There have been many fantastic comic book games over the years. While there are the occasional disappointments such as last year's Marvel's Avengers, in general, the quality of these superhero titles keeps getting better and better. Fans have Rocksteady and 2009's Batman: Arkham Asylum to thank for this upturn in quality, which showed that licensed games can be excellent and still sell well.
2015's Arkham trilogy closer Batman: Arkham Knight can be argued as the pinnacle of comic book gaming, but other people would counter that 2018's Spider-Man for PS4 took everything that made the Arkham series great and did it better. The real winners, of course, are the players.
Batman: The Combat Flows To Perfection
When Batman: Arkham Asylum released it revolutionized melee combat in third-person action games. Rocksteady created a simple system of punch, block, stun, and a few gadgets, but the masterstroke was in giving fights an almost rhythm game-like flow. Get in that flow and you can get through fights without Batman's enemies landing a punch. Batman: Arkham Knight somehow manages to improve on perfection, by keeping the same basic controls and rhythm but adding more challenging enemies and moves to pull off. Other games may copy this system, but Rocksteady knows how to use it.
Spider-Man: A Full Open-World New York
While the Batman games are fantastic, the one thing they have never quite been able to pull off is a complete open-world Gotham City. While both Origins and Knight claim to offer that, in reality neither features all of Gotham, and they certainly don't include civilians or traffic. Spider-Man pretty much features all of real-world New York, with correct landmarks alongside classic Marvel locations such as Avengers Tower, as well as traffic and crowds of regular people that Spider-Man can interact with.
Batman: A Better Class Of Criminal
There's a big debate to be had about who has the better rogues' gallery, Batman or Spider-Man, but fortunately when talking about their two best games there's an obvious winner. Marvel's Spider-Man and its semi-sequel Miles Morales focuses mainly on smaller or newer enemies, so while there are hints of more major adversaries, don't expect to see Green Goblin or even Mysterio.
Batman: Arkham Knight, on the other hand, nearly features Batman's entire supervillain list, from major supervillains such as Scarecrow, Penguin, Catwoman, and Ra's Al Ghul, to lesser-known enemies such as Mad Hatter, Professor Pyg, and Man-Bat. Even the Joker makes a big appearance, despite him having died in the last game.
Spider-Man: Focuses On Peter Parker Too
If there's one big issue with the Batman Arkham games, especially Rocksteady's trilogy, it's that Batman's barely a character in them. Bruce Wayne, for the most part, plays almost no role at all in the series, and definitely not in Arkham Knight. Spider-Man, on the other hand, wisely chooses to spend a lot of time with the player in control of Peter Parker. Some of the best scenes in the game are his interactions with Mary-Jane, Aunt May, or Otto Octavius, which makes the player emphasize with Spider-Man a whole lot more.
Batman: The Batmobile Changes Everything
Out of all the things associated most closely with Batman, the powerful Batmobile has to be the one that instantly comes to mind. After dumping it in Gotham Harbor to defeat Bane in Arkham Asylum, it returns in Arkham Knight more impressive than ever, and the player can finally drive it. It's an incredible moment when it arrives to "even the odds," and the game is never the same again. While some might argue that the Batmobile felt tonally out of place, it added some much-needed variety to Arkham Knight.
Spider-Man: The Story Is Compelling
The most common criticism of Batman: Arkham Knight is that, compared to the other games in the series, the story is a lot more predictable. Players predicted who the Arkham Knight was before the game even came out, and the ending feels forced. Spider-Man, on the other hand, crafts a personal and compelling tale. Having Peter Parker and his non-superpowered allies, such as Mary-Jane and pre-spider Miles Morales, be at the forefront helps to ground the story, and the slow reveal of the overall mastermind is a wonderful case of hiding in plain sight.
Batman: Full Of Worthwhile Secrets
While it is undeniably satisfying to swing around New York in Spider-Man, the one thing it lacks is any gameplay reasons to explore it. Backpacks, pigeons, and taking photos of landmarks aren't really satisfying and feel like filler. Batman: Arkham Knight, on the other hand, continually rewards exploration, whether it's with an awesome surprise encounter or a mystery to solve.
While the Riddler's challenges do get complained about, at least Rocksteady made the game's collectibles tied to defeating one of Batman's most famous adversaries, which is a compelling enough reason to find them.
Spider-Man: It Features Everything Important To The Comics
While Batman: Arkham Knight is a fantastic experience, it comes at a cost to some of the most interesting parts of the comics. He's barely a detective, the Batmobile is the only vehicle, there aren't any civilians to save, and the Batcave is absent. Spider-Man offers no such compromises. The player gets a full New York with the ability to save pedestrians from muggers and shootouts. Peter Parker and his personal problems can be experienced, even his money and girl troubles. Spider-Man's scientific mind is utilized constantly. Most importantly, he always remains a friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.
Batman: The DLC Changes And Enhances The Game
Spider-Man's "The City That Never Sleeps" DLC season is challenging and expands the story well, but it's still just about Peter Parker and weirdly does not take place on the main game's map. Batman: Arkham Knight's "Season Of Infamy" DLC, on the other hand, can be played as part of the main campaign, introducing new villains and encounters, and even changes the map in places. It's a wonderful expansion, and sits neatly alongside the other DLC packs which include brand new stories and levels featuring the opportunity to play as all other members of the Bat-family, as well as Catwoman and Harley Quinn.
Spider-Man: Miles Morales Adds Even More
Other than DLC, the one thing Batman: Arkham Knight currently doesn't have is a successor. The next "Arkhamverse" game by Rocksteady is based around the Suicide Squad, and the next Batman game Gotham Knights is unconnected to the series. Spider-Man, however, just got standalone expansion Miles Morales, which keeps the same general gameplay and map but adds a lot of improvements. This includes more enjoyable stealth, a "Venom Blast" to help deal with tougher enemies, and a greater struggle for the main character. It's not technically part of Marvel's Spider-Man, but Miles Morales makes the first game even better.