Batman has been a podium-dweller on the beat ’em up front for over a decade now, with the signature Arkham series still making one heck of a splash on next-gen hardware today. But, gloss over the Bat and his library of video games prior to the launch of 2009’s Asylum, however, and you’ll see another side to the success story. A story that, like Superman, had multiple failed chapters with a slew of digital disasters to capsize the vessel. Nevertheless, once Rocksteady stole the reigns to the IP in ’09, Gotham became so much more, and Arkham was finally able to become the flagship series we know and cradle today.

Batman: Arkham has been such an inspiration for the beat ’em up world these past twelve years that, honestly, it’s no wonder fans are still clutching at straws for reboots and remasters. And, with the VR entry proving to be a global success in 2016, it’s clear that the devs still have all the keys at their disposal for a line of future releases. Until that time comes, however, we’re left to ponder over the series so far, with our own take on which instalments made the biggest impact on the community. So, without further ado, here are the best Arkham games of all time, based on opinion.

5. Batman: Arkham VR

It was only a matter of time before Rocksteady Studios looked to strap a VR headset to The Dark Knight and make use of its many features. And for the most part, playing Bruce from a first-person perspective was a definite way to entice new players to the PlayStation VR platform. However, even with the original narrative and fresh take on virtual reality, it still wasn’t quite enough to one-up the earlier console releases that, unsurprisingly, were still deemed absolute masterpieces for their time.

Batman: Arkham VR had a lot of new features to boot, so to speak. But it also removed a lot, with some ingredients that actually made the earlier Arkham chapters celebrated being canned entirely. Combat took a major backseat for the VR sequence, which was a big deal considering its beat ’em up style was once branded as the best of the best. Instead, we were given more of a detective role, with a heavier narrative that involved a lot more puzzle-solving than full-fledged fighting. So, not a bad thing by all means, but in no way shape or form the full package we expected from an Arkham game — hence the bottom spot.

4. Batman: Arkham Asylum

Rocksteady Studios truly did craft something phenomenal when pitching the debut Arkham chapter, with all the ingredients needed to craft a set menu of compelling sequels. And, for a 2009 release, Rocksteady truly was lightyears ahead of their time, with almost every playable element being an absolute work of art in its own way. From combat to sound design, environments to secondary objectives — Arkham Asylum had it all. And then some.

The only downside to developing a masterpiece, of course, was that any form of a sequel was almost destined to succumb to the pressures of filling such mighty shoes. And in some respect, the Arkham series did often struggle to rekindle that same successful flame from the earliest chapter. But then, being Rocksteady, even flint and ash would’ve turned out gold. But Arkham Asylum, for what it’s worth — was an absolute diamond, and perhaps one of the greatest gaming jewels to ever grace the entire system.

3. Batman: Arkham Origins

After following the same path for several years, Rocksteady knew that they had to forge an initiation story of some sort for the series — if only to bridge the few remaining gaps of the journey. The unfortunate thing, sadly, was that Rocksteady didn’t actually develop said story. It was Warner Bros. Interactive, funnily enough. And we won’t pretend that that was a bad thing. It’s just that, well — it wasn’t what we had all come to know and cherish.

Arkham Origins, being what it was, was an absolutely incredible way to shed light on The Dark Knight and his earlier years out in Gotham, with all the familiar features needed to keep the Arkham name thriving. However, as good of a game as it was — it still didn’t knuckle in on anything particularly innovative. If anything, it simply proved that Warner Bros. was capable of pulling off an Arkham game and nothing more. And while that was all well and good — it still didn’t come anywhere near to perfection as Rocksteady’s earlier chapters.

2. Batman: Arkham Knight

After discarding waves of rebellious inmates and twisted rivals in the monochrome city without so much as a split-second breather, the Bat’s well-deserved hiatus was finally knocking — and it was knocking hard. The only condition for going into early retirement, of course, was through mopping up Gotham’s leftover parasites and secondhand gang antics.

Arkham Knight, despite not going too deep in terms of narrative, was still a great way to close the book on the Arkham journey. After packing in boatloads of iconic faces and memorable settings, we had pretty much experienced the complete Gotham package, and we were honestly living for it. But, being a concoction of earlier games with very little additional sprinkles to boost its flavour, it was essentially a mock-up of Arkham City with a few extra curdles and quirks to embellish it. And so, while it wasn’t in a league of its own when standing next to its predecessors, it was still a fantastic entry to the timeline, and, a conclusion we’ll never likely forget.

