Batman: Arkham
The "Bat" logo for the series, as seen on theBatman: Arkham Collection (2013) box art, featuring the color schemes (from left to right) used on theArkham Asylum,Arkham City, andArkham Origins logos
Genres	Action-adventure,open world,stealth
Developers	Rocksteady Studios WB Games Montréal Splash Damage Human Head Studios NetherRealm Studios Armature Studio Turbine, Inc. Turn Me Up Camouflaj
Publishers	Eidos Interactive (2009) Warner Bros. Games (2009–present) Oculus Studios
Writers	Paul Dini Corey May Dooma Wendschuh Adam Beechen Sefton Hill
Platforms	Android iOS Microsoft Windows Nintendo 3DS OS X PlayStation 3 PlayStation 4 PlayStation VR PlayStation 5 PlayStation Vita Wii U Nintendo Switch Xbox 360 Xbox One Xbox Series X/S Meta Quest 3
First release	Batman: Arkham Asylum August 25, 2009
Latest release	Batman: Arkham Shadow October 21, 2024
Parent series	Batman video games

Batman: Arkham is asuperheroaction-adventurevideo game series based on theDC Comics characterBatman, developed byRocksteady Studios,^[1][2]WB Games Montréal,Armature Studio andCamouflaj, and published originally byEidos Interactive and currently byWarner Bros. Games. The franchise consists of four main installments and aspin-off, along with ahandheld game, three smaller titles for mobile devices, twovirtual reality games, tie-in comic books, and ananimated film. The continuity established by the games is often referred to as theArkhamverse.

The main games in theBatman: Arkham series have been met with success and critical acclaim, with praise for their narratives, voice acting, characters, world design, graphics, and gameplay. The games have collectively sold more than 32 million copies worldwide.

Batman: Arkham Asylum, the first game in the series, was written by veteranBatman writerPaul Dini and developed by Rocksteady.^[1] The game takes place entirely on Arkham Island, which houses the eponymousArkham Asylum, home of some of Batman's most notorious foes. In the main storyline, Batman must once again stop his archenemy, theJoker, who has instigated an elaborate plot to seize control of Arkham and trap Batman on the island, while threateningGotham City with hidden bombs. 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 byBane to enhance his powers, and must destroy it before the Joker can use it for his nefarious schemes.Kevin Conroy,Mark Hamill, andArleen Sorkin respectively voice Batman, Joker, andHarley Quinn in the game, reprising their roles from theDC Animated Universe.

After its initial release,Arkham Asylum receiveddownloadable content (DLC) that added new maps to the game's challenge mode, as well as the Joker as a playable character (albeit only on thePlayStation 3 andReturn to Arkham versions).

Batman: Arkham City is the sequel toArkham Asylum and features a bigger cast of characters and a story again written by Paul Dini, along with Paul Crocker andSefton Hill. Set eighteen months afterArkham Asylum, the game sees Bruce Wayne incarcerated within Arkham City, a new super-prison based in the decaying urban slums of Gotham City, established by former Arkham Asylum warden and current Gotham mayor Quincy Sharp. While contending with various inmates 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 infects Batman with the same disease to force him to find a cure. Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill reprise their respective roles as Batman and the Joker.

Arkham City introduces side missions to the series, each focusing on different villains whose schemes Batman must thwart. It also features DLC that addsCatwoman as a playable character, along with her own campaign that runs parallel with the main story. In addition to Batman and Catwoman, the game's challenge mode also featuresNightwing andRobin as playable characters. Another DLC, titledHarley Quinn's Revenge, adds a second campaign, set after the main story, in which Robin must rescue Batman after he is captured by a vengeful Harley Quinn in Arkham City.

