With the tagline “Batman is dead”, there’s a great deal of excitement for the upcoming open-world, action RPG set in the iconic streets of Gotham City. Now that WB Games Montréal has announced the Gotham Knights release date for October 25, 2022, people are counting down the days until they can battle Gotham’s criminal underworld as Batgirl, Nightwing, Red Hood, and Robin.
Yet, while we wait and cross our fingers that this new addition to the franchise meets our expectations, there have been some outstanding Batman games in the past that are well worth a revisit.
Gotham will always need its heroes. Suit up for an all-new adventure on 10.25.22. #GothamKnights pic.twitter.com/d7oV2LbcT8
— Gotham Knights (@GothamKnights) March 9, 2022
Batman: Arkham series
The game series, Batman Arkham, remains the standout success in terms of superhero game franchises, and what Rocksteady Studios in conjunction with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment was able to achieve really was game-changing. Thus, when we talk about awesome Batman games from the past, places one to four are Batman: Arkham Asylum (2009), Batman: Arkham City (2011), Batman: Arkham Origins (2013), and Batman: Arkham Knight (2015).
The general consensus is that Batman: Arkham City is the pick of the bunch. Rocksteady upped their game by introducing characters with compelling stories with Two-Face, Penguin, and Catwoman in full villain ensembles rather than their customary disguises and creating an incredibly memorable open-world adventure.
Each title was met with critical and commercial success and the compliments generally focused on the story, voice acting, combat system, and adherence to the source material. While the series did receive some criticism for the forced use of the Batmobile, the sluggish enemy AI, checkpoint saves, and the occasionally repetitive minibosses, these were minor quibbles that could not distract from the greatness. Even now, Batman: Arkham City still ranks among the best ever video game endings of all time. Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is coming in 2023 and while it’s a little early to get excited, we really hope the first-class action-adventure gameplay remains and it’s another Rocksteady masterpiece.
Batman: The Telltale Series
So, if the Arkham series represents the best, here’s the rest, with the Telltale point-and-click graphic adventure series worth your time if you’ve already experienced everything the Arkham series has to offer. With five episodes starting with Realm of Shadows and concluding with the City of Light, there’s a lot to get your teeth into. The gameplay is different from other Batman games, as players are able to take the role of Batman and his alter ego, Bruce Wayne.
The series did receive criticism for its ponderous detective sequences and general story pacing issues. The narrative was particularly polarising in places, with some in favor of the unpredictable story, while others saw it as an abrupt, illogical and confusing mess. The sequel, Batman: The Enemy Within, received a warmer reception, particularly for its depiction of the Joker. Overall, if you like the point-and-click graphic adventure gameplay, there are better Telltale Games offerings, but if you just want to spend more time in Gotham, you’ll enjoy these adventures.
An honorable mention should go to Injustice 2, although not a Batman game, you do get to do battle as the caped crusader and the fighting game based upon the DC Universe generally received favorable reviews and still retains a loyal fanbase.
While we wait to preserve peace on the streets of Gotham, any entry from the Arkham series is well worth a revisit and the Telltale series should satisfy Dark Knight aficionados.
