Here's a Complete List of 'Batman Arkham' Games in Order

• Metacritic Metascore: 74

Eight years before Batman was forced to save the residents of "Arkham Asylum" from the Joker and his army of lunatics, a younger and inexperienced "Dark Knight" endured the harshest Christmas Eve ever. With a bounty placed on his head by the infamous crime lord Black Mask. Batman is forced to fight for his life against the many villains looking to fulfill Black Mask's bounty (which include the Joker and Deathstroke), steer clear of the "Gotham City Police Department" (GCPD), and apprehend Black Mask. Batman: Arkham Origins may be treated like the black sheep of the Batman: Arkham series by its publisher Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, but it stands out as one of the finest franchise installments due to its memorable boss fights, intriguing storyline premise, and and incredible voice acting performances.

• Metacritic Metascore: N/A

The mobile spinoff version of Batman: Arkham Origins' console release existed at one point and was set up as a simple fighting game that centered on the same aforementioned plotline. Instead of freely exploring a snow-covered version of Gotham City, this now-defunct mobile game put players in one-on-one battles against random goons and some of Batman's more nefarious offenders. Swiping and tapping the screen activated brutal melee strikes and special abilities that utilize Batman's many gadgets. This game is unremarkable and nothing more than a curious footnote when you consider the totality of all the Batman Arkham games in order of their timeline importance.

• Metacritic Metascore: 61

Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate takes place three months after the life-changing events of Arkham Origins. What we have here is a more refined Batman who steps in to stop a prison riot at the "Blackgate Penitentiary." The three crime bosses who are responsible for throwing that Gotham City institution into disarray are the Joker, the Penguin, and Black Mask. What makes this game's story that much more interesting is how it marks the first-ever interactions between Batman and Catwoman in the Batman Arkham universe. Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate has been deemed by fans as the "Batroidvania" entry in the series as it incorporated a side-scrolling approach to gameplay that mimicked the mechanics of other "Metroidvania" experiences. The critical and fan response to this franchise installment is less than stellar, but its developer (Armature Studio) still deserves some credit for trying something different with Batman Arkham's familiar gameplay structure.

• Metacritic Metascore: N/A

Set a few years before the events of Arkham Asylum, Batman: Arkham Underworld switches its focus from the exploits of Batman to the illegal antics of Gotham City's band of crazed criminals. This game's gathering of infamous Batman villains includes the likes of Riddler, Harley Quinn, Mr. Freeze, Killer Croc, Scarecrow, and Bane. The story put in place for this game focused on each of those villains fighting for the top spot as Gotham City's next criminal kingpin. From a gameplay perspective, that entailed playing through a strategy game akin to Clash of Clans where players chose their respective lawbreaker, built & placed hideouts around the city, and recruited a loyal following of henchmen in the hopes of becoming the undisputed king of Gotham City's underworld.

• Metacritic Metascore: 92

Now we have truly arrived at greatness! Before Batman: Arkham Asylum had arrived, diehard fans of DC Comics' beloved hero were treated to god-awful video games starring the man himself (Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker, Batman: Dark Tomorrow, and Batman Begins are among the very worst). Enter developer Rocksteady Studios, which shocked the world by producing one of the greatest Batman games of all time. On one fateful evening, the Joker seizes control of the disreputable "Arkham Asylum" and concocts a devious plan that involves a bomb threat to Gotham City and relying on Batman's greatest villains to beat him into submission.

Gamers and comic book fans alike were surprised at just how amazing Batman: Arkham Asylum ended up being. Its revolutionary "Freeflow" combat system inspired many games after it, the "Detective Vision" mechanics did a a great job of reflecting Batman's moniker as the "World's Greatest Detective," exploring a fully realized Arkham Asylum turned out to be an unforgettable experience, and hearing the voice actors from Batman: The Animated Series reprise their roles for this game hit everyone right in the nostalgia feels. While this game's final boss fight left a lot to be desired, the rest of the Batman: Arkham Asylum experience stands the test of time.

• Metacritic Metascore: N/A

Before Batman was whisked away to the criminal confines of "Arkham City," he first had to round up all of the criminals who made their great escape from Arkham Asylum. Batman: Arkham City Lockdown follows the same mobile fighting game template established in the mobile version of Arkham Origins - with calculated taps and swipes, players command Batman's martial arts prowess and kinetic energy-powered blows to bring down a bunch of hapless thugs and notable villains. What was presented here was a solid time waster for mobile phone users back when this game was first released.