Batman: Arkham Origins is a prequel to the series, taking place eight years before the events ofArkham Asylum. It was developed by WB Games Montréal and written byAssassin's Creed andPrince of Persia writersCorey May andDooma Wendschuh. The game is the first in the series to feature multiplayer gameplay, developed bySplash Damage.^[3] The story follows a younger and less refined Batman, who has a bounty placed on his head byBlack Mask, drawing eight of the world's deadliest assassins to Gotham City onChristmas Eve. While attempting to bring Black Mask to justice, Batman must also contend with the police, who want to apprehend him for his vigilantism, and other villains taking advantage of the chaos in Gotham. The plot features key moments in Batman's career, such as his first encounter with the Joker, and the beginning of his partnership and friendship withJim Gordon.Arkham Origins features roughly the same setting asArkham City—Old Gotham—but with several changes to reflect the different time period, as the area has yet to be transformed into Arkham City. The setting also incorporates a new area of the city, called New Gotham, located in the south, and theBatcave.Roger Craig Smith andTroy Baker voice Batman and the Joker, respectively, replacing Conroy and Hamill from the previous two games.^[4]

Like its predecessors, the game features DLC that adds new challenge maps and costumes for Batman, as well as Bruce Wayne andDeathstroke as playable characters in the challenge mode. TheCold, Cold Heart DLC adds a new story-driven campaign, set a week after the events of the main story, onNew Year's Eve; it depicts Batman's first encounter withMr. Freeze, borrowing heavy inspiration from theBatman: The Animated Series episode "Heart of Ice".

Batman: Arkham Knight is the sequel toArkham City, the only one to receive an 'M' rating, and the biggest installment in the series. Intended to be the finalBatman: Arkham game,^[5] it was developed once again by Rocksteady, and released for thePlayStation 4,Xbox One, and Windows on June 23, 2015.^[6] Set nine months after the events ofArkham City, the game sees the return of the villainScarecrow, who forces a citywide evacuation in Gotham and unites several of Batman's greatest villains in an attempt to destroy the Dark Knight once and for all. Scarecrow is aided by the mysteriousArkham Knight, who has a personal vendetta against Batman and seems to know all of his secrets. Although aided by several allies, Batman's quest to stop the villains is hindered by the Joker, who, despite his death inArkham City, lives on as a hallucination in Batman's mind and is slowly taking over his body.^[7][8]Arkham Knight is set in Uptown Gotham, which is located west ofCity andOrigins' Old and New Gotham, and comprises three main islands: Bleake Island, Miagani Island, and Founders' Island. Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill reprise their roles as Batman and the Joker, respectively.^[9]

DLC released for the game includes four side missions centered around the villainsKiller Croc,Ra's al Ghul, Mr. Freeze, andMad Hatter; short story-driven missions set both before and after the main story, focusing on characters other than Batman, such asBatgirl,Red Hood, Harley Quinn, Nightwing, Robin, and Catwoman; additional challenge maps; and skins for both the playable characters and theBatmobile (which makes its debut in the series as a driveable vehicle).

Batman: Arkham City Lockdown is aniOS andAndroidfighting game developed byNetherRealm Studios, the creators ofMortal Kombat 9, which serves as a spin-off and prequel to the events ofBatman: Arkham City. The game features voice acting, with most of the actors reprising their roles fromArkham Asylum andArkham City.

Batman: Arkham Origins is an iOS and Android fighting game developed by NetherRealm Studios.^[10] It plays similarly toArkham City Lockdown, and follows the same storyline as the console and PC versions of the game.

Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate is aside-scrolling game developed for thePlayStation Vita andNintendo 3DS byArmature Studio. Set three months after the events ofArkham Origins, the story sees Batman investigating a mysterious explosion atBlackgate Prison that set the inmates free and allowed notorious crime bosses Joker, Black Mask, and Penguin to take over the prison. With the help of Catwoman, whom he encounters for the first time, Batman attempts to bring all three crime bosses to justice, in the process uncovering a dark secret about his newfound ally. A deluxe edition of the game, featuring new maps, enemy encounters, difficulty levels, batsuits and enhanced visuals, was released on the PlayStation 3,Xbox 360,Wii U, andMicrosoft Windows in April 2014.^[11]

Batman: Arkham Underworld is an iOS and Android game developed byTurbine, Inc. and released on iOS on July 14, 2016.^[12] Set a few years before the events ofArkham Asylum, the game gives players control over a team of villains—including infamous Batman enemies such as theRiddler, 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".^[13]Arkham Underworld features voice acting, with many actors reprising their roles from the main installments in the series.^[12][14] The game was shut down in 2017.

