Deciding the 10 finest DC video video games requires superhuman stamina, as a result of there a lot to select from! DC Comics characters have been displaying up in video games because the very starting, beginning with Superman for the Atari 2600 means again in 1979 — only a 12 months after Christopher Reeve’s iconic film efficiency hit theaters. Since then, the variety of DC video games has flown up, up, and away, with over a 100 video games to this point. And half of them are Batman video games!
Simply kidding. Solely 38 are.
DC’s world of superpowered heroes and larger-than-life villains has confirmed to be good for every thing from side-scrolling beat-’em-ups to high-flying motion adventures. They’ve made for video games that vary from family-friendly enjoyable to disturbing crime thrillers, from low cost film tie-ins to genre-defining masterpieces, and every thing in-between.
To find out our rating, IGN’s resident DC followers assembled to debate and shout about our favorites, not not like all of the DC villains used to do within the previous Tremendous Mates cartoon. The video games needed to be enjoyable to play, clearly, however additionally they needed to inform an entertaining story, be genuine to the DC characters we all know and love, and seize the sensation of being a superhero.
Expertise this text the way you need. You may watch our video rating within the participant above, flip by the slideshow under, or maintain scrolling to learn it as an article.
After trying out the record, you should definitely vote in our ballot on the finish of this web page to inform us your favourite DC recreation.
10. LEGO DC Tremendous Villains
Platform: Nintendo Change, PlayStation 4, Home windows, Xbox One, macOS
The primary brick to construct the muse of this record is LEGO DC Tremendous Villains. Sure, there are three different DC LEGO video games, and we all know LEGO Batman 2: DC Tremendous Heroes is a fan-favorite (we prefer it, too!), however the baddies steal the win on this one. LEGO DC Tremendous Villains incorporates all the nice concepts which have made the LEGO video games so fashionable, mixing simply accessible gameplay with a foolish humorousness that has enjoyable with the licensed property at hand. What units DC Tremendous Villains above the remaining is the voice forged. Whereas LEGO Batman 2 was the primary to function totally voice-acted dialogue, the third entry assembled a Mount Rushmore of acquainted expertise: Kevin Conroy as Batman, Mark Hamill because the Joker, and Tara Robust as Harley Quinn. Not solely that, Nathan Drake’s Nolan North is the villainous Ultraman. Attending to expertise one of the best of one of the best doing their factor whereas having fun with puzzles and accumulating is classy.
Because the title suggests, the story mixes issues up by specializing in the villains. Conventional DC baddies are compelled to defend the world from a bunch of evil Justice League knockoffs, the Justice Syndicate, which results in all method of pleasing plot twists and humorous interactions. A spotlight of the sport is customizing your individual villainous character, all the best way from their look right down to their skills, after which watching the creation you constructed change into part of the story. And with the sport that includes not solely iconic DC areas Gotham Metropolis and Metropolis however others akin to Oa, Themiscyra, and Gorilla Metropolis, LEGO DC Tremendous Villains is a real illustration of your complete DC Universe, in LEGO type.
9. Batman: The Video Recreation
Platform: Nintendo Leisure System
Batman: The Video Recreation was launched in 1989 for the NES and loosely adapts the story of the primary Tim Burton Batman film. That may have been straightforward to determine primarily based on the title, however that’s about the one straightforward factor about it, as this side-scrolling run-and-gunner (er… Bataranger) is notorious for its issue. The sport encompasses a choice of area of interest comedian e book villains that lead as much as the Joker, together with Killer Moth, Electrocutioner, and Firebug. However the recreation was so onerous that a lot of the recreation’s goal demographic in all probability by no means acquired far sufficient to see all of them. And anybody who did can doubtless attest {that a} dance with the satan within the pale moonlight was little one’s play in comparison with the brutally tough closing boss battle in opposition to the Joker.
When this recreation got here up throughout our assembly, the IGN employees who recalled taking part in the sport all had thousand-yard stares like troopers remembering the warfare, or rich billionaire orphans reflecting on their dad and mom’ demise. If this recreation is so powerful, then why can we contemplate it probably the greatest from DC’s catalog? Regardless of the problem, it channeled the gothic vibe of the film with a moody and bangin’ soundtrack, appeared nice with a weird but engaging coloration palette (howdy purple Batman), and had a lot of wall-jumping ninja motion. It actually took you to Gotham, as unforgiving and merciless as that place could also be.