1. Batman: Arkham City

Well, there it is. Of all the fantastic entries Rocksteady funnelled into its flagship beat ’em up series, Arkham City was hands down the greatest chapter they ever put out. After Asylum practically dominated the charts and put the wheels in motion for a pipeline of sequels, the team went above and beyond, with sights set on crafting an even more ambitious follow-up tale. And thankfully, that’s where Arkham City rolled in.

Since 2011, Rocksteady Studios has tried to recreate the beauty of Gotham and its roster of refreshing rivals. The sad part is, no amount of rehashed material has ever quite managed to capture the charm that embellished Arkham City. Everything the City poured out was nailed to a tee, with polished combat and open-world exploration, memorable encounters and compelling side stories. It was all there, and it was worth every penny and moment we threw at it.

Do you agree with our list? What is your favourite Arkham chapter? Let us know over on our socials here.

Finished with Arkham? Looking for more content? You could always take a look at one of these lists:

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बैटमैन एक दशक से भी अधिक समय से बीट ‘एम अप फ्रंट पर पोडियम पर काबिज रहा है, जिसमें सिग्नेचर आर्कहैम सीरीज़ आज भी नेक्स्ट-जेन हार्डवेयर पर जबरदस्त धमाल मचा रही है। लेकिन, 2009 के एसाइलम के लॉन्च से पहले बैट और उसके वीडियो गेम्स के संग्रह पर सरसरी नज़र डालें, तो आप सफलता की कहानी का एक और पहलू देखेंगे। एक ऐसी कहानी जो, सुपरमैन की तरह, कई विफल अध्यायों और डिजिटल आपदाओं की एक झड़ी के साथ जहाज को डुबो देने वाली थी। फिर भी, एक बार जब रॉकस्टेडी ने ’09 में आईपी की बागडोर संभाली, तो गॉथम इतना अधिक बन गया, और आर्कहैम आखिरकार वह फ्लैगशिप सीरीज़ बनने में सफल रहा जिसे हम आज जानते और संजोते हैं।

बैटमैन: आर्कहैम पिछले बारह वर्षों से बीट ‘एम अप दुनिया के लिए इतनी प्रेरणा रहा है कि, सच कहें तो, यह कोई आश्चर्य नहीं कि प्रशंसक अभी भी रीबूट और रीमास्टर के लिए तरस रहे हैं। और, 2016 में वीआर एंट्री के वैश्विक सफलता साबित होने के साथ, यह स्पष्ट है कि डेवलपर्स के पास भविष्य की रिलीज़ की एक पंक्ति के लिए अभी भी सभी चाबियाँ उनके पास हैं। हालाँकि, जब तक वह समय आता है, तब तक हमें अब तक की श्रृंखला पर विचार करना है, और हमारा अपना नज़रिया है कि किस किस्त ने समुदाय पर सबसे बड़ा प्रभाव डाला। तो, बिना किसी और देरी के, यहाँ राय के आधार पर अब तक के सर्वश्रेष्ठ आर्कहैम गेम्स हैं।

5. Batman: Arkham VR

https://youtu.be/SwdZvJfxqtE

रॉकस्टेडी स्टूडियोज के लिए डार्क नाइट को वीआर हेडसेट लगाने और इसकी कई सुविधाओं का उपयोग करने की बात सोचना केवल समय की बात थी। और ज़्यादातर हिस्से में, ब्रूस को फर्स्ट-पर्सन परिप्रेक्ष्य से खेलना निश्चित रूप से नए खिलाड़ियों को प्लेस्टेशन वीआर प्लेटफॉर्म की ओर आकर्षित करने का एक तरीका था। हालाँकि, मूल कथानक और वर्चुअल रियलिटी के ताज़ा नज़रिए के बावजूद, यह पहले के कंसोल रिलीज़ को मात देने के लिए पर्याप्त नहीं था, जो आश्चर्यजनक रूप से, अपने समय के लिए अभी भी पूर्णतया उत्कृष्ट कृतियाँ माने जाते थे।

