Now that WB Games Montreal has officially unveiled Gotham Knights, Batman games are back in vogue. Even though the latest "Batman" game doesn't actually star the Dark Knight himself, it's a great idea to get familiar with the Batman universe. If you've never played any of the Arkham games, they're a great place to start.
Take a look at some of the best Batman games you should play before Gotham Knights lands in 2021:
DC Universe Online is a free-to-play massively multiplayer online game set in the DC comics universe. Of course, you can choose to play as Batman, but there's a broader focus on all DC Comics heroes and villains.
The game itself is an action RPG that plays similarly to games like Diablo and Path of Exile. Team up with your friends to tackle dungeons and progress the story of your character. Unlock new costumes from nearly 100 years of comic book history.
Arkham Origins Blackgate is a 2D platformer action game that plays out like older games. The story of Blackgate takes place after Arkham Origins, but before Arkham Asylum. The combat is combo-based and less free-form than the Arkham Asylum series, so be aware of that going into it.
If you plan on playing the Arkham trilogy, it's easy to fit Blackgate into the rotation, since it's relatively short. All of Batman's gadgetry is available to manipulate the 2.5D environment, with plenty of collectibles to find.
Injustice: Gods Among Us is a rare fighting game with a story mode in single player. The original story features Batman prominently, so if the caped crusader is your favorite hero, it's worth checking out.
Plenty of locations from DC Comics serve as fleshed out fighting arenas once the story cutscenes end. The brutal heart-pounding combo-based gameplay also features massive finishers if you can pull them off. Every single hero and villain has custom animations and finishers, making it an entertaining versus game to play against friends, too.
Batman: Arkham Origins is a prequel to the Arkham Asylum series. It's where any serious Batman lover should start in their quest for playing good Batman games. The game features a young and untested Batman learning the ropes against some of Gotham's most notorious criminals. The game takes place on Christmas Eve, with eight DC Comics villains hunting Batman in Gotham.
The game's Detective Mode is enhanced, with new sensors to help players digitally re-create crimes to solve them as the Caped Crusader. Players can also locate gang leaders and take them down to upgrade Batman's equipment.
Injustice 2 does feature an original story much like the first game, but there is much less emphasis on the game's single-player portion. Injustice 2 relies on DLC packs and its online community to keep it interesting.
If you picked up the first game and enjoyed it, this game is more of the same. If you're not a fighting game fan, you can pretty much watch the story cutscenes on YouTube and be happy. That's not to say it's a bad game, but the story isn't as focused on Batman as the first game.
Looking for a good Batman game, you can play with your kids? The LEGO Batman series is the perfect place to start, with LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham as the ultimate experience. Batman joins forces with other superheroes from the DC Comics universe to stop an evil Brainiac from destroying the Earth.
Batman and the other superheroes head to outer space and the various Lantern worlds. You can play and unlock over 150 characters, including superheroes and villains. The gameplay is pretty simple, but it's enjoyable for all ages.
If action-based combat isn't your forte, but you still want to enjoy a good Batman story, Batman: The Telltale Series is perfect. Players assume both Bruce Wayne and Batman's role, where your choices as Batman impact the world in unforeseen ways. It's the first game that emphasizes Batman's actions after he apprehends villains.
The game features five episodes with choices that impact how the game turns out. You can play it again to make different choices and see how things play out differently. It's an excellent story-based game with light gameplay that any Batman fan can enjoy.
Batman: Arkham Asylum is the game that kicked off the world's love for superhero games again. The fluid combat and exploring Arkham island as the world's greatest detective defined a genre. The Game of the Year Edition features all the DLC and costumes from the original at no additional cost.
Help Batman find out how The Joker escaped Arkham Asylum and apprehend one of the city's most dangerous criminals. The game combines its detective mode with action sequences and collectibles for the penultimate Batman experience.
Batman: Arkham City is a sequel to Arkham Asylum and gives Batman the full city of Gotham to roam. Batman squares off against The Joker, The Riddler, Two-Face, Harley Quinn, and other famous Batman villains. The combat has been beefed up from the first game, providing more combos and ways to disable the thugs you fight.
The GoTY edition features all Arkham City DLC, including new skins for characters like Catwoman, Nightwing, and Harley Quinn. Arkham City features many more side-stories hidden throughout the city than its predecessor.
Batman: Arkham Knight is the third and final game in the Arkham trilogy. It's the first game that introduces the Batmobile as a tool that can be used to solve puzzles around the city.
The game's combat and detective sequences return, but the game feels more gritty than the previous two. Blast around Gotham and use the Batmobile to break into new areas to fight crime. The game's ultimate villain is Scarecrow, one of the most cerebral villains in the Batman universe.