Arkham Knight Critique - Legacy of the Bat

[@MontyZander]

Thanks again for being here (especially to those of you who make it to the end of this mammoth video!) ICYMI - we are going to cover the Arkham series on Lore Dump! Chase knows nothing about the stories. So subscribe to the second channel so you get notified when it's out next year! kzbin.info/www/bejne/in2rZ2dpabyjaKM&ab_channel=LoreDump

[@taniatokustar7737]

Are you going to do ghotam knights next? If not i would recomend to do a video on half life since its one of the more important games in fps history like doom

[@MontyZander]

@@taniatokustar7737 I am absolutely doing Gotham Knights next. Having a shitter of a time!

[@taniatokustar7737]

@@MontyZander i only seen clips of the game and sero pungtutions video on it and jesus cristh that game is bad As a pallet clenser i recomend to do analisis on game like half life or the resident evil series or the megaman x series

[@joeavreg2254]

I've been waitin'...

[@nexusaquarion9281]

It is possible to have Neil play the game and you post them here it won’t be live it would like what you do with your fiancé

[@The_Phantasm]

I really love that for Riddler through each design in every game you can see how his stability and mentality deteriorate. In Arkham Origins he doesn't entirely sound sure of himself It looks quite fit ans handsome like he actually takes care of himself but as the character progresses he becomes more and more unhinged. In Arkham Asylum he is more obsessed, in Arkham City he looks filled with dirt around his clothes, he has noticeable stubble, looks a lot skinnier and has gone to more extreme lengths ro ensure Batman silves his riddles to the point where in Arkham Knight Batman is all he thinks about, so much so that no one else wanted to work with him and so he started building robots instead.

[@percent1303]

Enigma

[@luffydpirate9518]

The reason people didn't want to work with him isn't because he's extremely obsessed, it's because he finds the petty criminals of gotham unreliable.

[@stevewhite2077]

This was the Best Bat man Game hands Down

[@Scoota6392]

Holy shit I never noticed what a catch good on you now I gotta replay man Arkham games

[@starsteve4143]

Well he does have men on the inside and in Cat women’s DLC she does fight human riddler goons but yeah what you said it 100% right even Riddlers cop on the inside said how Riddler was so obsessed with Batman

[@antonyisverycool]

What never ceases to amaze me is that Arkham Knight runs on Unreal 3. The same engine as Arkham City. And somehow both games are still stunning to me. I remember thinking 'damn Arkham City looks beautiful' and then I played Knight and it was like night and day, in the same engine no less!

[@baki484]

Everyone is so busy complaining about batmobile to notice. To notice the technical achievements of the game hell even the intergration of the batmobile is a technical is one of them for the simple fact that Rocksteady has never had a playable vehicle in their prior games.

[@SantosAl]

​@baki484 let's not overexaggerate, people never criticised the graphics. Not even on day one, they did criticise the game crashing all the time though😅. It is even more amazing when comparing it to Gotham Knight's though😂

[@baki484]

@@SantosAl Gotham knights isn't even worth mentioning

[@SantosAl]

@@baki484 Agree 👍🏼

[@IhsanNurhidayat]

There's Unreal Engine 3 Demo called "Samaritan" from 12 years ago that looks exactly like Arkham Knight. Arkham Knight is probably the only game that use max potential of that engine to the point where it looks like an Unreal tech demo.

[@Skully_14]

One thing I love about this game is the Knight's design. His suit is Batman's but militaristic, as if it comes from a world where Batman's #1 rule (No killing) doesn't exist.

[@Kris-wo4pj]

​@@CrashSable funny part is that was never a rule when batman was made and with the alt batman comics where he was a member of gcpd. He killed alot and he used guns alot. The no killing rule came first then the anti gun rule showed up when they did a comic run on gun violence. It was around the the same time as the red arrow is a herion addict run.

[@J__T]

​Kris-wo4pj's point is even more obvious in the movies where, I'm pretty sure at least, the only Batman who doesn't kill is George Clooney (tho I can't recall Adam West's doing so either).

[@PeachesandCream225]

I think the Knight suit is the worst suit in the series. Batman's face look so skinny in the cowl

[@J__T]

@@PeachesandCream225 I think my favorite suit (excluding downloadable ones) is the post Arkham City suit in Knight; the one used at the very beginning. If it had just a dark belt, like the BvS downloadable one, instead of the underpants, I think it would be my favorite overall. There's just something about Bruce's model in Knight where he's basically always frowning instead of having a more neutral face & he's way to lean compared to previous entries or even Gotham Knights.

[@kal-eldritch]

​@@PeachesandCream225Insane take

[@christophergirardi8145]

From Ivy saying: "Nature always wins," I always interpreted that as her accepting Batman as force of nature and therefore having some form of respect for him.

