Batman: Arkham Asylum Critique - Finding the Bat

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The 25th of August, 2009, was a dark night for the Batman. But out of Arkham Asylum’s darkness was born a Bat with love, craft, care, and colour injected into his veins and the hearts of his enemies. A pulpy, full-throttle swing into madness where - on repeat playthroughs - you can trace the lines of code Rocksteady lay to find their Batman and give his world a voice.
So let's talk about Arkham Asylum and its inspirations to see how Rocksteady found their Batman, and let us find him right alongside them.
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TIMESTAMPS
00:00:00 - Introduction
00:05:32 - A Living Comic Book
00:21:24 - i
00:25:07 - Riddle Me This
00:36:47 - ii
00:41:17 - Bam. Pow. Crack.
00:53:37 - iii
00:56:29 - Batvania
01:05:26 - iv
01:08:24 - We Need to Talk About Quincy Sharpe
01:21:24 - v
01:23:51 - World's Greatest Detective
01:33:12 - vi
01:36:54 - Finding the World
01:48:04 - vii
01:50:42 - I Am The Night
01:00:54 - viii
02:02:29 - Context is Everything
02:12:26 - ix
02:14:08 - A Serious House on Serious Earth
SUICIDE SQUAD: KILL THE JUSTICE LEAGUE CRITIQUE - DEAD WEIGHT
• Suicide Squad: Kill th...
BATMAN: ARKHAM CITY CRITIQUE - BREAKING THE BAT
• Batman: Arkham City Cr...
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY CRITIQUE - ROCK'N'ROLLERCOASTER
• Guardians of the Galax...
QUANTUM BREAK CRITIQUE - BEYOND AMBITION
• Quantum Break Critique...
I MADE MY FIANCEE PLAY HOLLOW KNIGHT
• Hollow Knight | Noobus...
REFERENCES/FOOTAGE
1 - Playstation Blog - E3 2009 Arkham Asylum Interview
2 - VideoGamer - Sefton Hill Interview 2009 Arkham Asylum
3 - Fatman on Batman: Special Guest Grant Morrison
4 - RedCarpetTV - Kevin Conroy explains why Batman is Better than Superman
5 - Gamespot - Batman Arkham Asylum Video Interview
6 - The Gamer - Arkham Asylum is still the best Metroidvania
7 - The Guardian - Interview: Batman Arkham Asylum Co-Writer Paul Dini
8 - Batman Arkham Videos - Batman: Arkham Asylum - Behind The Scenes Documentary
9 - Bryan Young - Comic-Con Interview: Game Director Sefton Hill Talks Batman: Arkham Asylum
10 - Reddit - I’m Sefton Hill, Creative Director at Rocksteady Studios, the creators of the Batman: Arkham series of video games. Ask me almost anything!
11 - Video Game JUNKIE - BATMAN Arkham Asylum Batass Stealth Takedowns #1 | Hard, No Detective Mode, Unseen
12 - BAFTAGuru - Batman: Arkham Asylum Audio Director Nick Arundel | Sound Design Mini Masterclass
13 - GamesRadar - GDC 11: Batman: Arkham City interview
14 - Kevin Smith - BATMAN AND PAUL DINI!
15 - Gamasutra - Rocksteady's Hill: Batman's Success Down to not 'overstretching' on game features
16 - Games Radar - Looking Back at Batman: Arkham Asylum
17 - Gamespot - (Arkham City) Sefton Hill DICE 2012 Session
MUSIC
All music used is licensed by Artlist.
1 - Nobou - Memento
2 - Ardie Son - Raindrops
3 - Lance Conrad - Fortitude
4 - Josh McCausland - A Town Called Dismal
5 - Borrtex - Clean Water Upon You
6 - Be Still the Earth - Tankestrom
7 - Borrtex - Failure Over Regret
8 - Jon Gegelman - Changed
9 - Kevin Graham - A Complicated Situation
10 - Kyle Preston - A Fallen City
11 - Liquid Memoirs - Liminal Spaces
12 - Max H. Empty Room
13 - Michael Vignola - A Glimmer of Hope
14 - Norvik - Waterbed
15 - Noam Zaguri - In a Heartbeat
16 - Red City Hero - Good Day
17 - Shahead Mostafafar - Eternity Clock
18 - Shahead Mostafafar - Into the Next Dimension
19 - We Dream of Eden - The Precipice

[@MontyZander]

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[@gavincosy]

J 1:04:00

[@PerfectJav]

​@@gavincosy😊

[@andycic.544]

I always find the versions of Batman that nail the balance between the darkness of the universe and it's inherent comic book campiness to be the best. A lot of versions try to cheat by making "gritty and realistic reimaginings". I always find it more interesting when writers like Paul Dini can make the villains dark while still staying true to their comic book personas and designs. It's the fundamental anachronism that makes Batman and his rogues so interesting.

