It's hard to deny the impact that The Dark Knight had when it arrived in theaters in 2008. This was also the year that the MCU began with Iron Man, and we didn't yet know what a cultural phenomenon those movies would become. What we did know, though, was that The Dark Knight was an excellent action movie in its own right, not just a solid romp for fans of the Caped Crusader.
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Primary strengths of the movie are its focus on the interplay between Batman and the Joker, its characterization of the latter (thanks to Heath Ledger's iconic performance), and its unforgettable set pieces. It's one of the most popular and best-known Batman narratives of recent times, but perhaps these video games' stories even top it. Some Batman titles have superb stories, after all.
5 Batman: The Enemy Within
Batman, Bruce Wayne, And The Nature Of Villainy
The Joker we meet in The Dark Knight is immediately established as a chaotic villain. The opening bank robbery sets the tone, seeing him using and casting aside those who are seemingly his allies and going on to outmaneuver a powerful assembly of criminals bent on taking him down. The infamous "burning the money" scene is characteristic of an utterly unpredictable, incredibly dangerous, and highly effective force in Gotham.
Though the movie presents Harvey "Two-Face" Dent's glorious rise and shattering fall in heart-wrenching detail, it features the Joker as many fans already know him, rather than delving much into his backstory. In contrast, Batman: The Enemy Within's Joker is yet unmolded, referred to simply as John Doe for much of the experience . Telltale Games is a developer well known for the quality of its narratives and the options the game provides the player, and that's on full display here. The Riddler's opening attack sets him apart as a force to be reckoned with, but we're also introduced to the members of the Pact, including the formidable likes of Bane, as well as the conflict between the police and Amanda Waller's Agency in the law enforcement stakes. From Gordon to Catwoman, Batman icons appear not as simple fanservice, but have their own critical parts to play in the plot. Shocking moments like the Riddler's death serve the story well, a tale of the mysterious Lotus virus and the Pact and Agency's different intentions for the Ridder's preserved blood (the Pact hope that it can be used to restore themselves while Waller wants it for her own ends to subdue the villains).
It's the different turns that the narrative can take that really make The Enemy Within a thrilling ride. John Doe will always become the Joker, but exactly what that means depends on the options the player chooses at pivotal points. Batman is John Doe's idol, all told, and the relationship with him and the trust you place in him (or don't) makes every decision, from accepting or refusing a handshake to deciding whether you think he killed those agents in self defense or not, feel weighty. One of the best DC Comics games for sure.
4 Batman: Arkham Origins
A Different Perspective On Batman
The Dark Knight's Joker thrived in the spotlight, which was very lucky, because he was almost constantly in it. In places, it feels more like a Joker movie than a Batman one. However, the Caped Crusader and the Clown Prince of Crime alike are settled in their roles by this time, and it's precisely this that makes the Joker comment on their dynamic and the reasons they 'need' each other during that climactic fight scene. It's Batman Begins that presents Bruce Wayne's backstory, right down to the root of his fear of bats, but Batman: Arkham Origins gives us something a little in-between: An inexperienced, newer Batman who has broken in his boots a bit, still vengeful and a little reckless. Villains seek him while Gotham's law enforcement also sees him as a threat to neutralize, and in this title, it seems everything's converging on a man with few allies.
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A hefty bounty on the Bat's head, courtesy of Black Mask, draws a wide array of foes to Gotham. From the highest-profile like Joker and Bane to lesser-known antagonists such as Copperhead and Electrocutioner, Batman's journey through the open world of Gotham City to apprehend Black Mask is a treat for fans of the character's universe. At the same time, the narrative is so engaging that it will hook those only familiar with the major players too. The aspect that Arkham Origins touches on which The Dark Knight doesn't explore so much is the development of relationships. Then-Captain Gordon comes to accept that Batman can be a vital force in the fight against crime in Gotham City, as does Alfred after Bane's savage attack. Perhaps most importantly, Bruce Wayne realizes this himself, while also accepting that a trusted support team will be necessary. You can almost feel the later conventions of the series slotting into place, and it's fascinating. Some Batman games just effortlessly live up to the hype.
