The MOST IMMERSIVE in the Series | Batman: Arkham Asylum Retrospective Review

[@CyberneticHype]

This game introduced and truly made me a Batman fan. As a newcomer I found the character bios to be really great as establishing the universe and bringing me up to speed, underrated quality of the game imo.

[@alwaysnerdyretros]

That’s awesome! I came to it as an established fan already, so I love hearing that it also created new fans and introduced them to the world of Batman. Those bios were great too, especially the audio logs

[@CyberneticHype]

@@alwaysnerdyretros Although it came a year beforehand I think I wasn’t mature enough to appreciate The Dark Knight at the time it released, but Arkham Asylum clicked for me, the Freeflow combat really intrigued me and in the end I fell in love with it entirely. Then years later I ended up enjoying TDK Rises a lot and appreciate the entire trilogy, TAS and more in retrospect. Really excited about the Matt Reeves universe too. Now I’m close finishing my 3rd playthrough years later on ps4 lol.

[@azathoththe3rd]

I love how the portraits of the characters in the bios are in the comic style and you can find several bios of characters that never appeared in the game or the series at all. showing that there is a much larger rouge's gallery out there that we never get to see. I like to imagine that by Arkham Knight the majority of them reformed and stopped being problems. although I am really salty we never got to see the ventriloquist but Scarface is in almost every game.

[@rahmellbrown162]

Me too bro

[@BabyGold1997]

Facts same here ,

[@maplebear5183]

The way you broke your own flow to introduce the third Scarecrow sequence was a phenomenal nod to the original way it happened

[@alwaysnerdyretros]

Haha thank you 😆

[@TheVampireAjax]

@@alwaysnerdyretros Hey! Love your videos! I got a message from what says your channel name, a whatsapp number to text and and your logo saying I won. This a scam cuz I don't remember anything about a giveaway.

[@alwaysnerdyretros]

@@TheVampireAjax That’s definitely a scam! I’d report it if possible. Good catch!

[@TheVampireAjax]

@@alwaysnerdyretros .... but can you still give me a PS5? lol

[@raidengoodman8754]

@@TheVampireAjax you tried at least

[@iamstewpit6740]

Fun Fact: You don't have to fight the first titan monster in this game. It's death seems to be timed, and if you just wait long enough, it will die.

[@alwaysnerdyretros]

Oh that’s interesting! Do you have to wait him out pretty long?

[@iamstewpit6740]

@@alwaysnerdyretros Not really. Maybe like a minute or so. Maybe 2. You can just avoid them and wait a little and eventually it'll die.

[@josesosa3337]

Yeah, i was really surprised in one of my playthroughs when I was younger.

[@blacktytrix]

@@alwaysnerdyretros I've seen it as a speed run strat where you get hit until the titan goes to slam the ground and then you dodge. Then it just dies as though you fought it even though you really did nothing.

[@diabolicalplan1614]

@@blacktytrix I think he dies either way because it’s supposed to be the first titan Joker was experimenting with so he probably didn’t get the dosages right especially since his arm is more deformed than the other titans in the game.

[@iap7597]

1:17:40 This actually didn’t happen to Quincy, he’s retelling the story of Amadeus but as he thinks of himself as the spirit of Amadeus he tells it in first person. The games never mention Quincy having a family or such a past.

[@thestarkknightreturns]

RIP Kevin Conroy. You'll forever be the voice of Batman.

[@no-barkthechosenone2436]

It still feels crazy that he’s dead, he’s was *the* voice of Batman and we’ll never get new content with him (unless he worked on the Suicide Squad game)

[@michaelolsen4196]

@@no-barkthechosenone2436 No. He WAS Batman.

[@squishyty918]

He won’t forever be the voice of Batman. He’ll forever be the Batman period

[@apocalypse8346]

@@no-barkthechosenone2436 I think he did work on the suicide squad game and will be the voice

[@JinxTheLooneyToon915]

@@michaelolsen4196 No. He was, is and always will be *THE BATMAN.*

[@dragonborn7955]

Fun fact: the green paint in Riddler's cell was supposed to be blood. But it was changed to green because the blood would've been too dark and grim.

[@alwaysnerdyretros]

Oh I hadn’t heard that! I think green was the right choice lol

[@mikhaelgribkov4117]

Yeah, I have seen red version, gonna say it doesn't fit version of Riddler in the game , so change works pretty fine.

[@alienalchemist]

Where did the Riddler got those green paints anyway?

[@omegawilliam95s36]

@@alienalchemist That’s the true riddle.

[@redhood7524]

@@alienalchemist It’s Arkham. There’s no doubt one or two of them is on Riddler’s payroll. I mean, how did he get those maps and trophies everywhere, if someone hadn’t put them there. As bad as the security is there, I seriously doubt they’re about to let lunatics roam freely on the island.

[@baki484]

The game that changed the game. The game that made more people take serious superhero games series. The game that showed that superheroes games can be more than rushed movie tie-in cash grabs. Still play it to this day.

[@raidengoodman8754]

Game

[@MomentPhotographyG1]

Fax

[@lonniedwayne9549]

Me too. Got Return to Arkham and just wish Origins was on PS4. Probably gonna rebuy it for PS5 if I can ever find one.

[@blackbat908]

The game

[@kingstarscream3807]

Nah the Spider-man PS1 games and Spider-man 2 for PS2 were both legendary Spider-men titles.

[@usesera]

Something interesting to note , if you own the remastered return to Arkham versions at the part when joker jumps in the elevator with the titan boxes the names are changed to only have the name of penguin since catwoman, two face, and riddler never got titan in Arkham city.

