15 Genius Gameplay Mechanics That Defined the 2000s

RHYTMIC COMBAT (BATMAN: ARKHAM ASYLUM)

Batman games – and even superhero games at large – weren’t anything to write home about until a little over a decade ago (with some exceptions, of course), but 2009’s Batman: Arkham Asylum changed everything. Putting you in the shoes of the Caped Crusader, it gave you the ability to do everything Batman could do in the best way possible- and that included beating thugs to a pulp. Arkham Asylum’s brawler combat may not have required too much skill, and it may not have had incredible depth, but it was incredibly fun. From its simple controls to the feedback you got with each hit to how each fight looked like it was choreographed, it was an incredible combat system.