Joining the first three Batman: Arkham games on SHIELD, Batman Arkham Knight is now available to stream on GeForce NOW for just $7.99. A GeForce NOW membership ($7.99/month and free for the first month) lets SHIELD TV owners instantly stream a library of great games directly to their device, while certain premium games are available to purchase separately including Batman: Arkham Knight. You’ll also get an additional digital key to download the game on PC when you buy it on GeForce NOW at no extra cost.
Powered by NVIDIA Pascal GPUs running in the cloud, Batman: Arkham Knight’s performance and visual quality is also superb on SHIELD.
Featuring high-end graphics, a fully realized world, and some of the finest video game voice acting you’ll ever experience, Batman Arkham Knight will fully immerse you in the gritty streets of Gotham. It’s a superb take on the Caped Crusader that’s definitely worthy of your time.
To get you ready for your Bat adventure, we put together a primer on the four main games in the series. We’ve included a synopsis of each game’s story along with some tidbits about the major gameplay elements you can expect. Whether you’re a long time fan or a newcomer, it’s the perfect way to get you started on your quest to bring justice to Gotham.
If you missed out on any of the previous spectacular games in the Arkham series, Batman: Arkham Asylum, Batman: Arkham City and Batman: Arkham Origins are all available to stream with a GeForce NOW membership at no additional cost.
The first game in the series serve as an incredible debut for Rocksteady and their vision of Batman. Offering detailed graphics, a beautiful art style, and a story written by revered Batman writer Paul Dini, it set a high bar not just for superhero games but action titles in general. In this explosive first installment, the Joker seizes control of Arkham Asylum, the institution where many of Batman’s most notorious foes are housed. The insane villain has hidden bombs containing a powerful chemical weapon all around Gotham and is threatening to detonate them. As Batman, you must use your brains and your brawns to navigate the mysterious halls of the Asylum, and find a way to bring the Joker down.
The real treat of Rocksteady’s debut Batman effort is the location itself. Arkham Asylum is depicted as a spooky, rundown place full of gothic architecture and hidden secrets. While the game’s main mission is incredibly compelling, there are plenty of side quests and Easter Eggs that will keep you busy. The incredibly intuitive combat system, the large inventory of gadgets, and the terrific depictions of fan favorites like the Joker and Bane make this a can’t miss title.
Highlight Moment: The Scarecrow level
The second installment of the Arkham series takes gamers beyond the walls of Arkham Asylum and into Gotham itself. There, they find that large swaths of the city have been taken over and turned into a new prison called Arkham City. The story centers on the devious Hugo Strange, a twisted doctor who serves as the prison’s warden, and his master plan codenamed ‘Protocol 10’. At the same time, Batman must deal with the Joker’s dying plot involving his own blood which has been poisoned by the Titan chemical from the first game.
Batman: Arkham City is a fantastic follow up to the original that offers SHIELD TV gamers an improved Batman experience. Rocksteady smartly brought back all of the elements that worked and integrated new refinements to make the game better. Everything has been bumped up a notch, including the graphics, the gameplay, and the story. The game world is five times the size; there are far more quests and missions to take on; and the number of characters Batman interacts with is also beefed up. It all makes for a worthy sequel that gives fans everything they could have hoped for and more.
Highlight moment: The opening sequence in which Bruce Wayne’s enters the chaotic Arkham City, beats up some people, and receives a care package from Alfred
This prequel takes gamers back to events that occurred before Batman: Arkham Asylum. It stars a less experienced Batman who draws the attention of the crime boss, Black Mask. A bounty is placed on the Caped Crusader’s head, and eight would-be assassins come to Gotham to claim the prize. Gotham’s resident troublemakers decide to use the chaos to kick start their own devious plots, creating more disasters that Batman must deal with head on.
WB Games Montreal took on development duties for Rocksteady on this title, but they showed they were worthy of assuming the mantle, delivering another standout experience that gave fans a fascinating glimpse into Batman’s early days as a crime fighter. Although it is a prequel, several improvements to the franchise formula were introduced, including the ability to use the Batwing to travel around the world and a refined combat system. An experience point system was also introduced, allowing players to upgrade Batman’s abilities to their liking.
Batman has a complex and rich backstory, and Batman: Arkham Origins was a great way for gamers to explore an early chapter of his career. The fact that it used the winning formula created by Rocksteady makes it that much more deserving of your attention.
Highlight moment: Batman’s first encounter with the Joker
We end with the latest addition to the GeForce NOW library, Batman: Arkham Knight. This spectacular title marks the return of Rocksteady as well as the continuation of the franchise’s main storyline. Set in the aftermath of Arkham City, Batman faces off against familiar faces like the Scarecrow while dealing with a mysterious new threat who calls himself the Arkham Knight.
The biggest change introduced in this amazing follow-up is the city of Gotham itself: the entire metropolis is now yours to explore, and Batman can freely move about without any restrictions. The Batmobile also plays a huge part in the game, letting you patrol the streets at ground level. The ‘Dual Play’ mechanic, which lets you tag in one of Batman’s allies during combat combos, is also a huge improvement, and gives your skirmishes a new twist that’s incredibly rewarding.
Also featuring more missions, new gadgets to play with, and a host of refinements, Batman: Arkham Knight represents the peak of the franchise. Rocksteady makes great use of their previous experience building the Arkham series to raise the bar for the franchise. It’s a great reward for gamers who have invested in the other titles, but it’s accessible enough that even newcomers will enjoy the ride.
Highlight moment: The moment when the Arkham Knight reveals his true identity!
Batman: Arkham Knight is available to purchase for unlimited streaming on SHIELD TV via GeForce NOW for a sale price of $7.99 (60% off its regular full price of $19.99). A membership to GeForce NOW is $7.99 a month with the first month free to try out.