When it comes to superhero games, history shows that there are more lows than highs. However, this all changed in 2009 with Batman: Arkham Asylum. This game fixed the rocky relationship comic book heroes had with video games and began a new era of gaming. The first sequel, Arkham City, is, to many, the greatest superhero game of all time.
That is until 2018 when Spider-Man was released exclusively on PS4. To many, this game did what the Arkham series did and expanded on it greatly. Still, there are a great many who still swear by Arkham City as the gold standard superhero game. Both games have their loyal fans defending them, and both have very valid arguments.
Arkham City: Stealth Missions
While both games do a great job at making the player feel as if they are in the shoes of their favorite heroes, picking off terrified thugs from the shadows truly makes players feel like The Dark Knight. While stealth missions are nothing new in the world of gaming, the Arkham series perfects it by having the environment useable to the player's advantage.
Players can always just wait for the right moment to strike, but they can also use their knowledge of Batman's gadget arsenal to plan out their attacks and clear the room as quickly as possible. While Spider-Man also has great stealth missions, they lack the satisfaction of using the fear of criminals against them.
Spider-Man: Quick Gameplay
Thanks to his superhuman abilities, Spider-Man is much faster and more agile than Batman, and his game represents that. From fighting to swinging around the city, mastering the controls of this game allows players to quickly move around.
When the moves and gadgets are upgraded, racking up huge combos against waves of enemies is easy and skilled players can move so fast that they don't even lose a bit of health in the process. The game has a quick travel mechanic, but swinging around the city is so quick and responsive, many choose never to use it. Batman moves slower so his gameplay is slower. For those who prefer to get the job done quickly, they should go with Spidey.
Arkham City: Side Quests
Spider-Man has its fair share of side quests, but the ones in Arkham City are a lot better. The side quests have their own self-contained stories and each one tests Batman's abilities. Some are as simple as taking out a group of enemies to save political prisoners.
Others see the player deduce several clues to see what exactly the enemy is up to. There are even some quests that see the players test their gliding skills to quickly traverse to a ringing phone before time is up. The story is more than enough to keep players engaged, but if they want to take a break from the main story, they have more than a few choices to test their skills with.
Spider-Man: Gadgets
Batman is well known for his wonderful toys, but gadgets also appear in Spider-Man, and they are arguably more useful. There are eight different gadgets for players to unlock and upgrade, as well as several different web-shooters and suit assists such as mechanical arms to help things even further.
These gadgets can be used in a multitude of situations and can be combined to help rack up combo points even further. In time, a player can clear out a wave of enemies using nothing but gadgets in under a minute. While Batman's gadgets are fun to use, they are typically used in specific situations and usually stun enemies as opposed to taking them out entirely.
Arkham City: Riddler Trophies
Among the many side quests found in the Arkham series, the Riddler trophies are the ones that cross over between games. Many fans love the added challenge of collecting them all, and many choose to ignore them due to their frustration. Regardless of their opinions on them, few can deny that they are a great way to test player's skills as detectives, as they must often solve tricky puzzles to get the trophy.
Throughout the game, Batman hears The Riddler taunt him as he fights his way through the city. Finally getting the trophies and taking Riddler out offers satisfaction that is simply not present in Spider-Man.
Spider-Man: Larger Play Area
Arkham City may not be tiny by any means, but it does not hold a candle to New York as seen in Spider-Man. The city is huge and allows players to explore practically every inch. Whether it is swinging through the air or interacting with civilians on the street, just exploring the city alone offers plenty of enjoyment.
There are real-life locations such as The Empire State Building and Times Square players can scope out. There are also plenty of fictional Marvel-related areas as well, such as Avenger Tower or Doctor Strange's Sanctum Sanctorum.
Arkham City: Voice Acting
The voice cast in Spider-Man are all extremely talented and should absolutely be celebrated, but some of the voices in Arkham City were already Batman legends when the game came out. The games very wisely decided to use Mark Hamil and Kevin Conroy's iconic voices for the Joker and Batman, who have both become mainstays in the series ever since Batman: The Animated Series.
These two voices are some of the best portrayals of the characters, and both have voiced them throughout many versions since their debut in 1992. Regardless of the source material, these two actors as Batman and Joker are sure to be the highlight.
Spider-Man: Backstory Told Through Collectibles
The story in Spider-Man is told pretty straightforward. However, the backstory of the game's Spidey and his friends requires a little digging. There are several types of collectibles in the game, most of them reveal little things that happened before the game to make it that much more engaging.
Through collecting backpacks or taking pictures, players learn things like Peter used to have web wings, Kingpin's front was a spice company and the relationship between Harry and Peter before he left. These little touches expand the world without bloating the story and give fans an incentive to go and explore.
Arkham City: The Story
The story in Spider-Man has been celebrated as one of the best to ever feature the character. Those who have played both games, however, say that Arkham City is the superior of the two, and is among one of the best Batman stories ever. From Alfred to The Joker, every main character is on their A-game here.
The game is an emotional powerhouse and shows just how deep the character of Batman can go. This is a game that many fans play over and over just to experience the excitement and heartache the story has to offer. Batman is known to have some incredible comic book arcs and characters, and this game dials all of that to 11 to deliver one incredible gaming experience.
Spider-Man: Variety Of Suits
Through DLC, there are several different Batusits players can wear as the Caped Crusader. In Spider-Man, there are many more suits. Not only are most of them unlockable in-game without costing a penny, but most also come with a suit-specific ability that players can add to any of the suits they want.
There are iconic suits such as the Sam Raimi suit or all the MCU suits, as well as suits that are lesser-known to many (such as the Spirit Spider suit or the Spider Armor suits). Some even impact the graphics such as the comic suit. With so many customizable options, this mechanic is something Arkham City is lacking, and many are many fans' favorite part of the game.