Augmented Reality or AR Challenges are designed to let you train in stealth, hand-to-hand, and vehicular combat in Batman: Arkham Knight. They replace the Challenge Mode of previous Arkham Games with the same objective of achieving all 3 stars. There is one main difference though. The Arkham Knight Challenges are some of the hardest and most frustrating mission activities to do in the entire game.
Hence, we strongly recommend unlocking the best gadget upgrades before starting. You also need to max out your 60mm Cannon upgrades for the Batmobile, as well as get its Dodge Thruster Boost and Armor Level 4 upgrades. Some of the Batmobile challenges are nearly impossible to ace without the right upgrades.
Something else important to know is that you get a free WayneTech Point by earning 3 stars for the first time in an AR Challenge. Give the following guide a good read because it can help you farm a good amount of Upgrade Points in the game.
Tutorial AR Challenges
Fear Multi-Takedown
How to unlock: Available from the start
In Arkham Knight, Batman can perform multiple stealth takedowns from behind by chaining them together thanks to the Tri-Weave liquid titanium armor of Batsuit V8.03. This AR Challenge will help you get familiar with that.
Fear takedowns are performed by the Strike button after sneaking up on a group of enemies unaware of Batman’s presence. In the challenge itself, there are four trios of enemies that need to be taken out by Fear Takedowns.
The first trio is fairly simple, standing in a semi-circle. The second and third trios need to be approached by using grates and crawlspaces. You will need to start the takedown from within the crawlspace/grate and then chain them together.
The fourth trio is up a ladder on a catwalk, and a little more spread out. Approach the ladder, wait for the foe to come near, then take him out. Immediately afterward, look to the right and attempt to take down the next foe, followed by the last one.
Grapnel Boost Mk 2
How to unlock: Available from the start
It’s time to fly! This AR challenge will go over the real use and function of the aerodynamic design of the Batsuit in Batman: Arkham Knight. You will need to Grapnel Boost off a smokestack to spot a few Bat signals in midair.
The point of these is to give you a glide path – basically, you have to fly through them. Flying with this new suit involves diving down like a hawk to gain momentum, then spreading the wings to gain lift. Use this mechanism to fly through the Bat signals.
Predator Fundamentals
How to unlock: Available from the start
This is routine stuff for anyone who has played an Arkham game. Predator fundamentals will just get you familiar with the predator basics, and you’ll need to take out three guards in an area while avoiding being spotted.
The Detective mode like always is ever-useful.
Summon, Eject, and Glide
How to unlock: Available from the start
This AR Challenge demonstrates the new mechanic that allows synergy between the Batsuit and the Batmobile. Head to the designated area and call the Batmobile, then dive downwards. If you time it correctly (not that difficult), you’ll land straight into the vehicle.
Once in control, accelerate to the bat sign, once near it, press the Run button repeatedly to eject yourself into the air. Hold the Glide button to gain low-altitude flight, and continue through the bat signs till the very end.
Throw Counter
How to unlock: Available from the start
Another AR Challenge that you will acquire after getting a new Batsuit early on in the game is the Throw Counter.
To complete this challenge, you will simply need to perform Throw Counters. These are done by pressing forward in the direction of a foe that is about to attack you, then pressing the Counter button. This will result in Batman throwing the foe forcefully aside.
Weapon Energy Diagnostics
How to unlock: Available from the start
This is one of the earliest AR Challenges you’ll encounter, shortly after deploying the Batmobile for the first time. The purpose of this AR challenge is to teach you how to activate the Secondary Weapon. This is done by destroying enemy drone tanks and dodging their incoming attacks.
This will build up your Secondary Weapon energy. Once it is full, you’ll be able to use the Secondary Weapon missile by locking on and firing using the Square/X button. This can be taken one step further by charging the Missile Barrage (Secondary Weapon) up to level 2, which can take out multiple enemies at once.
You will need to tap the prompted button repeatedly to lock on and fire at multiple enemies in quick succession.
Combat AR Challenges
Azrael’s Atonement
How to unlock: Finish the Heir to the Cowl Most Wanted mission.
| Stars | Requirement |
|---|---|
| 3 Stars | 30,000 Points |
| 2 Stars | 15,000 Points |
| 1 Star | 7,500 Points |
This AR Challenge is only available after completing the side quest “Heir to the Cowl”. In this challenge, you will play as Azrael, and he pretty much has the same move set and skills as the Dark Knight.
