5. Batman: Arkham Asylum (Reviewed on 360)

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Given the uber purist expectations of comic book fans, videogame adventures centred on iconic comic book characters don't tend to do very well. Happily, 2009 saw that particular trend well and truly bucked, beaten and hung by its flailing feet as Batman: Arkham Asylum proved unequivocally that the two popular mediums can shine when channelled by the right creative forces.

With and clearly understanding and respecting the lore surrounding Gotham City's legendary protector, Batman: Arkham Asylum is the perfect vehicle to showcase the Dark Knight's penchant for preying on fear, striking silently from the shadows, and using all manner of crime-fighting gadgets to bring criminals to heel.

With the lunatic quite literally taking over the asylum, The Joker releases the nefarious inmates of Arkham to wreak havoc throughout the island-based facility, placing responsibility squarely on the shoulders of the caped crusader as he uses unparalleled martial arts skills, detective prowess, and elusive shadow-hugging tactics to bring down The Joker's dangerous minions and return his arch nemesis to captivity.

Perfectly blending bone-shattering brawls with carefully applied environmental strategy, a host of collectibles scattered around the game world, and some intriguing boss battle with the likes of Harley Quinn, Killer Croc and Poison Ivy, Rocksteady's take on certainly qualifies as lightning in a bottle.

Factor in prolonged gameplay longevity via free and possibly the best free-flowing fight mechanics ever created for a videogame, and Batman: Arkham Asylum is certainly worthy of its top-five finish and our review summation that describes it as "the Batman game we've all been waiting for."

4. Fight Night Round 4 (Reviewed on Xbox 360)

2009 has been a beast of a year when it comes to heavyweight releases (this top 20 certainly proves that), and, as such, some of the most critically acclaimed titles have been oddly lost amid all the furore surrounding certain other 500lb gorillas intent on tearing through the undergrowth.

One such game is undoubtedly EA's Fight Night Round 4, which barely gets a mention in the same breath as some of year's other great videogames, despite being a near-faultless offering.

Adding yet more sweat-laced, spittle-spattered and blood-encrusted authenticity to the award-winning Fight Night series, Round 4 boasts even more savage pugilism, a satisfyingly deep career mode, versatile and challenging A.I. opposition - all the time pushing the overall sporting experience through a fantastically intuitive Total Punch Control system that's mapped completely to the game pad's right analogue stick.

Built from the ground up for current generation hardware, Round 4 looks, sounds and feels as close to the real thing as gamers are going to get without pulling on a pair of outrageously long silk shorts, slipping a rusty horse shoe into their haymaker glove, and attempting to go toe-to-toe with a real boxing pro. Simply put, Fight Night Round 4 is the best example of "the sweet science" to ever grace home consoles.

3. 2 (Reviewed on PlayStation 3)

Given the furore surrounding the E3 'rendered' gameplay debacle and the core failings of the original Killzone on the PlayStation 2, if there was one 2009 release likely to be savaged by critics and consumers for being anything short of superb, it was Killzone 2.

Thankfully for expectant PlayStation 3 owners, returning developer Games has crafted a first-person shooter, which, from the off, cranks up the twin amps of immersion and adrenaline to 11 and drags the player through a relentless onslaught of that rivals any genre entrant that came before it.

Transferring humanity's battle with the evil Helghast to the Helghan home world, Killzone 2 is an purist's dream, a barrage of atmospheric tension that slams the senses from all sides as central protagonist Tomas 'Sev' Sevchenko and his ragtag squad of troops dispatch a never-ending stream of hot lead and explosive ordnance to help fracture and destroy Helghan's governing infrastructure.

"Killzone 2 does not exude a brave ambition that seeks to lead the first-person genre in a revolutionary new direction; it's obvious from the outset that Guerrilla Games never intended for its sequel to reinvent the FPS wheel," I wrote in my review.

"It's clear Killzone 2 has taken the ever-so popular wheel, slapped a gorgeous chrome rim on it, drastically reduced its tyre profile, and applied a sense of balance never before felt on a wheel. Why then would anyone want to reinvent the wheel when the damn wheel never looked so good or rolled so well."

2. 2 (Reviewed on Xbox 360)

Now, let's turn our attention to that aforementioned 500lb gorilla that's been skulking about the place during this countdown of 2009's leading releases. This year's undoubted domineering silverback is, of course, Infinity Ward's hot-selling Modern Warfare 2, which has already set new records despite only launching on November 17.

Laying claim to so much more than just a hugely faithful fanbase spread across multiple platforms, never stops striving to continue where its predecessor left off. Specifically, it provides a dramatic rollercoaster of real-world military action that throttles players into submission with breakneck pacing before clubbing them within an inch of their gaming lives with relentless ferocity.

With an emotive narrative thread spun out by multiple playable characters and spread across a varied selection of environments, the fact is that, between its staggering single-player and its peerless multiplayer, Modern Warfare 2 absolutely reeks of finely polished quality. It really is that simple.

"The cinematic appeal of the single-player action makes it infectious and hugely memorable in a way few if any other games can manage," trumpeted our own editorial chief Luke Guttridge. "That this is bundled with the best experience of any game really leaves us in little doubt that this is the complete package."

And, with some 4.7 million unit sales in its first five days on retail shelves, the complete FPS package is clearly what ravenous fans were waiting for. However, unfortunately for Modern Warfare 2, this particular chart has not been amassed on the mere power of market figures, but rather pure quality.

1. 2: Among Thieves (Reviewed on PlayStation 3)

Speaking of which, pure uncompromising quality is exactly the reason why developer and publisher Computer Entertainment can stand proudly beside the return of videogaming's most memorable hero Nathan Drake, because action adventure Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is deservedly the very best game of 2009.

Fleshed out with supporting characters that serve to enrich an already engrossing storyline, Nathan Drake and his arsenal of witty one-liners are this time joined by new love interest Chloe Frazer as they set about following the treasure trail of legendary explorer Marco Polo and a mysterious Buddhist sapphire called the Cintamani Stone.

Yet, plot aside, it's the ceaselessly thrilling third-person gameplay, monumental set pieces, truly staggering graphics, and killer script accompanying Uncharted 2: Among Thieves that convincingly propel Naughty Dog's universally acclaimed PlayStation 3 exclusive above and beyond the competition.

Granted, when viewed alongside its predecessor, Uncharted 2 is, in essence, just more of the same. But, as with Killzone 2 and Modern Warfare 2, it hones and polishes an already standout product for all its worth while tightening every existing gameplay facet to the point of creative perfection.

"If, as some have said, the is still in need of a killer exclusive to take into the festive silly season then Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is, without a doubt, it," offered reviewer Paul Newcombe. "Anyone with a PS3 should be beating down the door of their favourite games emporium... and the rest of you still waiting for a reason to belatedly join Sony's party have just found it."

While Uncharted 2 may not offer anything especially new or groundbreaking to the overall franchise, the foundations supporting the series are so strong that no other title across the last 12 months has been able to compete. And, before detractors leap, this is anything but a win by default, it's a win because Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is quite simply teeming with qualities unmatched by any other game of 2009, and, what's more, seldom gathered into a cohesive whole by a single release.

By Stevie Mostyn