The Top 10 Best Video Games Based On Comics

Updated on January 30, 2024
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Video game culture and comic books have for many years shared a mutual audience, and so from the very inception of video gaming, there have been video games based on comic books.

Proof of this symbiotic relationship can be found all over internet culture, from Reddit to the Penny Arcade comic books.

Of course, the most popular comic books lead to the most investment in video game adaptation of the source material, meaning many of the comic books adapted into video games are Marvel Comics or DC characters and creations.

That being said, there are multiple other more surprising comic book characters and stories that have become amazing video game adaptations. Here are our top 10 picks for the best video games based on a comic series.

Batman: Arkham City

  • Released: 2011
  • Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Wii U, PC

Developed by Rocksteady Studios and WB Games Montréal, Batman: Arkham City is of course a Batman game in the Arkham series, the sequel to Batman: Arkham Asylum.

Although the entire series of Batman games are certainly contenders for this list, this particular video game based on the Dark Knight graphic novels is one of the best fighting games ever made.

In the Batman: Arkham City video game the player is brought to the massive game world of Arkham City, playing as the caped crusader himself. With an engaging main story and a host of side missions, the player can slowly unlock new areas of the map as they progress, defeating the many enemies in the Gotham City underworld. If you want to see your favourite caped crusader in other games, check out our article on the top DC skins in Fortnite!

The game brings awesome combat mechanics of course, but that is not the tool in Batman's arsenal. Equipped with a host of gadgets and stealth abilities, the Batman: Arkham video games are as much about detective skills and infiltration as they are about fighting.

Use your IQ to place traps and trick henchmen, infiltrating lairs and taking down bad guys without even a punch, just like the comic book Batman would do. This game combines stealth and fighting with an atmospheric musical soundtrack and outstanding graphics for 2011.

Spider-Man PS4

  • Released: 2018
  • Platforms: Playstation 4, PlayStation 5, PC

Developed by Insomniac Games and Sony, Spiderman was initially released exclusively on the PlayStation, where fans quickly released this Ultimate Spider-Man game was one of the best single-player games on PlayStation today.

Now also available on PC as of 2023, this Spiderman quickly rose to be one of the best Spider-Man games ever created, with its astounding graphics being just the first standout feature.

With its own original spider man narrative drawing inspiration from both the comic book superhero, and other Ultimate Spider-Man games, there is a huge game world for fans to explore, and a detailed story to be told.

Designed as an epic open-world, the player of course plays as Spider-Man with a third-person view, using a fully rotatable camera to accentuate the awesome graphics. Along with all the gadgets, dodges, and web attacks, the main draw of the game is of course the web swings.

Using the awesome fictionalized New York City game world, you can precisely attach your web slings to any of the many skyscrapers, using the controls to swing and control momentum as you play.

Injustice 2

  • Released: 2017
  • Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, Mobile (Android & IOS)

Based on comic books "Injustice: Gods Among Us" by DC and Tom Taylor, Injustice 2 brings to life the entire DC universe, using the alternate universe story of the comic books. Definitely, one of the best superhero games full stop, Injustice 2 combines the world of DC with the mechanics and playstyle of fighting games like Mortal Kombat.

Injustice 2 continues the story from the first game based on comic books mentioned above, with Batman fighting off both Superman's Regime and other dangerous threats to the world. All this with modern graphics, an excellent music score, and an engaging progression system.

Each fight in the story will give the player upgrades that they can use on their characters, creating a strong and steady power crawl throughout the game. This makes the progression of stronger enemies feel natural, as the player's own characters become more powerful as the game progresses.

Along with the basic combat mechanics of dodges, parries, fast, powerful, and special attacks, Injustice 2 also allows the player to use the environment to their advantage, being able to use the environment in combat, as well as using stage transitions to spruce up gameplay.

At the end of the game (Spoilers), the player can effectively choose their own ending, being able to pick the side they believe in when Batman and Superman have their final boss battle. This adds a nice touch of freedom and allows the player to replay the game for a different ending.

The Wolf Among Us

  • Released: 2013
  • Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC, Mobile (Android & IOS)

Based on the comic books of Fables by Bill Willingham, 20 years prior to the events of the main story, The Wolf Among Us brings Telltale Games' signature art style and choice-and-consequence gameplay to a magical and mystical land.

A video game where each and every choice you make can impact the story of the game you're playing, The Wolf Among Us sees you play as Bigby Wolf (once the Big Bad Wolf), the Sherriff of Fabletown investigating murders in the mystical community.

With the game split into 5 episodes, it is the perfect hook to introduce to the Fables comic books. A world with a mature take on the many fairy tales, folklore, and other myths we all know and love, The Wolf Among Us will present the player with many difficult choices.

What makes this game stand out from previous Telltale Games titles is the timing mechanic. Telltale has always been known for its "butterfly" effect, but the Wolf Among Us adds timing as an important factor.

Now, it is not just the decisions you make, but how quickly you make them that determines the story and character relationships. Take too long to answer? A character may start to distrust you.

With an awesome story, great visuals, and a unique take on the Fables comic series, The Wolf Among Us is definitely one of the best comic book games ever created.

