WhenRocksteadyfirst released Batman: Arkham Asylum in 2009, the list of memorable games based on comic books was an incredibly short one. Nowadays, it’s hard to even imagine a world before Arkham Asylum, with the game’s clever puzzle-solving, satisfying melee combat, captivating story, and jaw-dropping set pieces setting a new standard not just for superhero games, but licensed games as a whole.
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In the fifteen years since the release of Arkham Asylum,Rocksteady and Warner Bros. have released a wide catalog of games in the Arkhamuniverse, including games for mobile, handheld, and virtual reality. Of course, it’s hard to live up to the high standard set by the first game, with only a few titles managing to achieve its level of excellence.
They also killed the Arkham series…
Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League
It may seem a bit overkill to put this below the Arkhammobile games, but keep this in mind:Suicide Squad Kill The Justice Leaguewas $70 dollars when it released. That high price knocks it down more than a few pegs, considering it’s also a frontrunner forworst game of 2024.
What can we say about Suicide Squad that hasn’t already been said? The unnecessary games-as-a-service model, the botched and glitchy launch, the underwhelming season system, and the lack of respect for its Arkhampredecessors are all just part of what made this game such a massive disaster.
9Batman: Arkham Origins (Mobile)
The Dark Knight’s lackluster origin
Batman: Arkham Origins (Mobile)
The mobile version of Batman: Arkham Origins is an unsurprisingly underwhelming experience, arriving at the peak of mobile gaming’s microtransaction fever. Gameplay was locked behind a pay-to-play stamina system, and when you did get to play, it was a pretty shallow experience.
Gameplay consists of punching, blocking, and using special attacks, an incredibly oversimplified take on the Arkhamseries' combat. The graphics are unimpressive, the story is ripped straight from the console version of Arkham Origins, and the game has been (deservedly) forgotten.
8Batman: Arkham Underworld
Clash of Clans: Gotham City
Batman: Arkham Underworld
The now-defunct Batman: Arkham Underworld put players in the shoes of Gotham City’s rising crimelords, allowing them to build and grow their criminal empires while executing raids and missions with their armies of thugs. The game, while fairly well-received, was a flop, and was removed from mobile stores in 2017 (just a year after releasing).
The only strategy game in the Arkhamseries (as well as the only non-action/adventure title), Arkham Underworld was a fresh take on the world of Batman, even if it was bogged down by the typical in-app purchase faire found in similar mobile apps.
7Batman: Arkham City Lockdown
Beat ‘em up!
Batman: Arkham City Lockdown
The first mobile Arkhamgame wasBatman: Arkham City Lockdown,which served as a prologue to Arkham City in which Batman battles escaped criminals in hand-to-hand combat. Developed by the newly-established fighting game developer Netherrealm, it took heavy influence from mobile sword-fighting game Infinity Blade.
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The game is a complete (if brief) experience with no microtransactions or in-app purchases, providing a surprisingly challenging combat system and tons of familiar faces from the Batman universe. Of course, it still doesn’t stand up to the heavy-hitters in the series.
6Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate
The handheld spin-off that didn’t quite reach the mark
Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate
Released for the PlayStation Vita and Nintendo 3DS alongside the console release of Batman: Arkham Origins, Blackgate took the key gameplay mechanics of the series and adapted them into a two-dimensional setting. The result was a side-scroller with a surprising level of visual quality, but a disappointing level of design.
The game arrived half-baked, with an under-developed story and gameplay elements that brought that sense of Arkham-level quality way down (not unlike its console-only counterpart). The game was later released on consoles, but even then, the game never fully realized its own potential.
5Batman: Arkham Origins
Let’s leave the Arkham games to Rocksteady…
Batman: Arkham Origins
The first full-fledged Arkhamgame from a developer other than Rocksteady,Batman: Arkham Originsfailed to live up to expectations set by marketing and previous entries in the series. There were a multitude of issues with the game (including, but not limited to, several bugs and glitches) that led to itsunderwhelming reception.
Arkham Origins did not do a great job of hiding its lowered budget, with half of the open-world setting of Arkham Origins copy-pasted from its critically-acclaimed predecessor, Batman: Arkham City.Arkham Originswas also missing iconic Batmanvoice actors like Mark Hamill and Kevin Conroy, failed to evolve gameplay past that seen in Arkham City, and had an overall lack of the polish associated with the series.
4Batman: Arkham VR
Makes youfeellike the Batman
Batman: Arkham VR
After the (seemingly) definitive ending ofBatman: Arkham Knight,a new installment in the series was a big surprise. Virtual reality was (and in many ways, still is) considered a novelty, due to the platform’s lack of high-caliber titles and high price tag, but Arkham VR stands out as a major success for the VR genre.
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Batman: Arkham VRwisely takes on a story set before the events of Arkham Knight, and allows players to experience Batman’s gadgets, technology, and story from a new perspective. While it still does come off as a bit “tech demo”-ey, it’s also a high-quality Batman experience.
3Batman: Arkham Asylum
One wild and crazy night
Batman: Arkham Asylum
The game that started it all,Batman: Arkham Asylum, had so many great things going for it at launch that it was hard for it to fail. One of the best aspects was the return of several cast members of Batman: The Animated Series, giving it a high level of distinction as well as deeper immersion for fans of the series.
Of course, the rest of the game was fantastic as well. Players could use all of Batman’s iconic gadgets, battle several of his most infamous enemies, and freely explore the grounds of Arkham Asylum for the very first time. It’s no wonder the game spawned two incredibly high-quality sequels.
2Batman: Arkham Knight
The last Halloween for the Dark Knight
Batman: Arkham Knight
Batman: Arkham Knightis still one of the benchmarks in triple-A gaming, with graphics and writing that still hold up against the biggest releases of recent years. All of the villains you could hope to see, side-by-side combat with Batman’s allies like Robin and Catwoman, and the ability to (finally) drive the Batmobile and explore Gotham City make this the quintessential Batman experience.
The only thingholding the game backfrom true perfection is the lackluster “tank” mode for the Batmobile, which feels very much unlike the murderless and mysterious methodology of the Batman. Still, with so many other great gameplay mechanics, and such a fantastic story, it’s easy to look past the weird gameplay choices.
1Batman: Arkham City
Batman Goes To Jail
Batman Arkham City
The best installment in the Arkhamseries isBatman: Arkham City, taking the key mechanics of it’s 2009 predecessor and turning them up to 11. New gadgets, higher emphasis on exploration, a denser story, and new mechanics like Catwoman gameplay and grapple-boosting made this an instant classic.
Arkham City’s perfection inspired many games after it, with titles like Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor and even the Assassin’s Creedseries seeking to emulate its intuitive and entertaining combat design. It had everything that made the first game great, and an entire second game’s worth of new content to make it that much better.
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