Batman: Arkham
Batman: Arkham is a series of action-adventure video games based on the DC Comics character Batman, developed by British developer Rocksteady Studios and WB Games Montréal, and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. The first two Rocksteady games were written by veteran Batman writer Paul Dini and featured voice actors Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill reprising their roles as Batman and the Joker, respectively, from the DC Animated Universe. Conroy and Hamill returned to voice their characters in the fourth main installment of the series, '. The franchise consists of four main titles, with additional mobile games, and a virtual reality game, ', also developed by Rocksteady.
The first game, ', is set on Arkham Island, which houses the eponymus Arkham Asylum, home of Batman's greatest villains. Its story centers around Batman facing his archenemy, the Joker, who has taken over Arkham and trapped Batman inside with his incarcerated foes, while threatening Gotham City with hidden bombs. Players assume the role of Batman and must defeat the escaped inmates, while also uncovering a plot orchestrated by the Joker involving a super-steroid called "Titan". The second game, ', is set one year later, within the titular Arkham City, a new super-prison based in the decaying urban slums of Gotham. When Batman is incarcerated in the prison, he must uncover a sinister scheme orchestrated by Arkham City's warden, Hugo Strange, while also contending with other villains taking advantage of the prison's lawlessness, including the Joker, who is slowly dying from a disease inflicted by the unstable Titan, and forces Batman to find a cure by infecting him as well. The third main game in the series, , serves as a prequel set five years before Arkham Asylum, and follows a younger and less-refined Batman, who becomes the target of eight deadly assassins hired by crime lord Black Mask to kill him on Christmas Eve; he must also contend with the Gotham City police, who attempt to hunt him down, and other villains taking advantage of the chaos, including the Joker, whom Batman encounters for the first time. The fourth and final installment, Batman: Arkham Knight, set nine months after Arkham City, sees Scarecrow forcing a citywide evacuation in Gotham and uniting some of Batman's greatest enemies in an attempt to destroy him once and for all, aided by the mysterious Arkham Knight; while working with his allies to defeat the villains and restore justice to Gotham, Batman must also contend with an illness caused by the late Joker, which is slowly transforming him into the Joker.
The main installments in the Batman Arkham series have been met with widespread critical acclaim, with praise for their narratives, voice acting, world design, graphics, and gameplay systems and design, along with the faithfulness to the source material.
Games
Main series
''Batman: Arkham Asylum'' (2009)
, the first game in the series, was written by veteran Batman writer Paul Dini and developed by Rocksteady. The game takes place entirely on Arkham Island, which houses Arkham Asylum, home of Batman's most notorious foes. Its story sees Batman having to once again stop his archenemy, the Joker, who instigates an elaborate plot to seize control of Arkham and trap Batman inside with many of his incarcerated foes, while threatening to detonate bombs hidden throughout Gotham City should anyone else intervene. While fighting through the Asylum's inmates and attempting to restore order, Batman learns that the Joker has gained possession of a large quantity of Titan, an experimental chemical based on Venom, the drug used by Bane to enchance his powers, and must destroy it before the Joker can use it for his nefarious schemes. Arkham Asylum also features downloadable content that adds extra challenges and the Joker as a playable character.''Batman: Arkham City'' (2011)
is the sequel to Arkham Asylum and features a bigger cast of characters and a story again written by Paul Dini, along with Paul Crocker and Sefton Hill. The game's story, set one year after Arkham Asylum, sees Batman incarcerated within Arkham City, a massive new super-prison based in the decaying urban slums of Gotham City and established by Quincy Sharp, the former warden of Arkham Asylum and now mayor of Gotham. While contending with various inmates and villains taking advantage of Arkham City's lawlessness, Batman must uncover the secret behind a sinister scheme, code-named "Protocol 10", orchestrated by the facility's warden, Hugo Strange. At the same time, the Joker is slowly dying due to the unstable properties of the Titan formula in his blood, and now infects Batman with his blood to force him to find a cure. Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill reprise their roles of as Batman and the Joker, respectively, from the previous game. It is the first game in the series to introduce side missions, each focusing on different characters. It also features DLC that adds Catwoman as a playable character in the game's storyline, with her own campaign taking place at the same time as the main story, as well as in the challenge mode, alongside Nightwing and Robin. Another DLC, entitled Harley Quinn's Revenge, adds a separate campaign, set after the events in the main story, which features both Batman and Robin as playable character, and sees them attempting to defeat a vengeful Harley Quinn, who has taken over the Joker's gang following his death.''Batman: Arkham Origins'' (2013)