The objective of this challenge is not to get hit, which means Dodging and Countering are extremely important. You’ll start against ten militia fighters at once, which can be easily countered.
After a few waves of those enemies, you’ll encounter the warriors with riot shields, followed by foes with electric rods.
The key to this challenge is to build up huge Combos to give yourself momentum and constantly keep the foes on the back foot, especially after you have managed to get the riot shield and electric rod wielders dispossessed.
Avoiding getting hit in such a situation is difficult, but if you’re an experienced Arkham player you should get through it.
Combo Master
How to unlock: Run, then dive straight off a roof
| Stars | Requirement |
|---|---|
| 3 Stars | Reach a 50x Combo |
| 2 Stars | Reach a 25x Combo |
| 1 Star | Reach a 10x Combo |
Now begins the fun part. This AR challenge will include a regular rooftop brawl against a set of enemies. You need to chain combos together to earn yourself a certain number of stars.
Combos are changed by successive successful attacks that are uninterrupted. This means that a combo ends when an attack fails (misses or is simply blocked), when you manage to take a hit from an enemy, or when you take too long between attacks.
Chain up combos in this by avoiding being hit. Keep it simple for this challenge and try a mix of basic attacks and counters instead of anything flashy.
Gotham Knights
How to unlock: Use three Quickfire Gadgets in a Free Flow Combo after meeting with Nightwing in the campaign.
| Stars | Requirement |
|---|---|
| 3 Stars | 20,000 Points |
| 2 Stars | 10,000 Points |
| 1 Star | 5,000 Points |
You will need to progress in Chapter 5 and use 3 Gadgets in a fight to unlock this mission. The fight is carried out in a tag-team style combat with Batman and Nightwing. You can tag between the two with the L1/LB button, which can be done mid-combo.
Like Tower Defense, this one is all about points, and the way to accumulate a large number of points is similar. You’ll have a starting wave of standard fighters, but eventually, riot shield wielders will enter, finally followed by a Brute.
The good thing is that Nightwing has his own move set, along with a few unique combos that he can make use of greatly. Combine that with Batman’s gadgets and rack up large Combos to constantly have the upper hand.
Tower Defense
How to unlock: Pick up a downed enemy and follow up with a Beatdown
| Stars | Requirement |
|---|---|
| 3 Stars | 16,000 Points |
| 2 Stars | 8,000 Points |
| 1 Star | 4,000 Points |
This combat challenge is unlocked after Chapter 3 once you manage to pick up a floored foe and manage a Critical Beatdown. The challenge on paper is simple, but you’ll be overwhelmed fairly early on with half a dozen foes – some wielding bats and pipes.
The objective is to clear the wave of enemies and maximize your score. The score is acquired by defeating an enemy, chaining Combos, avoiding hits, countering, throw-counters, critical strikes, etc.
After taking out the first set of enemies, a Brute will show up along with blade-wielding henchmen, you’ll need to take them out as well.
Predator AR Challenges
Revive and Shine
How to unlock: Use Fear Takedown to deal with three enemies
| Stars | Requirement |
|---|---|
| 3 Stars | Complete all three objectives. |
| 2 Stars | Complete two of three objectives. |
| 1 Star | Complete one of the three objectives. |
This AR Challenge in Batman: Arkham Knight is available after you perform a Fear Multi-Takedown after Chapter 3. You will be given three objectives that you need to complete to get the medals.
- Take no damage during the challenge
- Take out the militia Medic last
- Perform two separate Fear Multi-Takedowns
The area is the support for the monorail, with various catwalks on different levels. You will need to use your predator skills to maintain stealth (the best way to take no damage). The real issue though is the Medic, who keeps on reviving anyone you take down.
Because of him and the required objective, you will need to use the Voice Synthesizer for this mission to lure enemies into a single cluster, and then perform two Fear Multi-Takedowns through this method.
However, make sure you perform these takedowns as far away from the Medic as possible so he has no chance to revive anyone between the Takedowns.
