Summary
When Batman: Arkham Asylum released in 2009, it changed the entire landscape of superhero games going forward. Sure, there were some good Spider-Man games and The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction, but Arkham Asylum was the turning point leading to gems likeSpider-Man 2today.
How it treated its source material, its voice acting, and, most importantly, the gameplay were all leagues better than the pack. It started a series that’s still going on today, and most of the titles are stellar. Some are mediocre or outright bad, but the series overall is highly enjoyable to go through.
Platforms
2013
Wii U, Nintendo 3DS, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, PC
A spin-off title from Batman: Arkham Origins was Blackgate first released on handheld devices before getting ported to home consoles and the PC. You move on a 2D plane, fitting for a handheld title, but unfortunately, Blackgate misses the mark as both an Arkham game and a Metroidvania.
So many aspects of the genre are just bungled here, and when there’s a plethoraof amazing Metroidvaniasavailable now, going back to Blackgate seems pointless. The storyline and presentation are quite lacking, along with the infamously poor controls. It just doesn’t match up to the rest of the series.
Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice Leagueis one of those games where you can feel the development hell the title went through. The finished product is a total mess, and it’s a shame because there’s a lot to like here. The story, writing, voice acting, movement, and shooting are all great. It’s a blast soaring through Metropolis, and the Riddler challenges are a welcome return.
However, the core gameplay loop is that of a live-service title, and you can tell Rocksteady tried to dilute that aspect as much as possible to appease the single-player audience. Suicide Squad feels like an incomplete vision because there’s so many neat single-player-focused features, but the core of the title remains a live-service game. Along with its short length, Suicide Squad is not recommended unless you find it on sale.
2016
PlayStation 4, PC
One game that got unfairly judged by critics was Batman: Arkham VR. Originally a PSVR1 exclusive, before jumping to PC, Arkham VR is exactly what you’d expect from a 2016 VR title. You’ll be playing in a very small place, doing simplistic tasks, and while that simplicity did get criticized, that was what most VR titles were back then.
It’s a short and fun experience, and seeing the Riddler return is great as well, as he’s always a blast in these games. Going back to the title on PlayStation isn’t recommended as the PSVR2 isn’t backward compatible, but playing on PC is still enjoyable.
Batman: Arkham Knightwas a game way ahead of its time. Visually, this title looks like it could have released today. The graphics and character models are that good-looking. The gameplay’s improved for the most part in regard to combat and stealth, and the side missions are of the same high quality. Batman’s tech remains fun to play with, and the racetracks are an awesome addition.
What brings this game down a peg is the story and boss fights. The story has a lot of issues with elements that just didn’t need to return. The boss fights aren’t even in the same league as the prior three instalments, and some barely even count as boss fights at all. These elements bring the game down from its predecessors, but it’s still great overall.
At the time, Arkham Origins kind of got brushed off as a throwaway entry developed by another studio, but in reality, the title’s amazing. You don’t get the A-list Animated Series cast of the other titles, but the story’s still pretty good and lacks the annoying inclusions from Arkham Knight.
The world map and combat are very much an expansion of what Arkham City delivered, and that’s not a bad thing. The pacing and boss fights make this entry a cut above Arkham Knight. You don’t need to 100 percent the game to beat it, and thebosses are some of the bestin the series. To boot, Arkham Origins takes place during the holidays. What’s not to love?
Batman: Arkham Asylum shocked the world at release, and it still holds up all these years later. The voice cast is A-grade and the best of the series. Each following instalment had more Animated Series voice actors drop out, which makes their work in Arkham Asylum even more special.
Thevillain line-up herehas to be the best of the series, fitting due to the game being based on the original A Serious House on Serious Earth graphic novel. The combat and stealth are quite basic by today’s standards, but it does the job, and the game’s still a blast to play through every now and then.
When you ask the question of what’s the greatest superhero game of all time, a large majority of responses will be Batman: Arkham City. It took the Arkham franchise into an open world, and it’s still a phenomenally designed one at that. Not many other games handle collectibles better than Arkham City, and all the side quests are equally good.
The story’s fantastic as well, with a risky ending that Rocksteady ultimately didn’t commit to in later games. The boss fights are phenomenal, and it remains one of the best titles of the seventh generation. If you haven’t yet played Arkham City, what are you doing? It’s an absolute must-play for anyone.
