The 'Batman Arkham' games reviewed

The "Batman Arkham" games are some of my favorite games. Whether I'm achievement hunting, button mashing, looking for a good story to entertain myself, or experiencing interesting glitches like the one shown in the video above, the "Batman Arkham" games have it all.

In honor of that, let's talk about their best qualities from start to finish.

Arkham Asylum

Rocksteady's "Batman: Arkham Asylum" features Batman trying to set things right in the titular asylum, which has been overrun by its patients.

The game features a dynamic combat system that's just as fun when you're button mashing as it is when you learn to perform more skilled combos. There's also a lot of detective work involved as Batman investigates the free roam sandbox of the multi-level, multi-building asylum.

Both the main story and the Riddler side mission are engaging and satisfying. I've replayed the game multiple times over the years, and I'd be happy to do it again to finish collecting some of the harder Xbox and in-game achievements involved.

I also love the easter eggs in the game, particularly the one that reveals hints about where the next game will take place.

Arkham City

Rocksteady's "Batman Arkham City" sees Batman investigating and fighting crimes against new and returning enemies in an old part of Gotham that's been converted into a mass prison.

While similar in concept to the previous game, things are done on a much bigger scale with a number of improvements to things like combat and the investigative process. There's also a more fleshed out and improved set of gadgets, combat challenges, and side missions.

Likewise, this installment introduces DLC where you play as Catwoman and a new game plus mode that allows you to use your upgrades from the start of the story. There are also more Riddler challenges and easter eggs, including a well-hidden one that vaguely hints at what's to come in "Arkham Knight."

And while it was jarring at first, I also appreciate Tara Strong taking over the role of Harley Quinn from Arleen Sorkin. Her take on the character's voice took some getting used to, but she significantly improves by the time "Arkham Knight" rolls around.

Arkham Origins

In "Batman: Arkham Origins," a prequel made by WB Games Montréal instead of Rocksteady, Batman defends Gotham from assassins on Christmas Eve.

The northern part of Gotham appears to be a reskin of Arkham City and the gameplay is similar, though certain gadgets are swapped out, like the glue grenade acting as a precursor to the freeze grenade. In place of seeking Riddler content, you seek Edward Nigma's blackmail data packs.

Some aspects of the gameplay are choppy compared with the rest of the "Batman Arkham" series, not to mention the sheer lack of anything to do after the story, but "Arkham Origins" is creative and introduces several plot points that find their way into "Arkham Knight."

Despite having different voice actors than the rest of the series, like Roger Craig Smith replacing Kevin Conroy and Troy Baker replacing Mark Hamill, the voice acting continued to be solid and I'd enjoy hearing these voice actors in new content, especially in light of Kevin Conroy's passing.

Arkham Knight

In "Batman: Arkham Knight," Rocksteady's final installment in the series, Batman defends Gotham against Scarecrow and the Arkham Knight on Halloween while also dealing with hallucinations of Joker and flashbacks of losing Jason Todd.

"Arkham Knight" takes things to the biggest scale of the entire series and somehow manages to further improve the already fantastic gameplay and challenges from the previous games while also adding in new DLC content and the ability to swap back and forth between characters in some combat scenarios.

The story is also more fleshed out than ever before and character development is at an all-time high. And although there are no planned additions coming to the main series, there are a number of fascinating easter eggs to find.

"Arkham Knight" is my favorite installment in the series, with "Arkham Asylum" being a close second due to nostalgia and the ease of gameplay. It's a satisfying conclusion to a wonderful series that I've replayed time and time again.