Smash and Grab
How to unlock: Start the ‘Two-Faced Bandit’ Most Wanted side-mission.
| Stars | Requirement |
|---|---|
| 3 Stars | Complete in 1:15. |
| 2 Stars | Complete in 2:00. |
| 1 Star | Complete in 3:00. |
This AR Challenge is available after you have stopped a robbery as part of the Two-Faced Bandit side quest in Batman: Arkham Knight. Just like the Most Wanted mission, this AR challenge will have you attempting to stop a heist. The success of the mission depends on how quickly you manage to dispatch all the foes.
There will be 20 of Two-Face’s goons in the bank attempting to carry out a robbery. You need to take out 10 of them to call their mission off. Note that even after you take one down, he will be replaced with another one quickly.
Use the familiar Predator techniques after carefully observing the environment. How quickly you manage to carry out the mission depends on your mastery of the Predator mode.
Terminal Velocity
How to unlock: Perform an Environment Takedown on a brute enemy.
| Stars | Requirement |
|---|---|
| 3 Stars | Complete all three objectives. |
| 2 Stars | Complete two of three objectives. |
| 1 Star | Complete one of the three objectives. |
In this AR Challenge, you will have to complete three objectives to gain the best score. This challenge is available after Chapter 5 if you have managed to eliminate a Brute or Minigunner with an Environmental Takedown.
The area is Grand Avenue Station, and it’s a pretty complex place with several sentries, a Minigunner, and a sentry gun as well.
The objectives are:
- Use a Remote Hacking Device Takedown point to K.O. a militia thug
- Perform a Fear Takedown through a weak wooden wall
- Take out the militia Minigunner with an Environment Takedown
There is also a sentry who holds Detective Mode monitor, and he is in an area that should make it very easy to complete the second objective. This is also the first objective you should be completing so that you can take your time to spot Portable Generators to take out from the Remote Hacking Device.
The Minigunner is the real challenge here, as you need to perform an Environment Takedown. It is recommended to clear the area entirely and only then go after the Minigunner. Using the Voice Synthesizer is an effective way to lure him wherever you want.
Under the Pale Moonlight
How to unlock: Lure an enemy into a trap with Voice Synthesizer after Chapter 7
| Stars | Requirement |
|---|---|
| 3 Stars | Complete all three objectives. |
| 2 Stars | Complete two of three objectives. |
| 1 Star | Complete one of the three objectives. |
This AR Challenge is unlocked in Chapter 7 by using the Voice Synthesizer to lure an enemy into a Takedown.
In this mission, you will have the following objectives:
- Perform an x4 Fear Multi-Takedown
- Use the Voice Synthesizer to K.O. a target at a weak wall primed with Explosive Gel
- Take out the Boa drone controller last
The AR Challenge takes place in the Panessa Film Studios, which is filled with advanced armed militia that need to be cleared out. The real challenge comes from the Optic Deflection armor worn by some of the troops, which makes them undetectable in Detective Mode.
There is also a Boa Drone controller, which needs to be taken out last. The best way to sabotage the drone operator but if you do not have the required upgrade, stay out of the Drone’s line of sight is to be on the rooftop. However, keep an eye on its location constantly and always try to avoid revealing yourself.
The area is filled with weak walls and opportunities for Fear Takedowns, so Spray some Explosive Gel on one of the weak walls. Use the Voice Synthesizer and select one of the enemies to make him inspect the wall. Once the enemy is within the blast radius, detonate the gel to take him out.
You need to have upgraded the Fear Multi Takedown to at least X4 and perform on a group of at least 4 enemies to complete all the objectives.
Batmobile Race AR Challenges
City Heat TT
How to unlock: Use three different gadgets during one glide attack.
| Stars | Requirement |
|---|---|
| 3 Stars | Complete in 1:05. |
| 2 Stars | Complete in 1:15. |
| 1 Star | Complete in 1:25. |
This time trial is set on Miagani Island and is almost purely about speed. The roads are a lot straighter and it is one of the easiest AR time trial challenges, as long as you stay on course and pick up the hourglasses as often as possible.
Condamned
How to unlock: Complete the ‘Condamned’ stage of the ‘Riddler’s Revenge’ Most Wanted mission.
| Stars | Requirement |
|---|---|
| 3 Stars | Complete in 1:00. |
| 2 Stars | Complete in 1:15. |
| 1 Star | Complete in 1:30. |
If you thought the Crushonator was a difficult Batmobile AR challenge, wait till you get a taste of the Condamned in Batman: Arkham Knight.