[@MissYamIherexxx]

Makes sense since Penguin has Titan in Arkham City, whilst the others don’t, and why would they want Titan anyways

[@ihavenovanitystill4071]

i was just going to note that! I find it fascinating how much attention to detail they paid for this universe. I believe some other names on the crates were also Hush, black mask... Just makes me wish they continued building this universe through comics, it's just so intriguing and i often come back to explore more

[@БогданКрименюк]

@@ihavenovanitystill4071 Rush The first letter was R for some reason

[@wesleywiggins958]

@@ihavenovanitystill4071 There are Arkham comics

[@ihavenovanitystill4071]

@@wesleywiggins958 ikik (they’re amazing btw), I just mean they should make more, like continue the story through more comics

[@azathoththe3rd]

"before you get your hope's up Harley Quinns motion capture was done by a man" Like that'll stop me

[@alwaysnerdyretros]

😂😂😂

[@RichO1701e]

I still use the zoom function when you see her with her feet on the table when you first go in the medical centre. Before upskirting was illegal...

[@tio_john]

US

[@ImTheReverse]

S-stop you from doing what?

[@oddballskull1941]

​@ImTheReverse looking her up on rule 34. Duh

[@strikerfrost7222]

I cannot stress how good this series is. Hats off to rocksteady for simultaneously establishing and highlighting everything Batman should be

[@thephoenix4093]

Everything but the outfits. I didn't like them.

[@imhim3717]

@@thephoenix4093 L

[@baki484]

And bringing a new generation of fans. These games are what solidified batman as my favorite superhero of all time.

[@TanWam]

@@thephoenix4093 they’re beautiful what are you talking about…

[@thephoenix4093]

@@TanWam I only liked the ones in asylum and Knight. Origins batman got big fat gloves and grey outfit. It's neither tactically beneficial or in terms of beauty. City got skintight white and blue suit. Not only I'd it bad because it's not even armored like knight or origins. It's not even black so he can't hide in the dark. Asylum looks good, at least. Knight is Best because it both looks good and is tactically beneficial like it should be.

[@blackreign92.]

My favorite joker line in this game is from combat challenge map. “Come on boys he just one man. One man dressed like a lunatic and armed to the teeth hohohooo GO GET HIM!”

[@Nov-5062]

Hey Bats... go easy on 'em hmm? For me? Oh why do I care?! DO YOUR WORST!

[@tdoran616]

Mark Hamill didn’t hold back at all as the joker. He almost stole the show from Kevin in every scene he was in.

[@silenc3068]

It’s definitely not as fluid as the others, but I think we can all admit Asylum is still an amazing game that still holds up today, absolutely amazing start to the franchise, and a game I love replaying…Even if Killer Croc does still terrify me after 10 years

[@lk8300]

Its not. But its charm hasnt been topped

[@Strangeminds38]

I love it cuz it feels like a horror game from time to time.

[@silenc3068]

@@Strangeminds38: Try doing the Croc segment without sound, really feels like one then

[@Strangeminds38]

@@silenc3068 Croc and Scarecrow really made it terrifying for me when i was a kid.

[@StormsparkPegasus]

The only way in which this game lacks compared to its sequels is the combat. It's just not as responsive or fluid. However...I am not going to judge the game by the standards of what came after, because without this game, the freeflow combat and the Arkham series wouldn't have existed. It had to exist in this game to be refined later. The Metroidvania aspects of this game significantly elevate it to me despite the combat being more primitive, so the end result is only Knight actually tops this game for me (while Origins ties it).

[@friendlyreaper9012]

This game singlehandedly got me interested into Batman and DC in general. As a kid I seriously wasn't expecting a superhero game to have this sort of grittier atmosphere and I remember being genuinely scared of that first scarecrow part and killer croc.

[@alwaysnerdyretros]

I love that this game introduced so many people to Batman. I’m seeing others in the comments state the same. Those Scarecrow levels were creepy though. The whole game was pretty spooky in general

[@freebird264]

I've played some of the greatest games of all time - GTA SA, IV + V, both Red Dead Redemption,, Skyrim, Oblivion, the Witcher III, Arkham City, etc. - and to this day, Arkham Asylum remains my favourite video game of all time. Never get tired of replaying it and will love it til the day I die

[@Mr_ULTMT]

I remember this game scaring the absolute hell out of me as a kid it was a damn horror game far as I cared

[@Tmiff]

It still creeps me out a bit now

[@Gatorade69]

It does have a lot of horror elements.

[@cubedone199]

Creepy as hell. But... **clears throat** "IM BATMAN" so the fear level was lessoned and made me feel so powerful in game 😂

[@thasixsage]

BRO! So much so I didn’t end up beating the game till I was 22 and I got it maybe in middle school. Jokers laugh and the asylum bell used to creep me tf out 😂

[@cubedone199]

@@thasixsage that bell has been my notification tone for the past 10+ yrs 😂😂 I never change it aha people tell me it sounds like an elevator 😂💀

[@lcppproductions7910]

I remember there was one riddler trophy that I ended up having to look up, and afterwards riddler accused me of looking it up on the internet. I was kinda creeped out about it but also found it hilarious.

[@twodogsandadingo3331]

This idea of Batman stuck on an island of people who hate him and have their own sections, is such a good pitch for a limited series or film. I remember playing the opening, feeling like Croc was gonna rewrite the games AI to literally kill me in the opening.

