The Politics of Batman: Arkham Asylum

[@BludPanda]

Clearly the video is important if it has struck a nerve so deep in many Arkham fans. If you watch the whole video, the point is a lot more nuanced and open ended than you may think. Never have I said Arkham Asylum was a bad game or that you shouldn't play it because it is problematic...I'm looking at this game from the deepest critique I can find because I genuinely like the game and can imagine ways it could be better, ways it could say more about us and the character, which is important if they ever decide to remake arguably the most important superhero game ever made. If you think this is progressive talking points, you're right! We all have biases, stop acting like you're outside of politics. This video isn't propaganda, you're just uncomfortable, and that's good.

[@godzillazfriction]

i appreciate an essay that does something different of what it preaches for & against... but, here's where I'm going to stop praising; your main talking points of modernism & postmoderism are all going to be a contrived prescriptive abstraction by its descriptive nature of it all especially for the subject matter of the video, regarding Arkham Asylum's utilisation of both these abstractions to pure use that you define for what the game presents itself with; despite that, the game is using the superficiality of modernism like you're doing in this very video, which includes your indoctrinated beliefs regarding a Higher set of perceived standards that gets determined in its absolute form of truth to what (anything) it should & shouldn't be as; such as utilising the abstract dilemma's/concepts such as determining what's 'gUd & eVeL' & the absolute subset of what's 'right & wrong' which ties into the linguistic form of the concept that is 'morality' - (im going to over-analyse on these matters later throughout this comment) now back to your pinned comment, the whole 'progressive agenda' that you're being criticised for is a one that you're utilising in its superficiality such as informally labelling someone or something as that very matter that you're perceiving it to be absolutely just; you went on to distorting the essence of the criticism of the progressive talking points, but you responded back with a modernist polarization of what 'post-modernism' is, to which you stated that it was or is a 'pretty leftist idea' - i have no idea on what that means in its very essence, and im sure you don't either but if you'll elaborate then that's fine by me; you also distorted the essence of the criticism by pointing out how 'everyone has their biases' but then informally label & argue semantics to everyone who has their own biases to 'stop acting like you're outside of politics' by that logic, are you arguing for politics in it's superficial form of presentation or are you genuinely & generally utilising politics to serve progressive talking points, despite you pointing out how this video isn't 'propaganda' which in context is the same thing that you're labelling of someone to being that representative thing that you're arguing against for not being representive off of... now im going to actually over-analyse Modernist abstractions that's been indoctrinated within every Human on this planet, which everyone is subjected towards to which is the same with you even in this very video, to which is the sentiment of your video that arguing against for. 'morality' & any synonymous that are derived from the Etymological nature that's been throughout Human History (which amplifies Modernism) are abided towards the progressive usage of forwarding 'meaning' of what a Human or Humanity should strive for in juxtaposition for what the essence of the existence of a 'Human' being should & shouldn't be as in its absolute form of truth & it's subset i.e. the determination of the Higher set of perceived standards; this further progresses throughout the Human Consciousness/Perception & the indoctrination, that being as; prescriptive abstractions that equate to that standard is 'Psychopath' or any personality disorder for that matter especially Personality within itself - then there's another prescriptive terms such as 'Humane, Humanise, subhuman, inhuman, monster' - (this also includes 'animal' even though Humans are technically animals by its prescriptive & descriptive nature of what an 'animal' is in essence, but Humans differentiate based on viewing Humanity based on the Human Consciousness & it's Cognitive parts of the brain that transpires Humans into bring higher-sentient-beings; the term 'animal' within context is just a subset of the contrived & prescriptive abstraction of what a 'Human' in essence should & shouldn't be as; these terms are used as an allegorical & paradoxical means to forward 'meaning' for Humanity, which further exemplifies generalisation & differentiation) that's an allegorical and paradoxical abstraction that goes against the very essence of what & how being a 'Human' is in its very essence of existence... the Modernistic prescribed subset of the Human Intuition, that's based off of the Human Consciousness to derive simpler 'progressive meaning' is a superficial abstraction, that is the dichotomy of 'Good' & 'Evil' - is a vague but a broad contrived spectrum, that Humans spewed upon for 'progressive meaning' that's supposed to accept of Humanity as it is based off this socially constructed dichotomy that is 'Good' & 'Evil' - which in turn blurs and convolutes the world by its illogical fallacies, that a subset of Humans have spewed into the Modernistic Ideological Dogma of an accepted & higher set of perceived standards of what it'll indoctrinate towards to, such as the concept of 'race' - 'Morality' - 'Normality' - etc. - 'right & wrong' is once again another 'subset' of forwarding, progressive meaning via any means to indoctrinate based on prescriptive means, that translate into it being descriptive by its apparent, absolute nature & the linguistic Modernism forms of indoctrination. the whole dilemma of 'Hero & Villain' is (also, once again another but MAJOR subset that's been shaped or transpired from Modernism) something that serves to give out 'meaning' as a concept, but it exemplifies the allegorical and paradoxical nature of trying to give out 'meaning' - for and against Humanity aka Human Nature or what it means to be 'Human'. it also ties into how much a group of sentient beings such as Humans can have a biased inconvenienced perspective of who to perceive, deem or determine which one is a 'Hero & Villain' based from a Ideological Dogmatic stance, such as the (everlasting) Higher set of perceived standards that gets determined in its absolute form of truth to what it should & shouldn't be ultimately & justly perceived as... so with that pointed out; Arkham Asylum falls into the measures of its superficiality regarding everything that I've just mentioned or elaborated (& not just modernism/meta-modernism) that is subjected towards to on its superficial level of presentation & the exemplification of its presence; this is a common superficial meta-modernist technique that's used in a means to transpire it's transparent/superficial determination of what it absolutely seems by justly, when that's just how it is - it's 'absolutely seems by justly' - everyone is indoctrinated to being subjected to any of these matters for being 'Human'.

[@yougotmyquack8203]

Bro speaking like he above his viewers. It’s a comic book game dawg. It’s fictional media it doesn’t always have to symbolize real world problems especially a game that came out in the late 2000s

[@yougotmyquack8203]

I’m also confused as well. You say we live outside of politics then you go on to say your viewers have a leftist idea? Choose one.

[@BludPanda]

@@yougotmyquack8203 No I'm not above my viewers and did not ever insinuate that. This comment is referring to many of those calling this video propaganda or an agenda, pretending that their view point is somehow non-biased and mine is. All of our view points on this subject is going to be subjective, even mine, calling something propaganda and an agenda is a dismissive and lazy way of saying "I don't agree" without actually having to go through the motions of arguing something. If this doesn't apply to you then the original comment wasn't targeted to you.

[@BludPanda]

@@yougotmyquack8203 You're misunderstanding what I said. I'm saying this video is inevitably leftist in nature and those who want to call this propaganda should not pretend that they themselves do not hold some kind of political views, because we all do. If people disagree with the point I'd rather them use an argument like godzillazfriction has above rather than just use dismissive claims.