In June 2016 atE3 2016, it was announced that Rocksteady was developing aBatman: Arkham game for thePlayStation VR, which released in October 2016. The game is set a few weeks prior to the events ofArkham Knight, and has players "utilize [Batman's] legendary gadgets to unravel a plot that threatens the lives of his closest allies."^[15] It was released for theOculus Rift andHTC Vive on April 25, 2017.^[16]

ASuicide Squad game was first considered a possibility following the end ofBatman: Arkham Origins, which featured a post-credits scene in which Deathstroke is asked byAmanda Waller to join the Suicide Squad. In the years afterBatman: Arkham Knight released, there were rumors suggesting the studio was working on a Suicide Squad game, but no official announcement was made from the development team or publisher.^[17] In December 2016,Jason Schreier fromKotaku revealed that the title had been cancelled, and WB Games Montreal shifted their focus to a new Batman game starringDamian Wayne as the new Dark Knight, but as confirmed in January 2024 by voice actorJosh Keaton who worked on the game, the title would not have been set in the Arkhamverse.^[18][19] In April 2017, Schreier reported that the Damian game had been cancelled and turned into a different Batman title, which was revealed to beGotham Knights at the 2020DC FanDome and is also unrelated to theArkham series.^[20][21] As a result, Rocksteady Studios took over the Suicide Squad IP and started the development of a different game based on the faction and set after the events ofBatman: Arkham Knight. Rocksteady was initially rumored to be working on aSuperman-themed game, which they later debunked.^[22] The game's official artwork was revealed by Rocksteady on August 7, 2020.^[23]

The first trailer for the game premiered at DC FanDome, which revealed its title ofSuicide Squad: Kill the Justice League along with its premise. On March 23, 2022, Rocksteady announced that the game had been delayed from its intended 2022 launch window to Spring 2023.^[24] On April 13, 2023, the game was again delayed to February 2, 2024, when it would eventually release for Windows,PlayStation 5 andXbox Series X/S.^[25] Due to Kevin Conroy's passing in November 2022, the game marks one of his final performances as Batman, as well as his last time voicing the character in theArkham series.^[26]

AsSuicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is set in the Arkhamverse, plot threads established in theBatman: Arkham series are continued in the game, including the Joker's death inBatman: Arkham City and the public revelation of Batman's identity as Bruce Wayne inArkham Knight.^[27][28] Unlike previous installments, the game is set inMetropolis rather than Gotham, which has come under attack byBrainiac and his army. After most of theJustice League, including Batman, is enslaved by Brainiac's mind-controlling technology, Amanda Waller assembles the Suicide Squad—Harley Quinn,Deadshot,Captain Boomerang, andKing Shark—and sends them to Metropolis to stop Brainiac's invasion, pitting them against the brainwashed superheroes. The game supports up to four player co-op gameplay, allowing players to pick between any of the Squad members.^[29] After the initial launch, the roster of playable characters was expanded with the addition ofalternate reality versions of the Joker^[30] and Mr. Freeze,^[31] as well as Deadshot's daughterZoe Lawton / Lawless,^[32] andDeathstroke.^[33]

On May 1, 2024,Batman: Arkham Shadow, the next installment in the series, was announced,^[34] to be released exclusively on theMeta Quest 3 in late 2024.^[35] Developed byCamouflaj and published byOculus Studios, it is a direct sequel toBatman: Arkham Origins, with Roger Craig Smith reprising his role as Batman.^[36] Taking place six months after the events ofArkham Origins, the game follows Batman as he attempts to stop a mysterious villain called the Rat King from destroying Gotham on theFourth of July, and depicts his transition from a violent and vengeful vigilante to a symbol of hope.Arkham Shadow was released on October 21, 2024,^[37] and was included for free with new Meta Quest 3 andMeta Quest 3S purchases until April 30, 2025.^[38]

