The term ‘superhero game’ used to be a bad word in gaming circles, at least up till the mid-2000s. Before, superhero games were only tangentially related to the superheroes they were portraying. Batman would have him doing street races (huh?), Superman would be flying through hoops (why?), or various generic beat-em-ups (boring!). There were a few good games, but those were few and far between.
But things are very different now with gamers eagerly awaiting superhero titles. A lot of the credit falls to Rocksteady Studios. The developer’s Arkham trilogy is considered to be the definitive video game adaptation of Batman and for good reason. The character is usually lore-accurate and features everything that one can expect to the point that Arkham Knight made you feel like you were Batman. And then came Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League earlier this month.
In this list, we will be ranking Arkham-series games from worst to best. Keep in mind that we will be sticking with the mainline titles in the series.
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League
Oh boy… The latest game in the Arkham series is also one of the worst. On paper, the premise is great. You take the role of one of the members of the infamous Suicide Squad and it’s up to you to kill members of the Justice League who have now turned evil. Killing some of the best-known and beloved superheroes such as Superman, Batman and The Flash was never going to be an easy pill to swallow. With intelligent writing, challenging gameplay and respect for the source material, this could have been a great game. Unfortunately, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League does none of that. It’s an always-online title with a focus on loot boxes and bland gameplay with a borderline insulting story.
| Pros | Cons |
| Metropolis looks decent | More focus on the live service aspect |
| Repetitive gameplay | |
| Story could do with some gravitas |
Batman: Arkham VR
Batman: Arkham VR gave players the chance to step into the shoes of Batman and don the iconic cowl. As it is in VR, players are treated to seeing life-size versions of the various in-game characters. They will also use a few of Batman’s gadgets for themselves. The only problem is that traversal and combat are pretty much non-existent. So most of the time, you are standing in place and you can only teleport to different locations where gameplay was more akin to point-and-click games. However, the lack of combat meant that the game was more about the detective side of Batman’s work.
| Pros | Cons |
| Immersive experience | Lacklustre story |
| Nothing else quite like it | Limited combat |
| Short story |
Batman: Arkham Origins
Arkham Origins is slightly different from the other games in this list as it wasn’t developed by Rocksteady. It was instead developed by WB Games Montreal. As such, it doesn’t seem to have the same level of polish when it comes to the story. The game is set before the events of Batman: Arkham Asylum and the superhero is not yet a grizzled veteran. While the game itself is pretty decent, it is hampered by a limited mission structure and a predictable storyline. However, you do get to meet more of Batman’s rogues gallery.
| Pros | Cons |
| More supervillains to battle | Lacks gameplay innovation |
| Bigger map to explore | Story could have been better |
Batman: Arkham Asylum
The first game in the series showed the world how to do superhero games. This game made you feel like Batman. You were powerful, but not invulnerable. So you must rely on your wits and gadgets to get the upper hand. The freeflow combat system was a revolution and made you feel like a badass. Aside from this, the game also upended the stealth genre by making you the predator instead of prey. The cherry on top was the return of the voice actors from Batman: The Animated Series which was a delight to long-time fans.
| Pros | Cons |
| Groundbreaking combat | Feels limited |
| Game-changing stealth | |
| Excellent story |
Batman: Arkham Knight
The final game in the Arkham trilogy was a fitting finale to the trilogy. It took everything from the previous two games and improved upon them in every way. You got a much bigger map, improved abilities and higher stakes. The graphics were also great and it still holds up to this day. Of course, the big new gameplay addition was the batmobile. However, some might argue that there was too much of it. Further, while the boss fights were good, they weren’t at the same level we had come to expect from the series.
| Pros | Cons |
| Awesome graphics | Batmobile sections feel forced |
| Excellent traversal | |
| Varied side missions |
Batman: Arkham City
The second game in the series showed the world how sequels are done. Arkham City is easily the best Batman game in the Arkham series to date as it skillfully and seamlessly continued the story from Arkham Asylum while building it up. It introduced more characters from Batman’s rogues gallery for increased challenge. Batman’s gadgets as well as traversal methods were made even better with new moves and methods added. The map was also filled with easter eggs and other details that encouraged exploration. All this makes Batman: Arkham City the definitive Batman experience.
| Pros | Cons |
| Great story | Collecting Riddler Trophies can get annoying |
| Intriguing side quests | |
| Fun traversal |
