Batman: Arkham Asylum

Wait, didn’t I just get done talking about this one? It seems I’m about to give Arkham Asylum yet another award: Most Surprising Game of 2009.

While I doubt anyone knew what a splash Arkham Asylum would make in the gaming world, it probably came as more of a surprise to me than most. Why? Well, to be honest, I didn’t pay a whole lot of attention to the game during its development. Buying it was an impulse purchase based on positive feedback from fellow gamers. I really didn’t expect much more than a good licensed game. What I got was one of the best action-adventure titles of this generation.

Practically everything about Arkham Asylum is polished until it shines. The free-flow combat system is an absolute joy to control, and manages to never get old throughout the entire experience. The detective aspects, including “detective mode,” are brilliantly conceived. And as I’ve already mentioned, the atmosphere is the best I experienced in 2009. It’s the perfect Batman experience. In fact, I’ll go further still and call it the best licensed game ever made.

I definitely was not expecting that. I really can’t wait to see what Rocksteady does with the franchise from here on. Next time, I’ll be purchasing on day one.

Runner Up: Dead Space Extraction