8. DC Universe On-line
Platform: Microsoft Home windows, Nintendo Change, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Sequence X/S
DC Universe On-line is a uniquely bold entry on this record, endeavor the super-heroic activity of turning the DCU right into a MMORPG. Launched in 2011 with essentially the most badass superhero cinematic ever made, the sport has been ongoing for over a decade and has amassed a dizzying quantity of content material, from character customization choices and hideouts to tales and missions that includes iconic DC characters that take you to dozens of various DC areas. Merely put, DCUO is essentially the most expansive and complete model of the DCU ever created in a online game, and that’s one thing no different title on this record even comes near matching.
That stated, DCUO is just not with out its flaws. The motion gameplay is quick and unfastened — maybe too quick and unfastened for some folks’s style — and like different older MMORPGs its visuals haven’t precisely saved up with the instances. Nonetheless, it’s the one recreation the place you’ll be able to staff up with Marvel Girl, zip throughout an open-world at superspeed as you run up partitions and throughout water, and staff up with your mates to tackle raid bosses akin to Brainiac and Darkseid. For all that, we are able to’t assist however rank it among the many finest choices avid gamers have in the case of having fun with the DCU to the fullest extent.
7. Batman: Arkham Origins
Platform: PlayStation 3, Wii U, Home windows, Xbox 360
Batman: Arkham Origins will be the black sheep of the Arkham video games, however on the finish of the day, it’s nonetheless a good Batman recreation. As an alternative of Rocksteady, this recreation was made by WB Games Montréal, which gave the sport a noticeably completely different really feel in gameplay and polish. The story is a skinny excuse for Batman to battle in opposition to quite a few villains and goons, however while you’re doing it utilizing Arkham’s signature fight system, it’s onerous to not have time.
On this prequel, the plot sees Batman because the goal of eight lethal assassins (who simply occur to be villains from his rogues gallery), which explores some core Batman themes, specifically his code in opposition to taking a life and his motivation for preventing crime solo. It additionally exhibits how he first made two of essentially the most vital relationships in his life, his partnership with Jim Gordon and his rivalry with the Joker. The story evoked the traditional comedian Batman: Yr One, which is actually a praiseworthy comparability.
Talking of the Joker, though this recreation makes use of completely different voice actors than the mainline Arkham video games, Troy Baker delivers a standout efficiency because the Clown Prince of Crime. Different highlights of the sport embody a brand new spin on utilizing Batman’s detective expertise to resolve crimes, some critical upgrades to his fight arsenal, and an array of distinctive and entertaining boss fights in opposition to grasp murderers and a crocodile man.
6. Batman: The Enemy Inside
Platform: macOS, PlayStation 4, Home windows, Xbox One, iOS, Android, Nintendo Change
Shifting gears from motion to journey, Telltale Games’ first Batman recreation was no slouch when it comes to spinning a trademark, Telltale-style interactive journey. However its comply with up, The Enemy Inside, is healthier in each means. The premise of Batman turning into personally invested within the Joker’s origin is extra intriguing, the motion feels livelier and appears extra dynamic, and the alternatives you’re confronted with are far juicer, resulting in everlasting bodily and emotional harm being achieved to the principle forged of characters. By now, everybody is aware of the gist of how Batman’s tales go and the way his relationships type, however this recreation throws conference out the window and lets us make excessive, irreversible adjustments which have a huge impact on the path of the story. Basically, this recreation permits you to customise your individual Batman story, and that’s fairly dang cool.
The Enemy Inside makes good use of its Mature Score, with the Riddler particularly going full Noticed mode, years earlier than Paul Dano’s did in The Batman. However there’s loads of violence available nonetheless as Bruce Wayne goes undercover and makes an attempt to show himself to a staff of supervillains to hitch their gang. It’s not a typical state of affairs we frequently see the character in, and it’s stuffed with stress created by the worry of getting caught and for the way it would possibly endlessly change Bruce and people he cares for. The inventive design deserves reward, as properly, with the Batsuit wanting sharper and cooler than ever, and Joker’s transformation turning into extra unsettling because the story reaches its inevitable finish.
A fast apart earlier than we proceed. It goes with out saying that Telltale’s Wolf Amongst Us can be a superb recreation, and a few might argue it must be on the record as a result of DC printed the Fables comedian it’s primarily based on, however we determined to depart it off as a result of, technically, it was printed beneath their Vertigo label and doesn’t exist inside the DC Universe or contain superheroes like the opposite entries on this record. However we nonetheless wished to offer it a shout out for being superior! Okay, shifting on.