[@MontyZander]

That BTAS episode I reference - “Christmas with the Joker” has one of my favourite Bats moments when he goes on a patrol on Christmas Eve and is a little bit disappointed when he learns he’s not needed that night! No big crimes etc. I love beats like that in his stories

[@stephanie8477]

@@MontyZander I really hope you're planning on including the Black Sheep of the series, Arkham Origins, because of this exact contrast. For as many issues as i have with that game, one of my favorite moments when Batman is on the bridge and he and Alfred just quietly and almost sadly wish each other a merry Christmas. But it's Alfred would initiates the conversation, as if he's trying to get an emotion that isn't anger for once and it just dies when Batman just says " you too."

[@flaviocoutino8735]

😢

[@spider-man500]

Which is why I am looking forward to Robert Pattinson's Batman universe. It is the most grounded live action take of the character by far. Even more than Christopher Nolan's. But UNLIKE Christopher Nolan's and even the other Batman films, it embraces the style of the character. With its creepy, dark, gothic yet heartfelt/sweet and almost romantic at times style.

[@FrenchPotato661]

No film has struck this balance perfectly yet!

[@goroakechi6126]

Something I would have enjoyed for an ending fix is to give him a walk through the asylum to go through. No more puzzles or combat, just a talk with everyone you beat up. Give some seeds to Ivy for her to raise, talk with Bane on helping get the remaining Titan purged, visit Scarecrow in the medical ward, etc. something to show he does care about them as people.

[@edwardliebert4478]

That truly would have elevated the game in my opinion. That care and compassion for people who just recently tried killing him is what makes Batman as a character so special in my eyes.

[@ddl3718]

I think that would’ve been the ideal ending for a Batman game, but not this one. The way this Batman works that doesn’t really fit. He didn’t go through a character arc or show any special sort of kindness, matter of fact he’s emotionless for most of the game. If they had small things like him pausing and looking defeated when croc takes crane, or a small burst of anger at seeing bane instead of shock it would’ve been perfect.

[@malisacroner]

grdjhdrjdrj123grdjhdrjdrj123

[@TheAzulmagia]

@@ddl3718 That's something that always bothered me about the Arkham Batman. He's not very charismatic or empathetic. He's just always unpleasant. Sure, he fulfills the "Goddamn Batman" power fantasy that makes the game fun, but the actual character just is just so coarse to anyone and everyone that it's jarring. I'm reminded of a moment from Arkham City where Bruce is willing to let thousands of people die so he can save Talia, a trained ninja assassin, from the Joker despite outright admitting earlier in the game that Arkham City was filled with political prisoners who had done nothing wrong and other people who had already paid their debt to society. The idea that Bruce would even for a second be okay with the deaths of so many innocents, let alone the actually guilty, is just the anti-thesis of Batman as a person.

[@citizenvulpes4562]

@@TheAzulmagia It seems like the Arkham games were taking inspiration from Frank Miller when writing this interpretation of Batman.

[@bellenber]

I think Arkham Asylum has one of the greatest intros ever. It really makes you feel like you are there, as Batman. I don't think any other game franchise has replicated this feeling of putting you in the titular character's shoes so well.

[@ginge641]

Problem is that this trick only works once. Once you get the jist and the novelty wears off, it's a forced slow walk segment with no gameplay beyond moving forward. None of what makes the moment-to-moment experience fun is here in the opening and that can seriously drag on repeat playthroughs. Thankfully, City, Origins, and Knight all open on skippable cutscenes, with City having a much shorter walking segment and the others not having one at all.

[@shalindelta7]

@ginge641 i played the game maybe 5 times and always loved the walking segment. See it's not about the walking to me because the dialog they gave to joker for example is on point and something i always want to hear time and again. Now obviously i get what you're saying as it won't work in any game, but in this game it's flawless.

[@ginge641]

@@shalindelta7 How far apart do you play this game? Five times since 2009 suggests pretty far apart unless you got it more recently. Yeah, stuff like that, it's fine. But if you've played the game recently or you know the entire thing by heart already, there's nothing in it for the player except hearing something they know already. It gives the game no replay value for me beyond years later when I've forgotten enough to make it novel again. Now, the games with NG+, they got it right in making the intros quick and with skippable cutscenes. Asylum doesn't have NG+, so the intro isn't **crippling**, but it is an annoyance for me at this point.

[@shalindelta7]

@ginge641 more recently maybe 2013 but definitely played it twice within the last 4 years. Arkham series is one of my all time favs and will play it again maybe next year if not later this year for sure. I like revisiting short story games when I'm waiting for new releases that interest me. Right now I'm revisiting ps3 and playing stuff like infamous and the old god of war games.

