The 12 Best Video Games Based On DC Comics, Ranked

DC Comics isn't just about the comics. Apart from the movies, series, figurines, and other merch, there have also been many video games based on the world of DC. Some of the titles have been largely shaped by the films or television series of the time, but there's also more than a few that were originally made just as games then spun out into other media. Look at how the director from "Blue Beetle" took direct inspiration from the "Injustice" video games for the character design.

Now, it would be all too easy to write a list featuring only the "Batman: Arkham" games — because they were that good, weren't they? — but there's no fun and fairness in that. So, what we have done is to take our personal preference as gamers and blend that with Metacritic scores to find the best of the best when it comes to DC video games. Yeah, there will be raging debates about why one title is here, another isn't, and the overall ranking, but that's the beauty of fandom — no one is ever wrong, since it's all a celebration of what we love.

Here are the 12 best video games based on DC Comics, ranked.

With attention spans being what they are nowadays, it takes a lot to hook players for the long term. Well, the development team at Dimensional Ink Games need to take a bow with what they did with "DC Universe Online." Originally released in 2011, this massively multiplayer online game continues to still be played to this day across different platforms.

The premise is much like other MMOs: a player creates their own character, or chooses from several templates, then gets thrust into the DC Universe to engage in cape affairs. Depending on if you choose a hero or villain will impact who you are aligned with. From there, it's the traditional completing missions and quests, while leveling up the character. Where "DC Universe Online" shines is how the development team continued to produce episodic and new content for the fans over the years — there's no shortage of story here, that's for sure.

"DC Universe Online" might not be receiving any Game of the Year awards with a 7.3 PlayStation 3 user score on Metacritic, but it's the type of game that's aged like a fine wine. Most players praise the voice acting and addictive quality of the title, recognizing how it provides decent escapism in some of DC's most famous settings.

It's tough to bring the Man of Steel to the video game realm; look at how "Superman 64" turned out to be the worst video game of all time. The problem is, how do you take a practically invincible character and give him a challenge without compromising the core of what makes Superman, well, super? In short, no one has figured out the formula just yet, but the 1988 "Superman" arcade game manages to at least produce a tidy and enjoyable experience.

It's not an overly long game, but it features five bright levels where players can fly, punch, and use several special attacks. "Superman" also mixes up the action by switching up between side-scrolling and vertical sections, while introducing parts where Supes needs to use his heat vision to destroy objects. The character isn't invincible here, as enemy blows do deplete his life meter, but he's able to pick up power-ups to restore his energy. The game also takes a bold risk by introducing a new villain called Emperor Zaas, which makes for a nice departure from Kal-El always facing armored Lex Luthor or Brainiac for the millionth time.

If you fancy two-player mode, you're able to do so, as a second Superman character boasts a different color scheme, looking a lot like Shazam! Let's pretend this is all part of a master plan to create a team-up video game featuring two of DC's most powerful heroes.

Marvel had "Marvel: Ultimate Alliance" (one of the best Marvel video games of all time) and "X-Men Legends," while DC had "Justice League Heroes." The action role-playing title was released on PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, Nintendo DS, and Xbox in 2006, offering gamers the opportunity to play as their favorite Justice League characters. Each level sees a player take control of two heroes, possessing the ability to switch between the characters. If you play two-player mode, though, then you'll need to mutually agree with your teammate about the switch-up.

"Justice League Heroes" features a story written by the late comics great Dwayne McDuffie, as well as a decent roster of characters to choose from — both in terms of immediately available and unlockable options. While the graphics and environment effects don't hold up by today's standards, the gameplay proves to be a lot of action-packed fun. It also helps that the story feels like you're stuck in an episode of "Justice League Unlimited."

While critics weren't too warm to "Justice League Heroes," Metacritic users appreciated it for what it is. It holds a 7.8 user score on PlayStation 2, with many fans expressing how it was a game that was an important part of their childhood — and hey, aren't those the best kind of memories?

Perhaps the biggest criticism that could have been leveled against 2022's "Gotham Knights" is that it isn't a "Batman: Arkham" game. The combat isn't too polished, and the loot system proves to be super annoying and grind-heavy, but for those willing to look past these minor misdeeds, they'll find an underappreciated DC Comics video game that lets the other members of the Bat-Family have the spotlight for once.