This is once again a Riddle-based time trial. You’ll need to complete the seventh Riddler cave in the Riddler’s Revenge Most Wanted mission in Batman: Arkham Knight to unlock this challenge.
This time around it is Riddler who is in total control of the environmental insanity, meaning he’ll bring up spikes, blockages, and all sorts of stuff to prevent you from having an easy time.
You’ll also have instances where the track transitions into completely vertical banks, but Wayne’s fantastic engineering ensures the downforce of the Batmobile is enough to keep it stable even at near-impossible angles.
The key to this time trial is to be constantly on the pedal, avoiding everything you can and afterburning through the green blocks and spike traps. Good luck!
Mental Blocked
How to unlock: Complete the Mental Blocked challenge of the Riddler’s Revenge Most Wanted mission.
| Stars | Requirement |
|---|---|
| 3 Stars | Complete in 0:42. |
| 2 Stars | Complete in 0:48. |
| 1 Star | Complete in 1:00. |
This is the first Riddler-based AR Challenge you unlock, after completing the first Riddler challenge in the Riddler’s Revenge side mission.
This time trial is what will teach you how to switch between red and white blocks, but the only main difference is that instead of blocking the path, these blocks will also form the floor. This means that you’ll need to be extra careful, or else you’ll end up pulling off the turf right underneath you. This is essentially the unofficial 4th lap of the Mental Blocked race track from Riddler’s Revenge with added difficulty.
Midnight Fury TT
How to unlock: Glide 300 meters after ejecting from the Batmobile.
| Stars | Requirement |
|---|---|
| 3 Stars | Complete in 1:45. |
| 2 Stars | Complete in 2:00. |
| 1 Star | Complete in 2:15. |
You’re headed to Bleake Island in your Batmobile for this Challenge, which is unlocked during Chapter 3, once you eject successfully from your Batmobile and glide over 300 meters.
The Batmobile racing challenges are rather simple because they involve timed races. You will simply have to drive through the Bat signals. While on the way though, you’ll encounter several hour-glass type pickups. These will reduce 3 seconds from your time, so make sure to pick them up to get the maximum number of stars.
It is important to maximize the use of the Afterburner at the right times, such as jumps and inclines to finish the lap as fast as possible.
The Crushonator
How to unlock: Complete the ‘The Crushonator’ stage of the ‘Riddler’s Revenge’ Most Wanted mission.
| Stars | Requirement |
|---|---|
| 3 Stars | Complete in 1:00. |
| 2 Stars | Complete in 1:10. |
| 1 Star | Complete in 1:20. |
This high-octane, fun, and intense challenge is tied to the Riddler side quests. You’ll need to complete the fourth Riddler cave during the “Riddler’s Revenge” side mission to unlock it.
The objective is pretty much the same: time trial. However, this time you’re in Riddler’s infamous high-pressure course, and there are plenty of blockages that you have to deal with. Also, you earn a time bonus by drifting along corners now instead of simply grabbing hourglass pickups.
The path here is marked on the walls with arrows, and blocks line the track and block it in various places. You will be the one controlling whether white or red blocks are active at a given time to make sure which blocks are withdrawn and which are extended when you are going through the course.
There are also places where green blocks smash in place repeatedly. If you are in a green spot when it is coming down, your Batmobile will be smashed. Just race these areas with good Afterburner timing to avoid the blocks and get a good time.
Batmobile Combat AR Challenges
Natural Selection
How to unlock: Unlocks automatically after Chapter 3.
| Stars | Requirement |
|---|---|
| 3 Stars | 10,000 Points |
| 2 Stars | 5,000 Points |
| 1 Star | 2,500 Points |
This AR Challenge is pretty much the same thing as One-Man Army, except that it pits you against stronger tanks such as Diamondbacks, Mambas, and advanced Rattlers. It is unlocked after completing Chapter 3.
You’ll be facing off against powerful drones in the Botanical Gardens, and the objective is to rack up as many points as possible. You should have an upgraded Batmobile for this one if you want to get a three-star ranking.
