Every Batman Arkham game ranked worst to best, from Asylum to Knight, as Return to Arkham is announced

Good news, Batman fans – just when you felt yourself itching to delve back into the Arkham franchise, Rocksteady have announced the Return to Arkham collection.

Featuring remastered versions of Arkham Asylum and Arkham City, along with all the DLC for both of those games, it’s the perfect chance to delve into some of the best superhero games ever made.

In honour of the Dark Knight’s return, we’ve ranked all the home console Arkham games so far – but will your favourite come out on top?

4) Arkham Origins, 2013 (Xbox 360, PS3)

The only title in the series not to be developed by Rocksteady Studios (and tellingly not included in Return to Arkham), Origins isn’t a bad game – but it did nothing at the time to move the franchise forward.

It felt like a slightly lazy move to go straight for a prequel after the bold ending of Arkham City, which hinted that the series didn’t really know how to exist without the Joker.

Still, the only reason is pales slightly in comparison is because the rest of the titles are so strong – and this one’s now cheap to pick up second hand.

3) Arkham City, 2011 (Xbox 360, PS3)

It might be controversial to place this as the weakest of the main trilogy – and it goes without saying that all three of Rocksteady’s Arkham games are some of the greatest Batman experiences ever.

But of the three, City does feel somewhat transitionary. Compared to Asylum, it opens up the gameplay into more of a sandbox design, offering up missions to seek out across the map. While that means more choice in how players tackle the game, it also makes the storytelling a little more scattershot as you hop from villain to villain.

That said, the core gameplay is still hugely impressive, with pulse-pounding stealth take-down setpieces and a muscular fighting system.

There’s plenty to explore in Arkham City, and it perhaps comes down to personal preference for whether gamers prefer a linear storyline or an open world.

The best thing? The brave ending which sees The Joker – SPOILER ALERT – actually get killed off.

2) Arkham Knight, 2015 (Xbox One, PS4)

What happens when you take the sharp and satisfying Arkham gameplay and put it on next-gen consoles? You get something that looks absolutely jaw-dropping, and (mostly) plays like an absolute dream.

After Origins seemed to be treading water, Arkham Knight feels like a bold new step into the future. The exploration is more satisfying than in City, the story is gripping with that central ‘who is the Arkham Knight?’ plot, and the whole thing is properly knock-out gorgeous – Batman’s cape flaps and flutters in the breeze, battered by the rain, as the lights of Gotham city shimmer through the mist.

The only thing that feels clunky in Knight is the Batmobile – which isn’t quite the abomination some made it out to be, but also isn’t the rip-roaring joy-ride it should be. Once you’re at full speed you can’t really see where you’re going, and the frequent sections where you shoot down the Arkham Knight’s goons become very repetitive.

1) Arkham Asylum, 2009 (Xbox 360, PS3)

Perhaps it’s nostalgia talking, but Arkham Asylum is still a masterpiece. Coming fairly swiftly off the heels of Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight, which brought the grittiness of Batman into the real world, Asylum took it right back to its murky comic book heart.

It’s perhaps the most accurate representation of the Batman comics to ever reach the screen, with a simple but smartly scripted plot that remains compelling the entire time.