[@MontyZander]

Love this reading

[@DrEcho]

I hard disagree but that's still a based take

[@nicolasbellon-garcia20]

@@DrEchowhy do you disagree if you don’t mind me asking

[@DrEcho]

​​​​@@nicolasbellon-garcia20 First I gotta say that I seriously do love the idea that she's cryptically giving Batman his props and giving her personal vision of what lies ahead. I just don't really think it's what the writers were thinking when they wrote the line. I think it's more congruent with the situation and Ivy's character for her to only mean "nature" in the more literal sense. First, I don't know if Batman, for all his feats, was all that successful at transcending Ivy's complete and consistent disdain for humankind vs flora. At least from her perspective at that exact time in their relationship. Then, even if Ivy did harbor that level of respect for Batman, I just don't see her divulging it (as she's not known for freely dispensing compliments), and I definitely don't see her divulging it in that way. We associate the idea of Batman being a "force of nature" with the famous Joker line from TDK but by contrast I've always thought of Pamela, both in movies and the Arkhamverse, as kinda more of a straight talker (biting sarcasm notwithstanding), not really one for metaphors or double-entendres. I think when Ivy said the line, she really was saying that nature always wins, as if to say Batman's problems, aspirations, are petty and futile ultimately. Even if people were worth saving, and even if he has a chance at succeeding, it's pointless, meaningless in the end compared to nature which is sure to outlive all of it anyway, more or less unbothered by the squabbles of men. I think it's also a critical line that installs Ivy's character arc. Going from callous indifference to making the ultimate sacrifice play which I personally don't wanna live without 🥲

[@nicolasbellon-garcia20]

@@DrEcho The only while I have to poke in your argument which is great don’t get me wrong would be the nature argument. Ivy is well educated and no doubt studied ancient philosophy in the likes of nature vs nurture. So I believe she’s saying”Batman” is nature as in the force that’s always trying to preserve always wins. Not Batman the person, but Batman the idea. I know you used the joker analogy for TDK but think of how many ppl refer to Batman as a force of nature even after Jason Todd’s death he was a man on a mission just a force of pure vengeance it’s why when night wing adopts the mask later he strives to be the same symbol Bo because of Bruce but because of the nature of Batman. But you have a good argument just hope you enjoyed my rebuttal

[@TheLiMeister]

"Holding out hope for suicide squad." Bless this man's soul 😭

[@lazypaladin]

_And thus; The Arkham Saga concludes. _*_Thank you so much for covering this series!_*

[@ThePreciseClimber]

The Jason Todd boss battle really needed a third phase. 1. Batmobile. 2. Predator 3. Melee The whole gameplay shabang.

[@RRai2000]

Play on Injustice 2. Its not much but it can satisfy you.

[@Horltum]

And Deathstroke should have ejected from the tank to fight you 1v1.

[@RRai2000]

@Horltum Damm Stright. Still, Arkham Knight felt like the weakest Arkham game compared to Origins, Asylum, and City.

[@trevorphilips9065]

​@@RRai2000 Asylum feels like the weakest honestly

[@kakorotskywalker]

​@@Horltum It's sad how just two simple additions could've changed a lot of major critiques of the game. Just two simple melee fights, like those in Origins with Deathstroke.

[@private400]

I think both endings to Ra's Al Ghul sidequest exemplify one of my favorite quotes from the Joker of all people: "You managed to find a way to win...and everybody still loses!" Ending A where he saves Ra's ends in Ra's retracting his people from Gotham, but in the death of Nessa Ending B has Batman breaking his no-kill rule, letting Ra's die so that countless others might live.

[@Shala_Boi]

Something that made me feel a weird sense of joy: When you choose not to save him, he's brought to GCPD and hooked up to the typical medical devices but when you leave he stops you and just says "Detective... proud. Of. You." After saying and doing nothing for the whole Side Story, even though he's lost his mind from resurrection and practically a zombie, he still keeps the entire basis of their relationship in mind. He's proud that Bruce is just letting him pass in peace and quiet as opposed to prolonging the inevitable.

[@J__T]

There's three really glaring issues with Batman's no kill rule. The first is that it is painfully recent as past Batmans never had such a rule and those Bruces weren't raving, mindless mass murderers when delivering death. The second is that technically Batman cannot mercy kill which, in the right setting, can and should make Batman the bad guy. The third is that Batman is such a zealot that he cannot allow others to kill either such as Riddler killing a literal serial killer with a head-bomb (which, yes, is both inhumane and instantaneous) or, in the most extreme, police versus his Rogue Gallery. Gordon cannot kill Joker more because Batman won't let the police officer shoot the homicidal clown. Modern Batman, who carries this rule like Atlas carrying the world, makes Gotham worse rather than better.

[@Shala_Boi]

@@J__T true. He's basically spider-man but the outside matches the inside. Or the exact opposite of The Punisher. I still like the "non-canon" ending more. He's not killing him, he's hooking him up to non-magical machines to prolong his life as opposed to poisoning him further with more Lazarus juice

[@J__T]

@@Shala_Boi Oh no, don't mistake me, I prefer this ending. I playthrough this game a lot and leave this mission as one of, if not, the final mission(s) to complete. I have chosen the other option but only once to see what it was. I always pick this preferred ending as it is a very human moment from the otherwise larger than life Batman.