Playing as Nightwing, Batgirl, Robin, and Red Hood, players are able to either tackle the game solo or co-op, as it's now up to Batman's "kids" to look after Gotham City since he dies. "Gotham Knights" also possesses a ridiculous replayability element, since each character has their own unique fighting style and abilities, so it's satisfying to keep going back through the missions and experiencing the game through a different set of eyes, so to speak.

The PlayStation 5 version of "Gotham Knights" has a 67 Metascore on Metacritic. Again, the biggest complaint is how it pales in comparison to the "Arkham" series — which could be something said about most modern games, superhero-related or not — but in hindsight, it's a title that received an unnecessarily harsh reception, when it's actually far from awful.

In the beginning, there was "X-Men vs. Street Fighter" and this evolved into the always excellent "Marvel vs. Capcom." What possibly could DC do to compete here? Oh, that's easy: "Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe." With a story penned by comic book writers Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray, this fighting title provides an engaging-enough narrative for those who need single-player campaigns, though we're all really here for the dream match-ups that anyone can make happen now. Raiden vs. Superman? You got it! Batman vs. Sub-Zero? I get chills thinking about it. Fortunately, "Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe" comes with a stacked character line-up to make it all possible.

While the 2008 video game doesn't get as gory as the "Mortal Kombat" games, players can still enjoy watching their favorite Earthrealm fighters or DC heroes deliver some brutal beatdowns. The PlayStation 3 version of "Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe" received a 76 Metascore, with a variety of critics praising the crisp graphics and fluid gameplay. It's safe to say that if this game didn't exist, it would have been highly unlikely that anyone would have tried to make "Injustice" in the future.

Telltale Games valued story above anything else. The now-defunct video game company produced two games based on the Dark Knight: "Batman: The Telltale Series" and "Batman: The Enemy Within." Both of these titles reimagined the classic lore and introduced aspects where a player's choice would influence the narrative. The latter, which was released episodically from 2017, builds on everything before it to create an unmissable adventure that gives the Joker a compelling and unique origin story while weaving in many of Gotham's most famous citizens.

While "Batman: The Enemy Within" doesn't have the action of the "Arkham" series, its point-and-click structure allows for more detective work to take place. You get caught up in exploring the crime scenes and finding links to solve the bigger mystery. In addition, the game promotes stellar voice work as Troy Baker and Anthony Ingruber bring Batman and Joker to life respectively. In fact, Ingruber is easily one of the best Joker voice actors who isn't Mark Hamill.

On Metacritic, "Batman: The Enemy Within" holds a 79 Metascore on PC, with critics largely saying the same thing: it's a juicy story made all that much better by the game's choice mechanics that have significant consequences to the outcome.

Based on "Batman: The Animated Series," the definitive depiction of the Dark Knight and his villains, "The Adventures of Batman & Robin" was released on various platforms starting from 1994. Depending which version you play, the gameplay differs quite drastically. However, the best edition of the title is the one released on Super NES. Not only does it nail the Dark Deco animation style of the series, but it also establishes itself as a faithful side-scrolling platformer that lets Batman use his gadgets and even the Batmobile in his missions.

Even though the title says "The Adventures of Batman & Robin," it's a little deceiving, since you can't play as Robin in the Super NES version. Instead, the Boy Wonder appears during cutscenes to make his presence felt. So, if you're a Robin fan, sorry — he is playable in the Sega Genesis release, though.

The game's mission design challenges traditional platformers of its era, as it tries to incorporate the personality of the boss villain whom the Dark Knight faces. For example, when fighting against the Joker, the battle takes place on a rollercoaster. It adds a nice touch to the title, making these encounters far more memorable than the usual overpowered boss appearing, dropping some terrible one-liner, and you having to hop around the screen to avoid their attacks.

Even though 2016's "Suicide Squad" turned out to be a critical misfire, it cleaned up at the box office and left no crumbs. Resultantly, the powers that be saw potential in more supervillain-led content. It's good to be bad, and all of that. In 2018, "Lego DC Super-Villains" was birthed into this world, letting gamers experience the mischief of DC's rogues' gallery.