[@hinkhall8451]

It's a shame they didn't bring back Dini for Arkham Knight. The writing really dips in quality and it really shows in the bizarre story choices Sefton made. Like completely shafting hush, sidelining scarecrow for joker and hamfisting his weird Barbara/Tim ship

[@DrDolan2000]

Tim and Barbara is weird? Could you elaborate?

[@_ripVanWinkle_]

Arkham Knight was the best game in the trilogy and still holds up graphically and mechanically than most AAA games

[@chasechandler7757]

@@_ripVanWinkle_ I think Asylum had the best atmosphere, City had the best story and, as you said, Knight has the best game play. Hard to say which is better though, its all preference. I'm a sucker for story so I pick City.

[@sneedsfeedseed7307]

Combat wise yeah but everything else is better in origins-city.

[@tylerwhite7710]

City is by far the worst story, I’m sorry. I love the game but the story is just an incoherent excuse to move from setpiece to setpiece. Let’s not pretend.

[@vengfulfate2991]

You can return to the visitor center for more Joker dialogue between every major segment of the game. Most of the time they have multiple scenes, so next time you play, visit Joker frequently and continuously enter and leave until you just hear him laughing. He essentially has lines for every villain you take down.

[@redxgabi]

for every major beat in the story joker will have 2 convos with batman if you visit him on the third he will laugh

[@AllThings_Gaming-c1m]

I wish I could rewind back time 10 years ago and play this great entry once again. It was truly magical on its first run

[@morgannyan2738]

57:20 small tip, you dont actually have to wait for Ivy to open herself up to damage her you can just keep throwing batarangs wich chips away at her health, its not much but it speeds up the process

[@thefonzkiss]

Waste of time.

[@BananaWasTaken]

@@thefonzkissit gives you something to do as opposed to just waiting

[@sosiska2842]

I recently replayed it, and it’s still awesome. Who would have thought this game would become one of the best superhero games of all time and one of the most influential games of the 00s. Thanks a lot for the video as always, just what I need after a long and yet productive working day)

[@alwaysnerdyretros]

You’re right, it’s crazy how influential this game has been. I still think it’s the most immersive game in the series too. I absolutely love the atmosphere of the asylum

[@zzodysseuszz]

@@alwaysnerdyretros I definitely felt more like Batman in asylum than I did in any of the other games including the final instalment.

[@sidneygoodman3954]

@@alwaysnerdyretros I prefer city but how can you go wrong with any of these games

[@jakubmichniewicz343]

@@zzodysseuszz Asylum was made for pure Batman fans.. then it just went for more audience

[@Strangeminds38]

@@jakubmichniewicz343 I feel like City and Origins were pretty nice, Knight is where things got too casual.

[@markconner8664]

One of the greatest accomplishments in video game history. Most people would argue there had never been a good Batman game until this one, & coming from this was the whole Arkham series.

[@TheGameianDark]

12:07 and 49:16 Caught me off guard.. These things show you are improving yourself with story-telling within your videos beside the retrospective of the game itself.. Looking forward to watch retrospect on Arkham City and Arkham Knight whenever it comes.. More excited to hear your thoughts on Wolverine too, I hope Insomniac takes inspiration on combat from that game..

[@alwaysnerdyretros]

Thank you! I’m definitely working to try and make the story section more interesting than just summary, so I’m glad that’s looking better. I agree about Wolverine, that combat is near perfection and should definitely serve as inspiration for insomniac

[@undeadbatman9762]

Yeah that cut off caught me off guard as well.

[@TheGameianDark]

@@undeadbatman9762 If it caught a Batman off guard, then Who am I to think otherwise!

[@mrpuuuulp]

@@alwaysnerdyretros I think I might need new underwear.

[@TidalVex]

The opening scene is instantly iconic. The music combined with the player getting to walk around really builds up the tension. Like you know something will go wrong, you're just waiting for the ball to drop.

[@jayvansickle7607]

Allot of people already know this...but, if you use the Remote Batarang to knock the bell down when you first arrive down there, you can skip a large portion of the mansion.

[@alwaysnerdyretros]

Oh that’s interesting! I need to go try that now lol

[@johne.nobody2946]

Of the many things we love about this game, people often forget the aesthetics Rocksteady went with. Batman looks like a “real-life” version of the design of Batman from early-aughts Justice League series (my personal favorite animated depiction of Batman’s suit). They nailed it. He’s broad and strong-looking, got the tall ears and the toned-down Bat-symbol without the yellow oval. But, this being “real,” you can see the straps on his gauntlets and almost feel the patterning on his body suit. It’s a brilliant design, and while I like the Origins suit for its realism, I think the OG is the best in the series.

[@user-op6kt8pg9y]

I personally think the base arkham suits for each game are the best original batman suits theyre just so perfect I especially like citys suit

[@livebyfaith4647]

City has the best suit imo. the same suit as Asylum, but with a better model for the face/cowel imo. also, the black on the suit isn’t a straight black like Asylum, it’s like a purple/black, which makes it look really good in certain lighting. City is so good bro

[@24hourPrince]

Been coming back to these videos after hearing about Kevin Conroy's passing and this one hit me especially hard. I was 9 years old when this game came out and this is the game that made me a fan of Batman, I have such fond memories of beating up thugs and exploring the asylum, even though I had to get my dad to do the Scarecrow and Croc parts cause they scared the hell out of poor 9 year old me. It's sad that the Batman I grew up with is gone in a way, though we'll always have these games and the animated series to remember him by. RIP Kevin Conroy, you'll always be Batman to me.