5. Injustice: Gods Amongst Us
Platform: PlayStation 3, Wii U, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Home windows, iOS, Android, Arcade
Injustice: Gods Amongst Us takes the entire mechanical prowess of the Mortal Kombat video games and provides within the bombastic powers and personalities of DC’s heroes and villains. The result’s one heck of a preventing recreation. Developer NetherRealm Studios first tried their hand at bringing DC characters into the preventing ring with Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe, which was flawed however stuffed with potential. Injustice totally realizes that potential, after which some! It’s straightforward to see the sport was made with nothing however love for the DC universe, because the characters are all spot-on, from appears to voices to movesets, they usually even acknowledge their opponent with customized dialogue referring to their comics historical past. We’ve all seen how a lot superhero battles have an effect on the atmosphere round them within the films, and Injustice performs into that by letting you crush your foe with a automotive or hit them so onerous they’re despatched to a different stage, cartoonishly knocking into hazards alongside the best way.
The perfect a part of Injustice: Gods Amongst Us, nevertheless, is the story, which exhibits what occurs when Superman falls to the darkish aspect. An unique concept? Not precisely. However it’s the execution that issues, and Injustice does an unimaginable job displaying DC’s heroes and villains choosing sides in a superhuman warfare whereas taking part in in opposition to lengthy held relationships to drive up the emotional stakes. The tie-in prequel comedian e book sequence was equally glorious, one thing that’s not all the time the case, and it fleshed out the story that laid the groundwork for the sport’s occasions. Injustice does have just a few points, like some cumbersome costumes and assaults which are too over-the-top even for DC, but it surely’s onerous to be too bothered by them with such a charming story and additional crunchy preventing system.
4. Injustice 2
Platform: Android, iOS, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Home windows
Whereas the primary Injustice recreation was spectacular, Injustice 2 elevated the gameplay, polish, and additional options tenfold. Not solely did DC’s characters look higher than ever due to slick new designs, the brand new customization mode permits you to modify these designs to look nevertheless you need. The forged of playable fighters expanded to incorporate fan-favorites akin to Blue Beetle and Supergirl, heavy hitters like Darkseid and Atrocitus, and dream-come-true visitor characters, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and freakin’ Hellboy. They’re all delivered to life with authenticity and aptitude, and the preventing mechanics are buttery easy and brutally impactful, a marked enchancment on the primary recreation’s already stable basis.
The story of Injustice 2 is pleasing, however admittedly doesn’t seize the identical magic as the primary. Hey, it’s by no means straightforward to seize lightning in a bottle twice, even with Raiden on the roster. That stated, the plot does have its moments, as Batman is confronted with new threats within the type of Brainiac and The Society and is compelled to contemplate turning to evil Superman for assist. It’s an insidiously scrumptious premise that makes for some actually excellent character moments.
The Injustice video games are each nice, which is why they ship a one-two punch on this record, however, though the story isn’t fairly nearly as good as the primary one, we gave Injustice 2 the sting for its improved and endlessly enjoyable preventing mechanics. Moreover, the sequel has Dex-Starr the murderous area cat and we’ve got no alternative however to reward that.
Honorable Mentions
Now, everyone knows the highest three are the Batman Akrham video games, however earlier than we get to that, let’s spotlight some honorable mentions! These DC video games aren’t prime tier for one motive or one other, however nonetheless deserve a shoutout.
- Batman: Arkham VR actually permits you to swimsuit up because the Darkish Knight in VR and is completely superior, however may be crushed in about 10 minutes.
- Infinite Disaster was the MOBA that solely lasted six months however made an enduring impression with some actually wild variants from the DC multiverse. You simply haven’t lived till you’ve seen Atomic Marvel Girl carving up the competitors together with her Chainsaw of Reality – an underrated gem in my humble opinion.
- Talking of short-lived, MultiVersus appeared promising in early entry. Who knew DC characters would make for such good Smash Bros. fighters?
- 2002’s Superman: Shadow of Apokalips is well the Man of Metal’s finest recreation for its tremendous use of tremendous powers and capturing the essence of the beloved animated sequence.
- Children have been doodling Batman and Superman of their notebooks for nearly a century, so Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Journey was a intelligent and seemingly natural mixture of that custom with the hit puzzle recreation sequence imaginative mechanics.
- Inexperienced Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters. Sure, a film tie-in to an infamously unhealthy film, however hear, it truly has some fairly sick fight, and is the closest any recreation has ever come to capturing the texture of being a Inexperienced Lantern, and by that I imply preventing with constructs that embody a baseball bat, a gatling gun, and the Hal Jordan particular, a fighter jet.