Part of the "Lego Batman" series, players get the opportunity to create their own fiend, as this creation known as "The Rookie" takes a crucial role in the game's overall storyline. At the same time, this doesn't stop you from tinkering and playing with the other antagonists, such as Deathstroke, Joker, Harley Quinn, and even Granny Goodness.

Sure, "Lego DC Super-Villains" doesn't exactly reinvent the brick here, but it knows what makes these games appealing to begin with: ease of playability and a good sense of humor. Among the fans, the PlayStation 4 versions holds a 7.3 user score on Metacritic, as players cite the expansive locations and huge cast of characters as the major plus points of the game.

As modern gaming has taught us, flashy graphics and major developers behind a title mean nothing if it forgets to be fun. This is where a surprise DC Comics video game like "Justice League: Cosmic Chaos" comes in. It's a 2023 breezy action-adventure game designed for all the major platforms, though it feels like it just belongs on the Nintendo Switch.

From a story perspective, it's as simple as it comes: the Justice League needs to stop the pesky Mr. Mxyzptlk after he attempts to declare himself as the new mayor of Happy Harbor and brings all sorts of trouble to this peaceful town.

While "Justice League: Cosmic Chaos" lacks the overall excellent of something like "Animal Crossing," there's a similar relaxing quality to the title, as it's all too easy to get lost exploring the colorful environment. Reviewers seem to agree, as the Nintendo Switch version scored 79 on Metacritic's Metascore. "Justice League: Cosmic Chaos" is predominantly aimed at the younger ones, but it still holds enough magic and good nature to make the adult folk smile too.

Before "The Lego Movie" transformed into a cinematic miracle and turned Will Arnett's Brick Knight into a bona fide superstar, the "Lego Batman" series paved the way for greatness. Make no mistake, every entry in the original trilogy is fantastic in its own right, but there's something extra special about 2012's "Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes" as it turns into a fully fledged Justice League video game (in a Lego world, of course).

In this story, Joker and Lex Luthor combine their nefarious forces, so it's up to Batman, Robin, Superman, and the rest of the Justice League to put a stop to these blockhead villains. Even though the missions are clear and linear-enough to follow, it's way too easy to get lost in the open world of "Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes." There's so much to explore and experience across various enchanting levels, as you can't help but smash everything in sight to see what you can collect, build, or drive.

On PlayStation 3, "Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes" hit 81 on Metacritic's Metascore. The general consensus is that it's a game made by people who love the characters and emphasize an all-round good time rather than trying to be everything for everyone.

Developed by NetherRealm Studios, the team behind "Mortal Kombat," the "Injustice" series creates a new reality where villains and heroes pick new sides after Superman breaks bad and becomes a dictator. While the first "Injustice" laid the groundwork and expectation for this franchise, "Injustice 2" improves on every facet of the game. Not only does it have a terrific storyline, but the gameplay also feels faster and more intuitive. Then, there are the awesome customization options for characters, as well as all the additional content that actually feels worth it rather than just being another typical cash-grab DLC. Seriously, who doesn't want to see the Ninja Turtles battle against the likes of Hellboy?!

What's remarkable about "Injustice 2" isn't just how it's seen as one of the best video games based on DC Comics. There are many gamers who would put in the conversation for one of the best fighting games of all time, period. Browse through Metacritic and it's evident that both fans and critics love what "Injustice 2" has to offer across any platform; therefore, making it no surprise that it's so high up on this list.

Was there any other choice for number one here? While "Batman: Arkham Asylum" serves as a perfect introduction to the "Arkham" series, 2011's "Batman: Arkham City" takes everything that works in the first game and doubles down on it. It's more expansive, challenging, cerebral, and immersive. Heck, it even lets you play as Catwoman, who proves to be an extremely important character in the overall storyline.

Yeah, there was the prequel, "Batman: Arkham Origins," and "Batman: Arkham Knight" (who else hates those Batmobile missions?) that came afterward, but even if they do feature their own moments of distinction and minor gameplay upgrades, they fail to capture the lightning-in-a-bottle magic of this game that understood the melting point of story, gameplay, and ambition. To this day, I still dream about planning those rooftop takedowns of thugs, using a mixture of the freakin' Bat's fists and gadgets as well as the environment to my advantage.

Unsurprisingly, "Batman: Arkham City" remains an undisputed hit on Metacritic. You'll probably struggle to find a single gamer who hates it — and if you do, don't trust that person.