Developer: Rocksteady Studios
Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive Eidos Interactive
Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive
Release Date: November 22, 2011 (US)
Release Date: November 25, 2011 (UK)
Release Date: November 22, 2011 (AU)
T for Teen: Alcohol Reference, Blood, Mild Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Tobacco, Violence
Rocksteady Batman vs Nolan Batman: Who's The Best Dark Knight? (Spoiler Free!)
We put the game and movie versions head-to-head.
With Rocksteady's Arkham series and director Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight films, fans are getting some of the finest depictions of Batman this side of Dennis O'Neil and Neal Adams' legendary work on the comic in the 1970s. But which is better, Rocksteady's true-to-the-comics Batman or Nolan's more realistic spin on a billionaire orphan turned masked vigilante? With The Dark Knight Rises now in theaters and Batman: Arkham City still fresh in our minds, it's the perfect time to put the two head-to-head in a 10-round cage match. Ring the opening bell for Rocksteady's Batman versus Nolan's Dark Knight!
Round 1: Origin Story
Rocksteady Batman: Arkham Asylum begins after Batman is a seasoned crime-fighting pro, but his tragic history is briefly played out in a hallucinogenic nightmare courtesy of the Scarecrow.
Nolan Batman: The entire first movie was devoted to Batman's beginnings, and added a very cool League of Shadows spin on young Bruce Wayne's journey to becoming The Dark Knight.
Poor little rich boy.
Winner: Nolan Batman -- Nolan hit it out of the park. His realistic take on Batman's origin grounds him, and makes him feel like he could exist in the real world.
Round 2: The Look
Rocksteady Batman: The costume rocks, but I had no idea Bruce was on the juice. We could have another Man with the Exploding Arms incident on our hands.
Nolan Batman: He's a bit stiff in Batman Begins, but the sleeker costume in TDK works. No matter how many times I see it, though, I can't get past the goddamn eyeshadow.
Careful, Bats, that bicep is about to pop.
Winner: Draw -- Choosing between steroid arms and Maybelline eyes is no choice at all.
Round 3: Combat
Rocksteady Batman: Rocksteady's free-flow combat, featuring bone-breaking power and fluid, acrobatic moves, is off the charts on the Batman nerd meter. That is how Batman fights.
Nolan Batman: The Dark Knight is a bit of a tank, isn't he? Makes sense with the armored costume, but it's not all that impressive to watch, particularly in Rises' haymaker-fest fights.
Bit too much of this in TDK Rises.
Winner: Rocksteady Batman -- Amazing how the character many of us grew up with in the comics sprang to life at the push of a button.
Round 4: Those Wonderful Toys
Rocksteady Batman: Detective vision, Batarangs, grappling gun… Batman's utility belt is jam-packed in Rocksteady's games.
Nolan Batman: The Dark Knight's utility belt includes Big Brother detective vision, Batarangs, and a grappling gun, plus he gets full access to the Bat cars, bikes, and planes.
And it comes in black.
Winner: Nolan Batman -- The military-style Batmobile was just meh for me, but the Batcycle and Batwing are awesome.
Round 5: World's Greatest Detective
Rocksteady Batman: Finding clues using detective vision and putting together all the pieces of the puzzle are key parts of both Arkham games.
Nolan Batman: One of my biggest qualms with Nolan's Dark Knight: he's not much of a detective. He solves his biggest case by having Lucius Fox design a massive 1984 machine.
Some good old fashioned detective work.
Winner: Rocksteady Batman -- This Batman is the World's Greatest Detective, a critical aspect to the character that the many movies have completely missed.
Round 6: Bat Friends
Rocksteady Batman: Batman is on his own in Asylum, with a ridiculously muscled Jim Gordon making an appearance and Oracle supporting off screen. In Arkham City things get crowded, with Catwoman, Robin, and even Bane joining in.
Nolan Batman: Alfred, Gordon, and Lucius are there from the start, and Bruce couldn't have done it without them.
Every Batman needs a good Alfred.
Winner: Nolan Batman -- The movie Batman's supporting cast turns in fantastic performances all around.
Round 7: Bat Enemies
Rocksteady Batman: Rocksteady's got a fantastic take on Batman's many foes, from Scarecrow to Killer Croc to Penguin and Two-Face. Mark Hamill's Joker, of course, stands among the best voice-acting performances in gaming.
Nolan Batman: Heath Ledger's Joker is a legend, but Liam Neeson's Ra's Al Ghul is forgettable, Two Face isn't Two Face long enough, and while Tom Hardy makes for an imposing Bane, he was never much of a classic villain to begin with.
There's an entire city full of villains in Rocksteady's Batman.
Winner: Rocksteady Batman -- It's tempting to go the other way just because of Ledger's Joker, but Rocksteady's rogues' gallery outweighs him in my book.
Round 8: The Voice
Rocksteady Batman: Kevin Conroy has been doing his deep, imposing Batman voice for 20 years. There's a reason for that: it's awesome.
Nolan Batman: Haters gonna hate, but it's a good effort by Bale -- I actually like how he disguises his voice while in costume. Still, I admit it can sound a little… silly.
Not as pretty as Bale, but that voice!
Winner: Rocksteady Batman -- Kevin Conroy is the voice of Batman, just as Mark Hamill is the voice of the Joker. Period.
Round 9: Love Interest
Rocksteady Batman: Talia Al Ghul and Catwoman are both in the picture, but it's all business for Batman in the games.
Nolan Batman: Katie Holmes was okay as Rachel Dawes, Maggie Gyllenhaal was much better, but Anne Hathaway's Catwoman is fantastic. I know! I didn't think she could pull it off either.
Me-ow.
Winner: Nolan Batman -- Extra points for giving my girlfriend a reason to sit through the movies with me.
Round 10: Storytelling
Rocksteady Batman: Rocksteady wisely hired Paul Dini, the creative mind behind Batman: The Animated Series, among others, to pen its games. The result: terrific story arcs with fun twists and authentic, gritty Batman feel.
Nolan Batman: Nolan's three movies are each unique, and yet they combine to tell a classic three-act story with a gratifying conclusion. But there are a handful of plot holes in TDK Rises that can't be ignored. (Joker? Who is that?)
Somebody's watching the scoreboard.
Winner: Rocksteady Batman -- Both the games and the films tell some of Batman's finest tales. Rocksteady by a hair.
The Decision!
Both Bats are still standing at the final bell, and we go to the judges cards. Officially: Rocksteady's Batman gets the win, with a few critical rounds that could have gone either way. It's a testament to the quality of Rocksteady's games and Nolan's films. Both are classic depictions of Batman that won't soon be topped.
Spy Guy says: Wait! The Batman-Off isn't over yet! Which one has the better outside-the-pants underwear? Which does the best Batusi? And which has the shiniest Bat-Bling? Enough camp. Which is the better Batman in your book, Rocksteady's or Nolan's?
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