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Determining the best Batman games is no easy feat, considering the plethora of exceptional titles featuring the Dark Knight. Especially with the groundbreaking release of the first game in the Arkham series, Rocksteady Studios has left a lasting mark on the superhero genre.
With WB Games Montreal’s Gotham Knights coming out soon, now is a good time to play our favorite Batman games again. Even though you won’t be playing as Batman in the future game, his spirit will be everywhere, giving it a feel similar to the best Batman games. Without further ado, let’s get into how these great Bruce Wayne adventures stack up.
Best Batman Games Comparison Table
| Game Title | Platform | Release Year | Download Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Batman: Arkham Asylum | Various | 2009 | Download Now |
| Batman: Arkham City | Various | 2011 | Download Now |
| Batman Returns (SNES) | SNES | N/A | Not available |
| Gotham Knights | Various | TBA | Not available |
| Batman: The Enemy Within | Various | 2017-2018 | Download Now |
| Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham | Various | 2014 | Download Now |
| The Adventures Of Batman & Robin | SNES | N/A | Not available |
Batman: Arkham Asylum
| Platform | Minimum Requirements |
|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Core 2 Duo 2.4 GHz or AMD Athlon X2 4800+ |
| RAM | 2 GB |
| GPU | ATI 3850HD 512 MB or NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT 512 MB |
| Storage | 9 GB |
| OS | Windows XP/Vista/7 |
Batman: Arkham Asylum Best Batman Games had a twist that made it interesting. In August 2009, almost 10 years ago, Rocksteady’s magnum opus came out. It was a game with a huge scope and a lot of ambition, made by a company that was still fairly new and had never done anything like this before. What Rocksteady made is still thought to be one of the best games ever made. It was a unified reimagining of the key elements of a “superhero game” that paved the way for many other groundbreaking games that used its systems as models.
“Less is more,” as they say, and by keeping the game within the run-down walls of Arkham Asylum, Rocksteady made a place where you could really get lost. Asylum captured the fear and claustrophobia of being locked in with your worst enemies going amok, making each encounter count. It also supported exploration because the Riddler challenges asked you to list comic artifacts, which led to interesting stories about villains who weren’t as well known.
The Good
- An interesting story that takes place in the famous Arkham Asylum.
- Combat is fluid, and sneaking is a big part of the game.
- The speech acting and graphics are both very good.
- Introduces the Freeflow fighting system, which has gotten a lot of praise.
- Open-world game with a lot of depth and immersion.
The Bad
- There wasn’t much to do outside of Arkham Asylum.
- Some technology problems and hiccups now and then.
- Some players might feel like they can’t do much with linear growth.
Batman: Arkham City
| Platform | Minimum Requirements |
|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Core 2 Duo 2.4 GHz or AMD Athlon X2 4800+ |
| RAM | 2 GB |
| GPU | ATI 3850HD 512 MB or NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT 512 MB |
| Storage | 17 GB |
| OS | Windows XP/Vista/7 |
There were a lot of side tasks and easter eggs that filled the gritty, grimdark world with interesting lore. There was also a gallery of Batman’s most evil enemies. Yet, Clayface, Hugo Strange, and Ra’s al Ghul stand out among the more unusual choices. Mark Hamill’s Joker is back, and he gives an amazing performance all the way to the game’s unforgettable climax.
Even the DLC packs were great, giving people who were already having a lot of fun more to keep them going. Again, the Riddler challenges in Arkham City were changed for the worse, just like in Arkham Knight. There was more annoying tedium, and the “one and done” boss fights didn’t have the excitement and meaning of the cameos in Arkham Asylum. Too many cooks, what have you. Arkham City was the perfect, more polished sequel to Arkham Asylum, even though it couldn’t hit the heights of innovation that its predecessor did.
The Good
- Arkham City takes place in a huge, moody open world.
- Batman’s moves and tools for fighting have been improved.
- Side quests that are fun to do and personalities you’ll remember.
- The designs and attention to detail have been improved.
- Gameplay that is not straightforward and has more than one story arc.
The Bad
- Some technical problems and concerns about how to improve performance.
- Structures for missions that are sometimes repeated.
- For people who aren’t familiar with the series, the story may seem confusing.
Batman Returns (SNES)
| Platform | SNES |
|---|---|
| Console Type | Super Nintendo |
| Storage | Cartridge |
| Controllers | SNES Controller |
Back in the days of 16-bit consoles, it would have been very hard for Best Batman Games to have stealth or detective features with a lot of detail. So, fans mostly got side-scrolling games with a single path, but that doesn’t mean they weren’t fun. Batman Returns, a famous game from Konami for the Super Nintendo, is a good example of this.
Except for one level where you drive the Batmobile, the game follows the plot of the movie. Batman fights Catwoman, The Penguin, and an endless number of bad guys from a beat-em-up point of view. Even though the game isn’t very new, the graphics have held up well and the controls are strong, making the fighting very fun. Compared to other beat-em-ups on the SNES, its bosses aren’t as good, but it’s still fun to throw crooks through windows after stunning them with a Batarang.
The Good
- Classic 16-bit graphics make for a fun retro game experience.
- Based on the well-known movie Batman Returns.
- Several different types of action and platforming levels.
- Allows two players to play together.
- Includes well-known baddies from the Batman movie.
The Bad
- Few reasons to play again.
- The controls and game play may feel old.
- Compared to current games, the graphics were not as good.