[@StudMacher96]

Twice that’s it? I play it like 3 times a year

[@nahthanksno8299]

I love that in a video about Arkham, you managed to put the words “Love” and “Craft” back to back

[@senecauk8363]

Ha, I noticed this too.

[@EmeraldLavigne]

Arkham being picked as the name of the asylum was 1000% a Lovecraft nod.

[@TheChannelTroll]

My favorite Batman interpretation is the JLU Batman, who, even with all he’s lost, has a fundamental compassion for others. (The Ace scene still makes me cry)

[@eneyavorodecky]

Somebody said it ages ago that this is the ultimate test if the character is The Batman or just a weirdo who stole the ears and the cape. If he will comfort a dying child or not. The bar is on the floor and the amount of versions that can't clear even that is shocking.

[@sandwichboy1268]

If you wanna talk about the "implications" of Raaz's body being in the Arkham morgue... Let's talk about the implications of his body disappearing if you return after you solved his riddle

[@TheAzulmagia]

Did you know that if you don't immediately solve the Warden Sharp picture puzzle, Riddler gradually gets increasingly more angry at Batman for not figuring out the answer? A similar event occurs in Arkham City if you keep tampering with Riddler's devices when he wants you to go to the church.

[@MontyZander]

I did not know this! Amazing!

[@TheAzulmagia]

@@MontyZander Glad I could tell you something new! I also learned while messing around in Arkham City once that if you shoot the TYGER Helicopters with the REC, they will immediately open fire on Batman as if Protocol 10 is in progress. And I'm sure you know that you can beat up the goons that invite you to Joker's party in Arkham Asylum, both outside and inside the Visitor's Center.

[@NC.Shorts1]

I got that on my first playthrough, I knew I was looking for a painting of warden sharp, I just couldn't figure out where it was.

[@warwatcher91]

I think the whole section on Quincy Sharpe and on the building itself were the best parts of the video. Good lord, I completely missed a lot of this stuff when I played this game all those years ago. (Realizing this game is gonna be 14 years old this summer makes me feel old)

[@JammyGuns]

I love this game - one of my all time favorites. The environment especially. Sometimes I just stop to stare at the old buildings and architecture, the modern and sophisticated awkwardly melded with the old and archaic . The atmosphere and sense of history is incredible.

[@djCatScanRL]

chock full of Easter eggs, too! 🕵🏻

[@StudMacher96]

It feels like it has a soul of its own. It’s creepy and so mysterious

[@jonahkey9313]

I loved the inclusion of a serious house on serious earth in this. I've never actually read or heard the full story of it, and it works amazingly intertwined between key points of the game. It has a lot of comparisons to the game's version of the asylum as well, and shows where the ending flops a little. Great video, like all of them end up being.

[@orlandofurioso7329]

That comic book is so epic, as if Arkham and Batman were destined to clash from the beginning

[@Nyxael5845]

You mentioned at 1:20:35 that Arkham City was barely a glint in Sefton Hill's eye but I can assure you that Rocksteady was already working on that game 7 months before Arkham Asylum was published. It explains the short timespan between Asylum (2009) and City (2011).

[@armchairbrain]

It really is the definitive Batman game (at least IMO), and perhaps the best kind of follow-up to BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES considering Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill are present here. This is the kind of story that's probably *too* massive and detailed to truly tell in a comic book, or for that matter a film, considering just how dense the game's environment is. Well done, sir.

[@RaptorJesus]

I feel like the Arkham series is exactly what B:TAS would've been without 90s censors to work around. But what's most impressive about that is how despite those censors, they still made a series(B:TAS) that I would 100% call adult & mature. Almost nothing is sacrificed, it's just never specifically pointed out, because they knew the audience would get it. And then you have the handful of episodes where they said "screw it, let's see how far we can push". Heart of Ice, Mad Love, Baby-Doll, The Forgotten, The Underdwellers. All those episodes deal with things that even modern television treads lightly on.

[@rottensquid]

@@RaptorJesus Perhaps, but I I've come to feel that Batman shouldn't always be aimed solely at adults. When I was a kid, I thought edgy, transgressive animation was the shit. But now, it's not really transgressing against anyone but younger audiences. There are no more pearl-clutching squares screaming about how animation and video games are supposed to be family friendly. The religious right doesn't care anymore, they found more profitable battles to fight, and it turns out profit was their only real interest. So the real losers now are 10-year-olds who might be into a Batman if his world didn't look like the Saw movies. Don't get me wrong, I loved the Arkham games. But I feel like the animated series, for the most part, struck nice a balance, child-friendly without being childish. Occasionally, it went too far into baby-land. And sometimes, it got way too messed up. But overall, I don't think it would have been improved by more blood or bigger boobs in skimpier costumes. It wouldn't kill the franchise if Batman dropped into a more kid-friendly version of Gotham from time to time.

