Batman: Arkham Asylum

It should not have taken this long for someone to produce a Batman game (not involving Legos) that doesn't suck. So, hat's off to Rocksteady, because they're going to break this cycle of shame for the rest of the industry. The fighting system is instantly usable and the fact that the whole Detective Mode angle looks like an essential part part of the experience is just gravy. I love that Batman has to be stealthy to survive (he can only take four hits during an encounter). Oh, and they're basically making a Shodan-styled villain out of the Joker, in that he's an ever-present sense of menace, taunting and threatening you throughout the game. What's not to like? Did I mention Kevin Conry reprises his Animated Series role as The Batman? Goosebumps.

Brian Rowe, Staff Writer, E3 Newbie. Will never play an MMO again.

I look over these lists and can't help but wonder, "Where was I during all of this E3 madness?" Oh yeah... on MMO duty. I should have started a drinking game with how many times I heard the word "revolutionize." Strangely, I walked away feeling like I had seen the same game ten times over. I have high hopes for Jumpgate Evolution, and possibly Fallen Earth, but you never know about these things until they actually come out. That's why you won't find any MMOs in my top five.

Silent Hill: Shattered Memories

I've been holding on to memories of Silent Hill 2 for seven years, only to lose faith with each iteration. The problem is that developers have been too focused on recapturing the glory days. Shattered Memories can succeed where others failed, because Climax is willing to veer out of familiar territory and do some exploring. Everyone worries about the psych profile's effectiveness, but it won't matter even if it fails. The demo was downright frightening, so who cares if soda cans change to beer bottles? If it works, even better.

Zombie Apocalypse

I'm going to go out on a limb here and pick Zombie Apocalypse over Left 4 Dead 2. I love L4D, but I love my shmups a whole lot more. And unlike L4D, I know exactly what to expect from the unseen stages - a claustrophobic arena, big guns, and way too many zombies. Zombie Apocalypse is the type of game that I can, and most certainly will play over and over again for high scores and the sheer fun of undead genocide.

Bayonetta

Let's think about this for a second. We have Hideki Kamiya, the man behind Devil May Cry, joining forces with veterans from Clover, the studio that gave us one of the most hardcore beat-em-ups ever created in the form of God Hand, and the financial backing of Sega. Let's not forget that the lead has guns on her feet, on her feet for crying out loud! Watch out, because Bayonetta is going to be one of the most crazy, brutal, and let's not forget sexy, brawlers created to date.