5. Batman: Arkham Asylum
Let's rap for a second - it's a little embarrassing for a mildly-tattooed, twenty-year-old man to walk shamelessly up to the counter in Game and say, "Batman, please." It's even more embarrassing for your girlfriend to come home and find you settling down for an Arkham Asylum session wearing a child's Batman onesie with the foolhardy excuse that, "My usual clothes aren't epic enough for this game." But despite the fact that my natty attire belonged to her early-teens brother (and has now been stretched beyond repair), I will not apologise, for given Rocksteady Studio's selfless struggle to give me the opportunity to be The Dark Knight, it was only proper that I look the part. I think we can all agree, Arkham Asylum was a truly splendid game. Has any other title been able to bring out the dark, film-like qualities so well during it's gameplay? The answer is yes, SpiderMan 2 - my point is AA compliments these qualities with a comic book aesthetic and blends them marvellously to create a riveting adventure that can be enjoyed by anyone, batfan or not - and such an experience almost makes the girlfriend induced break-up and subsequent chronic loneliness worth it (I say that with a deluded, joker-like laugh). It's the combat system that really pushed this game up a gear. The bewildering beauty of seeing a Bat-like man (I guess that's why they call him that) gracefully pummel his way through hoards of thugs was an effortless joy to behold, and the Challenge Maps gave you the opportunity to explore this skill to your savage hearts content. There is no question; Batman is the best ... Unless he's competing for the most widely celebrated PS3 game, in which case, he's 5th best.