is a prequel set five years before the events of Arkham Asylum. It was developed by WB Games Montréal and written by Assassin's Creed and Prince of Persia writers Corey May and Dooma Wendschuh. The game is the first in the series to feature multiplayer gameplay, with that content developed by Splash Damage. The story follows a younger, less refined, and less experienced Batman, who has a bounty placed on his head by Black Mask, drawing eight of the world's deadliest assassins to Gotham City on Christmas Eve. Batman must defeat these assassins and bring Black Mask to justice, while also being hunted by the police, who see him as nothing but a dangerous vigilante, and having to foil the schemes of other villains taking advantage of the chaos, including the Joker, whom he encounters for the first time. Arkham Origins is set in downtown and east Gotham, which would later be transformed into Arkham City. Roger Craig Smith and Troy Baker voiced Batman and the Joker, respectively, replacing Conroy and Hamill from the previous two games. Like its predecessors, the game features DLC that adds extra challenges, as well as Bruce Wayne and Deathstroke as playable characters; the Cold, Cold Heart DLC adds an entirerly new campaign, set only a week after the events of the main story, on New Year's Eve, and depicts Batman's first encounter with Mr. Freeze.''Batman: Arkham Knight'' (2015)
is the sequel to Arkham City; it was developed once again by Rocksteady, and was released on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Windows on June 23, 2015. It is intended to be the final Arkham game by Rocksteady. Set nine months after Arkham City, the game sees the return of the supervillain Scarecrow, who forces a citywide evacuation and unites several of Gotham City's greatest villains, including Penguin, Two-Face, Riddler, and Harley Quinn, to destroy Batman once and for all. Scarecrow is aided by the mysterious Arkham Knight, who desires revenge against Batman and seems to known much more about him than any individual the Dark Knight has faced so far. While attempting to stop Scarecrow and restore justice to Gotham with the help of his allies, Batman must also contend with an illness caused by the late Joker, which is physically and mentally transforming him into the Joker over time. Arkham Knight is set in uptown Gotham, located west of downtown and east Gotham, and composed of three main islands: Bleake Island, Miagani Island, and Founders' Island. Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill reprise their roles as Batman and the Joker, respectively. The DLC includes a series of four new side missions centered around the characters Killer Croc, Ra's al Ghul, Mr. Freeze, and Mad Hatter, new levels set both before and after the events of the main story and featuring Batgirl, Red Hood, Harley Quinn, Nightwing, Robin, and Catwoman as playable characters, new challenges, and skins for both the playable characters and the Batmobile.Portable games
''Batman: Arkham City Lockdown'' (2011)
is an iOS and Android fighting game developed by NetherRealm Studios, the creators of Mortal Kombat. Set several weeks before the events of Arkham City, the game sees Batman facing various villains who have escaped from Arkham Asylum and are causing mayhem in the streets of Gotham City, following the announcement of Arkham City. It also features voice acting, with many actors reprising their roles from Arkham Asylum and Arkham City.''Batman: Arkham Origins'' (mobile) (2013)
is an iOS and Android fighting game developed by NetherRealm Studios. It plays similarly to Arkham City Lockdown, and follows the same storyline as the console and PC versions of the game.''Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate'' (2013)
is a PlayStation Vita and Nintendo 3DS game developed by Armature Studio. Set three months after the events of Arkham Origins, the story sees Batman investigating a mysterious explosion at Blackgate Prison that set the inmates free and allowed notorious crime bosses Joker, Black Mask, and Penguin to take over and divide the prison between them; Batman is aided throughout the game by Catwoman, whom he meets for the first time, though there might be more about her than meets the eye. Origins Blackgate also features voice acting, with many actors reprising their role from Arkham Origins. A deluxe edition featuring new maps, enemy encounters, difficulty levels, batsuits and enhanced visuals was released on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii U and Microsoft Windows on April 1, 2014 in North America, and April 2, 2014 in Europe.''Batman: Arkham Underworld'' (2016)
