Batman Arkham Series

A series of four games (with various iOS additions and the like) released across 2009 to 2015 by Rocksteady and WB, this series was pretty pioneering in its establishment of the trend of free-flow combat. Paul Dini wrote the first two – so, if you loved Batman: The Animated Series, you’ll love these, and vice-versa. My personal faves are the second and the fourth – Arkham City and Arkham Knight – which host completely gripping storylines making them less combat-heavy and more like watching Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy for 60-odd hours. Pretty awesome.

One could say Batman is legally bound by his own enforced “moral code” (yes, that is very deliberately placed into quotes) and this is explored, questioned, and stretched across these games. The intersection of questions of justice, vigilantism, anarchy, and mortality tap into the philosophical questions posed historically across the Caped Crusader’s anthology. Of course, the quality of the game is helped immensely by the sheer brilliance in the voice acting – notably, Mark Hammil reprising his role as the Joker. The graphics and world design also surpass any and all expectations for a game released 11 years ago.

The first game, Batman: Arkham Asylum (2009) follows Batman trying to prevent the Joker from destroying Gotham City after he takes control of the Asylum and those within (a delightful collection of past foes). Arkham City (2011) takes place a year later, after Professor Hugo Strange has enclosed an abandoned part of the city and turned it into a massive asylum. While slowly dying from an illness inflicted by the Joker (ofc), Batman must escape his incarceration and uncover Strange’s scheme ‘Protocol 10’. Look out for the Ra’s Al Ghul boss battle – it is epic. 

Arkham Origins (2013) is a prequel to Arkham Asylum, and look, to be honest, you could probably skip this one, so I will too.

The series is then concluded with Arkham Knight (2015), positioned nine months after the events of Arkham City. The Scarecrow and the mysterious Arkham Knight have seized control of Gotham in a ploy to destroy Batman physically and mentally, once and for all…