[@smudboy]

2:00 A "Harmful" Horror atmosphere is unsettling and problematic? Whoa. Making Arkham look scary is the point. The setting of a comic book beat em up is not discriminatory against anyone. 6:45 "corporate capitalistic" -- would you be happier if the Wayne's gave the money to local government so they could gentrify a part of the city? Or maybe a bloody communist revolution? 7:00 Doesn't Bruce get arrested for speaking out against Arkham City? 7:15 Bruce hates poor people by spending billions on the city, and fighting crime...? 7:45 Batman, using (non-lethal) military methods, as a vigilante? Fighting crime bosses and 12 foot tall crocodile men? Yeah, that's illegal. That's Batman. 8:15 Hush is the dark opposite of Bruce. Thomas Elliot tried to kill his parents for money; Bruce's dad saved his mom. He's a psycho, and hates Bruce for this. 9:00 Yes. That's what Rocksteady did. People liked the games. 9:35 Anti gentrification signs are about the future of Gotham, not politics per se. Same with the girl with cancer -- to show how evil Joker was. 9:45 Genocide of criminals? Who's doing this? (Ra's al Ghul?) 9:50 "true fan"...Oh I suppose you are? 10:45 Fictional horror elements depicting criminals in bad conditions in a corrupt city doesn't reflect modern day medicine? How frightening! 11:10 "If X was in real life..." Yeah, but it's not. In real life, a 12 foot tall bloke biting heads off would be a scandal, too. As would everything in the DC universe. But yeah, the decor matches the comics of the dirty rooms of psychopaths from the 40-60s? That's bad? 11:50 Batman calls out Dr. Young for creating Titan, the warden for beating the inmates, Officer Boles giving Joker the codes and other things. Some tapes show Batman actively helping the doctors, and that there's nothing that can be done to help Scarecrow. So no, Batman does try and help. 12:05 Fire causes Joker's goons to be transferred from Blackgate. So the majority of the inmates are Joker's goons. It wasn't some revolution. 12:15 the violence is warranted? Batman is using self-defense. What do you want, exactly? Batman to tranq gun or taser the crazies trying to kill him instead of one punch? 12:45 So Bane and Ivy are innocent, trying to kill Batman? I guess Batman shouldn't get angry? 13:00 No, Killer Croc is in a specific cell; he doesn't own a home. Criminals don't own real estate as their prison cell. Also Batman goes into the sewers to neutralize Titan, where Croc was put, because he was eating people. And croc threatened to kill Batman if he saw him again. 13:25 De-escalate violence? They have guns. Batman doesn't and isn't killing them. What do you want him to do? Try talking to psychos attacking him? 14:30 Postmodernism doesn't imply meaning in the narrative of Batman: Arkham Asylum. And you didn't even explain how that's possible. And what, games are made for fun? 21:55 Batman doesn't abuse the patients. He catches them and uses self-defense to stop them. Joker's Blackgate crew were transferred over to the asylum. Joker and Harley released them on Batman, and he incapacitates them. 22:00 Flat "bullsh*t" tone? Conroy is acting poorly? Maybe Batman's stiff and stoic, but the lines aren't nonsensical. You're not using the word properly, and you sound like you're making a personal attack, and doing so poorly. This is not a critical analysis; you're being emotional. 22:10 How is Batman a sociopath? How is he a "sad abuser?" Batman doesn't kill; if he did, that would make him a sociopath. He defends himself, nad stops criminals from doing worse behavior. Stoicism alone doesn't make Batman a sociopath. 22:15 Batman is a horrible person? Where does the game tell or show you this? During the dreamscape brought about by the fear toxin? 22:30 Joker wants to turn other people into giant, mutated monsters, and turn Batman into one. And release his goons with Titan onto the populace. Batman is trying to stop him. 22:55 No, Batman is going off to the second bank of Gotham to stop two-face from robbing it. Did you want him to talk to the Joker Titan monster down from his plan? This is a fighting game. 24:00-24:55 What? You're rambling. 26:05 "Pedantic violence beneath the surface." What? 26:25 "Hyper masculine mascot?" Marxist much? 26:40 "Batman does horrible things." You mean like being a hero who stops crime? That's horrible? 26:57 "Batman...is feeding the flames of the socio-economic problem." So fighting crime and donating to charity is "fanning" the flames of socio-economics? 27:30 Batman fights crime so no one else is traumatized like him. 28:00 What real life consequences...of a game? 28:04 Mental institutions...that the game didn't talk about? How is that real life? 28:55 "Justice has to be understood." You want us to study criminal law by watching Joker turn into a hulk? 29:35 "Why does the problematic nature of Arkham even matter." So far it's all in your head. What's the problem? 29:45 Yes. People can differentiate between fiction and reality. It's a Batman game, sir. Comic book games aren't real. Who thought it was? 30:55 Luckily, asylum's these days have nothing to do with a 2009 video game. 31:00 Rocksteady used a famous IP to tell a story fans would like. Don't think they'll get letters from asylums over their games. 31:05 A realistic style doesn't make the game be real or realistic. 31:45 Story is a focus about Batman going after Joker. Not the setting. Developers should do exactly what they want.

[@senior_sakuga]

Finally the other aslume patients are using Micah Edmond’s video as a backbone

[@SaberRexZealot]

0:07 “glorified summary”. That’s basically every “video essay” on youtube these days. It’s so inane at this point and I can’t believe how many channels get away with it.

[@ttaylor7604]

It's about 90% of the content about the Batman Arkham Series. It's pretty crazy that there is a ton of 3 hour long essays out there that basically have the same structure and same content, and don't say anything interesting or new about these games.

[@BludPanda]

Yes I noticed this too, like I'm watching a video waiting for the point but it never comes lol.

[@SaberRexZealot]

@@BludPanda maybe the well’s run dry lol

[@harrington9482]

I love Batman. But I mostly love him for the stories he can be possibly utilised to tell. Some people prefer the escapism of fiction where things can be as simple as good and bad. But I like when the story’s he’s in mirror real life, and when his worlds and its activists are inspired by real events. I love Arkham asylum but all the points demonstrated here will leave me with many thoughts for some time. Excellent retrospective.

[@AAllen-br8it]

So, I left a comment on my opinion regarding this on the short you made about it recently and I noticed that the comments were then disabled. But, if you remember that comment, then pretty much the same here. I think that the spooky asylum setting is still a fun horror trope and I don't fault Arkham Asylum, of all settings, for using it as it is the premiere zeitgeist of that trope in all of fiction in general (based off of Lovecraft's Arkham Asylum, actually) and it does have a historical precedent and justification for existing as a horror setting, because, you know, this type of amoral crap DID happen and it should not be forgotten. Where the problem lies is that Arkham Asylum is intentionally shown to be a backwards facility, and with the unique context of Gotham's situation, to be corrupt, underfunded, poorly constructed and able to be used as a staging grounds to fund/enact unethical science. Despite this, however, Batman makes no comment and is not implied to make any sort of efforts to correct what he witnesses on this odyssey of night through the asylum. Unless the intention is that this is a Batman who is too insane, vengeful or incompetent to notice or care; it feels VERY out of character for ol Bruce, doesn't it?

