Batman: Arkham Knight Game Review | Common Sense Media

Skip to main content

• For Parents
• For Educators
• Our Work and Impact

Language: English English Español (próximamente) - volver al inicio

• Movies
  • Movie Reviews and Lists
    • Movie Reviews
    • Best Movie Lists
    • Common Sense Selections for Movies
  • Marketing Campaign
    • 

      50 Modern Movies All Kids Should Watch Before They're 12

  • The Common Sense Seal
    • 

      Common Sense Selections for Movies

• TV
  • TV Reviews and Lists
    • TV Reviews
    • Best TV Lists
    • Common Sense Selections for TV
    • Video Reviews of TV Shows
  • Marketing Campaign
    • 

      Best Kids' Shows on Disney+

  • Marketing Campaign
    • 

      Best Kids' TV Shows on Netflix

• Books
  • Book Reviews and Lists
    • Book Reviews
    • Best Book Lists
    • Common Sense Selections for Books
  • Article About Books
    • 

      8 Tips for Getting Kids Hooked on Books

  • Marketing Campaign for Books
    • 

      50 Books All Kids Should Read Before They're 12

• Gaming
  • App Reviews and Lists
    • Fortnite
    • Minecraft
    • Roblox
    • All Game Reviews
• Social Media
  • Podcast Reviews and Lists
    • Social Media
    • Snapchat
    • Instagram
    • TikTok
• Parents' Guides
  • By Age & Stage
    • Preschoolers (2-4)
    • Little Kids (5-7)
    • Big Kids (7-9)
    • Tweens (10-12)
    • Teens (13-15)
  • By Topic
    • Digital Parenting Anxiety
    • First Phones
    • Social Media
    • Parental Controls
    • AI Companions
    • Generative AI
  • What's New
    • 

      Parents' Ultimate Guide: How to Set Parent Controls on Roblox

    • All Parents' Ultimate Guides
• Tips & FAQs
  • Column 1
    • Family Tech Planners
    • Digital Skills
    • All Articles
  • Column 2
    • 

      Carpool Conversations

  • Column 3
    • 

      Two Truths & AI

• Celebrating Community
  • Menu for Latino Content
    • Latino Culture
    • Black Voices
    • Asian Stories
    • Native Narratives
    • LGBTQ+ Pride
    • Jewish Experiences
    • Best of Diverse Representation List
  • FACE English Column 2
    • 

      Multicultural Books

  • FACE English Column 3
    • 

      YouTube Channels with Diverse Representations

  • FACE English Column 4
    • 

      Podcasts with Diverse Characters and Stories

• Donate

Parents' Guide to

Batman: Arkham Knight Game PlayStation 4 , Windows , Xbox One 2015

• Common Sense Says
• Parents Say 31 Reviews
• Kids Say 147 Reviews

Common Sense Media Review

By David Chapman , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 16+

Be the Caped Crusader in this epic end to the Arkham story.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Batman: Arkham Knight is the latest game in the Arkham franchise. It's a darker entry than previous games, including more graphic scenes of violence and torture. Combat is still the primary focus of the game, with lots of overwhelming close-up melee fighting. The addition of the Batmobile as a core…

Why Age 16+? Violence & Scariness

Doesn't shy away from depictions of violence. Opens with graphic cremation of a

Language

Liberal use of profanity, including "s--t," "bitch," "ass." Occasionally, these

Products & Purchases

Based on popular DC Comics superhero, no stranger to various types of merchandis

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Some female characters appear in suggestive outfits; criminals occasionally make

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Some characters reference drinking, drug use. Many characters are shown smoking.

Any Positive Content? Positive Role Models

Batman has a strong code of ethics, morals, including a no-killing policy. He's

Positive Messages

Good fighting evil, stopping criminal activity, helping those in need overshadow

Diverse Representations

Some sporadic diversity, with characters of different genders and races playing

Ease of Play

Thanks to expansion of combat system and new Batmobile controls, there's a highe

• Parents Need to Know

  Parents need to know that Batman: Arkham Knight is the latest game in the Arkham franchise. It's a darker entry than previous games, including more graphic scenes of violence and torture. Combat is still the primary focus of the game, with lots of overwhelming close-up melee fighting. The addition of the Batmobile as a core mechanic also introduces vehicular combat. The dialogue is gritty, and criminals make fairly regular use of profanity. Plenty of characters refer to drinking and drug use, and the Penguin in particular is frequently shown smoking a cigar. Criminals occasionally mention innuendo or sexual references, female characters are dressed in suggestive outfits, and the town's red-light district has signs advertising adult entertainment.

• Violence & Scariness

  a lot

  Doesn't shy away from depictions of violence. Opens with graphic cremation of a body. Scenes of torture, corpses found in investigations; cutscenes of characters getting shot, killed. This is in addition to constant flow of combat core to gameplay.

  Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

  Get started Close

• Language

  a lot

  Liberal use of profanity, including "s--t," "bitch," "ass." Occasionally, these words appear in main dialogue but are often repeated in ambient conversations between random criminals.

  Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

  Get started Close

• Products & Purchases

  a lot

  Based on popular DC Comics superhero, no stranger to various types of merchandise. Plus, Arkham game series has spawned its own merchandise line, including clothing, action figures, even replica props of the items from the games.

• Sex, Romance & Nudity

  some

  Some female characters appear in suggestive outfits; criminals occasionally make sexual references, innuendo. Red-light district in Gotham features neon signs advertising "Live Nude Girls" and "XXX."

  Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

  Get started Close

• Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

  some

  Some characters reference drinking, drug use. Many characters are shown smoking. The Penguin, in particular, is regularly depicted smoking a cigar in cutscenes.

  Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

  Get started Close

• Positive Role Models

  some

  Batman has a strong code of ethics, morals, including a no-killing policy. He's highly intelligent with exceptional deductive skills, a deep sense of family. That being said, Batman is still a violent character in a violent world.

• Positive Messages

  a little

  Good fighting evil, stopping criminal activity, helping those in need overshadowed by violence, combat core to the gameplay.

• Diverse Representations

  a little

  Some sporadic diversity, with characters of different genders and races playing different roles in the game. Female characters range between being strong allies (or in some cases, adversaries) or stereotypical damsels in distress.

  Did we miss something on diversity? Suggest an update .

• Ease of Play

  a little

  Thanks to expansion of combat system and new Batmobile controls, there's a higher learning curve, higher degree of difficulty than in previous games.

Where to Play

Videos and Photos

• Batman: Arkham KnightGame Review 1:17
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Batman: Arkham Knight

Parent and Kid Reviews

See all

• Parents Say (31)
• Kids Say (147)

age 12+

Based on 31 parent reviews

See all 31 parent reviews age 13+

Based on 147 kid reviews

Kids say the game is surprisingly suitable for younger audiences despite its M rating, with many reviewers believing it aligns more closely with a T rating due to minimal graphic violence and language. While the game does have dark themes and some disturbing sequences, reviewers suggest that a mature 11 or 12-year-old can handle its content, making it fun and engaging, particularly for fans of the superhero genre.

• suitable for teens
• minimal graphic violence
• dark themes present
• fun gameplay experience
• some disturbing content
• age rating debate

Summarized with AI

See all 147 kid reviews

What's It About?

BATMAN: ARKHAM KNIGHT is the fourth game in the series and the conclusion to the main Arkham story arc. In the story, the Scarecrow has threatened to release a new version of his fear toxin, forcing an evacuation of Gotham. This is part of a larger plan, as the various villains in Batman's Rogues Gallery have teamed up to take out the Dark Knight once and for all. In addition, a mysterious new antihero, the "Arkham Knight," has appeared to deliver his own brand of justice while plotting the downfall of Batman. New to the series is the Dark Knight's ability to take to the streets in the Batmobile, as well as occasional team-ups with various allies, including Nightwing, Robin, and Catwoman.

Show more

Is It Any Good?

Our review: Parents say (31 ): Kids say (147 ):

For fans of any or all the previous Arkham games, or any Batman fan for that matter, this chapter represents the pinnacle of the franchise. Batman: Arkham Knight is the first Batman game to carry a Mature rating from the ESRB, so younger sidekicks might want to be left in the Batcave this time around. The game is bigger, deeper, grittier, more detailed, and, on the whole, more engaging than any of the previous entries. Plus, the addition of the Batmobile to the game fulfills many fans' biggest wishes.

If there's one main criticism to be levied against Arkham Knight, it would be that the game is almost too big. With the new abilities and moves added to the combat system, as well as the extra layer of controls dedicated to driving and using the Batmobile, the controls aren't quite as instinctual. There's a steeper learning curve this time around, and until you get the hang of it, things simply don't feel as smooth as prior entries in the series. On the upside, once you get past that learning curve and start to really enjoy everything Arkham Knight has to offer, you're left with one simple thought: "I AM Batman!"

Show more

Talk to Your Kids About ...

• Families can talk about what defines a "superhero." What are the traits that make a hero stand out and that separate the heroes from the criminals they fight?

• How has the Batman character changed over the years? Discuss how changes in the audience and worldview have dictated changes in the character, from the cheesy '60s television version to the ultraviolent Dark Knight version to the current Arkham version.

• Talk about violence in entertainment. How is violence portrayed in comic books, and how does that violence carry over to other media like video games? Does the violence in printed artwork have any less of an impact on younger audiences than that of more animated portrayals in movies and games?

Show more

Game Details

• Platforms : PlayStation 4 , Windows , Xbox One
• Pricing structure : Paid
• Available online? : Not available online
• Publisher : Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
• Release date : June 23, 2015
• Genre : Action/Adventure
• Topics : Superheroes , Adventures
• ESRB rating : M for Blood, Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
• Last updated : October 9, 2025

Show more

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Batman: Arkham Knight

Suggest an Update

Your privacy is important to us. We won't share this comment without your permission. If you chose to provide an email address, it will only be used to contact you about your comment. See our privacy policy .

What to Play Next

See all

Superhero Games

See all

Comic Book Movies

See all recommended game lists

Related Topics

• Superheroes
• Adventures

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate