Batman: Arkham Asylum, which has sold more than 2.5 million copies worldwide since late August, has officially become this year's must-have title after Guinness World Records named it the 'most critically acclaimed superhero game ever'.
The award was based on its record-beating 91.67 average score from a survey of national newspapers and specialist reviewers; Marvel vs Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes, which was first released in 2000, had an average score of 90.
Independent British developer Rocksteady Studios created Batman: Arkham Asylum, a third-person action-adventure stealth game, for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Windows PC.
Players take on the role of Batman as he captures and delivers The Joker to Gotham City's hospital for the criminally insane, Arkham Asylum. The deranged inmates, including villains Scarecrow and Poison Ivy, are on the loose and have taken over the place. They conspire with The Joker to set a lethal trap for the Dark Knight.
In a dark and gritty adventure, players travel to the depths of the asylum, crawling through air vents and sewers, creeping down dark corridors, and silently gliding and swinging above The Joker's henchmen.
Gamers must also solve intricate puzzles using Batman's CSI-type skills and gadgets, which include 'detective vision' to see through walls and X-ray and fingerprint-scanning devices.