Do you enjoy becoming a caped crusader and exploring the dark corridors of the Arkham Asylum? That’s great! Hop into the Batmobile as we take a look at some thrilling titles featuring the Dark Knight that you can play on PC.
The First Batman Video Games
The 1980s were a very generous decade for our hero. First of all, The Dark Knight Returns comics from Frank Miller took the Batman story in a darker direction than the previous, goofy Adam West adaptation. Secondly, the movie directed by Tim Burton in 1989 turned cult comics into a successful cinema franchise. Finally, it was in 1986 when the first Batman video game was released on the ZX Spectrum.
From that fateful year, games about the caped crusader have come a long way. Now, let’s take a look at some of the best Batman titles available on GOG.
Batman: Arkham Asylum (2009)
The first part of the universally acclaimed third-person action series from Rocksteady Studio holds up, despite being 10 years old. In Batman: Arkham Asylum, our main hero is thrown into the claustrophobic confines of the eponymous prison/hospital. There he must fight for survival against Gotham’s most infamous criminals, such as Scarecrow or Bane.
Among the most notable features of the game are its dark atmosphere and dynamic hand-to-hand fights. We can also enjoy listening to the voices of Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill in the roles of Batman and Joker. The latter has some video game experience, as he already played a part in the Wing Commander series.
Batman: Arkham City (2011)
The creators of this sequel took everything that worked in the first part of the series and threw in a large open world to explore. In Batman: Arkham City, we witness the creation of a new asylum for dangerous criminals in one of Gotham City’s enclosed districts.
Bruce Wayne, who is being arrested and held there, starts a desperate race against time after being infected with a dangerous disease by the Joker. Once again, he must fight his way out using a mix of martial arts and stealth skills for which Batman is famous for.
Batman: Arkham Origins (2013)
This time, we travel back in time. Batman: Arkham Origins is a prequel that’s set five years before the events of Arkham Asylum. Apart from the earlier adventures of the caped crusader, we can also witness the origins of characters like Harley Quinn, a former psychiatrist who turned evil.
The game was created by a different studio, WB Games Montréal. It is visibly different from its predecessors, adding new voice actors, an even larger open world, and new investigative elements to the gameplay. Batman must face eight assassins poised on killing him, lured to Gotham by the notorious crime lord, Black Mask.
Batman: Arkham Knight (2015)
The final part of the Arkham series (so far) has Rocksteady Studio back behind the wheel. It takes place Months after the end of Arkham City’s story. We join Batman who explores the abandoned Gotham City streets after the infamous Scarecrow threatens to poison citizens with his new toxin.
Batman: Arkham Knight introduces the Batmobile as our hero’s mode of transportation. It will be useful, as the open world to explore is much bigger than the one presented in Arkham City.
Batman Titltes from Telltale Games
If your approach to games is more “brains over fists”, you will be captivated by titles created by Telltale Games. Here, every decision will count and affect the story’s outcome.
In Batman – The Telltale Series our hero not only fights crime. He also entangles himself in the fight for political power over Gotham. In Batman: The Enemy Within, on the other hand, our hero must face the mysterious organization known as AGENCY.
LEGO Batman: The Video Game
If you prefer more light-hearted titles, you should check action-adventure games from Traveller’s Tales. They enable you to join Batman and his sidekick Robin in their fight against Gotham City’s top criminals. Thanks to the co-op mode you can enjoy LEGO Batman: The Video Game with your friends and family members.
The success of the game made further sequels (and even a film adaptation) just a matter of time. In LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes, our heroes meet other comic book champions like Superman and Wonder Woman. Of course, the latter characters behave… a bit differently than in films with Henry Cavill and Gal Gadot, yet together they smash criminals into tiny plastic bricks.
In LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham, on the other hand, the Caped Crusader joins forces with an even larger group of superheroes of the DC Comics universe. Together they set off into space to stop the evil Brainiac from destroying Earth.
Do you want to learn more about games deeply rooted in pop culture? Read our articles about the Bioshock series and the scariest moments in video games.