3 Batman: The Telltale Series
Telling Some Fantastic Tales About DC Legends
Batman: The Telltale Series was the precursor to Enemy Within, the first half of the gripping story. The first title tackles the reality of Bruce Wayne's parents' involvement in the Falcone crime family, as well as the rise of the Children of Arkham and Harvey Dent's downfall from beloved candidate for city mayor to the malevolent Two-Face. There are strong parallels between the game and The Dark Knight in this regard, but what's so interesting is how far The Telltale Series takes it. With the truth about his parents' past revealed, Bruce Wayne is briefly removed as the head of his family company and sent to Arkham Asylum, there to ally himself (for want of a better term) with the man who would become the Joker. The chemicals wielded by the Children of Arkham allow for the exploration of the extremes of the victims' characters, thereby providing new insight into them.
The Telltale Series explores many different facets of being Batman. There's the concept of choosing allies and the harm that can result when allegiances shatter. Batman's steadfast support of Harvey Dent prior to the attack on him is testament to that, and even Alfred deceives Bruce somewhat by not divulging what he knew about his parents. Then there's the ever-unpredictable Catwoman, who fights both against and alongside him and has her own agenda. How Long To Beat notes that the game's story takes up to around 9.5 hours to complete, allowing time to explore these characters and the rest of the cast in more personal depth.
2 Batman: Arkham Asylum
A Huge Plot In A (Relatively) Small Area
Before Batman: Arkham Asylum, it was difficult to imagine that a licensed title could be pulled off with such panache. It's extraordinary, really, how much the game got right. Everything down to the UI, menus and collectibles is beautifully stylized, like a playable comic book, and the combat system would become something of a blueprint for how to help the player manage multiple foes at once in action titles. A lot of titles owe their excellent combo-based combat to it. Another critical element was to have a story worthy of the character, and Arkham Asylum didn't disappoint. Being set largely within the confines of the building, it was a more compact and narrative-focused title than other Arkham games, which could distract the player from the main threads the open-world playground of Gotham City. The Dark Knight, too, has a broader scope, and perhaps lacking in the singular focus that makes Asylum so memorable.
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There are narrative similarities between the two. In the movie and the game, the Joker plans to get himself caught and imprisoned, in order to ensure he's exactly where he needs to be to set his latest plan in motion. In the case of Arkham Asylum, he's in the facility with a suspicious Batman when he and Harley take control. Moving through the facility to apprehend the pair, he learns of Joker's interest in the Titan formula, and the unstoppable force he could create by exposing people to it. Thwarting him brings Batman into contact with other franchise icons, including Killer Croc and, significantly, Scarecrow. It's the psychological aspects of the tale that give it such impact, explored to an extent that The Dark Knight does not: The infamous sequences in which Batman must evade a gigantic Scarecrow magnify his insecurities. At the same time, the excellent writing and voice acting explore Joker and Batman's relationship in a fascinating way, particularly as they aren't technically in the same room for much of the game: Joker does love making himself the center of attention by speechmaking over a video link.
1 Batman: Dark Tomorrow
A Faithful Comic Book Inspired Tale
The most important quality of Arkham Asylum, perhaps, is that it felt like playing through a Batman comic book. Unfortunately, 2003's Batman: Dark Tomorrow can't really lay claim to that. Rather infamous for its stiff animations and controls, which often led to a difficult time lining the Caped Crusader up for an awkward jump, it's a very clunky experience. There's one very important thing that the game has in its favor, though, and it's that the story very good indeed. In terms of Batman's rogues gallery, it throws so many different characters into the mix, without wasting screen time, and they're all here for a purpose.
The Dark Knight is an action-packed thrill ride on a huge scale, but Dark Tomorrow's narrative has an even wider scope still. At first, Batman thinks that it's just a normal day in the office, subduing the likes of the Joker, Killer Croc, Poison Ivy and Mr. Freeze in Arkham Asylum. There, he learns that the Joker's posturing was bait. The real threat this time is Ra's al Ghul, who wields a chain of explosives with which he intends to devastate some of the population of the planet, so he can control a world where resources are not scarce. The League of Assassins' lair is a change of pace well outside the confines of Gotham, and it's where we meet the ultimate villain and (as is customary) he details his dastardly plot in great detail. The stealth gameplay doesn't quite stick the landing, with a lot of high-speed Batarangs being thrown in the snow, but the cutscenes are well done for the era and and it's a very ambitious, comic-faithful tale.
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