One Man Army
How to unlock: Use the Batmobile Afterburner to leap 50 meters or more.
| Stars | Requirement |
|---|---|
| 3 Stars | 8,000 Points |
| 2 Stars | 4,000 Points |
| 1 Star | 2,000 Points |
This AR Challenge is unlocked during Chapter 1 after Lucius activates the Afterburner on the Batmobile. You will have to perform a jump over 50 meters with the Batmobile to unlock the challenge.
This challenge will have you facing off against a set of Rattler drones, and the entire objective is to rack up as big a score as possible. Use your Dodge Thrusters to avoid incoming attacks, pile up your Secondary Weapon energy to the max, and release the missile barrage to get as much score as possible.
There’s no real complexity involved as long as you keep your tank Combo up (which also increases the point accumulation) and keep on destroying drones.
Slumdog Billionaire
How to unlock: Unlocks after starting the ‘Campaign for Disarmament’ Most Wanted side-mission.
| Stars | Requirement |
|---|---|
| 3 Stars | 24,000 Points |
| 2 Stars | 16,000 Points |
| 1 Star | 8,000 Points |
The clever reference to the Academy Award-winning Slumdog Millionaire exists because you’ll be battling against a set of drones in Old Gotham. To unlock this, you’ll need to progress in the Most Wanted part of Campaign for Disarmament.
Like One Man Army and Natural Selection, your objective is to take out a large set of tanks and avoid taking too much damage to rack up a high score. You’ll have airborne Dragon drones to contend with as well this time around, but if you have the Vulcan Gun and lots of upgrades for your Batmobile (which you should by this time), you should have no problem whatsoever.
Untouchable
How to unlock: Perform three critical shots in one Drone Tank battle.
| Stars | Requirement |
|---|---|
| 3 Stars | Survive for 6 minutes |
| 2 Stars | Survive for 3 minutes |
| 1 Star | Survive for 1 minute |
This AR Challenge is unlocked during Chapter 3 of the Batman: Arkham Knight campaign after you perform 3 Critical Shots in one tank battle.
The goal of this Batmobile Combat AR challenge is to survive in an increasingly tough battle against drone tanks for as long as possible. Eventually, your Batmobile will have almost no health left whatsoever, and you have to survive until its inevitable destruction. Yes, that means avoiding getting hit for as long as possible. Initially, you’ll start against a very basic set of drones that you will need to take care of with your turret.
Use your Dodge Thrusters to avoid attacks and simply take out the drones. However, make sure you are saving up your Missile Barrage for the later part. After clearing out the first few waves, the real enemies are going to start to come up, and that is when you’ll need a fully energized set of Missile Barrages.
Having the upgrade for the Dodge Thrusters will help a lot, as will any upgrade to the Missile Barrages.
Batmobile Hybrid AR Challenges
Big Game Hunter
How to unlock: Unleash a level four Missile Barrage attack in a Tank battle during Chapter 7.
| Stars | Requirement |
|---|---|
| 3 Stars | Destroy 6 Cobras in 2:30. |
| 2 Stars | Destroy 6 Cobras in 3:45. |
| 1 Star | Destroy 6 Cobras in 5:00. |
This AR Challenge will pit you against the powerful elite Cobra tanks in Batman: Arkham Knight. They can decimate the Batmobile if they lock on to you. The challenge is unlocked during Chapter 7 of the Batman: Arkham Knight campaign, after unleashing any Batmobile Secondary Weapon powered up to level 4.
The key to this Batmobile challenge is stealth. Just like in David and Goliath, the Cobra vehicles have scanners upfront, which means annihilation for the Batmobile if spotted. However, their rear side is blind, which allows you to sneak up on them and take them down from the back.
For this reason, stealth becomes a necessity in this challenge. You will also have to be extra speedy and cautious after taking out a Cobra unit, as backup drones will swarm that region immediately in an attempt to hunt you down.