[@karenamyx2205]

​@@rottensquid Ok, so what's your point? Are you saying the games should be kiddier? Or...? I dont get exactly which piece of media you are complaining about.

[@rottensquid]

@@karenamyx2205 I'm not complaining really. I love dark and gritty Batman. I just also would like to see a version of the character that's not "mature audiences only." I feel like something's been lost. That said, I'm not looking for kiddie pool Batman either. I liked the Brave and the Bold animated series okay, but it felt like it overcorrected from all the hardcore stuff in the films, in Beware the Batman, in the games, and in the comics. And I love all that stuff. I watched all of Beware the Batman all the way through twice. One of the things that makes Batman so awesome is how open he is to reinterpretation. Getting the character "right" is a pretty wide target. It's just that Batman:TAS was a perfect balance of tones, and I miss that. When everything is a reaction to the last thing, "balance" is a hard target to hit.

[@JarethS]

Monty's Joker laugh is something I didn't know I needed until now. I loved this game when I first played it all those years ago, and I like to revisit it now and again simply because it's one of (if not the only) game I feel really captures the feeling of that comic book style hero... something we see fail time and time again with games like the new Avengers and Gotham Knights. Looking forward to what else you have for us this year, Monty!

[@SomeWeirdCat]

I love interspersing the game with the comic that was the primary inspiration. It compares and contrasts well. Especially in regards to that ending. I've never really considered it before, but you're right, it really was a big oversight to have no follow about the horrendous conditions of the asylum within the game itself, especially with the fact he directly helped fund this nightmare. We don't get to see the compassion that batman should have like in the comic ending

[@anjetto1]

The best batman game. The best joker. The best batman. It may literally never get ANY better than this game when it came out

[@StudMacher96]

Agreed man. Couldn’t agree more. But you gotta admit Lego Batman the video game is like #3 spot

[@JJMcSkoozie222]

@@StudMacher96 ok l moll nm p

[@turtleanton6539]

Indeed I think so to

[@donet0death240]

And they topped it with the sequel

[@octavianhughes4493]

Funny thing at around 1 hour and 40 minutes, the scene with Joker electrocuting the guard can be skipped if you disable the power before going to that hallway. May have not saved the guard, but Joker DOES have commentary if you do it first, frustrated you beat him to it. Same thing happens in the library if you go up to the top to cut the chandelier first. He even lowers the timer to fuck with you.

[@Hot_cheese986]

Smart man here

[@TheGaragebandGuide]

This might be your best retrospective/deep dive/thingy yet. Also, props for the great voice acting during the comic book sections!

[@creecher1118]

Love these games so much. VERY excited for the Arkham City video. Also, VERY excited for Lore Dump 2023. Thank you for all your hard work, Monty. 🙏

[@MontyZander]

The first 2023 Lore Dump comes out tomorrow!

[@creecher1118]

@Monty Zander Awesome! I can't wait. I hope you guys can cover Resident Evil 8 and it's DLC soon. 👀

[@spooknukem1177]

@@MontyZander oh shit let the hype train in my head start chugging

[@NoahDietz]

Before I replayed them recently, I remember thinking I liked Arkham City more of the 2. Watching this just reinforces why I like Asylum the most. It's such a tight, contained story that keeps you moving without too much slack in the gametime (outside of trophy collecting.) Wonderful video man, I can't wait to see what else 2023 brings!

[@jacobcastle5925]

This was phenomenal. Genuinely shocked and impressed. It is creators like you that prove to me that the halls of academia are not the only place that the wise can be found and that beautiful creation can take place.

[@JustinW332]

It was really nice to hear the voices I grew up with, in this game. Also, Oracle is my favorite version of Barbara Gordon. She's just so cool to me.

[@roarsack503]

I would like to point out that the characters' faces have suffered a considerable downgrade in the "remaster" version, especially Batman's, ironic as it is. The cutscene lighting is also noticeably flat compared to the original. The original cutscenes had much deeper shadows and more nuanced textures. I recommend going back to the original if possible: it holds up much better than the remaster would have you believe.

[@ShimmyFr]

Absolutely this. The original is much better across the board, even sometimes on a technical level.

[@roarsack503]

@@ShimmyFr yep. There's probably a reason why they never bothered releasing the Return to Arkham collection on PC.