[@BludPanda]

Exactly! And it sets up a pretty interesting story where you are sort of playing the bad guy, he really is an anti-hero here. Maybe he learns to care after discovering more about the asylum, a redemption arc, but no. I just think the game would be so much cooler if it took itself more seriously and answered these questions.

[@PinBBro]

YES OH MY GOD LIKEW THATS WHAT IM SAYING WHY IN MOST BATMAN MEDIA THINGS DOES HE JUST SEE THAT ARKHAM IS THIS RUN DOWN SHITHOLE FULL OF ABUSE AND HORROR AND JUST LIKE. DOES NOTHING ABOUT IT it always strikes me as so fucking odd and kinda just feels like a complete betrayal of the entire point of batman's character. I want there to be a piece of media where bruce sees how shitty arkham and blackgate are and so like fights to build his own institution where the mentally unwell can get actual proper care like that would be such a cool story to see idk

[@kwayneboy1524]

@@PinBBro I've seen a lot of Batman media but Bruce doesn't really see the run down Arkham in those. Also if you want that then read Earth One

[@yougotmyquack8203]

2:00 it’s a comic book game depicting Arkham asylum from a COMICBOOK it doesn’t need to be woke and spreading a message about a REAL WORLD asylum. It’s fiction 9:15 now while some stories can use real world elements it’s still based off the COMICBOOK it’s from none of the propaganda is pulled from the real world all of this is from the source material the game is emulating. (Before anyone makes a stupid comment I know that comic books were used as WWII propaganda before but that mainly died at the birth of the silver age of comics)

[@ehrentomate4831]

Wtf is woke about a Asylum 😭

[@ChampionZeme]

@@ehrentomate4831fr 😂

[@aguy4326]

the comic books portrayal of arkham and mental health in batman in general has always been a bit of a problem so the game shouldn't be excused for being "comic accurate"

[@kwayneboy1524]

​@@aguy4326why not? It's still a good showing of the source material and I think it should kinda be said that almost none of Bruce's villains are insane if we want to bring the comics into it and also the game and background details imply this.

[@yougotmyquack8203]

@@ehrentomate4831 exactly what I’m saying. Watch my timestamps again lmk if I missed something

[@Late_not_on_time]

Arkham city has themes expressed through the story told, about immortality and legacy. Asylum in comparison is fun but pretty shallow overall.

[@Dachin55555]

Ok?

[@redrasegarden]

But question…did it NEED to be deeper?

[@kwayneboy1524]

​@@redrasegardennot really but it could've fixed the writing oversights

[@redrasegarden]

@@kwayneboy1524 what oversights?

[@godzillazfriction]

OP, you're being pretty superficial.

[@PK-MegaLolCaT]

im at 13:54 aslo dont forget Paul Dini was very involve in the first 2 games...im not sure the full implication and i dont know how Paul Dini feels about this aspect of the game but it would be worthy to look into?

[@BludPanda]

Paul Dini has been a huge mystery, so I'm not sure how much you could get beyond actually asking him personally. I think he mainly helped characterize the villains because it's obvious they are more or less the realistic versions of BTAS villains.

[@danielmj7284]

Yay batman content!!! I will never get fed up of arkham videos or batman videos

[@baki484]

I'm sure the malpractice of the Asylum is called out in City and the behaviorly modified inmates are products of Hugo strange experiments to achieve complete mind control over the Tyger guards. Once he was done he brutally disposed of them knowing they would not be missed by anyone. Even the warden is just as messed up Amadeus himself. Judging from the openning of the game with guards joker killed in the beginning it doesn't seem like he's been in the rest of the building and it's systems like the suicide collar. Given the circumstances of the situation he was on the clock and he doesn't show any joy for what he's doing to the inmates. As I've gotten older I've also noticed how messed up the facility is

[@StudMacher78]

I mean judging a game like this even though it was clearly made under a strict deadline. This game for its time was amazing

[@PLUTOXGOAT]

It still is amazing now, and is better than most games released today.

[@BludPanda]

I am judging this game like this BECAUSE it was so great at the time. I've said this so many times, But I love this game, and I only wish it was better. Analyzing great media and finding issues with it can be great practice for creative people who want to improve their own ideas and perspective. I've never found a piece of media I would consider perfect, not even close. The greatest fans of something are its greatest critics. If a game has a video like this or Micah Edmond's made on it, you better believe the game was important. The point of the entire video, which I hope you watched, was the despite it have problematic depictions, it positively impacted and developed how I view Batman and therefore how I think about complex characters.

[@StudMacher78]

@@BludPanda it had so much potential to be a masterpiece! Hope they remake it someday

[@didacosred9427]

Great video, the only problem I have is that Batman doesn't know exactly what Sharp is doing inside the prision. Had he knowkn Bane was being sucked out of venom on a torture machine both Dr. Young and Sharp would get the beating of their lives. In his mind Croc was probably in a semi-normal cell. Bruce Wayne was funding the Asylum so during the whole time he was in there he was regretting every single penny he wasted. Also I know this whole video is nitpicking but unless you are a kid you won't think people stuck in an Asylum are crazy guys that kill others and need restraining jackets. PS: The Asylum is so poorly run that Strange turned the brains of forgettable patients into... Not brains... That just shows how corrupt and evil Sharp is so it's not like he would care about any hospitality, even if in the real world it would probably be easily found out by health inspectors and FBI and stuff. At most you could say that it's the government's fault for not putting these super criminals and mass murderers in safer hands

[@godzillazfriction]

side note: 'Normality' is a nothing but all BS based on the indoctrinated tribalism that enacts on the progressive nature of forwarding a prescriptive 'meaning' for Humans to follow absolutely in its determination of truth; the abstraction that is the concept of 'Normality' is an allegorical and paradoxical prescriptive abstraction that's only based on the indoctrinated essence of generalising & differentiating the essence of that is the existence of everything by it's descriptive nature especially regarding 'Humanity' as a whole. 'change' (& corruption) is another descriptive/prescriptive abstraction that is drawn upon in within what Humanity is subjected towards to; its a concept & an abstraction that is allegorical & paradoxical by nature against everything in general especially Humanity. the concept is only made to make a contrived essence of the way that is the basic form of understanding and how that gets determined in its absolute truth but in actuality, that gets contradicted because of nature not being able to determine actual 'change' especially within a 'Human' being based on nature that is within the 'Human Genome'. so with that notion progressing forwards, regarding how that transpires the Human Genome into progressing in 'meaning' you've got to acknowledge & accept on the matter of how the prescriptive nature of 'change' is juxtaposed against the descriptive nature of what it is in essence regarding Nature as a whole - it means that all things come together to what's set out to happen; in proposition, bringing 'corruption' in regards to the Higher Power of alluding to change is a contrived abstraction of how the 'Higher Power' is set out to happen based from Human Nature thus you can't determine the 'change' because of Humans setting a higher power in general, such as taking over lands, creating profit for the sake of profit etc.