[@Shala_Boi]

@@J__T awe! I love your reasoning! This and Freeze are two missions I save for just before the end.

[@hashem6356]

2:07:28 actually. Even you aren’t safe. One time I wanted to use photo mode while in the Batmobile during the cloudburst. I looked at myself driving and found Joker had decided to take the wheel instead. So no haha

[@MontyZander]

Well shit there goes that theory

[@Jarqueivies]

Also, running over random street thugs sometimes results in the joker giving a small chuckle

[@slartimus]

The one thing I'm a little sad is missing from this (huge and awesome) video is how it's not just the details of Jason's death that've gotten messed with over time; it's also how he came back from the dead. (For those unaware, however they're playing the story these days, he originally did actually straight-up die... and then in 2005, as part of the "Infinite Crisis" crossover event, it was revealed - and no, I'm not going to fully explain this, it's better to just sit with the bizarreness of what you're about to read - that Jason came back to life because Superboy-Prime literally _punched the space-time continuum._ Comics, everyone! 😄)

[@palpufflager188]

Ahhh the classic panel when superboy punches reality.

[@umarheadcutter7189]

That why we need to be thankful for superboy prime for creating red hood

[@wolfiethefurrygamer1908]

There is technically 2 ways Jason comes back The first is him being revived in the fountain of youth (the thing Ras' Al Gool goes into too) and is trained by the league of assassins Second is the Infinite Crisis event

[@kevcan2372]

Don’t worry, 3 joker’s isn’t canon. It’s a weird side story that isn’t part of the main story.

[@jonburnett90]

The "crematorium worker" is Jim. He mentions in the game he pushed the button himself.

[@WhenDevilsDuel]

Yea that's a hilarious thing to get wrong considering this is supposed to be an in depth look into the series lol

[@slendus8363]

@@WhenDevilsDuelit's quantity over quality he just stretches out these vids with a whole lot of talking that sounds intelligent but is just rabble to pad out the video runtime he does these hour long vids for other games too so obviously hes not truly passionate about any of this

[@WhenDevilsDuel]

@@slendus8363 true

[@dragonbornexpress5650]

@@slendus8363 Wow, aren't you a ray of sunshine? You got anything worth of substance to comment?

[@slendus8363]

@@dragonbornexpress5650 considering i got a few likes and even a "true" reply to my comment indicating some people agreed with my comment, id say it has atleast something worth of substance. meanwhile your comment seems to be ignored LOL so id say if any comment was lacking anything worth of substance it would be yours genius

[@The_Phantasm]

I'm curious if you knew this but Kirk Langstrom in this game was voiced by Loren Lester who voiced Dick Grayson in Batman the Animated Series and Johnny Charisma was voiced by Michael Rosenbaum who voiced the Flash in Justice League and Justice League Unlimited as well as Lex Luthor in Smallville.

[@MontyZander]

I did not know that!

[@Draliseth]

I can't believe I never realized they got Loren back. I just had to look up a video and, yeah, you're totally right!

[@alistairwalker2850]

I thought Johnny C had a familiar amount of snark as Wally did.

[@staffcoordinator9895]

Who cares?

[@hada__02]

Damn Michael Rosenbaum has been around the block of DC characters, good for him

[@JammedDuke]

Monty, you’ve done it. After 3 videos patiently waiting, it’s here. Arkham knight, my favorite arkham game, and you grace me with a three and a half hour long video… you’re going to make me cry.

[@thereisnobread1234]

I just have to say it: you might have the most satisfying video essay formats on the platform. I am excited to watch every video you make, I’m able to just sit down and eat my food while you talk about Arkham knight and I love it. Thanks for making these.

[@travisbrewer2268]

I love how these games are still talked about to this day. Really shows you how good these games really are.

[@Fedor_Kisliakov]

The ending of this game is something else. That brief exchange between Batman and Gordon carries so much weight, so many emotions with just a few words. The final shot of Batman overlooking Gotham, so good. Man, playing Gotham Knights after this would feel like plunging into raw sewage after a hot aroma bath. Brace yourself)

[@frogglen6350]

it's the lamest cop out ever. Batman faking his death isn't even original. Imagine collecting 200 riddler trophies just for a 4 minute cut scen. Lazy!!!!

[@fujinmorgan]

@@frogglen6350 It was not a cop out but completely intentional. Not considering the lore set by Suicide Squad, Batman, for intents are purposes, did die here. But a new symbol of fear was born. If SSKTJJ didn't exist, I'd have been fairly certain that Batman wouldn't have returned as, you know, Batman.