[@proudspartan313]

The voice acting was awesome. Such a compelling reading of one of the best batman stories of the 80s. This channel deserves more subscribers

[@somedudewatchintv5297]

For me the best Batman is animated series Batman. He wasn't the barely restrained authoritarian badass so much media portrays him as. He was a man acting in utmost compassion to save people from a similar experience he had as a child not rage and contempt for his fellow man. He seemed to me to be someone that always wanted to talk his enemies off the ledge which was exemplified by the end of the Baby Doll episode where he basically let her cry on his shoulder after she finally came to her senses. The world around him generally allowed for that kind of interaction. Even Joker wasn't this near omniscient demon of hate and chaos he is in other media. He was clearly human which allowed him to be treated as a human. Portrayals like the games encourages the audience to want Batman to be a bit more brutal and finally start killing his villains because the scale of harm created is so huge and they don't show any humanity.

[@ShimmyFr]

Yeah that’s fair. I don’t know if I’d really change someone like the Joker’s characterization in these games because I feel like that’d impact the tone in a bad way, but Batman could definitely have shown his compassionate side slightly more even if just subtly. He’s pretty stone faced throughout all of AA and most of AC. Some of the villains could have maybe been toned down to help make his moral compass easier to root for but I really don’t know what would be worth sacrificing and what should be unchanged. At the very least we got Freeze.

[@danylagunes]

Small detail: Ra’s Al Ghoul’s body disappears from the body back. This denotes that it’s been taken to the Lazarus pit, which is pretty cool

[@Vulgarth1]

Jimmy Palmiotti did good with Harley but c'mon. It's basically a "sexy clown" version of the Animated Series' Harley outfit, isn't it? Which is apparently the issue with her "sexy clown nurse" Arkham outfit.

[@itsArcanAramA]

"The Morgue is not out to truly terrify us" I think I may have done something wrong then, back when I first played this in 2009 xD Amazing video so far. It has really reignited my intrigue and passion for this game (and the Arkham comic as well!). Hopefully all these years later, I can play it with confidence, and... not shut it off in terror whenever another Scarecrow section comes up ^^;

[@99buffalosoldiers]

YES LET'S GOOO Just found out about this channel recently and has been my favorite analysis channel since. Always glad to see more from such a talented writer!

[@EmeraldLavigne]

Ditto!!! Monty is amazing.

[@javiermauricio8377]

The problem with The Joker fight is that, since this is still an action game, finishing the game without a fist fight is difficult. It´s obvious that the Joker's Boss fight is the entire game, everything that we, as the Batman, were put through was becasue of the Joker, all the kilings, the physical strain, the psycological stress, discovering how corrupt the Asylum was, all of it happened becasue of the Joker. To me, they should've made Batman solve some sort of final trap set by the Joker out of desperation and leave it there.

[@wwemusicfanC]

The Arkham trilogy is still my favourite set of games ever. The claustrophobic, brutal and horrifying atmosphere of Asylum, the expansion of the Batman cast and look at the decay of a part of Gotham that has deep meaning to Batman and monument to his overall failure in City and of course, the culmination of the ticking time bomb that has been set since the Bat first appeared finally exploding in Knight. All his issues brought to the front, showing just how damaging they are to his mission and his relationships as well as the slow expansion/teases of the wider DC Universe. Each game has its flaws, but fuck me are they packed with love, care, attention, detail and satisfying gameplay. Just *chefs kiss* I do hope the Suicide Squad game ends up being just as packed, just as fun and just as good as the Arkham trilogy. Side note: the Arkham remasters look worse than the original versions of the game and it bugs the crap out of me that most people use footage from them instead of the originals

[@coltonwilkie241]

How do they look worse? They look pretty fine to me. The face models are kinda terrible on everyone but Batman and Joker but that's about it. Also I doubt the Suicide Squad game will be just as good. The majority of the devs that made the Arkham games aren't at Rocksteady anymore so there's that.

[@y.l.8796]

I mostly agree but there is one thing I have to disagree with: Not every Arkham game has flaws. City is pretty much flawless. I can‘t think of one thing it doesn‘t do right.

[@Logan-il1rw]

U mean quadrilogy, don’t disrespect origins like that

[@ShimmyFr]

@@coltonwilkie241you don’t think there’s anything wrong with Batman or joker’s face models? They’re like the most glaringly worse ones lol. Batman has a perpetual frown for some reason and Joker’s face somehow looks less detailed and too bright. The environments look alright, I think they improved some interiors and the skybox, but they really butchered the sickly green tint that permeated the island in the original release.

[@tovbyte]

Really really well done video. I particularly love how you interspersed the Arkham asylum comic with your review. You’re actually pretty good at reading it like an audio book - you could do more of that stuff

[@AlexRider589]

One of the biggest strengths of this game, in my opinion, is the easter eggs for characters not included. It implies that the rest of the Batman world is existing in this universe, even if they couldn't fit it all in.