Batman: Arkham Underworld is an iOS and Android game developed by Turbine, Inc. and released on iOS on July 14, 2016. Set a few years before the events of Arkham Asylum, the game gives players control over a team of villains - including the Riddler, Harley Quinn, Mr. Freeze, Killer Croc, Scarecrow, and Bane - and has them build hideouts and recruit henchmen, with the goal of becoming Gotham City's "next criminal kingpin". Arkham Underworld also features voice acting, with many actors reprising their roles from the main games series. The game was shut down in 2017.Virtual reality
''Batman: Arkham VR'' (2016)
In June 2016 at E3 2016, it was announced that Rocksteady was developing Batman: Arkham VR for the PlayStation VR, which released in October 2016. The game is set a few weeks prior to the events of Arkham Knight, and has players "utilize legendary gadgets to unravel a plot that threatens the lives of his closest allies." It was released for the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive on April 25, 2017.Collections
''Batman: Arkham Bundle'' (2013)
On September 23, 2013, the Batman: Arkham Bundle was released in North America for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, as a Greatest Hits and Platinum Hits collection, respectively. It features the Game of the Year edition of Arkham Asylum, which includes the "Totally Insane", "Nocturnal Hunter", "Crime Alley" and "Scarecrow Nightmare" challenge maps, and the Game of the Year edition of Arkham City, which includes all, including multiple skin DLC packs, as well as the extended story "Harley Quinn's Revenge".''Batman: Arkham Collection'' (2013)
On November 22, 2013, the Batman: Arkham Collection was released in Europe for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows. The collection features downloadable versions of Arkham Asylum and Arkham City, and a physical copy of Arkham Origins. In addition, the PlayStation 3 version features the Knightfall DLC pack for Arkham Origins, while Arkham Asylum and Arkham City are the Game of the Year editions on Windows.''Batman: Return to Arkham'' (2016)
Batman: Return to Arkham, developed by Virtuos, features remastered versions of Arkham Asylum and Arkham City using Unreal Engine 4 for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Additionally, both games include all previously released downloadable content, and feature improved graphics, upgraded models and environments, as well as improvements in the lighting, effects and shaders. The collection was released on October 18, 2016, to mixed reviews. Reviewers noted improvements to the textures and shading, but had split opinions on the graphics and lighting effects. The collection was also criticized for issues with its frame rate, having been capped at 30 frames per second.Characters
Other media
Music
The first two games were composed by Nick Arundel and Ron Fish. Origins was composed by Christopher Drake, with Arkham Knight being composed by Arundel and David Buckley. Several have been released.Comics
''Batman: Arkham Asylum'' tie-in
A 16-page, single-issue comic, Batman: Arkham Asylum – The Road to Arkham, was included in limited editions of Batman: Arkham Asylum. It is a prequel to the game and is written by Alan Burnett and illustrated by Carlos D'Anda.''Batman: Arkham City'' tie-ins
Starting in May 2011, DC Comics released a five-issue miniseries titled Batman: Arkham City. The miniseries was meant to bridge the gap between the story of Arkham Asylum and Arkham City the game. The series is written by Paul Dini, who wrote both Arkham Asylum and Arkham City, and is drawn by Arkham Asylum and Arkham City concept artist Carlos D’anda. The miniseries picks up one year after Arkham Asylum, where former Arkham Warden Quincy Sharp, now mayor of Gotham City, has decided to close down Arkham Asylum. He decides to create “Arkham City” as the new “home” for all of Gotham City's thugs, gangsters and insane criminal masterminds, set in the heart of Gotham City. Inmates are under the watchful eye of Dr. Hugo Strange, and can roam free and do whatever they want as long as they don't try to escape.In addition, 8-page digital-first interludes were released to expand on the story included in the miniseries, were written once again by Dini as well as Derek Fridolfs and drawn by a variety of artists. The interludes focus on Batman's enemies as they vie for power within Arkham City. The interludes were later included in print in the Batman: Arkham City collected edition.
