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The world’s greatest and broodiest detective, Batman, is one of video games’ favourite superheroes. First appearing on the ZX Spectrum in 1986, the caped crusader has been playable for nearly four decades, and over his tenure has delivered plenty of opportunities to clean up Gotham City. With the potential for more grounded stories and an elaborate and easily recognisable roster of rogues, it’s no wonder that Batman has been DC’s frontman for all these years.
It was the Batman Arkham games that truly catapulted him to the forefront, practically defining the ideal way to adapt superhero games and clearly influencing other successful franchises, such as Insomniac’s Spider-Man series. However, his core trilogy isn’t his only success, so we’re ranking the best Batman games.
- There’s no shortage of Batman games offering up varying interpretations of the Dark Knight.
- The Injustice games might not just focus on the Caped Crusader, but he’s practically the main character.
- Lego Batman 2 brought interesting innovation to the Lego series thanks to its open-world setting.
- The Batman games made by Telltale Games offer novel twists on well-established characters.
- The Batman Arkham games rank high on this list, and they’ve all got something they do best.
Injustice Gods Among Us (2013)
Available on: PS3, Wii U, Xbox 360, PS4, PlayStation Vita, PC, iOS, Android
While Injustice Gods Among Us is more of a celebration of the DC Universe at large, or at least its core cast, this definitely counts as a Batman game if we’re going by protagonists. A fighting game set in an alternative reality where Superman has gone full tyrant, you play as numerous characters, but only Batman gets the prestige of having two dedicated story chapters.
Injustice Gods Among Us is a goofy story masquerading as mature, as no amount of Superman using lasers to fry people’s brains gives proper grounding to a story featuring a magic pill that makes Batman up to the task. Combat is a little stiff, although it will always be fun to use a super move to summon the Batmobile to run your enemies over.
Batman Arkham Shadow (2024)
Available on: Meta Quest 3, Meta Quest 3S
Batman Arkham Shadow isn’t the first of the Batman Arkham games that’s fully set in virtual reality, but it is a far more rounded experience. While Batman Arkham VR was a companion piece to Arkham Knight, letting you explore some small Arkham-themed setpieces, Batman Arkham Shadow is its own full game and original story. You infiltrate Blackgate prison as both Batman and an in-disguise Bruce Wayne, switching between investigation and fighting.
Fighting as Batman from your own perspective is surprisingly robust, obviously not as flashy as other Arkham games, but probably the best you’d get in a VR game. It also attempts to incorporate the psychological concept of ‘shadow work’ into its themes, but it only has so much room to make connections. Like so many other VR games, it rides more on novelty than actual quality, but Batman Arkham Shadow is quite the ride for fans.
Injustice 2 (2017)
Available on: Android, iOS, PS4, Xbox One, PC
After the first game showed the promise of the alt-DC universe as a fighting ring, Injustice 2 took the original and expanded it: new fighters, flashier graphics, better-feeling combat, and a whole new story to boot. Batman once again holds the top spot in terms of character focus, having the most options to play as him in the main story, and as one of the top contenders in the final choices towards the end.
Following her increasing popularity, Harley Quinn also gets a bigger role, and just over a quarter of the full roster is made up of the Batfamily or their villains. Batman can also use moves he wouldn’t get away with in other Batman games, setting the Batwing to drag foes into the sky and shoot them right back down to earth, with some rightly themed flourish.
Batman Arkham Origins (2013)
Available on: PS3, Wii U, PC, Xbox 360
Batman Arkham Origins was the first Batman Arkham game not to be made by Rocksteady Studios, instead handing the reins over to WB Games Montréal for this prequel. Batman has already put on the cowl by this point, but Arkham Origins is here to show a story of a much angrier and more aggressive Batman, closer to a declawed Wolverine than the composed caped crusader.
There’s plenty of fun to be had in Arkham Origins between its use of younger characters just coming into their own and more ambitious boss fights than any of the core Arkham series. However, it’s let down by a lack of polish, with an empty map and loose combat. If you’re itching for more Arkham to play, then Origins is still a good time, but it should be no one’s introduction to the series.
Lego Batman 2 DC Super Heroes (2012)
Available on: PC, Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo DS, Xbox 360, PS3, PlayStation Vita, Wii, Wii U, iOS, Android
The first Lego Batman game was an entertaining treat for Batman fans, but when Lego Batman 2 DC Super Heroes came about, it ushered in a whole new era for Lego games. It was the first game to drop the usual silent miming for full voicing, and while in many of the other releases this is a downright negative, in Lego Batman 2, it works a treat.