Gotham Knights
| Platform | Minimum Requirements |
|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Core i5-3570 or AMD FX-8350 |
| RAM | 8 GB |
| GPU | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760 or AMD Radeon HD 7950 |
| Storage | 45 GB |
| OS | Windows 10 |
Gotham Knights’ playable characters aren’t Batman. However, the Dark Knight’s presence dominates this Gotham. Batman is the main character, while Batgirl, Nightwing, Robin, and Red Hood are all connected to him. WB Games Montreal’s action-adventure game is based on DC Comics’ Bat Family emphasis throughout the past 20 years. Bruce Wayne has sought a successor to safeguard Gotham despite his “lone wolf” spirit. Gotham Knights achieves it.
Characters and story make Gotham Knights sparkle. The four leads are likeable and interact effectively, and cutscenes alter based on whatever character gamers are using. Each hero is a class with its own skill tree and progression system. The story features Gotham’s most terrifying villains, from Mr. Freeze and Harley Quinn to the intriguing Court of Owls.
The Good
- You can play as different members of the Bat family in a cooperative game.
- You can go anywhere in Gotham City and defend it.
- Interesting plot with a focus on solving crimes.
- Different ways to fight and character growth.
- Amazing graphics and sights that pull you in.
The Bad
- Needs a fairly powerful game computer to run well.
- For group play, you need to be online.
- The game’s release date and specifics about how it plays could change.
Batman: The Enemy Within (2017 -2018)
| Platform | Minimum Requirements |
|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Core 2 Duo 2.4 GHz |
| RAM | 3 GB |
| GPU | Nvidia GTS 450+ with 1024MB+ VRAM |
| Storage | 15 GB |
| OS | Windows 7 64-bit or later |
The Enemy Within is a Telltale Games and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment sequel to Batman: The Telltale Series. After being blackmailed by Amanda Waller and the Agency, Bruce Wayne and Batman infiltrate the Pact in the episodic point-and-click game. Player decisions can stop the Joker from becoming a villain.
Many players thought The Enemy Within was a huge improvement over its predecessor. Scott Maslow of GQ commented, “The Joker has always said his past is multiple-choice, but this is the first time I’ve felt like I was the one checking the boxes.” Bradley Shankar of MobileSyrup called the game “one of the greatest Joker stories ever told,” adding, “while there have been numerous great interpretations of the Batman-Joker relationship over the years, there has never been one quite as complex and morally grey as what Telltale has created with The Enemy Within.”
The Good
- Story that keeps you interested and makes you feel things.
- The choices players make have a big effect on the story and interactions.
- Characters and speech acting that are well thought out and done.
- Branched routes and more than one end.
- The detective and decision-making parts of the game are still there.
The Bad
- Needs a good computer setup to run smoothly.
- Some players might not like how the game is released in parts. Because the game is based on a story, it can’t be played over and over.
Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham (2014)
| Platform | Minimum Requirements |
|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Core 2 Duo 2.4 GHz or AMD Athlon X2 5400+ |
| RAM | 2 GB |
| GPU | NVIDIA GeForce 7600 GS or ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT |
| Storage | 10 GB |
| OS | Windows XP/Vista/7/8/8.1 |
As a follow-up to Lego Batman 2, this LEGO game was Best Batman Games made by Traveller’s Tales and released by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. Instead of just focusing on Batman and Robin, it features a large number of characters from the DC universe. But the game play is very similar to the games that came before it.
After the events of Lego Batman 2, Brainiac goes to Earth to get Hal Jordan, the Green Lantern and the last member of the “Emotional Spectrum” Lantern Corps he needs to finish his shrink ray. When Brainiac comes to carry out his plan, all of the bad guys on Earth are working together to make sure Lex Luthor is chosen “President of the World.” Brainiac can only be stopped when all of the heroes and enemies work together and Batman gives a speech from the heart.
The Good
- All ages can play, so it’s good for families.
- Lots of figures from the DC Universe that you can play as.
- Graphics that look like LEGO and are colorful and nice to look at.
- The story is funny and not too serious.
- Cooperative multiplayer game that makes working with others fun.
The Bad
- The way the game is played may get boring after a while.
- Few challenges for people who have played games before.
- Some technical problems and some hiccups in function.
The Adventures Of Batman & Robin
| Platform | SNES |
|---|---|
| Console Type | Super Nintendo |
| Storage | Cartridge |
| Controllers | SNES Controller |
The Best Batman Games on the list is a throwback to years gone by. The Adventures of Batman & Robin is a platformer with action and adventure elements that was available at the time both on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) and the Sega Genesis. The game is based on the show Batman: The Animated Series, which aired in the early nineties on Fox Kids and ran from 1992 to 1995.
In the game, we get to use some of the most iconic Bat-Gadgets and battle iconic foes like the Joker and Clayface. The game has an innovative level concept, but the gameplay is clunky, and the controls can be a little unresponsive at times, thus it doesn’t make this list.
The Good
- From the well-known animated shows.
- Levels with difficult platforming and boss fights.
- There are different ways to play, like platforming, moving, and flying.
- The music and sound effects from the TV show are well known.
- Two-player co-op game.
The Bad
- It’s hard to find because it’s an older game.
- Some of the controls and game play may feel old.
- Some players may find the amount of difficulty to be too high.
FAQs
A: The Batman: Arkham series is a group of action-adventure games about the Dark Knight’s journeys in Gotham City. These games have been praised by critics. In this series, games like Batman: Arkham Asylum, Batman: Arkham City, Batman: Arkham Knight, and Batman: Arkham Origins were made by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and Rocksteady Studios.
A: The Batman: Arkham games are known for their engrossing gameplay, interesting stories, and accurate portrayals of Batman’s world. They let players feel what it’s like to be the Caped Crusader through a mix of intense battle, stealth mechanics, exploration, and puzzle-solving.
A: Yes, you can play Batman games on controllers (like the PlayStation and Xbox), PCs, and handheld devices. Before you buy or download a game, make sure your computer meets the system requirements and that it works on your platform.