10 Brilliant Video Games That Surprised Everyone

2009's Batman: Arkham Asylum was an unexpected entry in Batman's gaming portfolio, and one which made a greater impact than could have possibly been imagined at the time. After a string of mediocre side-scrolling beat-em-ups in the 80s and 90s, and then a host of 3D games that ranged from forgettable to atrocious, there was no real benchmark.

Arkham Asylum was released slap-bang in the middle of Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight Saga, with the franchise enjoying a renewed level of appreciation a decade after Joel Schumacher's bad acid trip that was Batman & Robin. Rather than cash in on Nolan's universe, however, Rocksteady opted to take primary influence from the universally beloved Animated Series, bringing in veteran voice actors Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill and Arleen Sorkin to voice Batman, The Joker and Harley Quinn respectively.

The result was a game with exceptional atmosphere and design, and perfectly balanced gameplay. A well-crafted mix of methodical detective work and a balletic, free-flowing combat engine that has since been co-opted by almost every melee-focused gaming franchise. This is a game where you truly feel like Batman - a master of bat-deduction, bat-stealth and bat-punching dudes.