The Batman Arkham game series is one of the most successful superhero game franchise of all time. Back in the 2000s, superhero games weren’t able to truly capture and live up to the expectations of fans as they were just poor adaptations of superhero movies that were just starting to realize success in the Box Office.
Superhero video games hadn’t yet established their space in the gaming world. The hype and excitement over the superhero games that were being released at that time wouldn’t last for long as they were quickly overshadowed by other successful games in other genres.
However, things changed in August 2009 with the release of one particular game. A game that marked the start of an incredibly successful and popular video game series.
Batman: Arkham Asylum was the game that broke the mould. It was able to achieve what other games weren’t able to and it revitalized the superhero genre.
Due to its immense success, a franchise was born and fans eagerly waited for what each entry had to offer.
In this article, we are going to give a quick overview of the complete Batman: Arkham series in chronological order.
We will start first with the five main games in the series and then follow on with the various portable and expansion titles released over the years in addition to the main titles:
Main SeriesÂ
1) Batman: Arkham Asylum (2009)
As mentioned earlier, this is the game that started it all. Developed by Rocksteady Studios, Arkham Asylum was released in August 2009 for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Windows.
It was later ported to Mac Os in 2011 and remastered for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in 2016.
After capturing the Joker in Gotham City and taking him to Arkham Asylum, Batman has to restore order once again after the joker orchestrates a jailbreak and takes control the facility with the assistance of other famous villains.
In terms of gameplay, Arkham Asylum doesn’t disappoint. In addition to having a wide range of gadgets and weapons available to the player, the game also perfectly combines easy, quick, and impressive combat with stealth sequences that are well executed.
2) Batman: Arkham City (2011)
Soon enough after the massive success of Arkham Asylum, a sequel was released. Batman: Arkham City, which was also developed by Rocksteady Studios, was released in 2011 for the Playstation 3, Xbox 360, and Windows and in 2012, it was ported for the Wii U and Mac OS. It was remastered for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in 2016.
The game picks up from the events of Arkham Asylum where a section of Gotham City is transformed into Arkham City by villains from Arkham Asylum under the command of Dr. Hugo Strange. This second entry sees the introduction of Catwoman, who is also a playable character in some parts of the story.
Batman: Arkham City introduces the player to a number of new gadgets. However, there are no significant changes to the gameplay and mechanics.
3) Batman: Arkham Origins (2013)
This is the third entry in the franchise. However, as you would have deduced from the title, it is a prequel to Batman: Arkham Asylum.
The third game in the series was developed by WB Montreal and released in 2013 for the Playstation 3, Xbox 360, and Windows. Unfortunately, Arkham Origins wasn’t ported to Mac Os or remastered.
The game primarily focuses on Bruce Wayne’s earlier career and being targeted by Black Mask and 8 assassins. The gameplay was basically the same as the predecessors.
4) Batman: Arkham Knight (2015)
This is the fourth game and at the moment, it is the latest in the main series.
This fourth entry was developed by Rocksteady Studios and released in 2015 for the Playstation 4, Xbox One, and Windows.
It follows up on the events of Arkham City, but now the events take place in the streets of Gotham City. Scarecrow and a mysterious figure by the name of Arkham Knight are the main villains.
In terms of gameplay, the main highlight was the addition of the Batmobile. Other aspects of gameplay remained the same, though they were a bit more refined.
5) Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League (2023)
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is an upcoming game set for a 2023 release on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Windows.
The action-adventure game will be the fifth release in the popular Batman: Arkham series. But fans of the franchise can expect some major twists when compared to the earlier entries.
The biggest difference stems from the fact that players aren’t controlling Batman. In fact, the game’s protagonists have typically been pitted against Batman as they go about various villainous plans.
But this time around Harley Quinn, Deadshot, Captain Boomerang, and King Shark are fighting to save the world from a threat even larger than they themselves posed.
Not only has the alien entity Brainiac set his sights on earth, but the AI has also managed to brainwash most of the Justice League.
The sudden flip of antagonist and protagonist isn’t the only game-changing feature of Suicide Squad. This entry into the Arkham series also puts a new emphasis on team-based play.
That doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t run through it solo though. Up to four players can take on the roles of Suicide Squad members for cooperative multiplayer.
But if you’re playing solo you can simply hand off control of the other team members to the game’s AI. Suicide Squad also gives you the ability to switch characters between AI and human control.
So if you enjoy playing as King Shark, for example, you can use him as your main character. But if a particular area calls for different strengths, you can simply swap over to another character while playing through that section.
All four playable characters have unique abilities. And this holds true for both combat and travel mechanics.
Suicide Squad also boasts a huge change in the series’ setting. The Arkham games have been almost entirely focused on Batman. This generally means that players have been able to explore various times and places within Gotham.
But a change in the protagonist opens up the possibility of wildly new settings. And in this case, the series has moved beyond Gotham and into Superman’s home of Metropolis. This makes for an exciting change for a series that’s well known for expansive and fleshed-out open-world environments.
Of course, the Arkham series is just as well known for storytelling as it is for open-world game mechanics. And Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League continues that tradition.
The game weaves a larger-scale story of an alien invasion with a more personal look at how individual characters handle this strange situation.
Portable Series and Expansions
6) Batman: Arkham City Lockdown (2011)
This was a mobile fighting game for Batman: Arkham City that was originally released for the iOS in 2011 and then later on in June 2013 the Android version was released. However, it is no longer available on both platforms.
It saw the return of many characters from both Arkham City and Asylum and its main focus was combat rather than the story.
7) Batman: Arkham Origins (mobile) (2013)
Batman: Arkham Origins (mobile) is a mobile action game that was developed by Netherrealm Studios and released in 2013 for both iOS and Android.
In many aspects, it is the same as Arkham City Lockdown, however, it only has one cutscene. The story line is that of Batman: Arkham Origins but with a few alterations.
8) Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate (2013)
Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate is a spin-off of Batman: Arkham Origins and they were both released in 2013.
It is a 2.5D side-scrolling game whose main target was hand-held gaming devices. It was initially released only for the Nintendo 3DS and Playstation Vita.
However, in 2014, it was ported to Windows, Playstation 3, Wii U, and Xbox 360.
Despite it not being a 3D game, it incredibly adopts the fluid combat and well-executed stealth sequences of the main version.
9) Batman: Arkham Underworld (2016)
Unlike all the other games in the list where you play the Batman, the Arkham Underworld edition was a mobile strategy game where you take up the role of Gotham City’s recognizable villains such as Two-Face and Harley Quinn.
It was released in July 2016 for both Android and iOS. Your main objective was to become the most wanted criminal in Gotham. But, unfortunately, it was pulled from both platforms in 2017.
10) Batman: Arkham VR (2016)
Batman: Arkham VR is an adventure game that was initially released for the Playstation VR in October of 2016.
The events of Arkham VR take place between the events of Arkham City and Arkham Knight. Unlike other releases, the player doesn’t engage in any combat, rather, its main focus is puzzle-solving and exploration.
You play as Batman as he investigates the disappearance of Robin and Nightwing. This is after they go missing following the chaos of Batman: Arkham City.
PC gamers can also enjoy the experience of this adventure game as it was released for Windows in 2017.
11) Batman Court of Owls (To Be Determined)
Reports have been indicating that WB Montreal are working on a Batman-related project. This after they cancelled the Suicide Squad live game.
Even though there hasn’t been any official information, teasers for Batman: Court of Owls have been getting louder and louder.
A lot of evidence is pointing towards a Bruce Wayne game with the Court of Owls as the villains. After all, Geoff Ellenor, who is a game director at WB Games Montreal has been teasing Court of Owl for almost a year.
Fans expected an official debut on several occasions this year such as on DC’s Batman Day and recently at the Game Awards in December, however, much to their disappointment, they amounted to nothing.
Nevertheless, there are still strong signs that the game could be officially announced any time next year. However, until an official statement or debut is made, the rumours will keep getting stronger and stronger.
So there you have it, all the Batman Arkham video games in the order of their releases. Hopefully, the information above has provided some useful insight into, arguably, one of the most popular video game franchises not only in the superhero genre but also in the whole video game market.
Is Batman Arkham return to Arkham Asylum and Arkham City part of the Batman franchise?