[@KurganMacLeod]

1:16:37 Bouncing off of the comment at the end of the video about personal Batmen, I find the talk about the League of Assassins subplot really interesting, because... I always destroy the Lazarus machine every time I play that mission. I don't think it counts as breaking Batman's one rule, exactly - Bruce has destroyed Lazarus Pits in the past in comics, it's always been presented as him considering them as an extension of life at the expense of others, and I honestly agree with Nyssa's argument that Ra's' mind has decayed too much for this to be considered 'murder' by my metric - the character design does all the talking here, Ra's is a 900-year-old corpse that should have died a long time ago, I don't consider this killing Ra's anymore than I consider euthanasia 'murder'. But more than that, I think the way the sidequest plays out afterwards to be possibly the best version of The Final Confrontation Ra's and Bruce have ever had. It's the one time I don't mind the lack of bossfight, because the way Bruce softly says "You weren't a good man, Ra's. But you had conviction.", the way he still stops Nyssa from killing him quickly, insisting he take him to the GCPD even knowing he's condemning Ra's to a painful, agonizing death, the way he carries him in a direct parallel to the way he carried the Joker in Arkham City, and best of all, when he puts Ra's on the hospital bed and as he walks away Ra's softly whispers "Det... tec... tive? Proud... of... you." And Bruce has that look on his face, and you just know that that's the worst thing Ra's could have said, and then he slams the door, it's just... really good, and imo a far better story than 'Bruce chooses to save Ra's and we get, like, our fourth Fridging because of it - and the second one in the same family!' That's not to say that people who choose to save Ra's is wrong, again as Monty says at the end of the video it's all a matter of personal interpretation, I just... really like the narrative depth that choice offers, at the end of what was a very fetch questy sidequest.

[@drakewilson638]

For me that's spot on, but I wouldn't have mind "saving" Ra's if Nyssa didn't die with batman just straight up standing there and not trying to stop him.

[@Godzeller3143]

I actually started a new play through in anticipation for this video. Holy cow, the game was so much better than I remember. Those two criticisms really do overshadow how good this game is.

[@e.treacy7724]

What the game doesn't tell you is that you can go into first-person mode on the batmobile, rendering the Riddler and Excavator chases incredibly easy.

[@MontyZander]

You can WHAT

[@MetalGildarts]

Did not know that

[@scribeslendy595]

Oracle's "death" scene is absolutely incredible in the way it captures Batman's humanity. We spend the whole game seeing him even more stoic and apathetic than he usually is, up until that scene. Hearing his voice break as he begs her to recognize him, before collapsing to his knees and locking the player out of movement as he takes a moment to grieve is just a master-stroke of game design/writing.

[@arcadia7459]

Hot damn, 3hrs of Monty and the Bat Been loving this series, really making me wanting to go back and play the series

[@athensghetto9231]

"The Joker has a nuke." Famous last words

[@Smallboboffical]

Oh look, it’s metropolis- **BOOM**

[@renanleandro5914]

Injustice and its consequences to modern society

[@Liide12]

Great work as always. As an aside to the Three Jokers bit, it is rather baffling how many Batman stories DC assigns to Geoff Johns despite his visceral distaste for Batman as a character.

[@iwannabeyahtzee8056]

2:22:15 I love this line because it says so much about their relationship with so few words. Tim and Bruces partnership was founded in the midst of his grief, partially because of Tims insistence that Bruce needed a Robin to balance him out with how unstable he was getting. The idea that Tim is so used to Bruce mistakenly referring to him as Jason that he simply takes it on the chin with a simple, concerned "You haven't done that in a while." Says SO much."

[@imadnemeir9455]

As a Lebanese from the Bekaa valley, I didn't realize how much the misrepresentation of my beautiful corner of the world would hurt so much until I saw how an 80s American comic decided to go about it

[@MontyZander]

It’s probably an angle I should have mentioned. The parts of Death in the Family that have been forgotten have definitely been forgotten for a reason!

[@vaggos2003]

If yoy wish to go in deoth over that aspect of the comic to let off some steam about it and clear some misconceptions, feel free to go for it.

[@Frogman1212]

You mentioned not being able to get totally upgraded with the sidequests. Doing AR missions, even the ones outside the story mode, give you 1 upgrade point for completing 1 map with any character. You can actually knock most of em out in a couple of days and get fully upgraded before going to save Robin from Harley.

[@theraymunator]

I have played the game like 4 times by now and I can tell you that the experience from doing the AR challenges and not doing them is very different. If you have the season pass it's very easy to upgrade quickly if you do the Batmobile racetracks before anything.

[@Frogman1212]

@@theraymunator Played the game at least 16 times myself.

