10 Best Video Games Featuring DC Characters, Ranked

DC Comics has been entertaining fans for almost a century, with their high-flying superheroes and world-dominating villains unleashing their powers in the world of comics, movies, television, and gaming. But gaming is where the company has had more than a few weak points; when it comes to DC characters and video games, absolutely none hold a candle to the sheer amount of Batman titles.

Superman, arguably the poster boy for DC, has had the absolute worst luck in the world of gaming, as developers have struggled to handle his sheer amount of power. Even Wonder Woman and The Flash have not been able to stick the landing with their respective games, not that there have been many attempts. When it comes to DC Comics in video games, Batman is almost needed to usher in the rest of the roster, which is why he dominates the entries in this list.

10 Gotham City Imposters

A unique take on team-based first-person shooters, Gotham City Imposters was developed by Monolith Productions, who cut their teeth making the Condemned games and the iconic first title in the F.E.A.R. series. The game style is more cartoonish than serious, featuring two factions based around Batman and the Joker. Characters had their own custom outfits, weapons, and gadgets as they caused multiplayer chaos in various Gotham City-based maps, loaded with traps and obstacles. Each tool was appropriate to the character, such as Batman’s grappling hook and cape, and Joker’s explosives and poisonous gas. Fans of team shooters like Team Fortress 2 and Overwatch would enjoy the sheer fun in this title.

9 Batman Returns

During the nineties, like many other movies, the Batman movies received a game tie-in with every respective entry. Not many people would disagree that the games based on the two Tim Burton films reigned supreme, with Batman Returns being the crowning jewel. The title is one of the very best licensed beat-em-ups of all time, with vibrant graphics, satisfying combat and gameplay, and music/scenes taken directly from the movie. The enemy variety is also very accurate to the movie, featuring even the most minor of villains, and nothing is more satisfying during combat than Batman grabbing two thugs automatically and bashing their heads together.

8 Batman: The Telltale Series

Telltale Games were on fire in the 2010s with their nonstop barrage of riveting story games centered on numerous entertainment franchises. When an original series based on Batman was announced, fans were overjoyed, and the series did not let fans down.

Featuring an original origin story of sorts for several characters, as well as taking never-before-done liberties with other well-known ones, it was a fresh take on the Batman world. It also lets players enjoy playing as Bruce Wayne for once since most Batman games are centered around the costumed hero and not his unmasked alter ego. There are just as many intense moments in this game as Bruce as there are in combat as Batman.

7 Lego Batman 2: DC Superheroes

The Lego games have cemented their status in so many franchises as being hilariously fun pick-up-and-play adventures for fans of all ages. The Batman games are no different, with Lego Batman 2: DC Superheroes opening the roster up to the entire DC superhero universe, including heroes, villains, and side characters to play as. The game’s storyline sets up the Joker and Lex Luthor as the main villains, and eventually, the rogue’s gallery comes into play as well as the pantheon of DC superheroes in a much bigger scale storyline than the previous title. Fans really can’t go wrong playing any of the Batman titles in this series, but the second entry is when the DC universe really opens up and gets to shine.

6 The Wolf Among Us

Another Telltale entry, this title explored the world of Fables, a comic series published by DC Vertigo. A unique take on fairy tales and folklore, The Wolf Among Us was a mature and dark take on the “big bad wolf” character of Little Red Riding Hood, but if he was the sheriff of an area in New York City that is inhabited by several characters from various stories. Everyone has secrets, vices, and there are crimes and mysteries around every corner. The game pulls you along through its constantly changing storyline, as players get more and more intrigued with every new plot reveal. The title was made purely for mature audiences and contains very tough choices to be made in a no-holds-barred storyline where things can change in a heartbeat.

5 Mortal Kombat Vs. DC Universe

Fans were both skeptical and overjoyed when Midway Games released this title in 2008. One franchise, famous for gory fatalities and M ratings, and the other featuring squeaky-clean colorful superheroes. The fact that the game toned down fatalities and garnered a T rating turned many Mortal Kombat fans off, but thankfully the game made up for it with extremely well-made fighting mechanics and an original storyline featuring the mixing of both universes.

DC heroic characters were given their own finishing moves with “brutalities,” and MK and DC villains could pull off fatalities (it would be too uncharacteristic to see The Flash or Wonder Woman tear someone’s spine out). There was also a cool feature containing “free fall” combat where players could knock opponents down to lower areas, engaging in cinematic combat during the transition.

4 Batman: Arkham Knight

Rocksteady Games truly outdid themselves when they released their third entry in the Arkham series on the 8th generation consoles in 2015. The map size was increased, the storyline much darker and intense, the graphics jaw-dropping, and the overall scope of the characters and missions felt massive. It’s a pure joy to glide around the skies of Gotham City, tackling various objectives to take down villains, stop crimes, find collectibles, and.. yes, take down unmanned drones with the Batmobile. The vehicle is one of the main components of Arkham Knight, and many players felt this part of the game was its weakest. The driving felt smooth and responsive, but the tank combat overstayed its welcome long before the credits roll. But that doesn’t prevent Arkham Knight from wowing players with how much fun gameplay and fan service is packed into this incredible title.

3 Batman: Arkham Asylum

The title that launched an iconic franchise, Arkham Asylum could have been a massive failure. There hadn’t been a new Batman game for years, and not many that came before it truly nailed the gameplay that a Batman game should have. Who knew that all it took was creating an amazing, explorable world with secrets to uncover, combat that was felt easy to pull off yet hard to master, and the voice talents of Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill for Arkham Asylum to be the definitive Batman game and one of the best games of that generation. It changed the industry, and fans still refer to it as one of, if not the best Batman game of all time.

2 Injustice 2

After the success of Mortal Kombat Vs. DC Universe, the developers of the Mortal Kombat franchise NetherRealm Studios, with their newly formed relationship with DC, helmed the Injustice series. The first entry paved way for the sequel, which used the same fighting engine as Mortal Kombat X and featured a storyline based on the series of the Injustice DC comics series. Heroes are villains, and villains are heroes in this role-switching plot, which makes the case for pitting characters against one another in thrilling battles make all the more sense. The character roster features just about every hero and villain players can think of, even non-central characters such as Swamp Thing, Hellboy, and Gorilla Grodd. They even added MK characters and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles through DLC. For massive DC fans, it’s the ultimate fighting bang for your buck.

1 Batman: Arkham City

The shining example of how to create a perfect game, and then do a sequel that improves upon it in every way possible. Much like The Dark Knight film, Arkham City took what worked in Asylum and gave players more, and somehow made it better. Fan-favorite villains that were teased in Asylum are on full display here, the combat was expanded and increased to make every battle feel like a cinematic big-budget action scene, and the world of Arkham City was so passionately designed and filled to the brim with secrets and nods to every little facet of the Batman world. The map felt big enough to explore but not so big that it required the Batmobile, each district of the map containing memorable structures and landmarks to make them their own. The ending remains one of the best in the game series, and it went on to become the game of the year in 2011 for multiple reviewers and publications. Arkham City is hands down how a superhero game should be done right.

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