On September 23, 2013, theBatman: Arkham Bundle was released in North America for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, as aGreatest Hits andPlatinum Hits collection, respectively. It features theGame of the Year edition ofArkham Asylum, which includes the "Totally Insane", "Nocturnal Hunter", "Crime Alley", and "Scarecrow Nightmare" challenge maps, and the Game of the Year edition ofArkham City, which includes alladditional content, including multiple skin DLC packs, as well as the extended storyHarley Quinn's Revenge.^[39]

On November 22, 2013, theBatman: Arkham Collection was released in Europe for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Microsoft Windows. The collection features downloadable versions ofArkham Asylum andArkham City, and a physical copy ofArkham Origins. In addition, the PlayStation 3 version features theKnightfall DLC pack forArkham Origins, whileArkham Asylum andArkham City are the Game of the Year editions on Windows.^[40]

Batman: Return to Arkham, developed byVirtuos, features remastered versions ofArkham Asylum andArkham City usingUnreal 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.^[41][42] The collection was released on October 18, 2016,^[43] to mixed to positive reviews.^[44][45] Reviewers noted improvements to the textures and shading, but had split opinions on the visual design and lighting effects. The collection was also criticized for issues with itsframe rate, having been capped at 30 frames per second, withArkham City running uncapped at up to 60 frames per second at launch.^[46][47][48]

On September 6, 2019, theBatman: Arkham Collection was released in Europe for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. It contains the remastered versions ofArkham Asylum andArkham City fromReturn to Arkham and the premium edition ofArkham Knight. The physical edition of the collection includes discs for the first two games and a digital download code for the third game.^[49]

Although initially leaked via French retailer WTT in 2022,Batman: Arkham Trilogy was officially announced viaNintendo Direct on June 21, 2023. It containsBatman: Arkham Asylum,Arkham City, andArkham Knight in one package with all of their respective DLC bundled in, and was released exclusively for theNintendo Switch^[50] on December 1, 2023. It was developed by Turn Me Up. The physical edition only includedArkham Asylum on the cartridge, whileArkham City andArkham Knight required a separate download.^[51] An additional alternate Batsuit inspired byRobert Pattinson's portrayal of the character inThe Batman (2022) was added first to the Nintendo Switch version ofArkham Knight as part of theTrilogy before arriving on other platforms at a later date.^[52] The collection was dedicated to Kevin Conroy, who voiced Batman in these games.

The first two games were composed by Nick Arundel and Ron Fish.Origins was composed byChristopher Drake, withArkham Knight being composed by Arundel andDavid Buckley. Severalsoundtrack albums have been released.

A 16-page, single-issue comic,Batman: Arkham Asylum – The Road to Arkham, was included in limited editions ofBatman: Arkham Asylum. Written byAlan Burnett and illustrated by Carlos D'Anda, it is a prequel to the game.^[54]

Starting in May 2011,DC Comics released a five-issue miniseries titledBatman: Arkham City. The miniseries was meant to bridge the gap between the story ofArkham Asylum andArkham City the game. The series is written by Paul Dini, who wrote bothArkham Asylum andArkham City, and is drawn byArkham Asylum andArkham City concept artist Carlos D'anda. The miniseries picks up one year afterArkham Asylum, where former Arkham WardenQuincy 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 do not try to escape.^[55]

In addition, 8-page digital-first interludes were released to expand on the story included in the miniseries, and 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 withinArkham City. The interludes were later included in print in theBatman: Arkham City collected edition.^[55]

Batman: Arkham Unhinged is an original digital comic series that released in October 2011 alongsideArkham 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.^[56]