Batman: Arkham Unhinged is an original digital comic series that released in October 2011 alongside Arkham City, the game. Derek Fridolfs is the main series writer and is drawn by many different artists. The stories spin directly out of events in the game itself, or are flashbacks to events prior to either game, allowing expansion on the background of the characters as they may have existed pre-Arkham City. The stories focus on Batman prominently, but some highlight the villains and the supporting characters as well. The stories were later released in print form.
Additionally, Batman: Arkham City – End Game was released in May 2012 as digital-first comics, and later in print, and is set after the events of Arkham City and before its downloadable content, "Harley Quinn's Revenge". The story is written by Derek Fridolfs with art by Jason Shawn Alexander.
''Batman: Arkham Origins'' tie-in
Batman: Arkham Origins is a digital-first comic, based on the game of the same name. Batman: Arkham Origins is the first title to feature the new DC2 Multiverse technology, that features dynamic artwork, action sounds and the ability to integrate a soundtrack, and allowing the reader to determine the fate of each storyline and character, with multiple options and end results available in each comic chapter. The comic, set across eight chapters, is a prequel to the game's story, and was created by digital studio, Madefire.''Batman: Arkham Knight'' tie-ins
Batman: Arkham Knight is a digital-first prequel comic to the game of the same name. Written by Peter J. Tomasi, with art by Viktor Bogdanovic and Art Thibert, and covers by Dan Panosian, the comic picks up after the events of Arkham City. It was released digitally in February 2015, with the first print release featuring a collection of the digital issues in March 2015.Batman: Arkham Knight – Batgirl Begins is a promotional one-shot comic that was distributed for free at San Diego Comic-Con International. Written by Tim Seeley and illustrated by Matthew Clark and Wade Von Grawbadger, the comic tells the story of Barbara Gordon's first adventure as Batgirl.
Batman: Arkham Knight – Genesis, is a six-issue series written by Peter Tomasi and illustrated by Alisson Borges, that explores the origin of the Arkham Knight.
