Batman: Arkham Knight

Batman: Arkham Knight is the best Batman game ever made and a classic in its own right.

Batman: Arkham Knight combines phenomenal gameplay with compelling story. The product of this fusion is the best Batman game ever made.

It came after a slightly lengthy delay, a lot of speculation and much anticipation. Now, you can ‘Be the Bat’, as the ad campaign promised, and assume the mantle of The Dark Knight in a last ditch effort to save Gotham. This time, it’s not from the recently deceased Joker, but from Scarecrow and his hired gun the Arkham Knight, a man whose hatred for the Bat runs deep and cold.

If this is in fact the last Rocksteady-developed Batman game, the series will end on a high note. Arkham Knight is the biggest Batman game yet, not just in map size, but in the wide range of different types of gameplay, and its collection of characters. The addition of tank combat thematically clashes with everything Batman stands for, but it is fun, and having access to the Batmobile for the first time gives us a new world of possibilities for interacting with Gotham City. Arkham Knight is an outstanding game on almost every level.

“Developer Rocksteady reinvigorates its Arkham series formula with fresh gameplay features and an expansive open world in Batman: Arkham Knight.”

It isn't hard to find out who the Arkham Knight is and that is a bummer. Although I figured him out, a few other parts of the story still got me. Overall this is one of the better Batman games in the Arkham series. This will easily be a Game of the Year contender. If you are a Batman fan or a Arkham fan, pick this one up!

While Batman: Arkham Knight has its fair share of issues, such as the slightly disappointing implementation of the Batmobile, some dull side missions and the occasional glitch, what it does right makes it arguably the best entry in the franchise yet. Rocksteady has successfully crafted a believable Gotham, providing hours of absorbing and rewarding gameplay alongside a captivating storyline that is surprisingly daring. Newcomers may find the experience to be a little daunting due to the game’s assumption that players are already familiar with its gameplay systems, but nevertheless, this is a j...

In the end, Arkham Knight proves to be an excellent new chapter in the Arkham franchise. The story is absolutely fantastic, as is most of the gameplay, just prepare to be inundated with constant tank battles.

Republished on Wednesday 28th August 2019: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of September's PlayStation Plus lineup. The original text follows.

Arkham Knight is a solid, if uneven send-off for Rocksteady’s trilogy. Combat and predation are still satisfying. The narrative mixes unsurprising, but well done segments with unsurprising and uninteresting elements. It’s full of nods, winks, nudges for batfans, even if certain super villain side missions feel needlessly tossed in. It makes me worried about what will happen with Batman in a new developer’s less comfortable hands, and excited for what Rocksteady might do, itself free of the Batman myth.

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Step forward Batman, take a bow, it has been a good run but we all know your adventures were bound to come to an end sometime. Just think, you are going out on a high note that matches the high quality of the rest of your games, so don’t be afraid step into the light and prepare for your final curtain call.