Rather than constraining you to linear levels, Lego Batman 2 showed off its ambitions by giving you a whole open-world city to explore. The story is functional, providing an excuse to venture out into the night and unlock an expansive cast of characters. The upcoming Lego Batman Legacy of the Dark Knight looks poised to take this game’s spot, but Lego Batman 2 is still an enjoyable ride for those who want something light to sink their teeth into.
Batman The Telltale Series (2016)
Available on: PS4, PC, Xbox One, PS3, Xbox 360, iOS, Android, Nintendo Switch
What makes Batman The Telltale Series special is a focus on not just Batman, but also Bruce Wayne as a character. Time is shared between donning the cowl and a business suit. Both sides are as interesting as each other. Bruce Wayne is forced to reckon with his family’s past, the deterioration of friendships, and new character interpretations that keep you guessing how things would unfold.
The acting is phenomenal, as expected from Telltale Games, and the choices feel weighty. Part of that is the dramatic irony of players intuitively knowing how certain characters, like Harvey Dent, will turn out, yet hoping to somehow alter the story’s outcome. The story sometimes falters with its various plot threats, but Batman The Telltale Series has a strong heart and keeps you hooked episode after episode.
Batman Arkham Asylum (2009)
Available on: PS3, Xbox 360, PC, Mac OS X, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
Batman Arkham Asylum was a revelation when it first came out, thanks to a remarkable combat system that changed the gaming landscape from then on out, and a moody presentation that fit the character perfectly. Arkham Asylum’s map remains the best in the series, with its oppressive gothic atmosphere and tightly designed locales.
The Asylum’s constrained, almost Metroidvania design makes it easily the most memorable in the series, letting you watch as the island falls apart over the course of one overwhelming night. It also pulls off a trick it was only going to get away with once, with the frankly horrifying Scarecrow segments, successfully drawing players in with cruel pranks again and again. The other entries in the Batman Arkham games might be higher on this list, but anyone new to the series should undoubtedly start with Arkham Asylum.
Batman The Enemy Within (2017)
Available on: PS4, PC, Xbox One, iOS, Android, Nintendo Switch
Expanding on the original Batman The Telltale Series gave Telltale Games opportunities, and they knocked each one out of the park. More choices feel like they matter, offering more opportunities to keep Bruce Wayne as the focus, and best of all, to introduce a Joker almost entirely unlike other depictions.
This Joker is so endearing because he deviates significantly from the usual flamboyant villain archetype, instead portraying an earnest and overbearing character who struggles to balance his feelings towards Bruce, Batman, and Harley Quinn. Batman The Enemy Within creatively uses meta context to make the player mistrust this merry trickster at every turn, and there are plenty of ways the story can go. There’s one particular string of events that leads to the most heart-warming end for any Batman game you can get.
Batman Arkham Knight (2015)
Available on: PS4, PC, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
Batman Arkham Knight concludes Rocksteady Studios’ trilogy with aplomb and is the most refined experience yet. Gotham is an ambitious and expansive open-world, offering numerous opportunities for exploration. Combat is slicker than ever, and between the Batmobile and gliding, simply getting to places is a joy. A tone of finality tinges every side mission and story beat, giving the game a holistic edge and connecting everything.
The main story is full of twists, turns, and fake-outs, and everyone delivers stellar performances that lend things real weight. After the buildup of previous Batman Arkham games, you get a sense of things coming to a close, and you’re stuck waiting for the pull-up as things rapidly decline. Overreliance on the Batmobile feels slightly like Rocksteady lost touch with what makes Arkham great, but Batman Arkham Knight is still a stellar conclusion to the series.
Batman Arkham City (2011)
Available on: PS3, Xbox 360, PC, Wii U, OS X, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
Batman Arkham City isn’t just the best game in the Arkham series; it’s also just the best Batman game. Its map is more sprawling than Arkham Asylum’s while still having more focus than Arkham Knight, and combat is still tight and engaging. Arkham City tells a contained story of a Batman beset on all sides, as villains are given roles large and small to make this one night a living hell for the caped crusader.
Mark Hamill’s performance as the Joker is a particular highlight, every line dripping with menace. The tighter focus on story gives more emphasis to characters that would otherwise be relegated to just side missions in Arkham Knight, and makes the story feel more interconnected. Each section of Arkham City is a well-crafted, atmospheric dungeon. It’s the pinnacle of the best Batman games.
FAQs
Any of the Batman Arkham games can be considered the best Batman game, but Arkham City is the most widely critically lauded Batman game.
No Batman game is particularly realistic, as any superhero is going to contend with some larger-than-life events. However, Batman Arkham Origins or Batman The Telltale Series are the most grounded Batman games.
You should start with Batman Arkham Asylum, an excellent introduction to the Batman Arkham games.
Of these Batman Arkham games, Arkham City has more polished combat and a better story. However, Batman Arkham Asylum has the better map and is the ideal entry point into the series.
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