For a character whose origins lie in comic book panels drenched in shadow and moral ambiguity, Batman has had a surprisingly diverse and complicated history in video games. Over the years, developers have reimagined the Caped Crusader across genres ranging from stealth action toopen-worldcrime thrillers and even light-hearted co-op beat ‘em ups.
Every Arkhamverse Game, Ranked
Every game set in the Batman: Arkham universe, from the Asylum to Metropolis.
But only a select few entries have managed to truly tap into what makes Batman such a compelling figure to play as: the detective work, the fear he instills in criminals, the gadgets and the deep psychological trauma just barely masked by his iconic cowl.
10Batman: The Enemy Within
When Telltale Gave Bruce Wayne a Choice
Batman: The Enemy Within
Few Batman games have placed this much emphasis on player agency. Telltale’s second season picks up right after The Telltale Series, but this time, it’s the Joker’s origin story that hinges on Bruce’s decisions. The game doesn’t just tell a Batman story; it lets players shape one. Depending on how interactions unfold, John Doe can evolve into either a traditional villain or a jilted vigilante with his own warped sense of justice.
While it plays like anarrative-drivenpoint-and-click adventure, it’s the tension in Bruce’s dual identity that defines the experience. From negotiating with Amanda Waller to handling the Pact’s unpredictable members, the game constantly makes players question where Bruce ends and Batman begins.
9Batman Begins
Fear Is a Weapon, and This Game Knew How to Use It
Batman Begins
Built off the Christopher Nolan reboot, Batman Begins took the idea of Batman asa psychologicalpredator and made it a core mechanic. Enemies didn’t just fight him. They feared him. And the more frightened they got, the sloppier they became in combat.
The game leaned into stealth but also gave Batman a range of tools, from smoke bombs to fear-inducing takedowns. Even vehicle segments, such as driving the Tumbler across Gotham’s elevated roads, managed to feel appropriately cinematic for a licensed movie tie-in. For a 2005 game, especially one on PS2and GameCube, it captured the tone of the film with surprising confidence.
8Lego Batman: The Videogame
Gotham Gets the Brick Treatment
Lego Batman: The Videogame
Before voice acting found its way into the LEGO franchise, this silent reimagining of Gotham offered one of the most charming takes on the Dark Knight. Rather than adapt any one film or comic arc, the game created an original trilogy of villain campaigns, letting players control both heroes and villains across slapstick-filled levels.
What set Lego Batman apart wasn’t just the humor but the breadth of characters. From Killer Moth to Man-Bat, even obscure rogues got a chance to shine. And while the puzzles were simple, switching between Batman’s many suits (and Robin’s, to a lesser extent) added just enough variety to make this a joyful, co-op-friendly entry.
7Batman: Arkham Origins
When the Bat Was Still an Urban Myth
Batman: Arkham Origins
Often unfairly dismissed as the black sheep of the Arkham series, Arkham Origins delivers one of the most grounded Batman narratives ever put to game. Set on Christmas Eve, it follows a younger, angrier Bruce Wayne who’s still earning his reputation. The city doesn’t fully believe in him yet, and neither do its criminals.
Boss fights were at the core of Origins’ gameplay identity, especially the face-off against Deathstroke, which became one of the franchise’s most discussed encounters. Even the voice acting felt purposefully different: Roger Craig Smith and Troy Baker portrayed Batman and Joker as rougher, more unrefined versions of the characters.
6Batman: The Video Game
Nes-Era Brutality Wrapped in a Purple Cowl
Batman: The Video Game
Sunsoft’s 1989 Batman game had little business being as good as it was. Based loosely on the Tim Burton film, it gave players a wall-jumping Batman clad in a bizarre purple-and-blue palette. But it also gave them tight platforming, a killer chiptune soundtrack and combat that felt far more refined than most licensed games of the time.
Levels were brutally difficult, enemy placements were unforgiving, and the Joker fight at the end was the stuff of playground legend. Despite the obvious hardware limitations, the game somehow captured the aesthetic of Gotham with minimal pixels and pure atmosphere.
5The Adventures of Batman and Robin
A Tale of Two Very Different Bats
The Adventures Of Batman And Robin
Depending on which console players owned, this game was either a slow-paced detective adventure or a full-blown bullet hell. On SNES, Konami took inspiration from Batman: The Animated Series, focusing on methodical level progression and atmospheric music. On Genesis, Sega went the opposite route, turning it into a two-player action shooter with screen-filling explosions and relentless enemy waves.
10 Best Villains in Batman Arkham Games
DC Comics has introduced many Batman villains, but in the Arkhamverse, these are the best.
Both versions had their merits. The SNES version leaned into the show’s noir tone, while the Genesis version pushed the hardware to its limit with fast-paced boss fights and fluid animations. Either way, it was a game that felt handcrafted with love for the source material.
4Batman: Arkham Asylum
Locked In with Madness: The Game that Changed Everything
Batman: Arkham Asylum
This was the game that made Batman games matter again. Set entirely within the crumbling walls of Arkham Asylum, the game combined Metroidvania-style progression with rhythmic combat and an obsessive attention to character detail. Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill reprised their iconic roles, grounding the experience with a familiarity that longtime fans immediately trusted.
Gliding through rafters, silently picking off inmates and uncovering Riddler challenges all helped define what would become a new standard for superhero games. Arkham Asylum wasn’t just about brute strength. It made being smart feel just as powerful.
3LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes
When Superman Stole the Show, and Batman Knew It
LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes
This was the moment LEGO games evolved. Fully voiced for the first time, LEGO Batman 2 didn’t just feature Gotham’s protector. It brought the entire Justice League along for the ride. Batman’s dry reluctance to work with Superman became a running gag, and the dynamic between the two added genuine comedic timing to an otherwise simple premise.
Open-world exploration, dozens of unlockable characters, and vehicle missions gave the game more depth than its predecessor. Flying through Gotham as Superman, complete with the John Williams theme, remains one of the most memorable moments in any LEGO game to date.
2Batman: Arkham Knight
The Final Night, the Batmobile Fight and a Story Split in Two
Batman: Arkham Knight
For all the controversy around its Batmobile segments, Arkham Knight still delivered a jaw-dropping visual finale to the trilogy. Rocksteady pushed the PS4 and Xbox One to their limits, rendering a rain-soaked Gotham filled with neon lights, crumbling rooftops and massive open areas.
The game’s most impressive accomplishment was internal. Batman begins to lose control of his mind as Joker’s infected blood takes root, and the hallucinations of Joker taunting him throughout the story blur the lines between guilt and identity. The ending, whatever interpretation players walked away with, was the kind of ambiguous sendoff that fit the legend.
1Batman: Arkham City
The Open-World Gold Standard that All Others Would Chase
Batman Arkham City
No other Batman game captured the totality of the character the way Arkham City did. Expanding beyond the asylum, the sequel gave players a massive chunk of Gotham to glide through, filled with side quests, boss encounters and some of the darkest twists in Batman’s video game history.
The main story, driven by Hugo Strange’s Protocol 10, led to a chilling reveal involving the Joker’s fate that stunned players even a decade later. Combat evolved, stealth options widened and traversal became downright addictive. Every corner of Arkham City oozed with detail and narrative intent. This was Batman at his prime, in both character and game design.
10 Best Side Quests In Batman Arkham Games
The Arkham games have a great selection of side quests, and these are the best ones in the franchise.