蝙蝠侠在清版动作游戏领域占据领先地位已超过十年，其标志性的阿卡姆系列至今仍在次世代硬件上掀起波澜。然而，回顾蝙蝠侠及其在2009年《阿卡姆疯人院》发布之前的游戏库，你会看到这个成功故事的另外一面。这个故事，如同超人一样，也曾经历过多个失败的篇章，一系列数字灾难几乎倾覆了这艘航船。尽管如此，自Rocksteady在09年接手该IP以来，哥谭市变得更加丰富，阿卡姆系列也终于成为了我们今天所熟知和珍视的旗舰系列。

在过去的十二年里，蝙蝠侠：阿卡姆系列对清版动作游戏世界产生了如此巨大的影响，以至于粉丝们至今仍在热切期盼着重启和重制版，这毫不奇怪。而且，2016年的VR作品被证明在全球范围内取得了成功，这清楚地表明开发者们仍然掌握着未来一系列新作的所有关键。然而，在那个时刻到来之前，我们只能回顾迄今为止的系列作品，并给出我们自己对哪些作品对游戏社区产生了最大影响的看法。那么，事不宜迟，以下是基于个人观点评选出的有史以来最佳阿卡姆游戏。

5. 蝙蝠侠：阿卡姆 VR

https://youtu.be/SwdZvJfxqtE

Rocksteady Studios 考虑为黑暗骑士配备VR头显并利用其诸多功能，这只是时间问题。在很大程度上，以第一人称视角扮演布鲁斯，确实是吸引新玩家进入 PlayStation VR 平台的一种明确方式。然而，即使拥有原创的叙事和对虚拟现实的新鲜尝试，这仍然不足以超越早先的主机版本——毫不意外，那些作品在当时仍被视为绝对的杰作。

蝙蝠侠：阿卡姆 VR 可以说带来了很多新功能。但它也删减了很多内容，一些真正让早期阿卡姆章节备受赞誉的元素被完全取消了。战斗在VR章节中退居次要地位，考虑到其清版动作风格曾被誉为最佳中的最佳，这是一个很大的变化。相反，我们被赋予了更多的侦探角色，叙事更重，涉及更多解谜而非全面的战斗。所以，这绝非坏事，但无论如何都不是我们期望从阿卡姆游戏中获得的完整体验——因此它位居榜末。

4. 蝙蝠侠：阿卡姆疯人院

https://youtu.be/T8bu2Y_cZb8

Rocksteady Studios 在推出首部阿卡姆章节时，确实打造了非凡之作，具备了制作一系列引人入胜续作所需的所有要素。而且，对于2009年的发行作品而言，Rocksteady 确实远远领先于时代，几乎每个可玩元素本身都堪称绝对的艺术品。从战斗到音效设计，从环境到次要目标——阿卡姆疯人院一应俱全。甚至更多。

当然，开发一部杰作的唯一缺点是，任何形式的续作几乎都注定要承受填补如此巨大空缺的压力。在某种程度上，阿卡姆系列确实常常难以重燃最初章节那成功的火焰。但是，作为Rocksteady，即使是燧石和灰烬也能点石成金。但阿卡姆疯人院，就其价值而言——是一颗绝对的钻石，或许是有史以来点缀整个游戏系统最伟大的瑰宝之一。

3. 蝙蝠侠：阿卡姆起源

https://youtu.be/9pnK8akbd2M

在遵循相同路径数年之后，Rocksteady 知道他们必须为该系列打造某种起源故事——哪怕只是为了弥合旅程中剩余的少数空白。遗憾的是，不幸的是，Rocksteady 并没有真正开发这个故事。有趣的是，是华纳兄弟互动娱乐开发的。我们不会假装这是一件坏事。只是，嗯——这不是我们所熟知和珍视的风格。

阿卡姆起源，就其本身而言，是一种绝对令人难以置信的方式来揭示黑暗骑士及其在哥谭市的早年岁月，具备了保持阿卡姆之名繁荣所需的所有熟悉功能。然而，尽管它是一款好游戏——它仍然没有在任何特别创新的方面有所突破。如果说有什么的话，它只是证明了华纳兄弟有能力制作一款阿卡姆游戏，仅此而已。虽然这本身很好——但它仍然远未达到Rocksteady早期章节的完美程度。