David and the Goliath
How to unlock: Perform 3 Throw Counters in one FreeFlow Combo during Chapter 5.
| Stars | Requirement |
|---|---|
| 3 Stars | Destroy 6 Cobras in 2:30. |
| 2 Stars | Destroy 6 Cobras in 3:45. |
| 1 Star | Destroy 6 Cobras in 5:00. |
The goal of this AR challenge is to take out 6 Cobra drones as fast as you can but we do not recommend rushing in haphazardly as getting hit by a Cobra will also incur a +10 second penalty. Now what you need to do is sneak up behind an isolated Cobra unit and hit it with a critical shot to take it out without getting spotted by other Cobras in the area. Note that each Cobra you destroy will be replaced with 2 additional ones, so make sure you get out of the area as quickly as possible.
You can avoid getting detected by an enemy Cobra tank by keeping a lookout for the vision cones of the drones on your mini-map and staying out of their field of view.
Drone Zone
How to unlock: Call the Batmobile and land in it from a Glide during chapter 5
| Stars | Requirement |
|---|---|
| 3 Stars | Complete in 3:00. |
| 2 Stars | Complete in 3:45. |
| 1 Star | Complete in 4:30. |
This is one of the trickier AR challenges in Batman: Arkham Knight which combines both the time trials and tank battles. You need to race through the green rings to reach your destination within a time limit whilst you are being interrupted by a few waves of drone battles.
Avoid getting hit by using the dodge thrusters as it will incur a +5 seconds time penalty for each time you take damage. Make frequent use of the Afterburner and drifting capabilities of the Batmobile to save up as much time as you can.
For the first 2 battles, an effective strategy is to use the enemy drones to charge up your missile barrage and save it for the final wave of much harder tanks. Then in the final wave simply unleash a level 4 barrage to immediately take out all the enemies.
Knight Time Strike
How to unlock: Perform 2 critical Shots in a row in a drone tank battle.
| Stars | Requirement |
|---|---|
| 3 Stars | Finish in 2:15. |
| 2 Stars | Finish in 2:45. |
| 1 Star | Finish in 3:30. |
This is a true hybrid of a time trial and a Batmobile combat challenge. You can unlock this by performing 2 Perfect Shots in a row in a drone tank battle.
You’ll have to race through several Bat signals like any time trial challenge you’ve done, except that in between you’ll have various tank battle encounters in which you will need to destroy a set of drones.
The first encounter will have you facing off against 4 Rattle Drones. Take them out (they should be simple enough provided you’ve been upgrading your Batmobile), but remember that you don’t get timed toward your result from these instances.
However, you will get penalized for getting hit. Each hit will add 5 seconds to your final time. Ouch. Avoid getting hit and continue the race after finishing the drones.
The second encounter is pretty much the same as the first, except that there are 5 Rattler Drones instead of four. Take care of them, but don’t use your Secondary Weapon charge just yet.
The final encounter involves 5 Rattlers flanked by two Diamondbacks. Unleash your Secondary Weapon on these guys while avoiding getting hit.
Road Rage
How to unlock: Perform a drift in the Batmobile for three seconds.
| Stars | Requirement |
|---|---|
| 3 Stars | Destroy 10 armored cars. |
| 2 Stars | Destroy 6 armored cars. |
| 1 Star | Destroy 3 armored cars. |
This Batmobile Hybrid AR challenge takes place on Bleake Island and need to take out as many drones as you can within 2 minutes. you’ll be taking down militia vehicles while racing against the clock. So, it’s best to prioritize charging up your secondary weapon systems and unleash a large missile barrage to take out several enemy tanks in one go.
Seek and Destroy
How to unlock: Perform 3 Vehicle Takedowns without using the Batmobile during Chapter 5.
| Stars | Requirement |
|---|---|
| 3 Stars | Destroy 12 armored cars. |
| 2 Stars | Destroy 8 armored cars. |
| 1 Star | Destroy 4 armored cars. |
This is one of the most difficult AR challenges in Batman: Arkham Knight and the Batmobile Hybrid AR challenge will have you chasing a large amount of militia across Founders’ Island in a limited time, and you’ll need to take them down to gain time on the clock. Note that, unlike drones, these are manned vehicles, so using stuff like the Immobilizer Gadget is important if you want to take them out.
Of course, it’s good to mix this up with some classic road rage action, which will also help in taking down vehicles. That should be your primary since mostly militia trucks will take two Immobilizer hits before shutting down, whereas the Batmobile’s strength and power allow you to KO a vehicle with a good thrust – that too without putting it out of control.
