It's easy to forget that Batman has been starring in video games just as long as he's starred in movies. Such is the success of the Arkham series that many of Batman's less-than-stellar back catalog of games have been rendered largely irrelevant. Batman: Arkham Asylum was released in 2009, at a time when superhero games were not always well made. Not only was it a critical and commercial success, but it completely revolutionized the superhero genre, and spawned an entire franchise that includes 4 mainline entries, a VR game, and an upcoming spin-off.
Contrary to some people's memories though, Batman has starred in multiple other games that are not Arkham, and many of them hold up surprisingly well today. The best Batman games are the ones that successfully manage to blend all the key elements that make him such a loved character. These games succeed through hard-hitting combat, from melee action to the use of his varied gadgets and tools, detective skills that allow the player to try and solve crimes by decrypting clues, a gripping story featuring a multitude of villains from Batman's illustrious rogue's gallery, and visuals that can do the caped crusader's adventures justice.
Batman Begins
Movie tie-ins don't tend to transition well from movie to video game. Occasionally though there are exceptions, and Batman Begins was definitely one of these. Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy deserves a lot of credit for generating more interest in superheroes on the silver screen. The combination of Christian Bale's performances, the score, and the gritty plot won over audiences and critics worldwide.
Despite the game's insistence to stick rigidly to the plot of the movie, it managed to recreate much of what made the film such a success. The visuals and voice acting were great, with many of the movie's cast reprising their roles, and the combat in particular stood out. In many ways it paved the way for the Arkham games with its combined use of stealth mechanics and combo attacks. It's definitely one of the better movie tie-ins of the 2000's and still plays well today.
Lego Batman: The Videogame
The LEGO games have spanned many franchises over the years, combining LEGO's signature humor with fun, easily accessible gameplay, and characters and plots from the chosen source material. At the time, the original LEGO Batman game was perhaps LEGO's most ambitious title of its time. It featured an original story, colorful, vibrant visuals and perhaps its most unique gimmick, the ability to play as Batman villains in a story mode. This was something that gamers had been unable to do up until this point, and it was a refreshing change from playing as the good guys. Despite a lack of voice acting, the character models were successfully able to convey the plot in a way that was humorous and engaging. While later LEGO Batman games may have featured enhanced mechanics such as an open-world structure and real voice acting, the charm of the original still shines brightly today.
Batman: The Telltale Series
Perhaps the most unique entry in the list is Batman: The Telltale Series. Unlike the other action-heavy games, this is a point-and-click adventure where players assume the role of Bruce Wayne, and are tasked with making key decisions which influence the direction the story takes. While other Batman games tend to focus on The Dark Knight himself, this one stripped back the persona and instead focuses on the man behind the mask. The voice acting is stellar, and the visuals really help to bring the game to life. While gameplay aficionados will likely bemoan the lack of action, there is something to be said for the way this interactive story pulls the player in and makes them consider the decisions they make, as well as the potential consequences.
The Adventures of Batman and Robin
Perhaps the most beloved depiction of the Caped Crusader is the extremely popular cartoon Batman: The Animated Series which originally ran during the early 1990's. Praised for its slightly dark tone, its mature, complex plots, as well as its voice acting and general artistic style, the cartoon seemed primed for a video game adaption given its popularity. During its later years, the show changed its name to The Adventures of Batman and Robin, and it was at this point that a SNES adaption was released. The game stayed extremely faithful to the cartoon, with impressive visuals animations, as well as a stylish atmosphere throughout. Developed by Konami, no stranger to 2D side-scrolling beat-em-ups, it features fights against a range of villains which were challenging and surprisingly varied at the time.
Batman: Vengeance
Based on the cartoon The New Batman Adventures, which was a continuation of Batman: The Animated Series, Batman: Vengeance painstakingly recreates the cartoon world of Gotham in bright, vibrant 3D. Bringing back a large part of the voice cast who reprise their roles from the television series, Vengeance isn't short on style, with a brand-new plot to accompany its tight, simple gameplay mechanics. Batman has gadgets to use alongside melee combat, and there are even fun, accessible vehicle levels to play, including a highly impressive Batwing stage which holds up better than certain rail shooters today.
Batman's Future Beyond Arkham
With Arkham Knight seemingly to bring Batman's story to an end within that canon, it's unclear how the Caped Crusader factors into Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League or any other future game related to the Arkham canon. Still, Batman continues to have a notable presence in the game industry His recent inclusion in free-to-play brawler MultiVersus has allowed gamers to play as him once again in his popular cartoon guise from the television show. Whatever the future may hold for Batman after Arkham, players can be sure they haven't seen the last of him.