[@BludPanda]

I totally get that Batman is not directly responsible for everything wrong with Arkham, but being the world's greatest detective who cares about stopping crime, he sure has done little homework on the crime generator that is Arkham. Did you notice that Wayne Tech actually funds a lot of the tech at the Asylum? Why would Bruce Wayne do that if he did not verify the validity and ethics of this place. Also Batman has entered this place many times apparently and even has a secret Batcave. It still shows guilt on Batman. "Also I know this whole video is nitpicking but unless you are a kid you won't think people stuck in an Asylum are crazy guys that kill others and need restraining jackets." -- who do you think played Arkham Asylum? I played this game when I was 8 lol. I don't think teens are fully developed either. I've had multiple comment before arguing that real mental hospitals are like this. I think the hidden subconscious effects of these games are more powerful than people give it credit. If ever mental hospital uses this trope in media, many people won't realize its entirely fictional.

[@Leo-ms8gm]

Great video I always love seeing your videos on this type of topic I don’t always agree but that’s what leads to interesting discussions Anyways I do think Bruce was a big part of shutting down the asylum after the events of the game which in my opinion shows that he does care about the people being treated there and he wants them to get help Honestly for another idea for a video I would love to hear what you think of Batman using fear toxin on criminals in Arkham Knight

[@BludPanda]

Thanks for watching! Honestly think Arkham City is a redemption for Batman as he actively wants to stop the horrible treatment of those in the prison. He even uses Bruce Wayne to campaign against it. I just wish it was a little bit more clear. Might be a cool video to make. The fear toxin thing never really interested me. I thought metaphorically killing Batman at the end was pretty powerful, then he just comes back??? He should have just retired like he said he would to all the bat family members.

[@Stormtrooper-td2ky]

8:40 First off it’s not a “joker virus” it’s just blood contaminated by titan. And it isn’t incoherent as the games clearly tell you and show you what titan does to a person. Asylum literally showed you that titan does cause alterations in a person’s thinking patterns as evident by the fact that the titan enhanced henchmen go into an unstable rage and lose their rationality (Joker’s mental capacity remains the same because he’s already insane). Arkham city also establishes that titan does cause hallucinations. Which means Batman in Arkham knight simply received joker hallucinations after the Arkham city fallout and developed a fear of turning into Joker, but the titan in his blood was still affecting his mental capacity to a certain degree but the fear toxin amplified it. If it wasn’t for the fear toxin then he wouldn’t have turned into the Joker. Jason Todd was never resurrected in the Arkhamverse. He was alluded to like twice before AK. If he wasn’t hinted at before then why does it even matter? Literally most villains in the Arkham games don’t receive buildup at all. Why does it conveniently become a problem with Jason only and not Hugo Strange or Ra’s Al Ghul? I can’t tell if you’re talking about the Arkham Knight or Scarecrow but their plans don’t conflict until the cloudburst part where Jason loses his patience (other than that brief moment at ace chemicals where Scarecrow had to remind Jason as what the primary goal is. Scarecrow’s motive is somehow weak even it’s the same as asylum but expanded upon even more? Jason was mentally manipulated by Joker into thinking Batman didn’t care about him. 18 months of torment by someone as merciless as Joker would ruin anyone. 11:01 What outdated health practices are you referring to? The electric floor is a quick and easy patient pacification in case of a mass breakout. Literally all it does is render its subjects unconscious (the guard Harley electrocuted is unconscious). Also Batman only refers to Zsasz and Killer Croc as animals in this game. One of them is a serial killer who chose this dark path because he gambled his money away and the other believes themselves to be a crocodile and committed multiple acts of cannibalism. They’ve done too much vindictive acts of evil to not be behind bars forever. 11:58 just because Batman doesn’t make any remarks doesn’t mean he didn’t notice or care 12:17 you can’t perform special combo takedowns on those insane inmates. You can only finish them with a ground takedown. Also a singular swift knockout punch isn’t beating them to a pulp. 12:43 Bane is an enhanced human being, Batman knows he’ll survive the hit. 12:51 It’s better if Ivy is isolated so she can’t mind control any men. 13:04 why even bother mentioning this? Batman is doing what needs to be done to manufacture a antidote to titan 13:35 The blackgate inmates aren’t insane. They’re just evil. Neutralizing them is de-escalating the current crisis. 22:17 No he isn’t a horrible person because he didn’t know about the secretive practices of the asylum’s doctors. In fact most of the doctors and guards you confront in the game are innocent. 23:01 The Arkham security and police officers from gcpd have the island under control and there’s more important such as Two Face robbing a bank and potentially causing more casualties. Also warden sharp didn’t know about doctor young’s titans project. 23:10 the focus is on Batman’s rivalry with Joker and his other enemies. They never deviate from this. Also all 3 rocksteady Arkham games have a clear focus in mind. A character study of both Batman and Joker. Literally every thing joker does in the game is all a effort to drive Batman insane because Joker wants to relate to Batman 23:37 The game literally does tackle the question of Batman’s psychological state. And it does so by showing and not telling. By the end of the game Batman proved a point that he isn’t mentally ill as evident by the fact that everything joker has done hasn’t broken Batman.

[@DannsProductions]

6:01 You should've done a little bit more research on Founders Island OR read the stories provided in the game. Founders Island old buildings were starting to deteriorate and weaken so the city decided to build over the old city. It's similar to what they did with Wonder City. And the thing with the Arkham City Redevelopment... that's not to rebuild the city as a prison but to build an entirely new city where people can live. It wasn't going to be a prison. Here's an NPC explaining this: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qnnMdGSfa5Vrhc0

[@BludPanda]

Wait, so what is the evidence that it's just a bunch of old buildings? You just told me to do research then proceeded to provide no evidence for your Founders' Island claim. I just went through every single City Story in the game and I only came across one that even mentions the new Founders' Island construction: "This was my old man's study," Penguin proclaimed. "It'd kill him if he had to see that poxy thing day and night." Cobblepot Manor had been derelict for years, left to rot. In Penguin's mind, just the way Bruce Wayne wanted it. A permanent reminder of defeat. Maybe I'm missing some kind of obscure easter egg? This response doesn't really clear Wayne's name either. In real life we don't just destroy historical buildings when they are falling apart then give the land to a corporation, you can literally repair old buildings. When corporations take over large swaths of a city with little regard for locals, usually enabled and unfairly supported by the local government, that's called gentrification. The idea that these were old buildings sounds like a politicians excuse. The city could even be at fault for allowing the island to succumb to such structural damage [if that's even the reason btw]. What this is really about is the fact that Wayne Ent. and other corporations found a way to basically inherit land that was not theirs. They took an island that fit many walks of life then turned it into a financial district only for rich people. But again, like I said in the video, I don't think Rocksteady even thought about it that deeply, it was just a cool environment idea. Also I've never once thought the Arkham City redevelopment fund was to re-open the prison....like what? It's pretty obvious its to return the city back to what it was before Arkham City. I guess I didn't make that clear? Didn't know I needed to.