[@johnblack3204]

I remember being in high school when this game came out and I knew I needed it. I was already a massive fan of Batman in the Dark Knight had already come out by the time I first heard of the game being developed. The only issue was the fact that I did not have a PS3 at the time. I saved up my money and for Black Friday I went and got a PS3 combo pack that came with a PlayStation 3, Arkham Asylum, and Infamous. I became obsessed with this game and put way too many hours into it (I was also obsessed with Infamous). This was the game that made me buy a PS3 because up to that point the only consoles I had at the time were my PS2 and my DS. This is one of my favorite games of all time, and is my favorite of the Arkham games. I appreciate and enjoy the enhanced mechanics and the scale of Arkham City, but the story and the environment were just top notch for me in Arkham Asylum. You truly felt like you were stuck and locked in there with all of the villains. I had also not experienced stealth mechanics like that before and they just blew my mind. I have so many fond memories of this game and I appreciate you bringing me back down memory lane.

[@alwaysnerdyretros]

Totally agree! The immersion factor is so high in this game, probably more than it’s sequels

[@theitfactorjameswheezer2852]

@@alwaysnerdyretros fun facts about the piracy A. The game can Be beat without gliding, and B. Pirates already solved the measure 3 weeks after The game came out lol

[@mannotter]

I love your videos! Can't get enough of video game retrospectives. Hope your doing City and Knight as well. Keep up the great work!

[@alwaysnerdyretros]

Thank you!!! They’re on my list to do, next up is Wolverine Origins though

[@noahthemadman100]

@@alwaysnerdyretros no….we NEED the Arkham city >:/

[@undeadbatman9762]

@@alwaysnerdyretros Wolverine origins is an underrated x men game.

[@kaylimdonoghue4371]

@@alwaysnerdyretros oh yeah

[@kaylimdonoghue4371]

@@undeadbatman9762 it's a great game and what the movie should've been

[@jessicastrike5640]

This game is an utter masterpiece! I know a people rank City higher almost unanimously but there is a lot to be said for this being the best in the franchise Take the atmosphere, it’s dark, it’s gothic, you feel trapped on this (comparatively) small island as it descends into utter chaos and gets worse as the night wears on. The story itself is so much fun and involving, it’s a fairly simple narrative with few side missions besides the Riddler and Arkham mystery, with plenty of standout moments, sadly (as everyone points out) it is let down by the very ending but I put that down more to gameplay than the story itself. But sneaking through Croc’s lair, fighting Ivy, tackling Scarecrow (especially the 3rd time) are all still stellar and I always loved it when Joker would pop up on the TVs or on the PA system this game was and still is just so much fun, I especially love the detail of Batman’s suit etc taking damage throughout the night that’s such a small but impressive detail to add This game literally invented the now basically standardised combat free flow style and it is so simple to learn and satisfying once mastered. For me the standout has always been the predator encounters though, that feeling of “being the Batman” (cliche I know) really comes from being dropped into a room with half a dozen armed thugs and working out the most fun and inventive ways to take them all out without being spotted I got this game for my birthday (15th I think?) and spent endless hours going through it getting all the Riddler collectibles especially with the constant backtracking after picking up certain gadgets, as someone relatively new to Batman and the mythos I loved the patient tapes and character bios and in all it really developed my love for the characters, even getting all the achievements was great fun (I did feel bad for the thugs when going for the party pooper one though) and I started to challenge myself by not getting upgrades, trying to use every move and gadget in combat, completing predator by loudly beating everyone up instead of going silent that sort of thing to mix it all up a bit This game might feel simple now when compared to those that came after but even still I have endless fun replaying this and make sure to come back to it every so often Great video as always, really hope you continue and cover the others!

[@MGSBlackCat17]

My only gripe with this game were the Titan goon fights. I felt like they really came into their own in City, but in Asylum they dragged the combat down for me. Maybe they could’ve swapped out those fights with some of Batman’s other more established villains? Who knows though

[@alwaysnerdyretros]

Yeah they didn’t really connect for me either. I think it was mostly have to wait for them to charge before being able to deal damage. It kind of slowed the momentum of the fight down

[@ronanroux]

Amazing retrospective for an amazing game! I remember playing the challenge maps 24/7 while I waited for Arkham city to come out back in the day! Looking forward to you covering the rest of the series, but also super excited to see X-Men Origins: Wolverine getting covered too. Can’t wait to see your thoughts on it :)

[@alwaysnerdyretros]

Thank you! I’m really excited to revisit those games too. I think I did the same thing waiting for Arkham City too 😆

[@SplendidSuperman122]

My dad and I played this game when it first came out and it made me a huge Batman fan and also scared me to death. I asked dad years later if this was a Batman game or a horror game and he just said, “Yes.”

[@kevinm1734]

I loved the in-game encyclopedia that developed as you found easter eggs and solved riddles. I learned so much Batman lore from all the characters bios and trophies

[@tomhibbert6486]

To be honest I much preferred this scarecrow voice to the arkham knight version I see crane as insane due to his obsession with fear and this voice fits it but in knight even with killer Croc messing up his face I doubt he speaks in a low calm tone I see him as a psychopath not a mastermind

[@alwaysnerdyretros]

Oh interesting. I think I prefer the knight version personally. Both are excellent, but the calmness is somehow more menacing to me. I can absolutely see why you like the more maniacal version in asylum though, it definitely fits his craziness.

[@azathoththe3rd]

Well to be fair knight takes place YEARS later. It's possible he's changed a lot as a person and became more composed

[@707Honeypot]

I see where you’re coming from, but I preferred Knights because Crane is an ex-psychiatrist and knows being that calm and stoic can be unnerving which ups the fear. Sure the unhinged voice here can be creepy, but the slow, monotone drawl makes my skin crawl with what he’s planning

[@Strangeminds38]

Idk, that insanity makes him kinda goofy at times. I agree that his toxin was managed better in asylum tho.