3. Batman: Arkham Asylum
Platform: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Home windows, Mac OS X, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Change
Yep, quantity three on our record is the one which began all of it, Batman: Arkham Asylum, however hear me out! The framework of Batman’s debut within the Arkham sequence remodeled the superhero recreation style with one thing that hadn’t been seen earlier than, and hasn’t been straightforward to prime since. The phrase “it actually makes you’re feeling like a superhero” can usually sound foolish, however nowhere it’s extra apt than Arkham Asylum. The best way its predator stealth sections invoke the texture of Christian Bale’s spin on the Caped Crusader taking out thugs on the docks in Batman Begins—full with watching panicked henchmen hearth wildly into the shadows—is downright uncanny. The choice to maintain Rocksteady’s introduction to the sequence solely in Arkham Asylum was a stroke of genius, mixing metriodvania exploration with motion and stealth confined to dirty and claustrophobic areas. It actually captured the oppressive nature of a jail for the criminally insane. Much more than a decade later, Asylum stays a standout expertise as a should play for anybody who’s ever wished to be the Bat.
2. Batman: Arkham Knight
Platform: PlayStation 4, Home windows, Xbox One, Nintendo Change
We put Arkham Knight above Asylum? Sure, we did. This was not a call made frivolously. Not less than one IGN staffer left the controversy branded with a Bat-symbol. Simply to point out how carefully these video games are rated by followers, even the IGN group vote in our final superhero online game ballot got here right down to solely a 0.5% distinction, out of greater than 20,000 votes, in Arkham Knight’s favor.
Whereas Asylum’s reward is properly deserved for creating the foundations of the Arkham sequence, Knight builds a particularly spectacular expertise from these foundations that characterize one of the best features of what a superhero recreation may be. It even manages to twist the cliche of open-world “bloat” by presenting so many aspect actions as Gotham’s Rogues Gallery urgent in from all sides to intensify the sensation of an overwhelmed Darkish Knight. It’s debatable whether or not throwing a Batmobile-tank was one of the best concept–particularly one that may sneak(?) — however it’s value acknowledging how a lot the Batmobile sections assist so as to add selection to the already glorious fight loop of detective work, predator stealth encounters, and bashing heads.
An extra level in Arkham Knight’s favor is how properly it presents a wide range of boss fights, along with realizing after they aren’t wanted. Like Joker injecting himself with Titan, Rocksteady positively had some rising pains throughout Asylum, whereas Knight has Batman going through off in opposition to a number of of Gotham’s Most Needed in additional finely tuned and fascinating boss battles. Having the ability to haul the villains again to lockup your self and watch the cells fill would possibly simply be probably the most satisfying moments within the sequence.
Quite a bit may be stated concerning the story, like was anybody actually shocked by the identification of the Arkham Knight? When you’re a longtime Batman fan, in all probability not. However as a longtime Batman fan, it additionally had some insane stuff I’ve by no means seen earlier than, just like the Joker haunting Batman, showing out of nowhere to psychologically torture him. It was good stuff.
1. Batman: Arkham Metropolis
Platform: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Home windows, Wii U, OS X, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Change
All of us knew it will finish like this. Batman: Arkham Metropolis is hands-down one of the best DC recreation ever made. It took the excellent, satisfying fight encounters and horror-tinged tone of Asylum and unfold it throughout a complete metropolis. This sequel grew in scope and scale past our wildest creativeness, but by no means misplaced its intimate deal with the Darkish Knight’s warfare on crime. And boy is there loads of crime! With Gotham Metropolis walled off and a supervillain gang warfare erupting, the sport world comes alive with stress and hazard round each nook. However with the extraordinarily enjoyable new potential to glide throughout town and seamlessly drop down on goons like a bat out of hell, there’s no place we’d fairly be. Between aspect missions, bonus challenges, and FOUR HUNDRED RIDDLER TROPHIES, there’s all the time one thing to maintain you engaged, and this all makes town really feel alive and in determined want of some Caped Crusading.
The story is one of the best we’ve ever seen in a DC recreation, as voice actors Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill ship arguably their finest performances and push these longtime archrivals properly previous their breaking factors. What begins as an admittedly over-the-top grasp plan by Dr. Hugo Unusual of turning Gotham’s slums right into a city-sized Arkham Asylum, turns into a sequence of trials for a dying Batman that challenges him to see the humanity in his worst enemies and brings his lengthy and bloody feud with the Joker to a bitter finish. What The Darkish Knight did for superhero cinema, Batman: Arkham Metropolis did for superhero video games, and for all that and extra, it’s undeniably the best online game DC has to supply.
What’s your favourite DC recreation? Tell us by voting within the ballot under, and clarify your determination within the feedback.