There may be no superhero cooler than Batman. The billionaire Bruce Wayne turned crime-fighting detective Batman is hard to top, even if he doesn’t have any superpowers (technically) outside of his status as the world’s greatest detective. He is also one of the most prominent heroes in modern media, spanning comics, films, and of course video games. The Caped Crusader has had his fair share of video games as well, and luckily for fans, most of them are pretty great! But some are better than others. Here are the six best Batman games ever made.
6. Batman: Arkham Origins
While not as believed as the main Arkham games developed by Rocksteady, Arkham Origins isn’t as bad as everybody wanted to believe when it was originally released in 2013. The premise alone is fantastic, following Batman on Christmas Eve as he fights off a series of assassins trying to kill him and win the bounty on his head. The game features a younger version of the hero facing off against some great villains that usually don’t get the spotlight. It is worth playing Origins for the Deathstroke fight alone.
5. The Adventures of Batman & Robin
The Adventures of Batman & Robin is the video game adaptation of Batman: The Animated Series. The pixel graphics do surprising justice to the iconic art style of the cartoon. The gameplay is serviceable and divided between side-scrolling action with some Batmobile sections thrown in for variety. For a game that captures one of the best eras of Batman, the game pulls it off and lets players have some fun at the same time.
4. Injustice: Gods Among Us
What good is a superhero game if it won’t let you absolutely beat the crap out of other superheroes? That is, presumably, the question that Injustice developer NetherRealm asked itself. Essentially Mortal Kombat with the DC characters, Injustice is a fast-paced and brutal fighting game. But it also has a story mode, one that tells a “what if?” story in which Batman has to take down an evil version of Superman. The story is better than it needs to be (leading to an incredible comic book based on the video game) and gives Batman plenty of fun interactions with evil versions of his usual allies.
3. Batman: The Telltale Series
It can be easy to forget that Batman is the world’s greatest detective. But many of the very best Batman stories lean into the intelligence of Bruce Wayne rather than the brawn of Batman. Telltale’s signature style of storytelling is the perfect vehicle for a story about Batman as a detective. The episodic structure also feels distinctly comic book-like and adds to the fun of unraveling the mystery at the center of the game.
2. Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes
Batman can be far too serious. Especially since Christopher Nolan adapted the Caped Crusader to screen, the character has leaned dark. But some of the best Batman stories are silly. Lego Batman 2 emphasizes the fun factor, leveraging the supporting cast in a way that feels at home alongside Adam West. As a sequel, Lego Batman 2 did everything bigger and better (a trend for good Batman game sequels). The focus on puzzles and cooperative play makes this a delightful way to live in the world of Gotham without having to deal with a bummer of a story.
1. Rocksteady’s Arkham Trilogy
Rocksteady did something miraculous when they released Batman: Arkham Asylum in 2009. It quickly proved itself to be not only an amazing 3D Metroidvania, but a fantastic Batman game and an excellent superhero game. The studio then created two more entries in the trilogy with Arkham City and Arkham Knight, delivering a sprawling and original story centering on the Dark Knight.
Arkham Asylum still feels incredible for its approach to a more confined space, one that showcases Batman’s abilities as a detective but also a close combat fighter. It also is a treat to interact with some of the best villains in his rogues' gallery. Arkham City upped the ante and went open world. The narrative builds on everything in Asylum while the open map lets Batman loose, showcasing his cunning and ability to monitor an entire city.
Arkham Knight closed out the trilogy with a bang, and while it may not live up to the extreme height of Asylum and City, it still lets players be Batman in the sandbox that is Gotham. It also wrapped up the narrative in a solid way that helps the series as a whole stand alongside some of the best Batman comics and films ever made.