[@mirrynmcwilliams937]

Scarecrow's voice in knight sounds too similar to Hugo Strange's voice.

[@atomicaftershow]

Playing Arkham Asylum at night alone is such a vibe. You feel all the creepy aesthetics and all the horror elements in every aspect of the game

[@azozazoz9196]

Besides my favourite Batman video game, this is an excellent review! It felt a little different from the previous videos you worked on in the past, the intro and editing skills (and researchs) are well made! This is my favourite retrospective review video by far!

[@alwaysnerdyretros]

Thank you I really appreciate that!!! I outsourced to an editor for this video so that’s why it looks better. I don’t have those skills 😆

[@JarvisBaileyVA]

Been loving your content since the ultimate alliance video man. Keep up the great work.

[@alwaysnerdyretros]

Thank you for sticking with me for so long! I really appreciate the support 😃

[@jakeriese4862]

@@alwaysnerdyretros I loved your UA and Xmen Legends vidoes! Been looking foward to a video for weeks. Arkham City was my 1st Arkham game. Will u be doing the whole series

[@alwaysnerdyretros]

@@jakeriese4862 Sorry it’s been such a wait since Origins. I’m working on ways to hopefully speed up that process 🤞 I do plan on continuing the series though. I’m detouring into X-Men Origins Wolverine next, but I haven’t figured out what’s after that yet. I 100% plan on doing city and knight though. I’m just trying figure out when best to do them. Those are pretty big games so I know they’ll take me a while to make. Thank you for the kind words btw! I really appreciate you commenting. Besides the Arkham series, are there any other marvel/dc games you’d like to see covered?

[@jakeriese4862]

@@alwaysnerdyretros no problem. Maybe 2018 Spidey or Miles morales. Spidey web of shadows, dunno about dc, maybe some lego batman games?

[@NightMareTheThird]

@@alwaysnerdyretros amazing Spider-Man game

[@raissa8620]

Your attention to detail is incredible. I'm not someone that's really into video games but I always felt like i was missing out in incredible stories because of it, so I'm glad I found your videos and can "play" those games without really playing.

[@alwaysnerdyretros]

Thank you so much!!! I’m really glad you’re enjoying the channel 😃

[@andorichards]

Batman’s reaction to every scarecrow encounter: Ah sh*t. Here we go again. 😂

[@Jgt612]

I remember going to a pre-release event for this game, the demo they had was 1 combat room and 1 stealth room, there was a pseudo competition at the event with people getting batarang replica if they managed to beat a high score. It was quite a day out for sure

[@ShadowThe771]

That was an amazing and in-depth video. Going further with the voice acting in Arkham Asylum, two of the performances that I loved is Danny Jacobs (King Julian from Penguins of Madagascar) as Zazz, and Tasia Valenza (Sniper Wolf from Meal Gear Solid) as Poison Ivy. I especially love Taisa’s performance as Ivy, and I’m under the belief that she’s become the definitive voice for Ivy.

[@nicholasbowen1825]

Never knew wolfs voice actress was Ivy! That’s awesome

[@omegaproductions6660]

1:06:02 Fun Fact, they almost did with the cancelled Ben Affleck atman film, it was gonna have Deathstroke has the main villain as Batman was stuck in Arkham.

[@Void_reviewz_]

The homage to the game break scare you did is phenomenal man, had me thinking my phone broke 💀

[@misterwayne6169]

As a kid this game really opened up my eyes to batmans world. I only really knew batman from when I watched Justice League unlimited and batman beyond so I didn’t know too much of the batman lore. These arkham games changed that and made me not only a huge batman fan, but a big DC comic fan.

[@linneal5105]

It's honestly unbelievable how many things they got right with the first entry even going above and beyond to make the experience as great as possible. I have played a lot and I mean a lot of games but very few of them make me FEEL the passion the developers had for the project. And don't even get me started with Arkham City

[@Radicallyfly]

You know, that scarecrow sequence that glitched out the TV got me as a kid, and hasn’t since, until you made your video do it too. Thought my iPad was going nuts. Well done sir.

[@mikhaelgribkov4117]

Also, fun fact: you get new talks with Joker in visitors room each time you finish story segment. And it is also believed that Titan Joker was somewhat inspired by The Batman cartoon, which got some team from BTAS.

[@alwaysnerdyretros]

Oh interesting! Now I have a reason to revisit the game again and see those extra voice lines 😃

[@mikhaelgribkov4117]

@@alwaysnerdyretros yeah, they're fun.

[@thrawnedits5860]

@@alwaysnerdyretros most of the lines are actually really funny

[@covagotnext8337]

I grew up playing / replaying "Arkham Asylum" & "Arkham city" on xbox 360. They're so fun & definitely made me a bigger batman fan...I'm 22 now, in 2023, and just got my 1st, next gen console (Xbox 1 series X) I've FINALLY got the chance to play "Arkham knight", for the 1st time. Can't tell you how much I've wanted to get to this one and experience all the new features. I'm 50% of the way through the game. Love it so far. Loved watching this video!! Really makes me appreciate "Asylum" a lot more.

[@arioca]

Batman: Arkham Asylum is a masterpiece, however there were many other great Batman video games made before such as Batman (NES, Genesis and PC Engine), Batman Returns (SNES and Sega CD), Adventures of Batman & Robin (SNES and Genesis), Batman Forever (Arcade, Saturn), and Batman Begins (Xbox, GC, PS2). I also prefer the original version of Arkham Asylum over the "remaster".