[@theraymunator]

@@Frogman1212 Based

[@mgood356]

Actually if you don,t drop your combo in combat not get spoted in stealth and do the tank battles without taking damage and do a couple of side quest you can get all upgrades before you go confront the arkham kngiht at his tower

[@Nostro_Odyssey]

I've been listening to these critiques while animating for my graduate film, and they've been a godsend. I've been really busy with the workload, so I haven't been able to scratch that video game itch at all and this was just what I needed. There's a whole bunch of people who've spoken about Batman and the Arkham games, but so so many of them are dull as dishwater or disinterested retellings of every story beat sequentially. The amount of love that has gone into your videos is phenomenal, and it feels great to watch or listen to them- not just the Arkhamverse too. This channel as a whole gives me the really fun vibe of talking to a passionate friend about the games we both love. Like I said, it's been wonderful to have these videos run while I animate for hours and hours on end. Arkham Knight is one of my favourite games of all time, and you've done it such justice with this - thank you!

[@JAC-ofalltrades]

I first discovered your channel when your BioShock critique showed up on my home page. As much as I enjoyed having so many of my opinions about that game confirmed, I didn't get really hooked until I found your Arkham Asylum video. I tried playing Asylum when it first came out, but for one reason or another never gave it enough time to catch... until I watched your critique. Normally I would have vicariously enjoyed the game through you and left it at that, but you sold me on that game so well that I had to do my own completionist playthrough, and it opened my eyes to a whole genre that before I'd never even really considered. Now here I am, each game in the Arkham series on my wishlist as I eagerly await sales for games whose stories I have completely spoiled for myself here without a single regret. Love the content! Looking forward to seeing what you cover next!

[@DauntedThrower9]

I’m so happy I found this channel earlier this year, your videos are exactly what I enjoy watching the most and lore dump is also a super entertaining listen. I really appreciate your videos and I look forward to the next one.

[@BearlyRegal]

Finished the vid a whopping 2 minutes ago and just wanted to say what a superb piece of work it was. Huge kudos on this Monty, and I hope every second of your wedding day is wonderful.

[@Kris-wo4pj]

I was prefered Babara as Oracle. She got a personality with it which is sad but she also gains more independence in the meta. Esp when she started being the control board of other superhero groups like birds of prey.

[@ShyDoomGuy]

Out of the entire Arkham series, Knight is somehow my favorite. It was the first time I ever platinumed game that actually made me put in effort

[@the_well-known_stranger2275]

I was eagerly looking forward to this video and I have to say you did not let me down. This was a brilliant video and as someone who considers Arkham Knights in his all time favourite games, you definitely did it justice. You have an excellent video style and I always look forward to your uploads.

[@Hersendood]

Man I love how you dissect games and play out scenes or audio files, makes it a joy to listen to bc not only do I get your ideas and takes but also what the game itself had to give. Listening to the Arkham Series really made me appreciate the games allover again.

[@CassetteDisk]

I replayed the Bam Ham series about a year ago and was surprised by how much I enjoyed Knight, especially coming right off City and Origins. This was a great trek through them and can't wait to see what else you and your daffy pals in Lore Dump get into!

[@cotopaximusic]

Hell yes been waiting for this one. Arkham Knight may have its issues but for me its the perfect Batman experience. I love it so much. I love this whole series so much. I wanna say this game does NOT rely on the Batmobile too much. It uses it quite a bit, and the Deathstroke fight is disappointing, but the Batmobile was utilized well overall, in my opinion

[@raditzhoneyham]

Yeah for me I was pretty much fine with the batmobile until the last few hours then I felt like it was too much. I just wish it was just a car, not a tank

[@jamieh1]

Great video! One of my favourite parts of Knight is the guard in the GCPD that’s near Ivy who progressively falls more and more in love with her and even makes a poem for her. Detail in the game is brilliant.

[@lizabee484]

8:50 NEIIIIIL!!!! It’s Neil!!! We love a good cameo from one of the other Lore Boys!! This just makes me more excited for this epic conclusion to this video series.

[@Adorni]

How do you screw that up? I _like_ the idea of the Knight fighting the Bat with a Predator style, as it’s something we haven’t seen Batman deal with, but that should be a _phase_ of the fight, not the entire fight. After Ra’s and Deathstroke, the last fight with him should have been a demanding, satisfying bout of hand-to-hand to really sell the idea that this antagonist is intimately familiar with Bats’ techniques, and pushes Bruce to his limits. What an utter waste.

[@VelaN0va]

I love knight but I hated how Jason was handled, he just... Dips after his fight and appears for 2 seconds to save batman without a word It's so stupid

[@hannajosephson3190]

not me crying at the ending out of my pure love of these games. You have a way with words, putting the games together with the comics, interviews, marketing, alll of it, THANK YOU for these amazing videos!

[@IM-vv5dm]

My favorite part of the story is the battle against Jason when his identity is revealed. He is constantly struggling with his anger and trauma as Batman tries to remind him of his better nature. When it's over, we see the broken man beneath it all. In retrospect, the Arkham Knight wasn't just supposed to be Batman's superior, he was the Batman he wished had come and saved him all those years ago.