[@dr.weeniehutjr]

That was way too deep. Then again, I’m not sure what I expected. Nice work, interesting takes for sure. You made my brain work

[@BludPanda]

Thanks for watching!

[@megamillion5852]

I'd recently replayed the game and shared similar thoughts with a friend. Didn't expect to find a video on the subject that was also recent, but I'm very grateful! Asylum is a fantastic game, but it absolutely stands in contradiction to the ideas of rehabilitation it claims to care about. By the end of it, we're not meaningfully led to believe that the inmates can be dealt with in any way other than through violence. It pacifies them back into containment, so that Batman can break them all over again the next incident.

[@vodkavecz]

Ok, why your video is problematic is because it's a game that's supposed to be fun, and not a political or sociological commentary. Gotham City is a fictional city, that has probably the worst track record for violent crimes. You could say "there's something in the water". The criminals are extremely violent, just listen to them banter between each other. They didn't aim to make a realistic asylum for people with needing treatment for their mental problems, but a place where they put these over the top criminally insane people, because a normal prison is not suitable for them (see Arkham Origins). Batman can't reason with these people, since he's the final solution, since the police can't handle them neither, without overstepping their authority. Also add to it all, that the people held in the Asylum were "treated" by Hugo Strange, and under Quincy Sharp's supervision.

[@BludPanda]

The title is hyperbolic, I'm not flat out saying Arkham Asylum should be discredited, I talk about this later in the video. Arkham Asylum is my favorite game in the series and I think its tons of fun, but the problematic aspects I am pointing out are effectively plot holes the story doesn't want to worry about. It's not that Arkham Asylum is horrible, it's that it could be better. Saying Batman is a final solution is a very limited view on Batman I think, it really limits the possibilities of storytelling and just serves to keep Batman the same as he's always been. Batman claims to care about Gotham City and its people but continues to physically abuse people harmed by the system he knows is corrupt, it's very antithetical to the character. Again, doesn't make the game bad, just makes it less complete to me.

[@kwayneboy1524]

I somewhat agree with a few points but I kinda disagree with a few things.... 8:20 yes because everything else was grounded by reality in these games. Just because you can do something does not mean you need to, sometimes its fine not to go into these places if you do not want to. 11:01 what else would you refer to the gater man who eats people and the plant lady who crushes people with vines? 12:11 its just a video game enemy mate its not that deep and anyhow it seems a mojority of criminals in arkham are just criminals not folks youd meet in a pyche ward. 12:35 seeing how Bane is a large monster of a man is big enough to rap his entire hands around Bat's chest I think this could count as self defense seeing how I doubt that Bane just wanted to talk. 12:39 Titan doesn't seem to cause any mental effects and seeing how this stuff is made from Bane's blood its likely he is in more control . 12:42. Ivy needs to be in that cell because she is a wild card in this situation as she holds no conection to any side in this conflict and her powers are too dangerous. If she gets free and touches the grass she'll gain enough strength to head back to Gotham and attack it. She needs to be isolated from people because off her mind control abilities plus its stated that something as small as pollen can empower her enough to access her abilities. 12:53 Croc could've left him alone and let him take the root that he needed but instead he tried to eat him. There isnt an easy way out of that situation aside from fighting back mate. 13:05 These guys are Blackgate inmates who are trying to break into weapon cashes and are working for Joker and are stated to have done some pretty bad stuff for him. If they werent bad then could've hid or helped people during the crisis not align themselves with a criminal. 13:32 This might sound bad but mate I kinda do think at least for some of them they kinda need to be treated like this. I think SCP logic applies here in the sense that while their containment conducts are messed up they don't have a choice. How do you lock up a woman who can control nature, release spores that can mind control people and shows a complete disconnection to humanity without breaking some ethics? How do you keep Killer Croc in his cell when he can easily use his strength to over power people and eat them? The simple answer is you do so with some questionable methods. 22:47 because our villain wants to level the city by exploting the failed system out selfish gain. Joker does not have a point for any argument. 23:29 I wouldnt call this an adaption but just taking elements for a game idea set in this odd world. I doubt they set out with anything to say and by the end it just still doesnt feel like that. Just because they could do something deep doesmt mean they need to nor does it mean its bad that they didnt some things can just be fun stories for the sake of it. I dunno think some of this stuff is fine if you don't take it so seriously I dont think this game is great just good but I just don't think it needs to talk about some of these topics if the writers dont want to. The game is just a game a classic good vs evil and nothing more for me I don't fully think that it needs to be morw than that but thats just me.

[@zaviermichael6281]

I fell like you are misunderstanding the story to fit an agenda. You have certain good points but you sound like one of those people who just genuinely try to paint Batman as evil. The inmates of the asylum are all criminally insane and evil. You try to humanize Bane,Croc,Ivy and Joker. But they aren’t human they are evil people Bane is a Terrorist, Croc is a cannibal, Ivy is a genocidal eco terrorist and Joker is a child murderer. Batman isn’t a problem to Gotham he is an unorthodox solution to Gothams problem. You try to say he needs to use his money to fix it but he can’t he does all he can with it but as the classic line says he’s the hero Gotham needs not the one it deserves. It deserves better than Batman but it needs him. Finally about the brutality the inmates are actively trying to escape and harm others mutual violence is really the only reasonable response. I don’t mean to insult you or your opinion your video is very well made. But I feel like you are spreading a false narrative on the Batman mythos but me personally I would love to hear your response to this.

[@katieoneill2002]

The fact that you're characterizing all of those characters as not human is pretty fucked up honestly

[@kwayneboy1524]

​@@katieoneill2002so is cannibalism and bio terrorism.