[@pjm91788]

I agree. Also me too, the remaster ruined a lot of the visuals. The dark shading on the original is what made the game look great. The remastered version looks so horrible, Batmans character model and also joker, something about them doesn't look right at all. The original version of Asylum is most definitely superior 👍

[@thefonzkiss]

All of those were average at best. Forever was terrible.

[@omegawilliam95s36]

Imagine the maintenance workers who have to replace and fix all the vents and security panels you broke. Also 49:14 totally got me.

[@blacktytrix]

This was the arkham game I played last so I don't necessarily have the nostalgia tied to it but this game is still phenomenal. It acts as the perfect base for the next games and it conveys a feeling no other in the series does. The eerieness, the condensed nature, and the feeling of such a big world. That last one specifically is amazing because they accomplished the feeling of a big world by showing us so little which is genius. We are in the asylum, which is such an small, detailed, and of course iconic location, and we can look out over the sea at the massive city knowing that there are so many criminals out there that exist that we didn't get to see, leaving such a feeling of wonder as you question what they're up to, what will come next, and what that Gotham you see would actually be like which isn't something the other games can do since they are actually in the city. Overall, the world building in this game is one of its biggest strengths.

[@missinglynks]

One of the few games I maxed out on my 360. Game changer. Currently running through a replay on the remastered edition.

[@acidicalportal4418]

Are you going to review the other Arkham Games with Retropspectives? i'd definatelly watch them all the way through like this one. Always so much to talk about with these games.

[@alwaysnerdyretros]

Yes definitely! I’m detouring into a wolverine game next, but I plan on finishing this series. Part of the problem is that there is so much to talk about in the Arkham games, that it will take a while to make, so I’m trying plan out when next to tackle them so they can get my full attention

[@cjdouglas3464]

Life has gotten insanely busy for me over these last few months (which is a good thing). But I somehow always make my way back to this channel when I need to relax so I think that officially makes this my comfort channel haha. Insanely well-made video!

[@alwaysnerdyretros]

Haha that’s awesome! I’m really glad these video have helped you relax in some way, and I take great pride in being the Comfy Channel 😁 Thank you for the comment and for supporting the channel. It means a lot to me!

[@coolshirtkid]

i could be incorrect but i’m pretty sure the ending villain’s hand coming out of the water is based on the difficulty that you beat the game on. scarecrow being the one you get if you beat it on hard, which i thought was considered to be the one that’s actually canon. this is further supported by the reappearance of scarecrow in arkham knight and the easter egg that hinted he was alive in arkham city

[@lalopales4796]

Thanks for letting me know never knew

[@panda01gamer98]

Yea I beat it my first time on normal and could've swore I saw banes hand, but when I beat it on hard it was scarecrows.

[@Whackalope]

I feel like Batman eating the rat during the last Scarecrow sequence is a reference to All-Star Batman & Robin, where Batman leaves Robin alone in the Batcave for days as “training”. When Alfred gets pissed and asks Bruce what he expected the boy to eat, Bruce says rats.

[@tanmaybe]

"The morgue seems to be a dead end" Absolutely amazing script writing.

[@StudMacher96]

“Ah, memories. You, me, and a ward filled with psychotic killers. You’ve never felt so at home, have you?”

[@lockout5731]

The game that started it all damn 2009 was a good time

[@CyberneticHype]

This, Assassin’s Creed 2 and Uncharted 2, 2009’s generation defining games.

[@alissa6]

2006 is my alltime favorite VG year. Had a lot of favorites of mine, like Marvel:UA, MK Armageddon, GTA VCS, DBZ Tenkaichi 2 and Godfather.

[@mackdebruin999]

After your retrospective on Origins, I have been looking forward to this! Thanks for the upload!

[@alwaysnerdyretros]

Thank you for checking it out 😃

[@theinitiative3139]

Arkham Asylum Living Hell is an underrated gem of a series! Written by my fav controversial comics writer: Dan Slott.

[@alwaysnerdyretros]

I thought it was good too. It got a bit supernatural by the end of it, but I really liked the Warren White stuff

[@theinitiative3139]

@@alwaysnerdyretros his evolution into the great white shark was dope 🔥

[@crater044]

Found your channel with your Arkham Origins review, which was amazing. Now I'm here to check out your Asylum review, which I've been waiting for since you announced it. Keep up the great content, good sir!

[@alwaysnerdyretros]

Thank you!!! I hope you enjoy this one just as much

[@thelavenderhatter5924]

I’ve played through this game at least 5 times each on ps3 and ps4 growing up. Tim Burton’s Batman was my standard in terms of style for Batman media…and at 1:42:43 for the FIRST I’m just realizing the similarities with the music especially with the choir invoking the Batman Returns music🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯 1:42:51 too😮‍💨🤌🤌🤌

[@sakshamgupta3378]

You are so underrated man. You put so much of work into these vids dog. Hope for the best man!

[@alwaysnerdyretros]

Thank you so much!!! I appreciate the support and more is on the way!

[@bruhmanbruh2268]

This was one of the first video games I had as a kid and it scared me to the point where I peed myself. This is what made me enjoy superhero’s so much and made me enjoy video games even though I could barely play it

[@CrashFan93]

Hi. I just want to say thank you for explaining the significance of the Joker's party list, they never bring it up after Batman asks about smiles next to certain names.

[@glitchkit6020]

Joker trying to tickle Batman will always be funny

[@AAron2020xydfg]

Hats off to the guy that worked on Batmans cape physics, and thanks for the great review, just subscribed and will now binge the rest of the series

[@_grumpytoad]

This is an awesome deep-dive into one of my favorite game series of all time! Thank you for making this. I hope you plan to make more!