2. 蝙蝠侠：阿卡姆骑士

https://youtu.be/VpXUIh7rlWI

在黑白分明的城市中，蝙蝠侠连一秒钟的喘息都没有，就清除了一波又一波的反叛囚徒和扭曲的对手，他应得的休整终于来临——而且是强烈地来临。当然，提前退休的唯一条件，就是清理哥谭市剩余的寄生虫和二流帮派的滑稽行径。

阿卡姆骑士，尽管在叙事上没有过于深入，但仍然是结束阿卡姆旅程的一个绝佳方式。在塞入了大量标志性面孔和令人难忘的场景之后，我们几乎体验了完整的哥谭套餐，并且我们真心为此而活。但是，作为早期游戏的混合体，几乎没有额外的点缀来提升其风味，它本质上就是阿卡姆之城的一个仿制品，只是添加了一些额外的凝块和怪癖来装饰它。因此，虽然站在其前辈旁边时，它并未独树一帜，但它仍然是时间线中一个精彩的篇章，并且是一个我们可能永远不会忘记的结局。

1. 蝙蝠侠：阿卡姆之城

https://youtu.be/-V1ZF5cNYCs

嗯，就是它了。在Rocksteady注入其旗舰清版动作系列的所有精彩作品中，阿卡姆之城无疑是他们曾经推出的最伟大章节。在阿卡姆疯人院几乎统治了排行榜并为一系列续作铺平道路之后，团队超越自我，致力于打造一个更具雄心的后续故事。幸运的是，阿卡姆之城就此登场。

自2011年以来，Rocksteady Studios 一直试图重现哥谭市及其一系列令人耳目一新的对手的魅力。可悲的是，无论多少重复利用的素材都未能完全捕捉到装饰阿卡姆之城的魅力。阿卡姆之城所倾注的一切都精准到位，包括精良的战斗和开放世界探索、令人难忘的遭遇和引人入胜的支线故事。一切都在那里，并且值得我们为它投入的每一分钱和每一刻。

你同意我们的榜单吗？你最喜欢的阿卡姆章节是哪一部？请通过我们的社交媒体这里告诉我们。

玩完阿卡姆系列了？寻找更多内容？你随时可以看看以下列表：

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Batman đã là cái tên thống trị trên mặt trận beat ’em up trong hơn một thập kỷ nay, với loạt game đặc trưng Arkham vẫn đang tạo nên những cú hích lớn trên phần cứng thế hệ mới ngày nay. Tuy nhiên, nếu lướt qua Người Dơi và kho tàng game của anh ấy trước khi Asylum ra mắt năm 2009, bạn sẽ thấy một mặt khác của câu chuyện thành công. Một câu chuyện mà, giống như Superman, đã có nhiều chương thất bại với hàng loạt thảm họa kỹ thuật số có thể làm lật úp con tàu. Dù vậy, một khi Rocksteady nắm quyền điều khiển IP vào năm ’09, Gotham đã trở nên nhiều hơn thế, và Arkham cuối cùng đã có thể trở thành loạt game đầu tàu mà chúng ta biết và nâng niu ngày nay.

Бетмен уже понад десятиліття тримається на п’єдесталі у жанрі beat ’em up, а його фірмова серія Arkham і сьогодні робить справжній фурор на новому поколінні заліза. Однак, якщо поглянути на Бетмена та його бібліотеку відеоігор до виходу Asylum у 2009 році, можна побачити іншу сторону цієї історії успіху. Історію, яка, як і у Супермена, мала кілька невдалих глав з цілою низкою цифрових катастроф, що ледь не потопили корабель. Тим не менш, як тільки Rocksteady перебрала на себе кермо франшизи у 2009, Ґотем став набагато більшим, а Arkham нарешті зміг стати флагманською серією, яку ми знаємо і любимо сьогодні.

Бэтмен уже более десяти лет прочно удерживает лидирующие позиции на фронте файтингов, а его фирменная серия Arkham до сих пор производит фурор на новом поколении консолей. Однако, если отвлечься от Бэтмена и его библиотеки видеоигр до выхода «Убежища» в 2009 году, вы увидите другую сторону этой истории успеха. Историю, которая, как и у Супермена, имела несколько провальных глав с чередой цифровых катастроф, едва не потопивших корабль. Тем не менее, как только Rocksteady взяла бразды правления IP в свои руки в 2009 году, Готэм стал чем-то гораздо большим, и Arkham наконец смогла стать флагманской серией, которую мы знаем и лелеем сегодня.