Arkane Studios Games Ranked By Metascore

After the launch of Arkane Studios newest title, Deathloop, it seemed an appropriate time to look back at the studios release history. Although Arkane built a large portion of its current fanbase on the back of the Dishonored series, the studio was initially founded in 1999, 13 years before Dishonored’s release. After dabbling in various franchises over the last two decades, here is what led Arkane to become the studio we know today.

8: Wolfenstein: Cyberpilot (PC), Metascore - 54

Arkane’s lowest hitter is a part of the studio dual-foray into the Wolfenstein series. Cyberpilot released alongside Youngblood in 2019, meaning the pair are Arkane Studio’s most recent releases to date. As a virtual reality experience, the game is noted as being a dull, repetitive experience. It struggles to add value to the series, and it’s hindered by long hacking sequences and the addition of forced VR.

7: Wolfenstein: Youngblood (PC), Metascore - 69

A double strikeout for Arkane when it comes to the Wolfenstein series. Although fairing better with critics than Cyberpilot, Youngblood was criticised for missing the mark of what makes a true Wolfenstein game. The addition of a secondary character, which can be either AI controlled or by another player, meant that Youngblood felt like another gimmicked game being forced into the Wolfenstein franchise.

6: Dark Messiah of Might and Magic (PC), Metascore - 74

The second oldest title on this list, Arkane dipped its toes into the world of Might and Magic. Having been approached by Ubisoft to make the game, who had been impressed with the team's engine, Arkane took the offer after poor sales of its previous title made finding a publisher for a potential sequel difficult. Response was generally well received, albeit divided, with many American outlets being unimpressed whilst British and Australian games media enjoyed the title. Regardless, Dark Messiah of Might and Magic became yet another strong showing for the small French studio.

5: Arx Fatalis (PC), Metascore - 77

Arkane’s first gaming endeavour, Arx Fatalis, was released three years after the company's founding in 1999. Originally, the studio founder Raphaël Colantonio had wanted to release a second sequel to Ultima Underworld, but after EA rejected the offer to use the IP, Arkane instead set on creating a title inspired by the Ultima Underworld series. Struggles to find a publisher did mean Arx Fatalis would become a commercial failure, but the games critical success managed to earn the studio the attention of both Valve and Ubisoft. Arx Fatalis would see a second wind of fans after being bundled in with Dishonored as a pre-order bonus a decade after originally releasing.

4: Dishonored: Death of the Outsider (Xbox One), Metascore - 84

A standalone expansion for the Dishonored series, Death of the Outsider was released to high praise despite being the series’ weakest entry. Continuing to refine the gameplay seen in the two predecessors, the main criticism of Death of the Outsider was the games' less ambitious levels and narrative. Despite this, the game's ending is considered a good ending point for the franchise, should Arkane decline to revisit Dishonored in the future.

3: Prey (Xbox One), Metascore - 84

After a turbulent time for the franchise creatively, Prey was eventually resurrected by Arkane. Prey 2, which had been originally announced in 2006, had been moved from various studios before landing at Arkane’s feet. Opting to move away from the original plan, instead directing the game towards a more atmospheric setting proved a big hit for Arkane and Prey. Although it lacked the refined gameplay that the studio had become known for due to the Dishonored series, the setting of Prey made the game a memorable success. Often beating Death of the Outsider in many games of the year lists in 2017, Prey had proven itself as a flagship franchise for the studio.

2: Dishonored 2 (PlayStation 4, Xbox One), Metascore - 88

Coming four years after the original, Dishonored 2 was a hotly anticipated sequel. Although it wasn’t able to reach the high bar its predecessor had set, Dishonored 2 was still showered in critical acclaim. Moving away from the Unreal Engine used in the original, Arkane used a modified version of the iD Tech 6 engine provided by sister studio iD Software. This allowed for a complete overhaul of the franchise visuals. As well as visuals, the game's AI was reworked from scratch as the studio continued to focus on trying to improve on the original's standard. Despite just falling short, Dishonored 2 was still heavily praised, especially for the quality of the games stealth gameplay.

1: Dishonored (PC), Metascore - 91

An unsurprising but thoroughly deserved number one. Dishonored put Arkane Studios on the mainstream map after a couple of strong titles during the 2000s. After being lauded upon release, Arkane have been riding a wave of momentum and goodwill ever since. It became the biggest IP launch of 2012, beating out Sleeping Dogs and has allowed the company's continued growth that we’ve seen for the past decade. Dishonored had allowed player-choice to become a dominant theme throughout play, allowing for different playstyles, as well as different approaches to each of the game's objectives. The acclaim for Dishonored would ultimately catapult Arkane to be recognised as one of gaming’s most creative and esteemed studios over the years following its release.

Arkane have earned themselves a lot of faith since the release of Dishonored. Despite its most recent releases being underwhelming entries into the Wolfenstein series, there’s still a lot of excitement going into the launches of Deathloop, Redfall and beyond. Deathloop released earlier in September to critical acclaim, as Arkane looks to continue to solidify its name as one of the best studios in the world.