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 ofArkham City and before its downloadable content, "Harley Quinn's Revenge". The story is written by Derek Fridolfs with art by Jason Shawn Alexander.^[57]

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 newDC² 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.^[58] The comic, set across eight chapters, is a prequel to the game's story, and was created by digital studio, Madefire.^[59]

Batman: Arkham Knight is a digital-first prequel comic to the game of the same name. Written byPeter J. Tomasi, with art by Viktor Bogdanovic andArt Thibert, and covers byDan Panosian, the comic picks up after the events ofArkham City. It was released digitally in February 2015, with the first print release featuring a collection of the digital issues in March 2015.^[60][61]

Batman: Arkham Knight – Batgirl Begins is a promotionalone-shot comic that was distributed for free atSan Diego Comic-Con. Written byTim Seeley and illustrated by Matthew Clark andWade Von Grawbadger, the comic tells the story ofBarbara Gordon's first adventure asBatgirl.^[62]

Batman: Arkham Knight – Genesis, is a six-issue series written byPeter Tomasi and illustrated by Alisson Borges, that explores the origin of the Arkham Knight.^[63]

Suicide Squad: Kill Arkham Asylum is a four-issue comic miniseries which serves as a prequel toKill the Justice League, exploring how Amanda Waller took control of Arkham Asylum and recruited the members of the Suicide Squad.^[64]

• Batman: Arkham City (collectsBatman: Arkham City #1–5 andBatman: Arkham City – Digital Chapters #1–5; 168 pages; hardcover, October 2011,ISBN 978-1401232559; paperback, September 2012,ISBN 978-1401234935)
• Batman: Arkham Unhinged
  • Volume One (collectsBatman: Arkham Unhinged #1–5 andBatman: Arkham City – Digital Chapters #6–7; 160 pages; hardcover, February 2013,ISBN 978-1401237493; paperback, August 2013,ISBN 978-1401240189)
  • Volume Two (collectsBatman: Arkham Unhinged #6–10; 168 pages; hardcover, August 2013,ISBN 978-1401240196; paperback, January 2013,ISBN 978-1401242831)
  • Volume Three (collectsBatman: Arkham Unhinged #11–15 andBatman: Arkham City – End Game #1-6; 232 pages; hardcover, January 2014,ISBN 978-1401243050; paperback, August 2014,ISBN 978-1401246808)
  • Volume Four (collectsBatman: Arkham Unhinged #16–20; 168 pages; hardcover, August 2014,ISBN 978-1401246815; paperback, February 2015,ISBN 978-1401250423)
• Batman: Arkham Origins (collectsBatman: Arkham Origins chapters #1–14; 160 pages; hardcover, December 2014,ISBN 978-1401248864; paperback, July 2015,ISBN 978-1401254650)
• Batman: Arkham Knight
  • Volume One (collectsBatman: Arkham Knight #1–4; 144 pages; hardcover, July 2015,ISBN 978-1401258047; paperback, January 2016,ISBN 978-1401266011)
  • Volume Two (collectsBatman: Arkham Knight #5–9 andBatman: Arkham Knight – Batgirl Begins #1; 160 pages; hardcover, March 2016,ISBN 978-1401260675; paperback, July 2016,ISBN 978-1401263409)
  • Volume Three (collectsBatman: Arkham Knight #10–12,Batman: Arkham Knight Annual #1,Batman: Arkham Knight – Robin Special #1, andBatman: Arkham Knight – Harley Quinn and Batgirl Special #1–2; 176 pages; hardcover, July 2016,ISBN 978-1401263393; paperback, November 2016,ISBN 978-1401265052)
• Batman: Arkham Knight – Genesis (collectsBatman: Arkham Knight – Genesis #1–6; 144 pages; hardcover, March 2016,ISBN 978-1401260668; paperback, September 2016,ISBN 978-1401264444)
• Batman: The Arkham Saga Omnibus (collectsBatman: Arkham Asylum – The Road to Arkham #1 and all previous collections, 1,648 pages, hardcover, September 2018,ISBN 978-1401284329)
• Suicide Squad: Kill Arkham Asylum (collectsSuicide Squad: Kill Arkham Asylum #1–5, 120 pages, paperback, October 2024,ISBN 978-1779518385)