[@Yan-tz9pn]

100% My favourite thing about this game was exactly that. Just the set up for the outside world. Penguin, freeze and calendar man’s cells, killer moth and rat catchers gear, just sets up so much interesting mystery

[@horatioal-saadi5021]

Watching through all this was a joy, and ending it by mentioning you're getting married this year made me so happy to hear. Congratulations! And another great video as always

[@teachersama]

I loved this game. I remember I got stuck at a mission because of a bug which didn't allow me to accomplish an objective and I rage-quit. I'm thinking of playing it again thanks to your video.

[@happykharl]

That grant Morriston quote is fantastic. I've never heard it before, but it's brilliant

[@orlandofurioso7329]

The bat torment from Amadeus' memories was so awesome, as if him and the bat were destined to fight from the beginning, the legacy of Arkham vs the son of the bats

[@JuliusCaesar103]

Asylum remains the game with the best atmosphere which makes it my Nr. 1 in the series

[@josesosa3337]

Yep, you as a player really do feel trapped and in danger. Batman is at his best when he's the underdog.

[@DunlopPride]

I was looking forward to watching this one! Arkham Asylum is one of my all time favorites and as a wee Batman fan I remember BEGGING my parents for a PS3 for Christmas so I could play it. You mentioned it a bit in the video, but one of my favorite details is how you can keep returning to the visitor center for therapy sessions with the joker for unique dialogues after the major events. Great video! Really loved your breakdown of the riddler challenges and why they did/didn't work. Hope you continue this series through the rest of the Arkham games!!

[@CrusadiaIX]

1:16:20 One of my favourite details of Arkham Knight is the intro with ACE Chemicals feeling like one long repudiation of this attitude in Asylum and City, showing Batman mourning the dead facility personnel and promising to avenge them.

[@MasterVerk98]

As always, Monty comes back with some truly top tier content. Particularly enjoyed the reading from the comics.

[@stayslapped1568]

I’ve listened to A LOT of critiques and retrospectives on these games. This one was my favorite.

[@cadengardner4440]

Hyper sexualized Harley and Poison were PERFECT

[@Terminal_Apotos]

Facts, and it’s not as if the men aren’t Sexualized either. They’re all Buff Action Figures. Better than Ugly Harley they got in SSKTJL.

[@samuelstensgaard4828]

​@@Terminal_Apotos There's a difference between how a character looks physically and how they dress. If the men were sexualized just as much in this game, Batman would be baring midriff to show off his abs.

[@chandllerburse737]

@@samuelstensgaard4828 His abs are already showing man

[@lizabee484]

This is excellent. Always appreciate your deep, compassionate insights into different games and media, and the Arkham games, in particular, mean a lot to me, so I was stoked to see Asylum was next on your list. The Batman: Arkham games were a major part of my life when I was in school, I spent endless sleepless nights sat on the floor, watching my friends make Batman zip from rooftop to rooftop, enough so I associate the image of that parachute-like cape with calm and comfort, more like a weighted blanket than the caped crusader. It’s probably a strange way for me to think of the game, (oh well, everyone has a strange coping mechanism or two, right Dent?), but it became a cornerstone piece of media during my formative years. And hey, now I just have more excuses to think deeply and critically about Asylum with this video! Huzzah!

[@liaramsay9976]

rip the batman, kevin conroy.

[@mistertwister2000]

You briefly mentioned how Batman being the “billionaire who’s always prepared” makes him boring, I felt a few years of my life return to me. I feel like many forget that one of Batman’s most formidable skills is that he knows he has limits, something fans tend to forget. Many fans act as though with enough PrEp TiMe he can’t be beaten, but that makes him boring. Batman is interesting because he’s just a man, he can fail, he often does fail.

[@santamendezmarte3814]

One line that is from the comics of the same hero is the no killing when he was a young batman

[@MistahJay7]

You completely missed the point of Batmans contingency plans. It's not that he is invincible and will always win with "prep" time It's the just the mere fact that he always has a plan for every situation is a staple of his character. Bruce is a paranoid guy that thinks of every situation. It makes sense for Batman to do these things like have plans to take down league behind there back if they go rogue. It's a literal character trait and thats the entire point of it. It's not Boring either cause even alot of his contingency plans fail to. I think I lost a few years of my life seeing your comment have that many likes to be honest. Media literacy truly has gone down the drain

[@MrArchimondde]

Man, I really LOVE your critiques. I'm so grateful I stumbled upon your Bioshock breakdowns. Even though you started relatively recently, I find with the quality of your videos, you are way up there with the likes of The Salt Factory and Joseph Anderson. I really hope one day you will get similar numbers so you can keep growing and keep at it for years to come!

[@xenonbart5526]

your critiques always make the game feel more an art than a technology, I love it!

[@lukew6725]

Video games are inherently art.