[@jakewhite2328]

Monty, I've watched my fair share of video game retrospective creators, but you are the first to truly make me feel the respect you have for the material you're discussing. Your pacing, quips, and gravity are all top notch. Too many creators are so quick to point out flaw after flaw to emphasize their 'exquisite' taste; I've enjoyed your ability to acknowledge weaknesses but still revere what makes the games you cover so important to you and to many of us watching. You have an incredibly refreshing and welcome take on the games I've seen you cover. Keep up the love letters ❤

[@danielrestrepo9168]

Closing the chapter of the saga of Rocksteady’s Batam Arkaham reviews, we all can say that the legacy of the cape crusader is not in what he can become, but what he can give to his family and the people. And this also applies to all of us. Let us all tear down our legend and rebuild it again, each time stronger than before. As always stellar work Monty :) Rip Kevin Conroy. A true dark knight until the end.

[@rocketguy64]

This was an amazing video essay, I had to listen to it twice, It was so good. This is probably one of my favorite videos I've listened to on KZbin in such a long time. You keep up the good work and I'll be watching

[@Shocktimus989]

Incredible video, and incredible series. The weaving of past Batman media and mythos to the Arkham franchise was so wonderfully done! Even though they don't hold a substantial amount of weight to the overall story, I do wish there was *one more video* detailing the Arkham Episodes (outside of A Matter of Family). When it comes to legacy, I think they have some interesting ideas, like Robin struggling between being his own kind of vigilante without Batman's supervision, and trying to live up to Batman's legend. But of course they do speak for themselves well enough. Once again, excellently done!

[@ilikzim]

I found this channel like 3 days ago and watched your other Arkham analysis knowing this was coming soon. Blessed be the algorithm.

[@Hatemile]

Thanks Monty. I always had a casual interest in Batman, and back in the day played Arkham asylum and city due to their popularity, but my interest was primarily the gameplay. I discovered your critique of asylum, watched it, and it ignited a love for batman. I then decided to play through the entire series, watching the critique after finishing each one. About a week ago I finished this crusade by achieving 100% on Arkham knight, ( I never would have played it organically due to its reputation, I assumed it was bad, but it honestly was my favorite), and now it comes full circle with the video. Wish you success, you deserve it.

[@Nono-hk3is]

Now you gotta get into the comics.

[@MeggaMann_theBlueLion]

@@Nono-hk3isthat part. Kids these days don’t really know the true Batman or many superheroes of the comics. They know them through the movies and games. It’s not official until the comics are read. 80’s baby comic book collector and cards across multiple comic books.

[@thomaswynn1997]

Been on KZbin for more than a decade and I’m sure this is the only channel I put notifications on for. Great quality content as always

[@TheGoldenNeil]

Everytime I am reminded of Lady Shiva’s involvement in Death Of The Family I find it so funny. The writer very clearly did not know or care enough about her to write her even slightly right, down to having her be called “Shiva Woosan,” as if it was her real name or something, which it just isn’t. It was “Sandra Woosan”, which still very much works with the “S” name thing. Heck, it could’ve even been a neat twist, revealing that, but lol. I also like that he didn’t seem to notice that Shiva is Chinese, which makes the “is she the caucasian Jason Todd’s mom?” thing even funnier. Sorry for the tangent haha

[@deebo3182]

Gotta be the best reviews of this series, love the way you weave gameplay with story it’s perfect

[@aeternumcadens1777]

My guy...well done with these critiques. I power watched all four and appreciate the time, effort and thought you put into it. Thank you!

[@dedstring]

Watching these has been such a great trip down memory lane, alot of games just came out well made during those times, sad to see what the games industry has become but thanks for helping me recapture some good memories Monty, Youre a big inspiration for me

[@sockoast]

I love the section about the open world because Gotham in this game feels like such an amazing open world with so much character. It has such an attitude that feels like it could be in a comic book with the fact it's literally building over itself, which I think makes something like Wonder City feel much more alive and real in the universe. Gotham isn't just Detroit or Jersey City. It feels like Batman belongs there. It's part of the reason why I think the Millita side missions are fun, the feeling of gliding over the city on your way to do a mission and stumbling into an outpost makes you feel like there really is a war attacking a city that breathes.

[@TheAzulmagia]

