30 Best Video Games Of All Time

30. Batman: Arkham Asylum

Batman arkham asylum
Rocksteady

Opening with one of the most unexpectedly fantastic games of all time, nobody expected relative newcomers Rocksteady to deliver (who only had FPS Urban Chaos: Riot Response to their name), but in taking a wayward ball tossed their way by Warner Bros., they promptly scored a monolithic touchdown.

Though sequels Arkham City, Origins and Knight went off in a purely open-world direction, this original entry has the best balance of storytelling, atmosphere, progression and most importantly, rhythmic face-smashing combat. Dropping the Joker off and seeing Batman tower above him was an image worth building a franchise on, and that was before you got into the almost Metroidvania-esque feel of unlocking various new items and gadgets, to further explore the titular asylum itself.

No game had ever embodied a superhero quite like this, and no game ever will again. Arkham Asylum represents an underdog studio putting in the performance of their career, the result being a creation of pure passion and purpose, executed to perfection.

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Gaming Editor
Gaming Editor

WhatCulture's Head of Gaming.