[@zaviermichael6281]

@@katieoneill2002 they really aren’t tho as mentioned they are all abominable people and the actions they commit and think about on a day to day basis are horrific

[@andyroobrick-a-brack9355]

You seem to ignore that one of the essential parts of Batman's rogues is that they are products of their environment. They were created by other people. Yeah, they are partially responsible for their own actions, but they aren't the sole cause of their own actions. This was especially emphasized in B:TAS, the most definitive and famous version of the character in the modern era. To Ivy, plants aren't just background dressing. They are living creatures who deserve freedom and the right to life, and while that doesn't excuse her terrorism, it is at least understandable, it is incredibly human. Croc is barely human, the dude is slowly being overtaken by his animalistic instincts and deformities, he didn't choose to struggle with his urges. The Joker is the only exception, but he isn't mentally ill. Immoral and screwed up does not mean mentally ill, the Joker just has a sadistic sense of humor. No illness in sight. He may as well be larping as an insane person. The fact that you're dehumanizing these characters shows how little you actually know about mental illness. It also shows how little you know of Batman and his villains.

[@kwayneboy1524]

@@andyroobrick-a-brack9355 true but how much do these excuses matter in comparison to their crimes and actions? Croc maybe like this by circumstance yes but his crimes are based on self gain seeing how he stated he ate some people cause they owed him money or the fact that he was a hit man slash hired muscle. Ivy is someone who I doubt has mental health issues.

[@bgbss680]

I don't really understand what the point of this essay is. This whole video seems like a crazy leap in logic and very dishonest, like having a dialog about video games and the depictions of the mentality Ill and so on is one thing, but placing meaning where there is none and trying to knock a beloved character down a peg because you don't like the way the bad guys are portrayed is kinda weirdo behavior imo.

[@BludPanda]

Personally I find it odd that you'd care about if a fictional person is seen as a bad person. I actually love Batman as a character, especially when he is a more complex, even bad person. I don't need my favorite characters to be just like me. Do you watch Breaking Bad and say "I really wanna be like this guy." Criticizing a fictional person doesn't hurt anyone, you don't need to defend him. I don't personally need validation from being a fan of a made up person. I'm am placing meaning where there is none as a suggestion for what could have been, that's the entire point. I am arguing the game would be more interesting if there WAS meaning behind a lot of it, instead the game is very flat and lacks depth or motivation. Doctor Young is pretty much the only complex character that is forgotten halfway through. If the game characterized Batman the way I did in this video, it would be so much more of thought-provoking experience. I hope you watched the whole video. And to be fair, it's truly weirdo behavior that you'd put the reputation of a fictional person above dialogue about depictions of the mentally ill...

[@averagebreadconsumer9489]

Erm what the sigma?

[@groovyscoots]

I have no words 😀

[@themaccave08]

I really liked this video, it opened mind about these games. I will keep enjoying these games but I have even more to think about anytime I play them. Arkham Asylum as a game scares me but what you say now makes me more scared in some way. This video also is gave me pause to rewatch “Arkham Asylum Is Over” and “I Miss Arkham City” (if I am quoting the titles right).

[@BludPanda]

I'm glad you got something out of this video!!! Micah Edmond's video essays are peak.

[@themaccave08]

@@BludPanda You may not respond to this but I rewatched the Arkham Asylum video by Micah, especially for the second end. You explained the poorly-aged things well, like I said and what Micah says to fully get deep into it, it is pretty sickening to realize how set aside the presentation of the Asylum and the inmates is. I know it’s not my fault that I was younger to not think or understand the implications of the game but I feel bad for enjoying this game without seeing the real flaw of it. I had replayed it about a month at least ago before this but it feels like replaying it would be horrifying for different reasons now.

[@ttaylor7604]

I feel like there is a huge misunderstanding here regarding the Batman mythos, and I think it all goes back to one thing. Arkham Asylum is not a mental institution. Arkham Asylum at this point is nothing more than a maximum security prison for Gotham's most deranged killers. The fact that it is a mental asylum is more like an inside joke, which is exactly how it is presented in the game. It is not an institution for helpless mentally ill people, but a prison for the kind of people whose actions are so extreme that the justice system cannot judge them in any conventional way, so the only solution for them is to put them away deep into this godforsaken corrupt place that is called Arkham Asylum. Poison Ivy, the Joker and Scarecrow are powerful individuals who when the moment arises choose to spread anarchy and hurt innocents. The Joker thugs seen throughout the game are obviously not real life criminals but the extensions of Joker's will and the lunatics of Asylum act as a sort of representation of the island's collective madness. They are intentionally designed with exaggerated features, because nobody would ever want players to feel that they are beating up helpless mentally ill people. It is pretty ironic that we are talking about how Batman treats these people in such an unjust way, when it is pretty clear that this is exactly what these people would say to you if you would ask them why they do the things they do(it is a recurring joke in Batman TAS). It is common behaviour among sociopaths to blame others for their own actions. Batman doesn't comment on any of the corruption seen in the asylum because this is a video game. You are not watching the Batman, You ARE the Batman, which is why Rocksteady trusted players that they will understand the more subtle details of their game, without spoon feeding them everything.

[@BludPanda]

The game has TVs in the medical building replaying an ad for the facility calling it a mental institution for super criminals. It is a mental hospital, the primary difference is that these patients sometimes have powers. Just because these people are more violent than average patients, doesn't mean they are anymore clinically ill. Patients in real mental institutions are there because they were deemed irresponsible for their actions caused by a mental disease. Batman's failure here is not just the physical abuse of these people, [Batman is actually capable of rationally carrying out violent acts] his primary failure is his lack of investigation into Arkham. Batman has decided to stop villains after they have done a crime rather than stopping crime at its source. Arkham makes patient's symptoms worse, it literally creates new villains sometimes, so Batman's priority should be influencing Arkham to improve conditions. I agree that Batman Arkham Asylum is just a game that shouldn't be thought about deeply, but that's my entire point. Arkham Asylum could be a much better game if the narrative actually tried to tackle complex themes and characters. A long time ago people claimed films wouldn't be about anything serious, the novels were the most substantial narrative media. Video game have the potential and have proven to be able to have complex narratives. Arkham Asylum does not. There is no subtlety outside of maybe Amadeus Arkham [taken from a book] and Doctor Young. Batman is obviously an extremely flat character. Arguing that this version of the game is the most philosophically interesting it could be is crazy to me. I'm not at all asking the game to hand hold the narrative. The argument is that Arkham Asylum has barely anything to spoon feed in the first place. Arkham Asylum is not perfect, nothings perfect, I'm suggesting ways it could be improved. Media criticism is an age old practice to push mediums forward.

[@zachabel805]

Ok, NOW this WILL cause a flood of responses 💀

[@BludPanda]

It did lol

[@chaotic_nightfall]

I never thought about that before. I always hated that the final bossfight turns the game from a great Batman adventure to a goofy beatem up. I feel like in invalidates the whole plot leading up to it. Joker seemed so menacing and we had so many good battles leading up to it.

[@RedcoatTrooper]

Me when watching this video "This guy is looking into it too much" Me when playing Arkham city later "Why do I only rescue Political Prisoners AKA Innocent people, criminals get picked on in prison too" "Why does Batman need to be basically forced by Alfred to save the prisoners" What have you done to me?