Lucius was mentioned in City as part of the Mad Hatter mission! But that was about it in terms of his appearances. I do like how you contextualize the Batmobile, but I still feel iffy about Batman using a tank, even if the justification is Joker's hallucinations influencing his brutality. Incidentally, Nightwing can be killed by Penguin and Robin by Harley at two different points in the game. The former is a rather strange moment, though, since Nightwing is the one that disarms Penguin and tosses him. It seems odd he's completely helpless against a gun when he's been doing this for over a decade. It's implied Francine survives the Man Bat mission and becomes a monster herself if you return to Kirk's lab after the mission. Additionally, setting the clock forward to a specific date has Kirk escape lock up and become Man Bat again. A really grim ending for both Langstroms. I wish the Batgirl DLC hadn't been Babs/Tim shipping. I wish it had been time to let Jason don the cowl and show his rapport with the Bat-family. We get Dick as Robin in Origins' multiplayer and we get Tim in two games. But Jason as Robin doesn't exist in this series, and that's a shame. I'd like to have more focus on his time as Robin in media, not just his death and subsequent rebirth. I like the option to "kill" Ra's because, as Alfred points out, it's not really murder when Ra's can barely be considered traditionally alive anymore. Ra's himself also mentioned he's afraid of what he's turning into each time he comes out of the pit. That said, I do like how choosing this route, despite the fact it leads to Nyssa living, honoring her deal, and seemingly making the League no longer plague Gotham ever again comes at the cost of Bruce compromising his morals, something that Ra's even comments on with pride in Bruce. I appreciate that Nora gets agency in the Mr. Freeze quest. I remember there being a lot of flak about how female characters were treated in Knight, but Nora getting the final say over how she wants to live and die was something I saw a lot of detractors praise. I really don't like the whole "Joker Infected" plot. Not only does it contradict what we hear about the Joker blood stuff in City, which was said to have infected a ton of people, it means that the original Joker himself could've also been as much of a victim as the people we see here. There's no reason this couldn't have just been a Joker hallucination brought on by fear gas that Batman just has to overcome via willpower, much like the first BTAS episode with Scarecrow. I really wish Riddler got some closure in this game. I know he gets more pathetic as the games go on, but seeing him here in Knight is really sad. The conversation he has where he talks about how his memory is so perfect that he not only recalls all of the times that Batman physically beat him, but has nightmares about it is just downer. Joker hallucination's remark at the end shows Batman seems to feel somewhat bad about what he's done to Eddie, too, but I wish there was some measure of resolution. Some way that you can help him in the end instead of just shipping him away to get worse to the point that Riddler leaves the series AGAIN being brutalized while Selina destroys his bank account. On the topic of closure, I wish there was more of it in general. Any number of villains react to the events of Knight as just "Well, Bats, see you next Tuesday." And I suppose that is something of the point as to why Bruce feels he needs to become worse. But I really just wanted some big, final clashes with the baddies that felt like a capstone to their relationships. Instead, Harley's still pining over Joker, Two-Face is still just "that guy with the duality gimmick", Penguin is the same dick he always was, and so on. The post-game DLC doesn't really even change this in any way. It's even more disappointing in the case of Harley because there's potential for her there: this is a game about the Joker's legacy and his fear of being forgotten, and the idea of Harley being able to redeem herself and move on from his toxic influence could've been a powerful moment that led to the pivotal defeat of the Joker. But she doesn't do anything noteworthy aside from lust over Joker. She doesn't even get to react to Ivy's death. It's a shame.

[@TheAzulmagia]

@ShimmyYaBro I'm not hung up on it and I can accept that it's in the game. I just don't care for the concept.

[@cat-her-ine]

As you stated, I played Arkham Knight first and I loved it, especially the Batmobile. I was just getting into dc and I felt so cool doing all of the Batmobile levels. My only problem with it was that I was bad at it, which was more of a me issue rather than a game issue. Overall great video and great points!

[@manufacturingdiscontent8829]

Impeccable vid as always Monty. Your clear love of Batman and sheer knowledge of the material is evident as always and this series is a masterclass in blending analysis with elements of summary! The pacing for all of these vids is never lacking and the ratio of great and interesting points to recap is really perfected here. Keep up the awesome material .

[@comicfan1324]

I thought it was rather interesting seeing how death in the family actually played out. People only seem to remember the part about Jason getting blown up.

[@VaalkinTheOnly]

38:45 You don't even need to fight the tank. On my playthrough I just hacked one of their little goon tanks and that did the entire fight for me.

[@GrungeHead47]

You have inspired me. Arkham Origins: Has the best feeling of being Batman. Batman is still just a myth to most criminals and at the start of the game they freak out at the sight of him finding out "he's real" as the game progresses word has gotten around he's been taking out thugs yet still in a superstitious way. They know he's real but don't know he's just a man. Also the theme of a Christmas Eve Snow Storm is my favorite. Actually my favorite to game to free roam in Arkham City: Is the best story and easter eggs. And feels most like a comic. Arkham Knight: Best game play. Most costumes and full on Batman in Gotham experience. Arkham Asylum: Ummm has the best character bios. No it's great just for the classic comic story.

[@christiangamer1752]

Lucius Fox actually is referenced in the previous games. In Asylum, Oracle mentions Lucius while talking about the WayneTech security consoles being hackproof when Batman asks about them in the wake of Dr Young's death. In City, when Batman requests the Grapnel Boost, Alfred tells him that Mr. Fox told him it's not ready for field deployment. Good video, but felt that correction was necessary. Don't blame you for missing it as they're blink moments.

