Batman: Arkham Asylum (2009)

As we all know pretty much every Batman game sucked - with the exception of LEGO: Batman. Well folks, we can add Batman: Arkham Asylum to the list of Batman games that does not suck.

B:AA is, a few stealth nitpicks aside, awesome. Most of you probably know I am a big fan of the stealth action genre and B:AA hits all the right notes. This is more of a Batman sim than a Batman game. Combat is smooth as silk and looks bitchin' as Batman delivers the beatdown. Some of the combat is a bit repetitive but that didn't matter to me so much as sneaking around and Batman-ing foes from the shadows.

What really puts B:AA over the top for me - quality wise is the voice acting and writing. They rangled the crew from the animated Batman series; Mark Hamill as the Joker, Kevin Conroy as Batman, and written by Paul Dini. I was and am a huge fan of the animated Batman so having this crew on B:AA is a joy for me.

The only downside - for me - is I doubt the game has much replay value for me unless I can start the game over with all my upgrades and gadgets. There are endurance missions and timed missions that you can play apart from the storyline but I haven't gotten into them too much. I think, ultimately, B:AA is a top-notch must play game but I will be turning it in for credit to put towards Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2.