[@kwayneboy1524]

Bruce is forced because the woman he loves is with a mad man with a history of personalized attacks against people he loves.

[@RedcoatTrooper]

@kwayneboy1524 the point is making me think about this stuff not that it is wrong, but as said woman is one of the most dangerous women on the planet and far more skilled than the Joker

[@kwayneboy1524]

@@RedcoatTrooper true but I think it would make Bruce look more uncaring and less human if he didn't fear for the safety for the woman he loves.

[@sarcastichawke9210]

I'm still waiting for a critique of the narrative. It's clear you wanted to create a video about certain political views you hold and needed some sort of vehicle to express those views.

[@BludPanda]

Everyone's judgement of anything is based on some form of political precedent. Batman has had many political stories with interesting takeaways from them. I think those are the best stories, but this game presents interesting ideas then never follows on them really so I wanted to point that out. People often analyze the politics of The Dark Knight films or The Dark Knight Returns. But weirdly, as soon as you try to look at Arkham Asylum from a political, realistic standpoint everyone is like "woah woah you can't do that." But since the title seems to be misleading I'll change it to something else. Ultimately, yes this video is political and subjective. I'd like you to invite the idea that every critique or artistic opinion is subjective, but the "objectivity" comes from the existence of arguments and proofs. This is both a criticism and political video. Side note: Often you may find that video titles don't always correlate to the topic 1:1 because we as youtubers are incentivized to clickbait or follow trends. I try my best not to do this to a harmful degree but it gets hard when videos fail. I wouldn't consider this video a success. "Narrative Critique" is a huge keyword on YT right now so I changed the title to reflect that at some point.

[@gaw0046]

you realize Joker was the cause of the abuse at the asylum right? He had Dr Young experiment on the patients to make Titan and wasnt even gonna go to the asylum until she backed out of the deal.

[@BludPanda]

Huh? The Asylum has had terrible conditions for many many years obviously, simply based on the many tapes, character bios, environmental storytelling, and Amadeus Arkham story. Joker's deal with Dr. Young was only a recent event that was a secret. But there were many other secret and non-secret abuses happening at the Asylum. You'd have more success arguing the abuse at the Asylum and its unwillingness to truly discuss it isn't really relevant to a fictional comic book story than trying to argue that the Asylum isn't abusive. Like even the developers would admit that, it's kind of the point of the location in many interpretations.

[@gaw0046]

@@BludPanda im referring to at 22:44 where u say Joker is making the games story about the abuse at the asylum. Joker doesnt care about the prisoners at the asylum and as stated is responsible for a lot of their most recent abuse due to funding the titan experiments. Joker wasnt even going to go to the asylum at all he only planned to get in cause Dr Young back stabbed him. Its not even a case of him seeing some justice in the Arkham inmates breaking free and getting revenge on the abusive staff as he brings in his crew from Blackgate to the asylum as the primary muscle of his plan and only frees other inmates later to slow down batman.

[@BludPanda]

@@gaw0046 I think what I'm getting at there is that the game hints at Joker having some kind of underlying motive for doing this but it never goes through with it. If it's just for Titan then why does he waste so much time messing with Batman and setting up a party just for him at the end? He goes to the Asylum to finish what Dr. Young wouldn't but was it for some kind of point even before? Of course Joker isn't some kind of hero, he doesn't get my sympathy, but it seems Joker's writing is a bit more complex. No, the game does not give us a clear cut answer, it's really vague just like many other parts of the game, and that's my problem. Joker's monologue at the end gets a little closer to some sort of motive but the game cuts it short and goes back to punching bad guys. The idea here is that the game had a lot of potential narrative beats to delve into but decided not to, and I'm criticizing it for that. My wording here is kind of exaggerated...Joker was an opportunity to make the game about something more.

[@intel6947]

I agree with your points almost entirely but I don’t think the main plot of the game has to focus on the morality nor ethics of the asylum. It’s cool to piece it together yourself as the player, to see what Batman doesn’t see or what he does but has flawed justification for. To me, intentional or not with this iteration by the developers, Batman is a flawed character hyper fixated on cleaning the streets of Gotham and ending crime, like we see with most iterations. To him he probably sees most of these inmates the same way he sees the killer of his parents. To him every criminal is the same, it’s only when there’s a deeper connection he wants to reach out and help like with Mr. Freeze or some of his other main villains. He is very quick to attack and keep them here because this to him is the only way he can bandage his trauma. It’s the constant use of fear to eradicate crime that sticks with him as an obsession. He could use his wealth as Bruce Wayne to establish programs for these inmates and a better prison but for some reason in his mind this is not the conclusion he comes to, maybe with the Neo-Gotham expansion in his mind a cleaner, newer Gotham would somehow lower crime rates if historic and archaic parts of Gotham were to disappear because in his experience that’s where crime runs rampant the most. Think of how many times one of his villains have used an old abandoned warehouse or theater to plot against him or the city, again to me this is how broken his mind is when it comes to how to approach this stuff. It could also be his history of knowing that the GCPD was corrupt as well as Arkham and pretty much everyone in the city and his only solution is to keep doing what he’s doing because you can’t weed out corruption you can only keep hunting down the immediate threats in Gotham. A game that centers around these dilemmas would be interesting but I don’t see it working unless it was a direct sequel to Arkham Knight. Batman is mentally ill, so much so that it’s who he truly is, not Bruce Wayne. As smart as he is as a character the one thing holding him back is bias and ego, which any genius can be victim of. Holding on to what he deems the right path to tackle every issue in Gotham is part of what makes his character so fascinating. This is an action game after all and the games all deliver interesting stories. Just having all these societal complexities as background details to the story is enough for me and what makes this game richer with depth as well. I feel tackling those as a main story for Batman works better in comic form or maybe an interactive visual novel detective game. Just spewing some thoughts out so sorry if it’s a bit rambled. Keep up the good content.

[@godzillazfriction]

side note: 'morality' & any synonymous that are derived from the Etymological nature that's been throughout Human History (which amplifies Modernism) are abided towards the progressive usage of forwarding 'meaning' of what a Human or Humanity should strive for in juxtaposition for what the essence of the existence of a 'Human' being should & shouldn't be as in its absolute form of truth & it's subset i.e. the determination of the Higher set of perceived standards; this further progresses throughout the Human Consciousness/Perception & the indoctrination, that being as; prescriptive abstractions that equate to that standard is 'Psychopath' or any personality disorder for that matter especially Personality within itself - then there's another prescriptive terms such as 'Humane, Humanise, subhuman, inhuman, monster' (this also includes 'animal' even though Humans are technically animals by its prescriptive & descriptive nature of what an 'animal' is in essence, but Humans differentiate based on viewing Humanity based on the Human Consciousness & it's Cognitive parts of the brain that transpires Humans into bring higher-sentient-beings; the term 'animal' within context is just a subset of the contrived & prescriptive abstraction of what a 'Human' in essence should & shouldn't be as; these terms are used as an allegorical & paradoxical means to forward 'meaning' for (against) Humanity, which further exemplifies generalisation & differentiation) that's an allegorical and paradoxical abstraction that goes against the very essence of what & how being a 'Human' is in its very essence of existence...