[@alwaysnerdyretros]

Thank you!!! I’m working on Arkham City now :)

[@_grumpytoad]

@@alwaysnerdyretros That's great to hear! I'm looking forward to it. Also, I forgot to mention: one of the things I like most about this video is how deep your deep-dive goes; talking about game design, the voice cast, and fun little trivia facts from the comics, the movies, the tv series, and even this game's own development team. You really go all out and I am wildly impressed with the amount of detailed info you are able to address. Well done!

[@alwaysnerdyretros]

@@_grumpytoad Thank you for the feedback!!! I’ve honestly been wondering what aspects specifically people are enjoying, so that helps a lot! I’ll try to inject more of that into future videos :)

[@_grumpytoad]

@@alwaysnerdyretros Well, if this video is any indication of the level of detail your reviews have, I can't wait to explore more of your channel! 😁

[@alwaysnerdyretros]

@@_grumpytoad Thank you for the support and for commenting 😃 I really appreciate the kind words and positive feedback

[@mikhaelgribkov4117]

6:26 I will recognize that effect anywhere. 2000's The Batman cartoon was my fav as a kid.

[@awkwardgamer7759]

I got this game for 25cents at garage sale. It was for the xbox 360 and game of the year edition as well. Best 25cent I've ever spent

[@nathanadams7595]

Wow nice, I got the game on sale for Xbox one. The return to Arkham version. Got the whole trilogy with every dlc and skin for 8 bucks

[@awkwardgamer7759]

Noice. I'm playing to get the three pack of all the games for my ps5

[@Tony_Kim_]

Your editing skill has been improved quite a lot, and I like this development arc of yours. So does this review of Batman Arkham Asylum Game. As a player who has both XBOX 360 GOTY Asylum and Remastered, I do agree about visual part of Remastered. Other than that, I loved Remastered brought back raining weather cause' I find it weird there's Thunder sound inside of hospital and guards wearing rain coat when there's no raining outside.

[@alwaysnerdyretros]

Oh I had someone else edit this video so that’s why 😆 Thank you though! And I agree, the remaster still has a lot of excellent qualities, I’d still recommend people play that version if it’s easily accessible

[@mr.c8833]

This is extremely well done! I thought I knew everything about the game, secrets and details but learned so much. Thank you!

[@jonathanhunter7670]

I know I am 2 years late to this video but mate... the amount of detail you put in, accenting easter eggs, connections to future games, comics etc, FANTASTIC

[@therealoj3474]

I always get into the mood to play asylum on a cold winter night idk

[@cooldoberman2024]

finding the secret maps that reveal the riddler trophies are cool.

[@mandalorianhunter1]

Thanks for this, I played both this and Arkham city. I think city is a great sequel but Asylum is just awesome. It's just the boss battles, the atmosphere and level design was amazing.

[@agentnacho2029]

Absolutely love how you show comic panels for character's origins! Keeps me immersed

[@mikhaelgribkov4117]

Batman Begins game walking looks like as if Batman got hit in the nuts.

[@alwaysnerdyretros]

😂 Yeah it’s a really strange walking animation. I think it’s supposed to look sneaky?..maybe?

[@titustaddhaustaddltentakel9987]

These retrospectives are so fun to watch I think I'm now at my sixth time watching through all five of 'em.

[@geraltdirivia8278]

This game became horror when the crazy patients evaded and started chasing me screaming like demons.

[@sithemper0r864]

I remember this was one of the first games I asked my mum to buy for me. This and saints rows the third I got and was so hyped. My mum checked the games like a month after because I was around like 7 lol and got saints row taken away but she let me have Batman because I was such a fan of superheroes and I’m so happy she did. I’m very glad I played this young because I appreciate more and more every time I get to play again. Having nostalgia for this game is such a gift. It gave me a taste of horror for the first time as well, not only in video games but also for superhero media as well and I will always be grateful. Now I’m 16 and I’m still obsessed with the Arkham games. Thank you for making such awesome and in detail videos, they are amazing.

[@Ryan-xo8kd]

Platinumed this today. Definitely feel like most of it holds up

[@Flaris]

Kind of nice coming to this video after...seeing how Rocksteady and Batman ended up. This really was a fantastic game and gave Batman the gaming experience that he deserved. I just remember diving into this game and being blown away. You just felt like Batman. And of course getting Conroy (may that amazing voice actor rest in peace) and Hamill for the voices was so perfect. It felt like you could actually play as Batman from the animated series. There he was! It was such a cool game and of course while they got even better by the next one, this will always have a nostalgic boost for me.

[@urmomsonmydick]

also we need to talk about how game changing the fear sequences were. like when batman was strapped into the chair and when you die it tells you to move the middle stick. when i played that part as a kid i was so scared my game was corrupted 😭 i still haven’t seen anything like that in a video game since then.

[@houls44]

This is the first game I ever achieved 100% and that is something I’ll be proud of forever.

[@crash7344]

SAME!!!! My last challenge to get the Plat was to finish the Combat challenge in the Botanical Gardens and I screamed with joy when I did it flawless fuck what a time

[@_symbiotic_josh_6804]

I like the fact that your notification bell edit is the bat wave sound from the batman 2004 series

[@alwaysnerdyretros]

That was a detail from my editor. I’ll let him know you appreciated that!

[@mikhaelgribkov4117]

Yeah, I was surprised by that too. And I love that show.