[@liz5100]

1:00:00 when speaking about your metroidvania test I would add that it must continually open the world. If used once and discarded, as far as exploration and 'world opening' goes, then I wouldn't count it personally.

[@amaryllis6501]

This one was really good, Monty. I can tell you came at this one from a place of heart.

[@bepkororoti8019]

Wow, I've never actually seen Kevin Conroy's face, he looked a lot like Willem Dafoe, I need to check out his book

[@frank8917]

Also, another nice detail is on batman’s suit damage The more the game goes, the more damage it gets

[@chiryo1224]

i love the feature of the heart monitor letting you know YES these prisoners are TERRIFIED when they encounter batman

[@dbedard524]

just finished up a Replay of Arkham City, i love how brutal the combat is in these games.

[@nexusaquarion9281]

By the way, the footage that he’s using is from that remastered Batman, Arkham asylum return to Arkham. That is a lot brighter.

[@Honeypie675]

FInally, another Monty video! And here I was, itching to hear your voice again that I started rewatching all of your video essays for the 4th time. Great video as always, I love hearing your interpretations and critiques. The side by side reading of the comic and the gameplay analysis was really cool and kept me interested and listening intently. That wheezy Joker laugh while you read the comic was fantastic, its exactly the kind of voice/laugh I'd expect from him just based on the visuals of the comic.

[@dedstring]

Monty ill always have a huge amount of nostalgia for the time period you released these arkham videos in, it was such a joy to remember what a great game felt like and to remember that time when most games were just good and made with heart, thankyou for all your work monty im completely inspired by what you've done here and ive gone back to replay these games twice now because of you

[@KFXG]

This is still my favourite Batman game. It's the most solid and focused of the Arlham series, and is easily the most replayable. I go back to this series every couple of years.

[@belinskiparadox7687]

Watching this video made me realize how much worse Return to Arkham looks than the original game

[@strisselstudios3932]

Holy shit. I've never heard of that graphic novel, but two-face revealing the coin was actually scarred side up gave me legitimate chills.

[@SumSayKosm]

Long videos like this keep me sane during work, and your channel has been a great addition to my roation of videos

[@DJTS1991]

For me, this is the definitive Batman story. This is MY Batman. And the fact that they leave much of the earlier stories open to interpretation means that the story can be whatever we want it to be.

[@fanboy58]

Great video! Arkham Asylum is one of my all-time favorites. I'd never really thought about the clash between old vs new as a throughline in the game's story and world. But it seems obvious now that you laid it out. Thanks for that insight! Looking forward to your City and Knight critiques.

[@LordSephiroth518]

Another fantastic critique of a beloved game. The amount of time and work you put into every video is amazing down to even the smallest details of the game. Thank you for all you do Monty and I am looking forward to all the future videos. Getting a nagging feeling that Gotham Knights was just not that great of a game. Weird, not sure what could have given me that idea. Also, that shot at Calisto Protocal's audio diaries was perfect!

[@RevenantPoet]

Another absolutely fantastic video!!! I never had the chance to play these games back in the day, and it's fantastic to finally have some insight into the hype. As always, your insight is illuminating, and I love how you paired it with that particular story from the comics to really make the feel of what the story tried to say hit home. Thank you so much for the absurd amount of work and love you put into this!

[@devildino9600]

Honestly, glad to see you upload. I know you do long form videos, but I binge videos and your videos are always good to listen for long time frames. Cant wait to see the take on the Arkham series.

[@Argyle117]

Please for the love of god, do the other games too please. This was phenomenal, I was not expecting a game analysis and a dramatic reading in the same video.

[@djalrogue2633]

So happy to see a new video from you. I binged all your work on this channel and what a masterclass!!! Especially the bioshock series and hollow knight 🙌🙌🙌

[@cumc1227]

Another phenomenal work. Looking forward to your commentary on the rest of the series!

[@jameshayes-barber9340]

In the artbook they talk about how the huge doors WERE a deliberate Artistic choice to highlight the verticality and abstract art style of the design

[@connormarler1698]

Quick fire triple batarangs and the triple bat claw are super useful in combat when used sparingly. Disagree that gadgets aren't effective, you just have to be really deliberate about your timing.

[@looneyllama]

i have seen basically all there is to see about all the arkham games, and this video was so much more different than all the others because of how well you presented it, great video man👍

[@adamtapparo2168]

I binged all of your retrospectives last month and I was so sad to be out of them. Nobody does this like you, combining gameplay critique with philosophy, politics, psychology etc. Im so so happy to have something new from you. I know it’s going to be amazing quality. Thank you for what you do!

[@gustaafmilzink]

Excellent video on one of my favorite games.....gonna have to play it again now :) I like that you discussed the comic along side. Made for a bit of extra perspective.

