If you think about it, it is strange that we no longer have options for the best Batman games. The Caped Crusader seems like a natural fit for video game adaptations, considering his most important skills: fighting baddies, hiding in the shadows, and solving intricate puzzles. However, while Batman has starred in some real issues over the years, he’s also had a handful of great games attached to his name.
With that in mind, the Tom’s Guide staff have rounded up the best Batman games, with some qualifiers, just to keep things interesting.
First off, we’ve limited the list to the rates you can play on modern consoles, although there are some excellent retro Batman games if you feel like whipping up your old SNES. We also tried to limit the number of games in each individual subseries, otherwise half of this list would be just the Batman: Arkham games. (Batman: Arkham Origins and Batman: Arkham Knight aren’t great; they’re still worth playing for Dark Knight fans anyway.)
Ready to embark on the journey to play the best Batman games? So you can be revenge, and night, and so on.
Batman: Arkham Asylum
(Image credit: Rocksteady Studios)
After years of disappointing adaptations, Batman: Arkham Asylum is the game that brought the Caped Crusader back to the forefront of games. For those who have never played it, Arkham Asylum is a 3D Metroidvania, in which Batman finds himself trapped – you guessed it – Arkham Asylum, along with his assassin inmates.
With loads of environments to explore, puzzles to solve and villains to fight, Arkham Asylum was one of the first titles to truly feel like a Batman game, rather than a simple action game where you happen to be playing as Batman. . Arkham Asylum’s rhythmic combat and stealth mechanics continued to influence an entire generation of action games.
Batman: Arkham City
(Credito immagine: Warner Bros. Interactive Ent.)
Although Batman: Arkham City isn’t quite as tight as Arkham Asylum, the scope of the game is much, much wider. Rather than just one building complex, Arkham City allows Batman to explore a huge slice of Gotham City in an open world adventure. The roster of villains this time around is particularly impressive, with memorable boss fights featuring fan favorites like Mr. Freeze, Ra’s al Ghul and Clayface. You can even play as Catwoman on an extended complementary mission. Arkham City isn’t just one of the best Batman games; it’s arguably one of the best open world games, period, thanks to its excellent combat and interesting variety of side missions.
Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate
(Image credit: Warner Bros.)
At the risk of including yet another Arkham game, we need to give Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate a shout to at least try something different. Unlike other Arkham games, Origins Blackgate is a 2D Metroidvania. While they were pretty common on the NES and SNES, Batman’s side scrollers are pretty rare nowadays. As the title suggests, Batman explores Blackgate Penitentiary in this one, taking on Black Mask, the Penguin, Solomon Grundy, and a few other familiar enemies along the way. The game isn’t particularly long or demanding, but it’s a nice change of pace from the much more complicated Arkham 3D games.
Batman: The Revealing Series
(Image credit: Warner Bros.)
Who knew Batman would work so well in a point and click adventure game? Batman: The Telltale Series is exactly what it says on the tin, allowing you to take control of Batman in the typical Telltale game format. For those who haven’t played a Telltale game, that means lots of dialogue choices, simple puzzles, and quick action scenes. Like other Telltale games, your decisions also have a huge effect on the narrative, and the storytelling here is excellent. The game introduces a new villain, Lady Arkham, but you’ll also have to choose how to interact with Two-Face, Catwoman, the Penguin, and a handful of other main antagonists.
Batman: The enemy within
(Image credit: Warner Bros.)
Batman: The Telltale Series paved the way for an interesting formula for the Dark Knight, but Batman: The Enemy Within has perfected it. This sequel to Telltale’s first series launches you once again as Batman / Bruce Wayne and you will spend a lot of time playing both alter egos. This time around, the game increases the villain roster, including appearances by The Riddler, Bane, Mr. Freeze, and Harley Quinn. The game’s unique twist, however, is that while it all leads to a confrontation with the Joker, you can completely define your relationship with him before then. Depending on your choices, Bruce and the Joker could be bitter enemies, former friends, or anything in between.
DC universe online
(Image credit: Warner Bros.)
Although DC Universe Online isn’t just a Batman game, the Dark Knight plays a big part in it. In this massively multiplayer online RPG, you will create your own superhero and take off in a huge and detailed world based on the continuity of DC comics. If you create a good-aligned hero with tech-based powers, Batman serves as a mentor throughout the game, giving you missions and helping you develop your skills as you go. He also plays a pivotal role in the game’s main story, which involves a loose alliance of heroes and villains, all trying to forestall a future in which Brainiac has conquered Earth.
Gotham Knights
(Image credit: WB Games)
To be scrupulously honest, Gotham Knights might be a stretch for the “best” Batman games. But our Gotham Knights review was more positive than negative, citing the satisfying gameplay of the game, the various protagonists and the detailed view of Gotham City. The premise this time around is that Batman is dead and it’s up to his four proteges – Nightwing, Red Hood, Batgirl and Robin – to protect Gotham City in tow.
The game structure can get gritty and the story doesn’t make the most of its creative premise. But there are still enough good things in the game to be worth a look, including introductions that let you take on Clayface, Harley Quinn, Mr. Freeze, and more.
Injustice: the gods among us
(Image credit: Warner Bros.)
Injustice: Gods Among Us is arguably more of a general DC comic book game, but Batman plays a pivotal role (perhaps the central role) in the story. This fighting game pits a roster of DC superheroes and supervillains against versions of themselves from a parallel universe, where Superman is a tyrant and the Justice League has disbanded. Batman, Joker, and Harley Quinn all have respectable roles in the main story, and you can also play Catwoman, Deathstroke, Batgirl, Bane, and Nightwing. The combat system is both satisfying and accessible, which means that even newbies to fighting games can try it out.
Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes
(Image credit: Warner Bros.)
There have been a handful of Lego Batman games and they are all at least pretty good. But the best of the bunch is arguably Lego Batman 2: Super Heroes. While the first game told a fairly mechanical “Batman Fights The Bad Guys” story, Lego Batman 2 expanded the concept with a fully voiced cast of characters, a much more ambitious narrative, and the inclusion of the entire Justice League. Like most Lego games in the franchise, Lego Batman 2 is a cooperative action / adventure title simple enough for kids to learn, but with enough depth to keep their parents entertained too.
Multicontro
(Image credit: WB Games / First Player Games)
Maybe it’s cheating to include MultiVersus, since it’s technically not a Batman game, and not even a DC game. But this free-to-play fighting game is too much fun to ignore. Just as Super Smash Bros. brought together all the disparate Nintendo franchises for a four-person fighting game, MultiVersus plumbs the depths of the Warner Bros. catalog.This means you can pit Batman against Bugs Bunny, Shaggy from Scooby-Doo and Arya Stark, yet somehow, it all seems cohesive. With an instantly magnetic art style and surprisingly balanced gameplay, MultiVersus has a lot going for it, especially since it costs nothing to play and the microtransactions feel right, as these things go.
