The Batman: Arkham games are the best comics adaptations on the market, not just because they have a unique place in the hearts of many comic fans around the world. The three Arkham games developed by Rocksteady -- released in 2009, 2011, and 2015 -- have had a major impact on video games and how comics are adapted for the medium. They offer an immersive experience of Gotham that reflects more aspects of Batman than any on-screen adaptation.
In the comics, Batman has various gadgets that defy laws of science and physics. TV shows and films can’t exactly adopt these elements properly unless they use a great deal of CGI. The Arkham games, on the other hand, take the more ridiculous gadgets and run with them. Likewise, the more outrageous enemies from his rogues gallery are included in the Arkham games, whereas on-screen adaptations tend to focus on just one or two major villains.
The video game medium offers many creative benefits, especially for serialized storytelling -- which makes it especially ideal for adapting comics. Story-based video games, such as the Batman: Arkham series, offer hours of playtime, which substantiates character development and allows large casts to filter in and out of the story. It's possible for players to get inside Bruce Wayne's head and experience his environment in a unique way.
Films have an immersive aspect to them, as well, but audiences are not in control of a film in the same way they can be with a video game. Films require a somewhat narrow focus because of time restraints, which limits the story to 120 minutes or so -- thus, fewer characters can get adequate screentime or development. This is why, for example, the original X-Men trilogy focuses largely on Wolverine rather than the team at large.
Of course, there are fantastic film adaptations of comic books -- they just lack the accuracy and scope of the Batman: Arkham games. For example, Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy offers incredible storytelling, but many of Bruce's weird gadgets and the detective elements of the comics -- which are present in the video games -- don't make it to the movies. Even films like Wonder Woman struggle with this problem. It's almost impossible to have her be made out of clay and still depict a high-stakes superhero story on-screen. Movie-going audiences expect some absurdity from comic book films, but not that much.
The Batman: Arkham series has also influenced newer comic book video games. Take, for example, Marvel's Spider-Man for PS4. This is a fantastic game that completely integrates players in Spider-Man's New York City -- and it owes a great deal to Arkham. The stealth sections in Marvel's Spider-Man and the fast-paced combat are incredibly similar to the Arkham games' predator sections. Additionally, the PS4 game follows a similar trajectory in how it introduces and uses characters and cut scenes.
Batman: Arkham succeeds because of its faithfulness to the source material, as well as its medium. Video games allow for lots of flexibility when it comes to serialized storytelling, which makes them ideal for comic book adaptations. Developers don't have to avoid absurd elements for the sake of realism and there's plenty of space for characters to grow. This trilogy is the pinnacle of modern comics adaptations and it provides an experience unlike any other.