Collections
- Batman: Arkham City
- Batman: Arkham Unhinged
- * Volume One
- * Volume Two
- * Volume Three
- * Volume Four
- Batman: Arkham Origins
- Batman: Arkham Knight
- * Volume One
- * Volume Two
- * Volume Three
- Batman: Arkham Knight - Genesis
- Batman: The Arkham Saga Omnibus
Film
Novels
''Batman: Arkham Knight – The Riddler's Gambit'' (2015)
A 320-page novel, Batman: Arkham Knight – The Riddler's Gambit, by Alexander C. Irvine serves as a prequel to Batman: Arkham Knight.''Batman: Arkham Knight – The Official Novelization'' (2015)
authored a novelization of Batman: Arkham Knight, which was released in July 2015.Merchandise
Starting in January 2011, DC Direct released two series of statues based on characters in Arkham Asylum. As well, DC Direct, and later DC Collectibles, released four series of statues based on characters in Arkham City, starting in December 2011. On June 5, 2012, TriForce announced that they had acquired the license to create replicas of various weapons, gadgets and iconic objects from Arkham Asylum and Arkham City. DC Collectibles announced statues for release in October 2013 for Arkham Origins, as well as Mattel announcing statues of their own, releasing in late 2013. A board game, titled Batman: Arkham City Escape, was made available by Cryptozoic entertainment in May 2013.Appearances in outside media
The game featured the Arkham City Skin Pack, containing downloadable costumes for Batman, Catwoman, and the Joker, based on their appearances in Arkham City. An Arkham City skin is also available for Harley Quinn; however, unlike the other Arkham City skins, it must be unlocked through the iOS mobile app version. In addition, the Arkham Asylum arena features appearances by Hugo Strange, Scarecrow, Killer Croc, Two-Face, Riddler, and Penguin, all of whom appear as they did in the previous Arkham games. The iOS version of the game features the Arkham Origins skins for Batman, Deathstroke, Deadshot, Joker and Bane, as well the Arkham Knight skins for Batman, Catwoman, Batgirl, Harley Quinn and the exclusive character Arkham Knight. Killer Croc in his Arkham appearance also appears in the game. Batman in his Arkham Knight appearance appears in the iOS version of Injustice 2.Reception
The series has received widespread critical acclaim. Arkham Asylum held Guinness World Record for Most Critically Acclaimed Superhero Game Ever based on an average Metacritic score of 91.67, but was replaced by its sequel Arkham City in 2011. The game was praised as reaching to a darker side of Batman not seen in video games before. It was also acclaimed for its polished combat and stealth gameplay, as well as selection of gadgets at Batman's disposal and the extensive comic book lore and easter eggs planted all over the map of Arkham Asylum. Arkham Asylum also received positive feedback for its choice in voice actors, such as Mark Hamill and Kevin Conroy as The Joker and Batman, respectively. The Guardian included the game on its list of the 50 best videogames of the 21st century.Arkham City has received the most acclaim of the series, won multiple awards, and is considered the greatest comic book video game of all time. It was heralded as taking the already innovative and intricate gameplay of its predecessor and largely expanding on it, as well as opening gameplay to a larger, greater detailed and intricate map. Hamill's return as a sick and dying Joker was very well taken by fans and critics alike, as well as the addition of other villains and heroes such as Robin, Catwoman, Hugo Strange, Calendar Man, and The Penguin. Arkham City currently holds Guinness World Record for Most Critically Acclaimed Superhero Game Ever with the average GameRankings score of 95.94%. Metacritic put the game among the best videogames of the decade 2010–2019.
Arkham Origins, while considered the weakest installment of the series, was still generally well received. The major consensus among critics was the game lacked innovation and series advancement, many of them citing the similar gameplay and atmosphere of the game before, but that it still had an interesting and engaging story. The visuals were also slightly degraded from the previous entry. This was largely attributed to the change in developers from Rocksteady to Warner Bros. Montreal. Arkham Origins was also criticized for its many bugs and glitches, especially on PC, as well as its odd and confined multiplayer. However, praise was directed at the voice cast and narrative, the game's depiction of the Joker as well as Batman's relationships with his adversaries. Most notably, critics agreed that Arkham Origins boss battles were an improvement over its predecessors; they offered dynamic, multiphase conflicts with their own stories. While not considering all equally fun or impressive, reviewers said that their variety and unpredictability provided much excitement.
The console versions of Arkham Knight received critical acclaim but slightly less than Arkham City and Arkham Asylum. However, it was still better received than its predecessor, Arkham Origins. Praise was aimed at the story, visuals, world designs, and gameplay, while most of the criticism was directed towards the game's overreliance on Batmobile gameplay sections. The Windows version of the game was poorly received, being criticized for numerous technical issues at the time of its launch, resulting in Warner Bros. removing the game from sale on Steam, and physical copies being removed from shelves, promising to work on performance issues. After its re-release, the game continued to receive criticism for lingering technical issues. The console versions were released with little to no technical problems. Mashable put the game among the best videogames of the decade 2010–2019.