[@stephanie8477]

LETS GO!!!! New Monty Critique and on one of my favorite series

[@exFAT.]

This was a fantastic critique video, thank you. Really loved the reading of the graphic novel integrated between sections as well, really well done!

[@AathielVaDaath]

I am impressed by your voices and narration of the graphic novel.. I've really enjoyed your content but was surprised by that. Well done

[@svino1218]

SOOOO excited to listen to this while on the company dime

[@jturmunkh]

I like your reading of the comic book throughout the video. It really sets the mood entertainingly. I hope your videos reach more audience.

[@matthewsmith7059]

Love these long in depth looks at the Arkham series . Hope you do one for every game 🙏.

[@sopranophantomista]

Kevin. ♥ What a soul. I'm glad I caught this so early (relatively speaking). Thank you for all your continued effort and perspective on the games that you love so much you gotta talk about them. Cheers.

[@SamuelTheManuel05]

This video is absolutely outstanding. I watch a lot of videos like this but few are so good that I subscribe to the channel after watching just one video. Incredible work.

[@muto7825]

This was such a fun piece to watch--I always look forward to your videos!

[@asdfghjkl-qo8bp]

Arkham Asylum is one of my favourite games of all time for the atmosphere, aesthetic, and villains even if it has flaws. It helped me get into more Batman content including the comics referenced in the game. It’s extremely nostalgic for me along with the animated series from the 90’s. This was the best video I’ve seen on this game with so many details, some I never thought of like the colour palettes when villains are in control or the stiff plastic animation from mocap to add to the surrealism. You got a new subscriber!

[@braydenscott3805]

Oh boy am I excited to lieten to this while I work on school. I want to say that I love these long form video essays especially your bioshock ones. They opened me up the political theories that I want to learn more about, a fine example of looking for gold and finding diamonds. I have feeling these arkham videos are gonna open me up to psychological stuff that's really interesting. Thank you so much for making these videos.

[@gee7893]

Excellent video!! The first Arkham game was what really kickstarted my love for the character, so this video was a real treat!

[@Squiggly6942]

I have to counter an early point with a suggestion. Batman killing ppl can be interesting if it is about why he killas and whether or not he should be stopped. Has Batman become what he fights and do others need to step in and take him down? What does that story look like and can we find interesting dynamics to inject, based on that concept? I think yes. Unfortunately that isn't really what we get, as far as movies. The Batman who laughs is kind of what I'm talking about though.

[@Eladelia]

Fantastic video. Including the comic as a parallel narrative really enriched it.

[@liamboote225]

Awesome video as always. Looking forward to your coverage of the rest of the series. I think it's interesting how Batmans charecter balance is mirrored by some of the difficulty of balancing superhero games. Batman is often seen as a more "dark" hero, and people can often have difficulty balancing that with him being a real hero. In games, playing Batman means wanting a power fantasy while also still wanting a challenging and satisfying game. Arkham Assylum does pretty well in both its characterization of Batman and balancing power fantasy with challenge.

[@jubileechambers2604]

Monty I cannot thank you enough for your amazing videos. The first things of yours I watched was your Bioshock Videos. You're Hollow Knight video is why I am currently on a two week binge of Hollow Knight playing for the first time and basking in the wonder of it all. So thank you so so so much I am excited to see what else you have in store for us.

[@Rain.maker.]

I love the way you broke up thos video with the comic. It makes it feel grand, more impactful. I always loved the idea of that comic and seeing it up against Arkham Asylum. Really hit.

[@oliverjthatcher]

This is genuinely such a amazing video

[@spooknukem1177]

Yay more Monty it's been a bit I hope u enjoyed ur time off monty

[@BodKidCymru]

Added to the list to watch, currently making my way through your bioshock retrosepective 👌

[@JokerJay1990]

So glad I found this video I've been yearning for a batman arkham analysis like this for years.... phenomenal writing and editing please tell me you are doing Arkham city.

[@adeadphish7931]

I really enjoyed this approach to a comic book game retrospective. It adds just that extra layer to see the comic source laid out next to its adaptation into a game

[@vipulgupta4348]

I'm gonna binge your entire channel now. Great video.

[@lucaramirez9339]

The thunder sounded so real when talking about Arkham I panicked took off my earbud and looked out the window

[@koust6032]

Love what you did jumping from arkham asylum to a serious house on serious earth that also happens to be on my top 3 batman stories

[@user-kc6yp3gj8w]

I feel like the comparison between the game and the actual comic that helped inspire it adds so much. It paints ckearly what The Arkham Asylum Batman mist be going through. He isnt doing this but is made to have to do it. The hesitance of the comic paints his rhoughts in game. The panic paints his resolution