Deadpool

  • Released: 2013
  • Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC

Released long before the now popular Deadpool movies, the Deadpool game based on comic books by Marvel comics is easily one of the best comic book games ever made. For many casual fans in 2013, this game would be there introduction to the "Merc with a mouth", and what an introduction indeed.

Created by High Moon Studios and Mercenary Technology, this comic book game is an action-adventure game in the third person, combining fun hack and slash mechanics with a suitably witty and fun storyline that is right at home with a Deadpool story.

Always breaking the fourth wall in the original comic books, the story starts off much the same, with Deadpool pitching the very game you are playing to High Moon Studios, only for it to be rejected, causing him to ravage their studios until they accept his pitch.

This is just one of the many fun and light-hearted storylines running throughout the game, as Deadpool must fight his way through hordes of enemies and many famous characters of the MCU. If you're looking for a funny and enjoyable action shooter, Deadpool is definitely the game for you.

Lego Marvel Super Heroes

  • Released: 2013
  • Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 3, Playstation Vita, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC, Wii U, Nintendo DS

A video game based in the Marvel comics universe, Lego Marvel Super Heroes is the ultimate experience for Marvel comic book fans. As with any of the infamous Lego games, this game allows you to play as many different characters in the Marvel Universe, from Iron Man to the Incredible Hulk.

The game's main villains are Doctor Doom and Loki, who recruit a whole host of other famous Marvel comics villains for the player to take down. Lego Marvel Super Heroes is a game perfect for all ages, combining the Marvel Universe with Lego to give an action-adventure game filled with fun and intricate puzzles, witty moments, and all the fun that comes with Lego games.

In total there are 180 playable characters in the game, many with their own unique abilities. There are also many Easter eggs hidden throughout the game, such as the inclusion of Stan Lee as an unlockable character.

This game is perfect for fans of Marvel comics to live out their fantasy world, whether it be swinging around New York as the amazing spiderman, or unleashing ultimate destruction as the Incredible Hulk.

Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World

  • Released: 2010
  • Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC

A game developed and published by Ubisoft studios, this game is based on comic books of the same name by Bryan Lee O'Malley, and was designed to tie in to the movie release on the same year.

Only really loosely based on the comic book series, the Scott Pilgrim Vs the World game can be played both single-player or multiplayer as a team, seeing the four starting characters of Scott Pilgrim, Ramona Flowers, Kim Pine and Stephen Stills facing Ramona's seven exes.

Definitely, one of the best side-crawling brawler/beat'em up games released in the last decade, Scott Pilgrim ensures each character has a completely unique moveset, keeping the game fresh and interesting on each playthrough.

Each of these individual movesets can be expanded on and improved through levelling up the characters as you play, helping you defeat each level and each ex as they increase in difficulty.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Manhattan Missions

  • Released: 1991
  • Platforms: DOS (PC)

It would be a crime to leave out one of the earliest great games based on a comic book. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Manhattan Missions is a fairly simple platformer in which the TMNT must face a series of levels, searching for their arch-nemesis The Shredder.

Notable for its more mature tone compared to other comic book games at the time, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Manhattan Missions is a basic yet endearingly fun game, using RPG mechanics and team-based strategy to help the player defeat their enemies.

Each turtle has their own unique weapon, just like in the comics and animated series, and each will take different amounts of damage on each level. It is the players' job to play through at the right speed, knowing when to attack and when to rest, all under the pressure of a timer.

Telltale Games' The Walking Dead

  • Released: 2012
  • Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC

The game that put Telltale Games on the gaming map, and brought the horrifying world of The Walking Dead to the gaming industry, The Walking Dead game is a gaming classic.

Technically an episodic adventure game, it is the unique butterfly effect system, also known as the actions-and-consequences system, that makes this game stand out. In the game, you play mostly as convicted criminal Lee Everett, who must make his own way and care for a child he finds when the zombie apocalypse hits Georgia.

As you make your way to safety, you'll encounter a whole host of survivors, brigands, and other characters out to help or to hurt you, and it's not always clear which. Throughout the game, the player is presented with tough choices, and the decisions you make will affect the story.

With an appropriately terrifying and sombre music score (make sure to read our article on the best music in gaming), a gripping story, and extremely high stakes with every decision you make, many gamers have fond memories of this game.

inFAMOUS

  • Released: 2009
  • Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3

Created by Sucker Punch Productions, a process which is explored in a documentary on the game's creation by 2 Player Productions, inFAMOUS is an open-world action-adventure game, based on comic books of the same name.

In inFAMOUS you play as Cole MacGrath, a man on a mission to prevent evil time travellers from taking over his city. Due to an accidental explosion, Cole has gained superhuman powers which can be used in combat against enemies.

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The game masterfully combines parkour mechanics for the player to explore the city with interesting and engaging combat systems, aided greatly by Cole's electricity powers. With a cool story, very good graphics for 2009, and a massive open world for the player to explore, this game is a comic book classic.

And that's our top 10 picks for the best games based on comics! Make sure to test some of them out and see what games suit you the most, whether it's playing as a Lego Incredible Hulk or avoiding and killing zombies.

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