Batman games in order: Arkham & beyond in story or release order

By Joe Julians

Published: Monday, 19 December 2022 at 12:00 am

The Batman gaming universe has continued in 2022 with the much-anticipated release of Gotham Knights which depicts Bats’ allies teaming up after his death, and you can read our Gotham Knights review here if you want our thoughts on it.

While not a continuation of the Arkham games that drew to a close with Arkham Knight, the release has got people talking about that franchise again and we’ve found ourselves with the urge to revisit it.

If you’ve never tried the games out before, then you are in for a treat as they are, mostly, fantastic titles that still hold up years later with a stellar voice cast including the late, great, Kevin Conroy.

If you’re a newbie to them, or you fancy revisiting them, here are all the games in the order they were released, and chronologically if you want to go the story order route.

How to play the Batman Arkham games in story order

If you want to play through the Batman Arkham games in story order, so you can really get into the head of Bruce Wayne without breaking the continuity at any point, this is how it goes:

Those four games, plus a VR spinoff, should keep you busy for a while! You’ll be in full Dark Knight mode, sleeping upside down and berating your imaginary butler by the time you’re finished with them.

Batman Arkham games in release date order

If you’d rather play through these games in the order they came out, so you see the graphics and gameplay improving (in theory) with each instalment, this release date order will serve you well…

Arkham Asylum (2009)

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Available on: PC, Mac, PS3, PS4, PS5, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S

To some, this is still the best of the bunch of the Arkham games and it is easy to see why. Restricting the game to the confines of the titular and iconic asylum was a brilliant move that fully absorbs the player in the twisted way the place is being run under the control of Joker. It dazzled us upon release and it remains re-playable all these years later.

Arkham City (2011)

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Available on: PC, Mac, PS3, PS4, PS5, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Wii U

Leaving the asylum behind, Arkham City once again pits Bats against Joker, along with many other foes, and takes us to the streets of Gotham. This is a far bigger game than the first and one that is just as well regarded by most fans as Asylum. We get another tight story here too that is compelling from start to finish, and the Riddler challenges are taken to another level with the larger playing field.

Arkham Origins (2013)

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Available on: PC, PS3, PS4, PS5, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Wii U

While Rocksteady Studios were behind the Arkham series, it was WB Games Montréal that took the reins for Arkham Origins – and it would be fair to say the game is not on many people’s favourites list. It isn’t a bad game by any stretch of the imagination, but this prequel lacks the spark of the previous entries – although we did appreciate the lean into Batman’s detective skills.

Arkham Knight (2015)

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Available on: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S

The final game in the series was the biggest, but not quite the best. There is a lot to love about Arkham Knight, especially the story, and it features some brilliant set pieces that remain riveting to play even the second time around. But there were some issues, largely surrounding the overused Batmobile (we still wake up in a cold sweat thinking about tank fights), that made it feel like a disappointment to some – but it does enough right to make it feel satisfying overall.

Arkham VR (2016)

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Available on: PC, PS4, PS5 (PSVR, HTC Vive or Meta headset required)

The only game in this series to embrace virtual reality, Batman: Arkham VR lets you experience Detective Mode like never before. Playing from a first-person perspective, you will solve puzzles and use gadgets to unravel a mystery involving sidekicks going missing.

The game is quite short, clocking in at under two hours for its main story, so we wouldn’t say it’s essential. If you have a VR set-up, though, why not give it a go? Although it’s the last game to launch with ‘Arkham’ in its title, it actually fits into the story timeline between City and Knight.

What about Gotham Knights?