10 Best Batman Games of All Time

It is Batman season yet again, a fresh take on the character is on its way to the silver screen with The Batman starring Robert Pattinson. Over the years, the caped crusader has had his fair share of games, lots of them in a battle for best Batman game ever. Assuming all goes well, we should have Gotham Knights loaded up on our consoles later this year, and I can’t wait. However, before we treat ourselves to more stories about The Dark Knight, let's break out our batarangs and rank the top 10 best Batman games of all time.

List of the Best Batman Games of All Time

• 10. The Adventures of Batman and Robin
• 9. Batman (NES)
• 8. Batman Begins
• 7. Batman Arkham VR
• 6. Batman: The Telltale Series Shadows Edition
• 5. LEGO Batman: The Videogame
• 4. Arkham Asylum
• 3. Arkham Origins
• 2. Arkham City
• 1. Arkham Knight

10. The Adventures of Batman and Robin

The Adventures of Batman and Robin for the SNES is a bonafide classic Batman game. This side-scroller action take on the caped crusader is also one of the best tv show tie-ins on the platform. For fans who grew up with the animated series, this is a special game that faithfully adapts the cartoon to a video game. Entire levels are based completely on the cartoon, and the gameplay is quite fun, featuring multiple tools at your disposal for plenty of combat diversity.

9. Batman (NES)

Batman for the NES holds a special place in my heart. It is actually the first video game I remember playing on the NES at a young age. Seeing the pixel art batmobile at the game’s opening on a chunky CRT is a core memory.

This is also a rock-solid platformer that ties into the 1989 movie. Batman draws inspiration from Ninja Gaiden with its wall jump mechanic and brutal difficulty, and trust me, this game can get tricky. It also features a delightful gritty aesthetic, fitting for a Batman game and tie-in to the Tim Burton film. Check this one out if you’re a retro game enthusiast.

8. Batman Begins

The story surrounding video game adaptions of the Nolan films is quite an interesting one. At one point, the now-defunct Pandemic studios were in charge of an ambitious tie-in to The Dark Knight that was unfortunately canceled. However, Batman Begins received a video game, and it is a damn good one.

Batman Begins combines Splinter Cell style stealth with classic beat-em-up combat mechanics. Going back and playing it now, it certainly feels like a rough blueprint for the Arkham games with its fear mechanics and stealth concepts. What I enjoyed most about Batman Begins was how it fleshed out a lot of the world in the Nolanverse. We got a better look at Arkham Asylum, the Narrows, Wayne Manor, and even a fun Batmobile chase sequence.

7. Batman Arkham VR

Every Batman game review has the same line, “this game really makes you feel like Batman,” but what if the game actually made you Batman? Enter Batman Arkham VR, where you can fully take the mantle of the world’s greatest detective and fight side by side with Robin in this Gotham murder mystery.

While, unfortunately, there is no combat in this VR game, there is an excellent sense of interactivity with the world that you would come to expect from a VR experience. You can utilize Batman’s gadgets, interact with the Batcomputer, and of course, try your hand at throwing batarangs.

6. Batman: The Telltale Series Shadows Edition

The Shadows Edition of the Batman Telltale series is great, combining the original first season with the second season’s Enemy Within in one story-heavy package. This edition of the series is particularly unique in that it grants the option to play both games in a black and white noir-like color scheme which I really enjoyed.

The action takes a backseat in these games, seeing as Telltale games are all story-driven, decision-based games. However, it still is a compelling Batman game overall. Due to its nature, the Telltale series dives into Bruce Wayne’s psyche far more than any other game on this list. Batman fans should definitely check this one out for a more personal view on Bruce Wayne.

5. LEGO Batman: The Videogame

Traveller's Tales has a habit of taking existing franchises and turning them into lovable LEGO games that spill over with humor and quirk. Batman is no exception. There is just so much to love about LEGO Batman. You get to see a fully explorable Batcave and Arkham Asylum that serve as hubs to heroes and villains, respectively, and you can even play as Alfred.

LEGO Batman has a vast amount of levels and characters to play to the point where you can tell that the developers have a lot of love for the source material. It even has the classic theme from the 1989 Batman movie! LEGO Batman is a great game and even ranks high as one of the best LEGO games, period.

4. Arkham Asylum

The game that changed superhero games. Arkham Asylum is one of those genuinely influential games, the presence of which is still felt over a decade later. On influence alone, one could argue that this is the best Batman game ever. Take a look at Insomniac's Spider-Man, and you will see how much the Arkham games influenced it. There is a good reason why so many games use the same combat system as Arkham Asylum; no other system feels as satisfying and rhythmic as the one Rocksteady perfected on their first try.

Other massive successes for Arkham Asylum were its superb level design that takes inspiration from Metroidvanias, top-notch voice acting from longstanding Batman voice actors, and incredible visuals that still hold up today. If you’re a Bat-fan that still hasn’t played this one, I don’t know what to tell you. Go get it now!

3. Arkham Origins

In a world where Arkham Origins didn’t release after the pivotal Arkham Asylum or the fantastic Arkham City, Origins would have been rated much higher. There were some big shoes to fill, and unfortunately, Arkham Origins was released in a buggy state, which tainted the first impressions for many gamers. However, this game has some real merit, especially in its story, which gives us a closer look at Bruce Wayne and has some great moments of friction between him and Alfred.

Origins also contains the best DLC in the Arkham series, Cold, Cold, Heart. If you’re like me and grew up with the animated series, I’m sure you have some admiration for the Heart of Ice episode, and this DLC is like an expanded version of it. 

2. Arkham City

Arkham City took everything great about Arkham Asylum and doubled down on it: more villains, a bigger city, and improved gameplay. Never before has any studio so perfectly captured the feeling of being Batman, perched on a city rooftop and keeping watchful eyes on the Gotham streets below.

I especially loved Arkham City because it cared for the lesser villains in the Batman universe. Hugo Strange being one of the main villains and Clayface being the final boss is a great way to bring lesser explored characters to the forefront. But overall, the amount of heroes and villains in Arkham City is overwhelming, and it's an excellent game for fans of the Bat.

1. Arkham Knight

I know, I know, this is far from many people’s first choice. But hey, this is my list, and I am here to say that Arkham Knight is the best and the most well-rounded Batman game you could ask for. Some of my disappointments with Arkham City were that it felt very narrow in scale both in the city size and how much it utilized so many characters in Batman’s cast. Arkham Knight alleviated these concerns and improved upon everything Arkham City had built.

Arkham Knight’s rendition of Gotham is truly sprawling, far larger than Arkham City’s map, and has more iconic landmarks spread through the world. It’s big enough to house the batmobile, which is a point of contention for many gamers, but personally, I found the batmobile to be really entertaining. Plus, fan-favorite sidekicks like Robin and Nightwing are playable with a whole tag team combat mechanic that is oh so satisfying when you get Batman and Nightwing synced together in an epic dance of gadgets and groin kicks. To me, Arkham Knight evolved the series everything a Batman game should be, and for that reason, it is the best batman game of all time.

Final Thoughts on the Best Batman Games of All Time

I said it initially, Batman has had his fair share of games throughout the years. Moreover, a 1989 Batman game making the top 10 list also proves that developers have been making some excellent Batman games ever since they could bring the caped crusader to home consoles. Just don’t play the Batman & Robin movie tie-in game; that would be a huge mistake. As always, this is just my own personal take on the best Batman games, and hopefully, I could convince you to try something new or, at a minimum, give Batman Arkham Origins a second chance. Keep your eyes peeled for some new Batman games because one thing is for sure, the world's greatest detective likely has more stories to tell.