'Arkham Knight' soars above

In Rocksteady's final take on the Caped Crusader, "Batman: Arkham Knight" ($59.99, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC), the developer has again expanded its virtual Gotham, injected a playable Batmobile and raised the stakes for billionaire superhero Bruce Wayne. The mind-bending baddie Scarecrow has returned to threaten Gotham. And there's a masked Batman look-alike calling himself the Arkham Knight, who has a vendetta against Batman. "Arkham Knight" is at its best when Batman must systematically alternate among solving crimes, zipping around and punching thugs. Batman's more interconnected missions make for a richer experience overall. It's evident when charging through Gotham in the Batmobile and soaring through the air in the Batsuit that Rocksteady has been building to this moment. "Arkham Knight" is an epic and satisfying conclusion to a groundbreaking series that proved that a pop-culture icon could be thrillingly brought to life in a virtual world.

DERRIK J. LANG, Associated Press