[@BludPanda]

YOU GET IT. See I'm not asking that Batman be a good person that does what I'd do, in fact I think it would be great if he wasn't. Everything you've said is a super interesting character study, but the game does not actually contain this subtext, we've made it up as players. I am simply suggesting that the game provided more interesting problems for Batman to solve morally so that the player would actually think about it that way, because currently Arkham Asylum is just a fun superhero game. Doctor Young is the closest we get to having the player question a character's motivations and morals, yet the two main characters, Joker and Batman, are pretty flat. Our interpretation of Batman here isn't being used in any real way to service the game, if it were more directly utilized I think it would improve the narrative. Imagine if instead of Batman simply punching Joker at the end to defeat him, Joker morally shattered Batman's outlook, turned the blame onto him for everything that happened here. Joker would be a far more interesting threat then. Arkham Knight got closer to doing this.

[@intel6947]

@@BludPandaI like that last part it would’ve been really interesting.

[@LoreMaster2006]

Intriguing video. I do believe as a whole that this was quite an important retrospective. I must admit I've thought about these elements before and had always thought there's some truly untapped potential here. However, I more so came to the conclusion that this was just a fault in the writing, not so much in the sense that it was problematic, but I completely understand the diction there. I feel what you are trying to say is that Bruce is not evil, rather his seeming inaction within the context of this game, and to a lesser extent, this universe it would appear to be the intended characterization. Which of course runs entirely contrary to the character. To tell you the truth, I feel this is a recurring issue within the Arkham Series, with Arkham Origins being the only one to break the mold as it's the only game that truly questions Bruce's tactics. That's not a knock at the series, I do feel that the good far-out ways the bad in general just that there are certain elements that have always bothered me. Many people today only care about the escapism aspect of entertainment and reject said entertainments deeper meaning. Which is completely fine. Their life may be rough, and their entertainment is their only light, so they may not wish any further turmoil upon themselves. I completely understand that and find no issue from that perspective. That being said, I believe the best works, at least within pop culture, can achieve both. I think Star Wars as a franchise is an excellent example of this: a sci-fi fantasy world with likable characters and captivating stories, but with a political undertone that could be parelled to the Vietnam War. I wouldn't be the fan I am today without this series, and I will always praise Rocksteady for that, and I get the feeling you'd say the same. Great work, as always. Keep it up!

[@PK-MegaLolCaT]

3:17 you got to also take on account that take on the character of batman in this games i rather 1 note.. he aint much of a character .. but an idea of self righteousness for the player to live a power fantasy. and sure there are moment that implied a character like the fears toxic sequence .. but they are all implied. but batman itself always has the same tone of voice ..always the same stoic expression. .. heck one could argue that maybe the idea is the playable character is the mask and that the real batman is the player .. but that would i think give too much credit to the game.

[@kwayneboy1524]

Eh that's strongly debatable as he does show character and humanization in the games. The writers just can't seem to decide which level they want to show that with

[@godzillazfriction]

@@kwayneboy1524 'humanization' is a another subset of the prescriptive abstraction that's based from the indoctrination of setting a higher perceived standards, that gets determined in its absolute form of truth to what (anything) it should & shouldn't be as; therefore enacts a modernist Ideological dogma that's indoctrinated to be the absolute form of truth for the matter of progressing the 'meaning' of what's a 'Human' being, despite it going against the very essence of what a 'Human' is in meaning.

[@kwayneboy1524]

​@@godzillazfrictionand your point?

[@godzillazfriction]

are you that blind... don't even answer that. (it's pretty obvious)

[@kwayneboy1524]

@@godzillazfriction whatever you say hoss

[@empathyedits8809]

I can't wait for your next video in which you explain down to us how The Joker as a character has harmed the clown industry. Honestly though, it's a comic book game. No sane rational person over the age of 15 thinks Arkham Asylum is what real mental institutions are like. Batman already has a no killing rule. If left up to liberals like yourself, he would have no punching rule eventually as well. Your video was well done from an audio/editing perspective. Coming from someone who spent several weeks in a psych ward, I never found this game offensive in any single way, because I know how to differentiate reality from fiction.

[@algernon7272]

I love all of the people who are like "Why can't it just be fun?! Why can't I just enjoy the game," like the game being problematic makes it illegal to enjoy the game, like you didn't say multiple times that Arkham Asylum is your favorite Arkham game.

[@BludPanda]

EXACTLY. It's just an interesting discussion and people take it to heart, says way more about them than me lol.

[@DavidJenkins-wn7jk]

I'm playing batman arkham asylum again because someone finally did what I couldn't yay contraversy yay

[@jakthehero2936]

This video is so funny you should be a comedian

[@srstriker6420]

I like this game because it’s almost everything I ever wanted and Arkham knight was a letdown for the lack of boss fights, so remember I said about Batman 3 video?

[@POWBxDX4DxZOMB]

Real

[@LGSN96]

Really great video. Arkham Batman has always seemed apathetic and needlessly brutal to me. They never treated him like a human in these games and instead a vessel for the players power fantasy.

[@djb9267]

How is he apathetic and needlessly brutal? He tries his best to protect his loved ones and wanted jason to be on his side again. Batman doesn't seek out people to punch just for his amusement, he does it because he wants to stop the current threat.

[@kwayneboy1524]

Not a huge Arkham fan but I feel like that statement is debatable

[@LGSN96]

@@djb9267 It's not just punching people though. He's brutalizing everyone he faces, snapping their bones in ways that looks like he's doing a Mortal Kombat X-ray. Batman of the comics *doesn't* do that regularly. And I agree with the video in that it looks worse when he's brutalizing Arkham's patients. As for care, he could stand to show a lot more in those games. The only time I felt real emotion from Bruce in any Arkham game was Origins in all his moments with Alfred.

[@djb9267]

@@LGSN96 The bone snapping mainly happens in finishers, with there being no prove that he actually did it. Gameplay doesn't always equal story. Most of the people he punches deserve it. In arkham knight, he showed his Compassion, anger and sadness. He showed his compassion when he asked jason to Start anew with him. He showed his anger when facing scarecrow and his willingness to kill him at that moment. He showed his sadness when confronted by the hallucinations of jason's torture.

[@godzillazfriction]

@@LGSN96 gotta love your indoctrinated absolute perception of what a 'Human' in essence should & shouldn't be as in its progressive form of forwarding 'meaning' despite it being against the essence of what a 'Human' is in essence; therefore is allegorical & paradoxical...