When the original Batman: Arkham Asylum released back in 2009, the game felt like a revelation. It distilled the core essence of Batman in a distinct gameplay form, while introducing plenty of new innovations in design to the gaming industry. As you probably already know, the free-flow combat system was one of the biggest.

To this day, we still see many games take this system for their own combat, often evolving it in subtle ways that never betray that foundation. Oftentimes, it can still feel quite derivative, though that doesn't mean they don't still introduce some new ideas of their own. And these games did it the best, even if they couldn't surpass Batman.

Sifu

A Dash Of Cinematic Flair Brings It To The Next Level

Sifu

4.0/5 Released February 8, 2022
Where to play Close

WHERE TO PLAY

SUBSCRIPTION
DIGITAL
PHYSICAL
ESRB M for Mature: Blood, Drug Reference, Strong Language, Violence Developer(s) Sloclap Publisher(s) Sloclap Engine Unreal Engine 4 Franchise Sifu Platform(s) Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S OpenCritic Rating Strong How Long To Beat 9 Hours PS Plus Availability N/A Metascore 81 Powered by Expand Collapse

Sifu took many inspirations from action movies, Hong Kong films chief among them. Oldboy also gets a very obvious homage. But Sifu's combat is itself a divergent path from that of Absolver, previously developed by SloClap, choosing to take that free-flowing combat and stretch it past duels, and into brawls.

In this sense, you can see where the Arkham combat system was its foundations. The way you can leap from enemy to enemy, the swiftness of counters, and the means in which the environment can be used to your advantage. Sifu hones in on these systems for something much more frantic than any Arkham game, but with the distinct feeling that you're never more than a mistake away from defeat.

Ghost Of Tsushima

In Both Stealth And Combat, With Some Flourishes Of Its Own

Ghost of Tsushima

3.0/5 Released July 17, 2020
Where to play Close

WHERE TO PLAY

SUBSCRIPTION
DIGITAL
PHYSICAL
ESRB M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language, Partial Nudity Developer(s) Sucker Punch Publisher(s) Sony Engine Proprietary Multiplayer Online Multiplayer Cross-Platform Play PC, PS4 & PS5 Cross Save yes Number of Players 2-4 Steam Deck Compatibility Unsupported Platform(s) PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 OpenCritic Rating Mighty How Long To Beat 25 Hours X|S Optimized no PS Plus Availability Extra & Premium Wiki

Fextralife Wiki

Metascore 83 Powered by Expand Collapse

Primarily, Ghost of Tsushima is lauded for its visuals. It doesn't matter that many of the armours and weapons depicted did not exist at this time, nor that much of the flora on the island of Tsushima are not endemic to it. It is gorgeous, and that applies to more than just the environment. The feel and look of combat is just as sumptious.

This combat system is not one that is immediately visible as being Arkham-inspired, though its base mechanics take more clear inspiration. The waiting for counters, the tools at your disposal, and the quick sliding between enemies. It's gets even more apparent when stealth is thrown into the mix, letting many of those same tools be used to your advantage.

Middle-Earth: Shadow Of War

Just Arkham Combat, But With Orcs

Middle-Earth: Shadow of War

Action RPG Systems Released October 10, 2017
Where to play Close

WHERE TO PLAY

SUBSCRIPTION
DIGITAL
PHYSICAL
ESRB M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence Developer(s) Monolith Publisher(s) Warner Bros. Games Engine lithtech Multiplayer Online Multiplayer, Local Multiplayer Franchise The Lord of the Rings Platform(s) PS4, Xbox One, PC OpenCritic Rating Strong How Long To Beat 21 Hours X|S Optimized No File Size Xbox Series 60 GB (November 2023) PS Plus Availability N/A Wiki

Fextralife Wiki

Powered by Expand Collapse

While the Batman: Arkham games may have been developed by Rocksteady, they were published by Warner Bros., who own the rights to everything in those games, the free-flow combat system included. And with such positive reception, it was inevitable that it would be used in many other games afterward.

Therein appears Middle-Earth: Shadow Of Mordor and its sequel, Shadow Of War. There's no hiding the fact that it is very much just the Arkham combat system, but now you have Orcs. Really though, there's basically nothing in the difference other than visuals, and a good chunk fewer tools to play around it. Nice ethereal bow, though.

