Batman: Arkham Knight

Batman: Arkham Knight concludes Rocksteady Studios' Arkham trilogy. The action-adventure takes place in a freely explorable version of Gotham City, where Batman investigates crimes, takes out enemies in combat, sneaks into guarded buildings unnoticed and moves with the help of technical equipment.

One of the most important changes compared with its predecessors is the freely drivable Batmobile. It serves both for getting around and in combat and puzzle sections. Besides the campaign, there are numerous optional missions against well-known adversaries.

The Steam and Xbox version of Batman: Arkham Knight was released on June 23, 2015. The German PlayStation Store lists June 22, 2015 for PS4. The different dates refer to the respective store listings.

On Dec 1, 2023, the version adapted for Nintendo Switch by Turn Me Up Games was released as part of Batman: Arkham Trilogy. The collection also includes Arkham Asylum and Arkham City and the previously released DLCs.

Standalone versions of Batman: Arkham Knight have been released for Windows PC, PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. Rocksteady Studios developed the original; Turn Me Up Games handled the Switch adaptation.

The PS4 version can run on PS5 via backward compatibility. The Xbox Store lists Xbox Series X|S as the playback platform for the Xbox One version. Neither indicates a standalone native release for the newer consoles.

The FreeFlow system links direct attacks with counterattacks and quick transitions between enemies. In addition, Batman can move unnoticed through monitored rooms, isolate enemies and get past them using his equipment.

Grapnel, Batarangs and other tools are also used for navigation and investigations. Rocksteady has expanded the use of gadgets during gliding. The mix of melee combat, stealth, puzzles and exploration defines the main campaign.

The additional content includes standalone story episodes with other characters, challenges, vehicle variants and alternative costumes. The expansion Season of Infamy: Most Wanted adds four more adversaries to the campaign: Ra's al Ghul, Mad Hatter, Killer Croc and Mr. Freeze.

The expansions were originally offered separately or in the Season Pass. The Nintendo Switch edition as part of Batman: Arkham Trilogy includes the additional content previously released. A DLC is not equivalent to a standalone new console release of the main game.

For the Windows version, Steam lists at least an Intel Core i5-750 or AMD Phenom II X4 965, 6 GB RAM and a GeForce GTX 660 with 2 GB or Radeon HD 7870 with 2 GB. DirectX 11 and at least 45 GB storage are required.

As a recommendation, the store lists an Intel Core i7-3770 or AMD FX-8350, 8 GB RAM, a GeForce GTX 760 with 3 GB or Radeon HD 7950 with 3 GB, and 55 GB storage. The Windows 7/8.1 details at the time are historical game requirements, not a guarantee of compatibility with a current Steam client.

The Batmobile, freely drivable for the first time, connects Gotham's districts. It can drive quickly on the streets and switch to an armed combat mode, in which technical enemies are fought.

Rocksteady also integrates the vehicle into puzzles, investigation tasks and obstacle sections. That is why the Batmobile is an independent part of the game design, not just a fast way to travel between missions.

The open world of Gotham City can be crossed with gliding, grapnel and Batmobile. Rooftops, streets and guarded areas can be used in different ways.

Alongside the main story, there are so-called Most Wanted missions against individual well-known adversaries. These cases allow additional investigations, fights and operations, without the main story having to be worked through in a linear way.

Scarecrow threatens Gotham City and brings together the forces of several of Batman's enemies. They include Harley Quinn, Penguin, Two-Face and Riddler. The mysterious Arkham Knight also plays a central role, and his identity is only revealed as the story progresses.

The story builds on the events of the two previous Rocksteady games, Arkham Asylum and Arkham City. It is designed as the conclusion of their Arkham trilogy. The summary deliberately leaves out the resolution of the central twists.

The main game is a single-player action adventure. The story, investigations and side missions can be played without a cooperative online or local multiplayer mode. Batman gains experience, upgrades his gear and unlocks new options as the campaign goes on.

Alongside the main story, the open world offers additional puzzles and Most Wanted missions. Some extra episodes make other well-known characters playable, but they do not add a full co-op mode to the main story.

The Standard Edition includes the base game. The Premium Edition bundles the main game with the Season Pass and therefore additional episodes, challenges and other extras. When buying, you therefore need to distinguish between the actual game version and DLC packs sold separately.

On Nintendo Switch, Arkham Knight came out as part of the Batman: Arkham Trilogy collection, together with Arkham Asylum and Arkham City and their respective add-on content. It is a standalone native Switch version, not the same digital licence as for PlayStation, Xbox or PC.

Alongside the main story, Arkham Knight offers special challenges that train selected movement, combat and driving mechanics in isolation or combine them in more demanding ways. In the open city, Riddler trials and other tasks are added. These activities are good for trying out different approaches without having to replay every story scene.

Upgrades affect, among other things, Batman's combat, movement and gadget abilities. The additional tasks therefore not only add playtime but also give you a chance to use the growing range of skills between story missions.

The Switch version was released on December 1, 2023 as part of Batman: Arkham Trilogy. The studio responsible for the port is Turn Me Up Games. The collection includes the three main Arkham games and their already released DLC.

This version is independent of the original PC, PS4 and Xbox One releases. It is listed as a native Switch software title. A possible future playback on later Nintendo hardware does not on its own justify a separate version developed specifically for Switch 2.