A year ago nobody suspected that Batman: Arkham Asylum would be a success. In fact, most gamers were appropriately wary of a brand new Batman game. So it was a pleasant suprise when the game actually turned out to be good.
Gamasutra.com takes a look at how Rocksteady and Batman: Arkham Asylum managed to take people by surprise...

Like stringing up a thug from a gargoyle using an inverted takedown, Eidos and Rocksteady's Batman: Arkham Asylum took a lot of people by surprise. And that says something about hype, expectations, and the state of the licensed superhero game.

Just try Googling "Batman: Arkham Asylum Surprise", and you'll see game reviewers make comments like this:
"Batman: Arkham Asylum a welcome surprise" (sfgate.com); "Batman: Arkham Asylum a very pleasant surprise" (vsuspectator.com); Arkham Asylum has pleasant surprises to spare" (nytimes.com); "Arkham Asylum is the surprise game of the year" (thunderboltgames.com).

Why is everyone so surprised? Batman was created decades before the conception of video games, yet the superhero embodies so many components used in modern interactive entertainment -- stealth, shooting (though not firearms), puzzle-solving, hand-to-hand combat, and a persona of general badassery. He's the perfect centerpiece for a multi-faceted video game.

Miss Razz via gamasutra.com »