Until 2009, there was no such thing as a really good Batman game. That all changed with Batman: Arkham Asylum. Since then the series has grown to four games, all a great deal of fun. However, they are not all equal, so today I will be ranking the Batman: Arkham games from worst to best. These rankings will be based on story, enjoyable mechanics, and boss battles (because what's point of being Batman if you can't kick the crap out of a big bad?).
4. Arkham Knight
This was the final installment in the Arkham series, and it didn't exactly end with the best game in the series. Now granted, it was fun, but it lacked some of the magic the previous games had. I attribute some of the loss of luster to the abuse of the new Batmobile the game features, as the use of this new mechanic takes up about half the game. What really puts this game behind the rest of the pack is the complete lack of boss battles though, as the most one could argue in the game would be 3, though I only consider there to be 1. Story wise, it was okay, though predictable. Scarecrow is threatening to release a fear toxin on the whole city with his help of his partner, the Arkham Knight, who seems to have close ties with Batman. Again, once you start to play it, the story gets predictable, and most people guessed who the knight was before the reveal. On the plus side, there were some really cool team-up take-downs, and a new system of being so Batman-fast that you could take out three or four thugs before they could react. Still though, not enough to bring it up from the bottom of the pack.
3. Arkham Origins
Now most people seem to put this game at the bottom of the list, but I feel like this one has some frequently overlooked merits. The boss fights in this game are excellent, some of the best in the series in fact. The mechanics are mostly the same, though Batman basically gets an easy mode for fights about halfway through the game with his electric gloves. This game also made good use of the crime scene investigation within detective mode. Story wise, it starts off cool, with all of world's greatest assassins being offered an insane amount of money if they can kill Batman that night. But there are some plot twists about halfway through that make the story less awesome. On the plus side though, this game did give me the opportunity to play as Deathstroke, and that was truly a treat. Also, we get to see Batman fine-tuning his skills throughout the game, which is nice, and there are enemies in this game that will counter Batman, turning into a small back and forth fistfight.
2. Arkham Asylum
This is the game that started the whole series, and man did it take us all by surprise. This game had a compelling story, introduced the fighting and gadget mechanics that carried over to the other games, and had a few solid boss fights. Story wise, this game is all about Batman being set up to face-off with The Joker and several other villains in the asylum. It's a classic tale, made better by the inclusion of the majority of the voice actors from the animated series (a tradition carried throughout all of the games, except for Origins). This game really showed how great it can be to play as Batman, even though that Asylum is beyond creepy in some places. Seriously, let's just get rid of Killer Croc's lair. GET RID OF IT ARKHAM, WHAT'S WRONG WITH A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT CELL?
1. Arkham City
This title was really the highlight of the series. It improved on a lot of the mechanics from the first game, especially the gliding. The game also had some of the best boss fights in the whole series, far more great ones than any other game. On top of that, the story (as well as some of the side stories) were really gripping and kept me engaged throughout. I was outright surprised by the appearance of some characters, and the ending really caught me by surprise. It was also a lot of fun to also play as Catwoman, and the Riddler Trophies were more challenging to acquire in this game than the other games. When it comes down to it, I had a better time beating this game than any others.
So that's how I rate these games. Like I said, they are all great, and they should not be passed up. Luckily for everyone, Arkham Asylum and Arkham City were recently re-released with graphic updates on current-gen systems, so it shouldn't be too difficult to experience these wonderful titles. No matter which game you play, you're going to have a good time.
Sincerely,
The Bored Enthusiast
The images above belong to their respective owners, not me
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