An animated film set in the Arkhamverse, titledBatman: Assault on Arkham, was released on August 12, 2014. Many actors involved with the games reprised their roles, including Kevin Conroy as Batman, Troy Baker as the Joker, Martin Jarvis as Alfred, and Nolan North as the Penguin. The film takes place about two years before the events ofBatman: Arkham Asylum,^[65] and focuses on the Suicide Squad—Deadshot, Harley Quinn, Captain Boomerang,Killer Frost, theBlack Spider, and King Shark—who are sent by Amanda Waller to infiltrate Arkham Asylum and recover a classified file stolen by the Riddler. Although he is the title character, Batman is reduced to a supporting role, as he attempts to stop the Joker from destroying Gotham with a hidden bomb and briefly crosses paths with the Squad.

A 320-page novel,Batman: Arkham Knight – The Riddler's Gambit, byAlex Irvine serves as a prequel toBatman: Arkham Knight.^[66]

Marv Wolfman authored anovelization ofBatman: Arkham Knight, which was released in July 2015.^[67]

Arkham Asylum – Shock Therapy was aVekoma SLC roller coaster located atWarner Bros. Movie World inQueensland, Australia. While the coaster was originally based on theLethal Weapon film series,^[68] the ride was renamed and rethemed to theArkham franchise.^[69]

Escape From Arkham Asylum^[70] was a 2018dark maze attraction based onBatman: Arkham Asylum, built as part of the Horror Made Here: A Festival of Frights event atWarner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood inLos Angeles, California.^[71][72]

Starting in January 2011,DC Direct released two series of statues based on characters inArkham Asylum.^[73][74] As well, DC Direct, and later DC Collectibles, released four series of statues based on characters inArkham City, starting in December 2011.^{[75][76][77][78]} On June 5, 2012, TriForce announced that they had acquired the license to create replicas of various weapons, gadgets and iconic objects fromArkham Asylum andArkham City.^[79] DC Collectibles announced statues for release in October 2013 forArkham Origins,^[80] as well asMattel announcing statues of their own, releasing in late 2013.^[81] A board game, titledBatman: Arkham City Escape, was made available by Cryptozoic entertainment in May 2013.^[82]

The gameInjustice: Gods Among Us featured theArkham City Skin Pack, containing downloadable costumes for Batman, Catwoman, and the Joker, based on their appearances inArkham City.^[83] AnArkham City skin is also available for Harley Quinn; however, unlike the otherArkham City skins, it must be unlocked through the iOS mobile app version.^[84] 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 previousArkham games. The iOS version of the game features theArkham Origins skins for Batman, Deathstroke, Deadshot, Joker, and Bane, as well theArkham Knight skins for Batman, Catwoman, Batgirl, Harley Quinn, and the exclusive character Arkham Knight. TheArkham Knight costume for Batman also appears in the iOS version ofInjustice 2.

The character Arkham Knight eventually made his debut in the mainstreamDC Universe. However, this incarnation is not Jason Todd, but rather Astrid Arkham, the daughter of Arkham Asylum directorJeremiah Arkham and Ingrid Karlsson. During her birth, a riot broke out during a prison transfer at the asylum. Despite the chaos, several villains assisted in delivering her safely, but one of the prisoners killed Ingrid with one of Batman's batarangs. Astrid grew up interacting with many of Arkham Asylum's patients and sympathized with their fear of Batman. After she found footage of her mother's death, she assumed Batman murdered her and trained herself for years to take away Batman's control over Gotham. She crafted the Arkham Knight identity to take vengeance on him, believing that the Arkham inmates were also his victims.

This sectionneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.(February 2024) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

The series has received widespread critical acclaim and commercial success, achieving lifetime international sales of 30+ million copies worldwide^[109] and high scores from critics and gamers.^[110]Arkham Asylum held theGuinness World Record for "Most Critically Acclaimed Superhero Game Ever" based on an averageMetacritic score of 91.67,^[111] but was replaced by its sequelArkham City in 2011.^[112] 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.^[113]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.^[113] The game was included in many lists of the best games of 2009^{[114][115][116]} and won several accolades, including Best Game at theBAFTA Video Games Awards^[117] and Game of the Year at theNational Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers.^[118]The Guardian included the game on its list of the 50 best videogames of the 21st century.^[119]Digital Trends put the game on its list of the best games of all time.^[120]

Arkham City has received the highest critical acclaim of the series, and won multiple awards, including Best Action-Adventure Game at theGolden Joystick Awards^[121] and Adventure Game of the Year at theD.I.C.E. Awards.^[122] The game was included in many lists of the best games of 2011^{[123][124][125]} and is also considered as the greatest comic book video game of all time.^{[126][127][128][129][130][131][132]} 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.^[133]Arkham City currently holds theGuinness World Record for "Most Critically Acclaimed Superhero Game Ever" with the averageGameRankings score of 95.94%.^[112] Metacritic andThe Hollywood Reporter put the game among the best videogames of the decade 2010–2019.^[134][135]

Arkham Origins, while considered the weakest instalment 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 downgraded from the previous entry. This was largely attributed to the change in developers from Rocksteady to Warner Bros. Montréal.^[136]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.^[137] Most notably, critics agreed thatArkham Origins' boss battles were an improvement over its predecessors; they offered dynamic, multiphase conflicts with their own stories.^[138] While not considering all equally fun or impressive, reviewers said that their variety and unpredictability provided much excitement.^[139]

The console versions ofArkham Knight received critical acclaim but slightly less thanArkham City andArkham Asylum. However, it was still better received than its predecessor (Arkham Origins) and became the fastest-selling game in the franchise.^[140] The game was included in many lists of the best games of 2015^{[141][142][143]} and won several accolades, including Best British Game at theBAFTA Video Games Awards^[144] and Best Game at theEmpire Awards.^[145] Praise was aimed at the narrative, score, writing, visuals, world designs, and gameplay, while most of the criticism was directed towards the game's overreliance on the Batmobile.^[146] The Windows version of the game was received with ambivalent responses, being criticized for numerous technical issues at the time of its launch, resulting in Warner Bros. removing the game from sale onSteam, and physical copies being removed from shelves, promising to work on performance issues.^[147] 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.^[148]Mashable andBuzzFeed put the game among the best video games of the decade 2010–2019.^[149][150]Edge andUSA Today put the game on their lists of the best games of all time.^[151][152]

• Gotham Knights: a video game developed by WB Games Montréal (who developedArkham: Origins), featuring similar gameplay mechanics, aesthetics, and many of the same characters as theBatman: Arkham games, but with an original storyline not set in the Arkhamverse.
• Injustice (franchise): a video gamefighting series developed byNetherRealm Studios, featuring characters from the DC Comics universe and various voice talents reprising their roles from DC Comics based media.
• Marvel's Spider-Man: An action-adventure video game series developed byInsomniac Games and based onMarvel Comics characters, set in an original interpretation of theMarvel Universe principally focused aroundSpider-Man. It follows many similar gameplay and narrative conventions to theBatman: Arkham series, which it has been favorably compared to.

Wikimedia Commons has media related toBatman: Arkham.

• Batman: Arkham
• Action-adventure games
• Stealth video games
• Video game franchises
• Video game franchises introduced in 2009
• Video games based on comics
• Warner Bros. Games franchises
• Video games set in the United States

• All articles with dead external links
• Articles with dead external links from March 2023
• Articles with permanently dead external links
• CS1: unfit URL
• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Use mdy dates from April 2023
• Short description matches Wikidata
• Articles needing additional references from February 2024
• All articles needing additional references
• Commons category link is on Wikidata