• Metacritic Metascore: 94

The next mainline console entry in the Batman Arkham series arrived with what some would say is the absolute peak of Rocksteady Studios' gameplay feel and environmental storytelling. Batman: Arkham City transported the Dark Knight to a part of Gotham City that was changed into a super-prison ruled by all manner of ruthless thugs and recognizable villains. While there, Batman must bring an end to all the lawlessness at hand and put a stop to the wicked plans of the facility's warden, Dr. Hugo Strange.

The award-winning formula established in Arkham Asylum made its welcome return here right alongside a greatly expanded open world to explore, a second playable character in the form of Catwoman during certain segments of the campaign, and tons of unforgettable side missions that reached deeper into the well of Batman's most depraved foes. The Freeflow combat system got itself some major upgrades as well - players could incorporate Batman's gadgets into their combos, catch projectiles thrown at him, and counter multiple incoming attacks at once. Arkham City's ending stands out as one of the most shocking outros in video game history and marks a hell of a finish for one of the greatest Batman games ever made.

• Metacritic Metascore: 74

When Batman: Arkham VR was announced, a collective "WHY?" could be heard among everyone who fancied themselves a devout follower of the series as a whole. How could any developer possibly fit the quintessential Batman Arkham experience into a virtual reality headset? Well, Rocksteady Studios at least earned itself an "E" for effort when it came to making such a strange gameplay premise work. Instead of playing this game behind the cowl from a first-person view to beat up anyone unlucky enough to cross Batman, players instead used that viewpoint to use the hero's detective skills and gadgets to peruse through all sorts of locales and solve the puzzles contained within them. This was all being done to figure out why Batman's allies Nightwing and Robin had gone missing. Batman: Arkham VR is another one of those "I didn't even know that was a thing!" anecdotes whenever someone researches all of the Batman Arkham games in order of their chronological appearances.

• Metacritic Metascore: 87

The hype levels for the third mainline entry in the Batman Arkham series were off the charts on the road to the release of Batman: Arkham Knight. Once it finally arrived, it met some of the high expectations expected of it while faltering in a few notable areas. Storyline-wise, Arkham Knight takes place nine months after the tumultuous events of Arkham City. Batman has a fully realized digital recreation of Gotham City to explore as he looks for a way to take down the Scarecrow, who launches a chemical attack that causes the city's locals to evacuate. With that in mind, Batman has plenty of open roads to zoom across in his "Batmobile" and streets packed with random thugs to incapacitate. The stakes of this heroic operation are raised to the highest degree due to the presence of a mysterious new malefactor named Arkham Knight.

Visually, this game looked amazing back then and still looks incredible in this current day & age. From a gameplay standpoint, the Freeflow combat improved even more with the addition of assist combos that let Batman pull off slick takedowns with Robin, Nightwing, or Catwoman by his side. The same high quality of side quests fans came across in Arkham City was kept intact for this follow-up as well. Arkham Knight has a lot going for it, but a few things knock it down a few pegs - an unsurprising reveal of who's behind the Arkham Knight's mask, an overreliance on the Batmobile, way too damn many Riddler trophies to collect, and a Deathstroke boss fight that didn't include any sort of hand-to-hand combat disappointed plenty.

All in all, Arkham Knight still gets plenty of recognition as another great entry in the Batman Arkham series.

• Metacritic Metascore: 60

It's crazy to see how a game that doesn't even let you play as Batman gets counted as another entry in the long-running Batman Arkham timeline. Five years after the events of Arkham Knight ended with Bruce Wayne blowing up "Wayne Manor" and convincing the world that he's deceased, the supreme alien invader Brainiac descends on "Metropolis" and subjugates its people while also brainwashing the "Justice League" into enslaving anyone else who dare opposes him. It turns out Batman came out of hiding at some point and joined the ranks of Superman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, and Green Lantern before he fell under the spell of Brainiac.

That event forces Amanda Waller to gather the world's worst criminals (Captain Boomerang, Deadshot, Harley Quinn, and King Shark) to make up "Task Force X" and handle one of the hardest missions possible - kill the Justice League. Instead of relying on hand-to-hand combat to take the opposition, players relied on firearms and unique navigational tools to eliminate Brainiac's army and eliminate the DC Universe's most iconic superheroes. This third-person looter shooter had a lot of promise, but lackluster shooting gameplay, a tired mission structure, and an unfulfilling endgame proved to be this Batman Arkham game's downfall.