Assassin's Creed Syndicate

Less Free Flow, More Curated Animations

blog.ubi.com

Assassin's Creed Syndicate

Action Adventure Systems Released October 23, 2015
Where to play Close

WHERE TO PLAY

SUBSCRIPTION
DIGITAL
PHYSICAL
ESRB M for Mature: Blood, Drug Reference, Strong Language, Violence Developer(s) Ubisoft Publisher(s) Ubisoft Engine anvilnext Franchise Assassin's Creed Platform(s) PS4, Xbox One, PC, Stadia, Amazon Luna OpenCritic Rating Strong How Long To Beat 1 9Hours How Long To Beat (Completionist Runs) 55 Hours PS Plus Availability Extra & Premium Powered by Expand Collapse

Following the release of the original Batman: Arkham Asylum, Assassin's Creed had already entered into its yearly release cycle. Even by 2010's Assassin's Creed Brotherhood, segments of the free-flow combat had been introduced with the combo meter and free-flowing executions in combat, and this style continued until Assassin's Creed Unity.

It wasn't until Assassin's Creed Syndicate, however, that the combat became more keenly Arkham-adjacent. Here, brawls were much bigger, and you were encouraged to flit between enemies to whittle them all down, eventually defeating them in quick succession. The games immediately shifted away from this combat afterwards with Origins.

Mad Max

A Splash of Arkham's Vehicular Combat, Too

Mad Max

Action-Adventure Open-World Systems Released September 1, 2015
Where to play Close

WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL
ESRB M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Use of Drugs Developer(s) Avalanche Studios Publisher(s) Warner Bros. Games Engine Apex Engine Franchise Mad Max Platform(s) PC, PS4, Xbox One OpenCritic Rating Fair How Long To Beat 20 Hours Metascore 73 Powered by Expand Collapse

Based on George Miller's hit film series, the Mad Max video game was also published by Warner Bros., and so used the Arkham combat once again. However, the game released in 2015, with only a few months between it and Batman: Arkham Knight. And what an interesting surprise then that both games ended up featuring a large amount of vehicular combat.

While the core melee combat of Mad Max felt overall lesser than the Arkham combat witnessed in Arkham Knight by all accounts, its vehicular combat felt more compelling, giving you more control over what your car could actually do, and felt like it didn't overshadow the better aspects of the game like the batmobile did in Arkham Knight.

Spider-Man

A Marvel Hero With A DC Hero's Skills

via: playstation.com

Marvel's Spider-Man

8.0/10 Released September 7, 2018
Where to play Close

WHERE TO PLAY

SUBSCRIPTION
DIGITAL
PHYSICAL
ESRB T For Teen Due To Blood, Drug Reference, Language, Mild Suggestive Themes, Violence Developer(s) Insomniac Games Publisher(s) Sony Engine Insomniac Engine v.4.0 Franchise Marvel's Spider-Man Platform(s) PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 OpenCritic Rating Mighty How Long To Beat 18 Hours PS Plus Availability Extra & Premium Metascore 87 Powered by Expand Collapse

Many games have used the Arkham combat system since its debut in 2009, though very few of them have been superhero games, and even fewer of them were from Marvel. So it's rather humorous that the next game to introduce the Arkham system with some of its own superhero flair was none other than Spider-Man.

The game is honestly the most obvious usage of the Arkham system outside of Warner Bros. own games, though it's also the first to realise the importance of tools and their multi-functional purposes. Plus the addition of aerial combat truly does add a literal new dimension to the whole game. The stealth, however, is nowhere near Arkham's level.

Sleeping Dogs

GTA Style And Arkham Combat In A Hong Kong Film

via kotaku

Sleeping Dogs

10.0/10 Released August 14, 2012
Where to play Close

WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL
PHYSICAL
ESRB M For Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Drugs Developer(s) United Front Games Publisher(s) Square Enix Engine Havok Platform(s) PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC Powered by Expand Collapse

There's not much out there quite like Sleeping Dogs. Often described as a Hong Kong GTA, it is so much more. Sleeping Dogs veers heavily in melee combat, with brutal street fights being the norm. You have so much flexibility in combat, but can also pick up any weapon you find in the middle of an encounter too, or even just use the environment to take down your enemies.

Where Sleeping Dogs evolves this combat system is in the introduction of guns. You can seamlessly jump from cover to cover, slide over the hood of a car, and just perform incredibly stylish acts with your firearms. Sleeping Dogs wants to feel grounded and brutal when it comes to melee, but it isn't afraid to let you live out the Hong Kong movie fantasy as soon as a gun lands in your hands.