DC Comics and video games: a dynamic duo of some of the best entertainment around. Over the decades, characters from the DC Universe have appeared on multiple platforms, and ahead of the release of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, we're taking a look at some of the best games from the franchise. The DC Universe's heaviest hitters have main-evented various video games over the years, but we've also seen the spotlight shine on lesser-known characters from across the wild and weird history of comic books from this publisher’s long and storied history.
From the Atom to Zatanna, here's a look at some of the best games from the home of the Dark Knight, the Man of Steel, and the Amazonian princess of power.
Gotham City Imposters
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League isn't the first time that DC games have flirted with an online design, as back in 2012, Monolith released a first-person multiplayer shooter full of clowns and vigilantes decked out in hockey pads. It was goofy stuff, and while it wasn't going to give Call of Duty a run for its money, you could still settle in for an afternoon of fun. The game went free-to-play in 2012, and it quickly vanished into the void after its servers were shut down and it was removed from Steam in 2021. A sad fate for an interesting take on the usual grim and gritty nature of DC Universe games.
Batman: Arkham series
You could easily have every entry in Rocksteady's genre-defining Arkham series--including WB Games Montreal's superb prequel Arkham Origins--on this list, but we're rounding up the entire saga in one convenient entry. Arkham Asylum got the ball rolling with its fluid mix of combat, traversal, and detective work, while Arkham City expanded on those ideas with a larger open-world environment and shocking story twists. Arkham Knight is easily the best of the bunch, as it pushed the established gameplay mechanics in extreme directions and it still holds up visually almost a decade after it first launched.
Lego DC Super-Villains
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League isn't the first time that DC's supervillains have been in the spotlight, as back in 2018, Lego DC Super-Villains gave players the chance to cause some mayhem as toy versions of iconic menaces. The core gameplay doesn't deviate from Lego's established formula, but the big draw here is the opportunity to create your own custom character and work alongside the Joker, Gorilla Grodd, Sinestro, and several other villains.
Batman: The Telltale Series
Telltale's spin on Batman introduced some major changes to the established status quo of the Dark Knight, shaking up his world with new spins on familiar characters and radically different origins for some of his oldest enemies. Both seasons are top-notch entertainment with a more action-packed vibe as a younger Bruce Wayne faces formidable odds, and if you're looking for a Batman story that constantly surprises, Telltale's two seasons will keep you on your toes.
DC Universe Online
The biggest DC live-service game to date, DC Universe Online has been around since 2011 and still going strong. The free-to-play MMORPG allows you to create your very own metahuman, rub shoulders with DC's greatest heroes, and take on some of the most diabolical supervillains around. If you're interested in trying the free-to-play game out, it's available on all last- and current-gen platforms right now.
Injustice: Gods Among Us
Hot off the success of Mortal Kombat 9, NetherRealm turned its attention to the DC Universe with Injustice: Gods Among Us, a fantastic fighting game with a terrific story focused on a dark corner of the multiverse. Set in a world where Superman had fallen to the dark side, Injustice mixed original storytelling with pulse-pounding action that authentically captured the look and feel of each DC character in its roster. A completely different beast when compared to NetherRealm's Mortal Kombat work or the Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe crossover, it still holds up pretty well today and it received a fantastic sequel a few years later.
The Flash
Based on the TV series of the same name--the 1990 one starring John Wesley Shipp, that is--The Flash hit the ground running on Sega's Master System back in 1991. In the shadow of Sonic the Hedgehog, The Flash changed gears by giving players a more puzzle-focused experience alongside high-velocity attacks and colorful boss battles. You'd need precise reflexes to master the platforming and speed of the Scarlet Speedster, but once everything gelled together, The Flash was a surprisingly fun adaptation of the short-lived TV series.
Superman: Shadow of Apokolips
Solo Superman video games are usually more hazardous to your health than a staring contest with Darkseid, but at least one game starring the Man of Steel proved to be surprisingly fun. Shadow of Apokolips was a power fantasy delight: a bright and vibrant adventure set in the world of Superman: The Animated Series when it flew in to save the day in 2002. The show's cast returned to voice their respective characters and the gameplay allowed you to wield Superman's Kryptonian powers as he faced off against thugs and supervillains.
Justice League: Heroes
There haven't been too many games starring the ensemble cast of the Justice League--and we're still trying to forget Blizzard's Justice League Task Force fighting game--but when the stars align, you get a fun experience like Justice League: Heroes. Essentially a DC riff on Marvel Ultimate Alliance, Justice League: Heroes pitted DC's main event players against some of the biggest threats in the multiverse. The game had an organic difficulty curve to keep you on your toes, its co-op campaign still holds up pretty well, and it gave lesser-known members of the Justice League a chance to shine.
Mortal Kombat Vs. DC Universe
Midway's final Mortal Kombat deserves more love, because this game was the prototype for the future of the franchise. Even if it did feel watered down when compared to the more brutal Mortal Kombat games of the past, Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe still established a formula for fisticuffs and storytelling while weaving in a pretty great multiversal adventure starring DC heavyweights alongside classic characters like Scorpion, Sub-Zero, and Sonya Blade. It had to pull some punches to stick to a less restrictive age rating, but this crossover paved the way for games like Injustice and future Mortal Kombat sequels.
Disclosure: GameSpot and Fanatical are both owned by Fandom.
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