[@Ricardo-np1ie]

You do a great job. A complete analyses - you review every aspect of the game - . Like me you notice everything. I'm doing a "marathon" on your retrospective review: Batman and Spider-man games. Giving a Like on each one.

[@alwaysnerdyretros]

Thank you! I really appreciate your comment and the support:)

[@panda01gamer98]

​@alwaysnerdyretros dang you still respond to comments even when the video is old? Respect 👊

[@juanme555]

This game is eternal, it's not the "greatest" superhero game right now (though if we go by cultural impact, a case could certainly be made) but to me, this is the *best* superhero game of all time because this is more than just a game, this is a love letter from the people at the top to those of us who are just fans of the comic books. Batman Arkham Asylum was the only time in gaming history where a "AAA" project actually didn't appeal to mass audience, where the developers went the other way around, those of us who read comic books know that when a video game about our heros is made, the people who are the most catered to are the casual players who will just buy the flashiest game they'd see in TV ads, this doesnt mean that those games are bad, Spider-Man 2 (2004) was a good superhero game but you could see that it was much more of a grand theft auto inspired sandbox with spider-man mechanics slapped on top of it and it was awesome for it, i love that game. When comic book fans would give suggestions as to potential mechanics or what we'd like to see in a game of x character, we'd just be told "that wouldn't sell" "too niche" "too complex" and just be dismissed, that is what makes Batman Arkham Asylum so special, Arkham Asylum was the one time where the people making the game were the rabid comic book fans who had probably been reading comics for decades, and still took and implemented more feedback and crazy ideas from comic book fans, just look at the HUD of Arkham Asylum, that would've been unthinkable for any AAA game before Arkham Asylum , the faces and costumes of the characters, the way the graphics are implemented, specially how their implementation of UE works with bloom and shadows, if you set the camera right and stand still, it will look like a comic page panel, if you pause the game, it *literally* turns into a comic book drawing, also the game is made 100% with the 7th gen hardware being targeted, and yet, they still decided to make the map way smaller than even Grand Theft Auto 3 , the smartest thing they could've made, it meant that literally every single building you see on the island is enterable, no exceptions, and there is some serious verticality too, the game is spilling detail all over the place, not a single filler bloc in sight. you kinda hinted at this in 1:47:17 So honestly, i don't care if Asylum's campaign is shorter, the combat is more barebones and it doesn't have all the awesome mechanics of the later games, Arkham Asylum transcended video games, much like its character, it is a symbol, the one and only time comic book fans were embraced after decades of being ridiculed, Batman Arkham Asylum is the greatest Superhero Game Of All Time. ps: Thank you for calling out the awful "upgrades" in those atrocious remasters for 8th gen consoles, you play as Batman 100% of the story, his face shouldn't look goofy, he looks ridiculous on return to arkham, console players on Xbox are lucky because both the Xbox One and Xbox Series are backwards compatible with the Xbox 360 version of Arkham Asylum, play that, take the more pixelated image, do not play return to arkham [unless someone gave it to you as a gift, in that case dont be a douche, but find a way to play the OG] , and the lighting and rain...its *technically superior* in return to arkham, but it ruins the comic book atmosphere that the shadows and exaggerated bloom implemented in the original version, also...the rain is everywhere in the remaster but very few surfaces look properly wet....how did they fumble that?.

[@ericafg3746]

I find myself recently playing Arkham asylum more than the other sequel’s

[@le_normi3045]

“Officer balls” *joker laughing*

[@Seventh27Seal]

Dude i never knew the graphics were so different between game of the year and ps4 remaster 😱😱😱 ima get a ps3 version now

[@alwaysnerdyretros]

Yeah it really is shocking. Usually you expect the remaster to be the better version, but it’s not always the case. The environments do look much more detailed in the remaster though, so it’s not all bad

[@cubedone199]

I've had the Arkham P.A. chime as my phone notification sound for the past 10+ yrs 😂 I will never change it

[@Sir_Parker06]

I enjoyed this video a lot as I do with all your videos. I was wondering if you'd be interested in doing a review on justice league heroes. It's similar to marvel ultimate alliance and I think you'd enjoy it.

[@alwaysnerdyretros]

That would be an excellent one I agree! I’d like to try and find a time to do that one this year.

[@kaleblam5084]

34:34 Dr. Young: I think joker’s insane Batman: *you don’t say face*

[@losers1711]

I just started playing though the series starting with asylum last october. I started origins yesterday and can't wait to finish it to see your video on it. These videos are amazing and I can tell how much time you put into them.

[@complex2live]

I don’t think you mentioned this with Riddler, but if you wait long enough in the first riddle with the portrait, Riddler gets mad at you

[@tomhibbert6486]

Do you always hate that the joker always gets the centre of attention in batman stories?

[@alwaysnerdyretros]

Not too much. I think moving forward I’d like to see him take more of a backseat though. Cameos are still fine, but I really want to spend time with some other noteworthy villains

[@CyberneticHype]

Imo the execution in Arkham Knight was unique enough from feeling tacked on and Scarecrow still had presence. Same goes for Arkham Origins, since it explored their origins, although he was the center of the game.

[@mikhaelgribkov4117]

@@CyberneticHype now, I will defend Knight decision to use Joker again and how well it did, but Scarecrow did got shafted real hard. Rocksteady in City and Knight make a big deal of using Strange and Scarecrow as main villains only for Joker steal the show everytime and get the most interaction with Batman. Origins writing team was successful in making Bane secondary villain who works with Joker, but has own interests and has own moments to shine as character with fun dynamic to Batman as equal in strenght and will, while other times Joker beats "mastermind behind the scenes" dudes we get in other games.