When Arkham Knight released in 2015, it felt like the grand finale to one of the most incredible runs in gaming. Four Batman games in six years — that alone is wild to think about now. But what hit me immediately with Arkham Knight was just how unbelievably beautiful the game looked. Even today, you’ll still see clips of Batman standing on top of Gotham’s skyscrapers, rain pouring down, the city glowing in the distance, and it still looks like a modern release. It’s one of those rare games that genuinely stands the test of time visually. Combine that with the smoothest, most refined combat in the entire series, and from a technical standpoint, this is easily the peak of the Arkham franchise.
Everything about the movement and combat feels perfect. Gliding through Gotham, chaining attacks, using gadgets mid-combo — it’s all so fluid that it almost feels effortless. This is the version of the Arkham formula fully realized. The city itself is massive compared to the earlier games, and it really sells the idea that this is the biggest, most ambitious Batman experience they’ve ever attempted. And in many ways, it absolutely succeeds.
I also really loved how the game handled Joker. Killing him right at the start, cremating him, and then turning him into this constant hallucination in Batman’s mind was such a clever idea. Instead of undoing Arkham City’s ending, they made Joker a permanent part of Batman psychologically, and that worked incredibly well. Seeing Batman slowly wrestle with that influence, alongside the infected patients and the fear that he might lose control, added a really interesting layer to the story. Scarecrow returning as the main threat was also a great choice, and the tone he brings to the game helps make everything feel darker and more final.
There’s also a ton of Bat-family presence here. Robin, Nightwing, Oracle, Catwoman, Gordon — it really feels like the entire world of Batman is coming together for one last story. The emotional beats between Gordon and Barbara are strong, and the way Batman isolates himself as the threat escalates adds to that feeling that this is the end of something. The ending itself, with Batman embracing fear and leaving behind a vague, haunting conclusion, is honestly a really fitting way to close the series. It leaves you wondering what truly happened and whether Batman has evolved into something even more mythic.
But for me, the biggest thing that holds Arkham Knight back just a little bit is the lack of traditional boss fights. After Arkham Origins especially, which was built around memorable encounters, Arkham Knight surprisingly doesn’t really give you that one iconic showdown. The Batmobile is clearly the focus, and while it’s really fun at first, the novelty does wear off. There’s a lot of tank combat, a lot of vehicle-based encounters, and it sometimes replaces the kind of one-on-one battles that made the earlier games so memorable. Even the Arkham Knight confrontations never quite feel like true boss fights, and that’s something I really missed.
It’s also a bit disappointing that characters like Riddler are once again mostly locked behind collectible challenges instead of being fully integrated into the main story. This would have been the perfect game to finally make him a central villain, especially given the scale of everything else. The game has all these incredible systems, amazing combat, and a huge world — it just feels like it was missing that one unforgettable boss fight to tie everything together.
That said, even with those criticisms, Arkham Knight is still an incredible game. The graphics are timeless, the combat is the best it’s ever been, the voice acting is phenomenal, and the story does a great job bringing the saga to a close. I remember being completely immersed in this game for weeks when it came out, just flying around Gotham and soaking in everything it had to offer. It may be the weakest in the series for me, but that’s only because the bar set by the other games is so unbelievably high. It’s still a 9.5 out of 10, easily.
Looking back at the entire Arkham series, it’s kind of amazing what they accomplished in such a short time. Four incredible Batman games, each with their own strengths, all building on each other. And Arkham Knight, despite a few flaws, still feels like a proper finale. It’s beautiful, smooth, ambitious, and packed with great character moments. There are games that come out today that wish they looked and played this well.
Even years later, Arkham Knight still feels special. It might not have that one defining boss fight I wanted, but as a closing chapter to one of the best superhero gaming franchises ever made, it absolutely delivers. And more than anything, it just makes me wish we could get one more Batman game in this style, because if this is what they achieved in 2015, it’s hard to even imagine what they could do now.
9.5/10🦇