arkham City received an expansion called Harley Quinn's Revenge, which garnered a Metascore of 74 on the PS3.

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