TheArkhamgames are some of the most revolutionary superhero games of all time, proving to everyone that games featuring popular comic characters can be a huge success. In fact, theArkhamgames were quite influential on action games in general. Its combat system was simple yet quite engaging, with its amazing counters, unique gadgets, and effective combos.
These games sent huge ripples across the industry, making it open season for a ton of developers who decided to useelements of this combat system for their own games. It might sound disingenuous, but many people would agree that the unique takes on this combat system across the games on this list have been fairly welcome. Several made their own additions to this formula, adding to players' enjoyment.
7The Amazing Spider-Man 2
The Amazing Spider-Manmovies received a set of video game tie-ins that were fairly serviceable, if completely unmemorable. The games didn’t really have an identity of their own, and aped systems from other popular games at the time, includingthe popularArkhamcombat systemthat had become all the rage at that time.
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However,The Amazing Spider-Man 2’s combat system felt pretty clunky and unsatisfying in comparison, with everything from regular blows to counters just not feeling all that good to pull off. For what it’s worth, the games did nail the swinging and made it feel pretty engaging, although this wasn’t nearly enough to make up for the other mediocre elements of the title.
6Assassin’s Creed Syndicate
Before the advent ofOrigins, the combat ofAssassin’s Creedhad remained standard for the most part. However, there’s no denying that the advent of theArkhamgames brought out a change in how the game handed battles. Counters and special moves became more important than ever before.
While this combat was engaging in its own right, there was a distinct lack of quality and polish compared to theArkhamgames. Animations felt jerky at times, while the other moves felt a bit inconsistent to pull off. However, this combat was functional for the most part and definitely added to the overall enjoyment of theAssassin’s Creedgames.Syndicatewas the last time this combat system was usedbefore the series' formula would change permanently.
Mad Maxwas a game that many people didn’t really expect to be a great title by any stretch of the imagination. However, the title ended up being a pleasant surprise, with both on-foot and vehicular combat being an absolute joy. The fact that this titlesuccessfully incorporated the brutal combat of theArkhamseriesmade it pretty engaging.
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While the game did fall short when it came to its story, this was a sacrifice that many fans were willing to make just so they could experience the combat. Fans of theArkhamgames who want to experience a decent open-world title with an evolved version of the patented combat system should look no further thanMad Max.
4Hand Of Fate
TheBatman Arkhamgames were pretty unique in their own right, and they inspired an indie game to try their hand at this system too. The end result wasHand of Fate, a great indie title that combines its action segments with a card game that decides the difficulty of the combat segments.
It’s an innovative idea that pays dividends and ends up being a blast to get through. The combat is challenging yet familiar, forcing players to use every tool in their arsenal if they wish to stand the remotest chance of succeeding.
3Marvel’s Spider-Man
Marvel’s Spider-Manis easily the best video game featuring the iconic web crawler. Fans were glad to see Sony finally take the initiative to carefully develop aSpider-Mangame that would wow audiences and realize the potential of a game featuring one the most iconic superheroes of all time.
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It helped that the combat ofMarvel’s Spider-Manwas a blast in its own right. The dodge mechanic rewarded timed inputs, while certain counters could also be unlocked with upgrades. The end result is a funSpider-Mantitle witha perfect combination of story and gameplay.
2Middle-Earth: Shadow Of Mordor
Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordorwas one of the first notable titles to beinspired byArkham’s revolutionary combat system. However, this game made more than its fair share of changes to the combat, keeping it snappy and satisfying while also adding a level of brutality that made pulling off these moves even more fun.
Controlling Talion and brutalizing the many orcs present all across the game made for a great time. It helped that the Nemesis system gave enemies way more character than expected, making the act of hunting down and dominating orcs an absolute blast.
1Sleeping Dogs
The idea of utilizingArkham’s combat in a detective story set in Hong Kong seems like a pretty far-fetched idea…which is precisely whySleeping Dogsis such a massive achievement. The open world is absolutely brimming with character, with Wei Shen being a fun protagonist in his own right.
Of course, it’s the combat that makes this game such a blast.Sleeping Dogsallowed players to absolutely decimate their foes in the most creative manner possible, with each and every fight in the game beinga highlight of this underrated experience.
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