[@WASTEOIDx]

3:22:27 i think ots also important to note that the joker never learned the Batmans true identity. The Batman is still a superstition, still a symbol and most importantly still a hero to the joker. And Batman knows that. Thats why he fights back the joker in his mind and wins.

[@carlosbaezjr.7674]

I played this game long ago, back in 2015 when I first got my PS4. I remember loving so much of it but I never returned to it after beating it. This video and all of them in the series makes me want to replay all of them. Great video and a great series

[@The_Phantasm]

I must say while I did enjoy Ashley Greene as Barbara Gordon I definitely preferred Kimberly Brooks as the character and I wish they would have kept her for Arkham Knight as well.

[@forpdrop3793]

Enjoyed this video a lot. The constant cutting back to you covering the comic was very very well done. Might have to replay this game after so many years

[@bigred6884]

This retrospective series prompted me to revisit the Arkham series (save Arkham origins, wasn’t available) I just began a new playthrough and I’m astonished by the amount of content available after launch

[@Kuronosa]

I've been waiting for this...ironically, another retrospective creator is also goibg through the Arkham games, and for a moment, i thought i had clicked on their video.....Until i heard your iconic "1, 2, 3." Sooooo glad to see this now! Cheers!

[@tyleroutland435]

I hated how rocksteady gave no explanation of how scarecrow survived from killer crock

[@Robert-tl2vg]

Apparently your mum saved him.

[@WhenDevilsDuel]

He was only attacked briefly before the croc realized he could eat batman instead At least that's what I always got from it

[@Scoota6392]

It’s an Arkham asylum end credit

[@tyleroutland435]

@@Scoota6392 it didn't show how specifically he survived

[@citizenvulpes4562]

​@@tyleroutland435 He still had his needle hands, he probably injected croc. Scarecrow's face in this game isn't a mask BTW that's just his skin after what croc did to him

[@AM_61102]

I really do believe that this story would have been so much better if Batman already knew who Arkham knight was but was wrestling with the guilt and the fear his greatest failure brought

[@AM_61102]

But I do have to ask what is so different about Albert king’s boss fight than Killer Croc? Save for originality

[@javiermauricio8377]

I didn´t mind the overuse of the batmobile, that thing is one of the most awesome assault vehicles I've seen in a video game.

[@KaiserAfini]

It controls beautifully, its well integrated into Batman's toolkit and allows for some pretty creative problemsolving for Riddler trophies. However, the batmobile combat fell flat for me, since it didn't have the same strategic depth or variety of options as the regular combat.

[@IPaid4WinRAR]

​@@KaiserAfiniyeah the batmobile combat felt like a forced arcade mini game section whenever you had to do it. Especially with the game explicitly telling you all of the enemy vehicles are unmanned drones, it just felt super hamfisted.

[@frogglen6350]

it literally ruined death stroke and any hand to hand biss combat

[@MeggaMann_theBlueLion]

It’s not over use. If you know anything about Batman (comic books not movie Batman or video game) and the Batmobile are inseparable. Batmobile has always been by his side more than Robin. And has saved the day on multiple accounts. To say less Batmobile for Batman doesn’t even sound right. What is Batman supposed to do just run and glide? Seeing comments like this “to much Batmobile “ let’s me know who true Batmanians are and aren’t? Maddness!!!!

[@JDelwynn]

@@MeggaMann_theBlueLionWhen people see "Too much Batmobile", they're not talking about the traversal or puzzle solving, it's about the tank sections that have no place in any Batman media.

[@ChosenYousef]

Thank you for the retrospective on the Arkham games, you did a really great job in reviewing and analysing every game in the series

[@joshheralal8758]

I remember playing this when it came out when I was 11. Despite some flaws it's still an amazing game.

[@Sith_Biscuit]

2:07:30 nah I’ve definitely tried to get in the car before and joker is sat in there 😂

[@wirtz101]

Anyone should try playing the series in chronological order starting with Origins instead of Asylum. When doing that I felt a grander appreciation where the series has gone both in gameplay and story. After 3 games of the amazing game experience Rocksteady created, Knight felt like a breath of fresh air. And trust me, playing Origins first even enchance my experience with Asylum as I felt way more 'trapped' on the island after the open world of origins.

[@tylermorgan2353]

You are genuinely my favorite KZbinr

[@TheDarkGBJ]

What actually makes the Batmobile feel like it overstays its welcome is because they put them in boss battles. If that didn't happen as much as it didn't, it wouldn't have bothered people as much

[@luCid.the.book.]

This like to view ratio is crazy! This needs so much more love!!!

[@spartacus1155]

Batman Arkham Knight would have been a 10 out of 10 masterpiece. If it wasn't for the developer's over indulging in how many riddler trophies you have to collect and how many firefighters you had to rescue, towers to stop, ect ect. The grind is just too much to get to the true ending that I felt I deserved After playing through all of the arkham games back to back for the first time. It brought the game down to a 9 out of 10. But it was a fantastic game neither less, I wish I had experienced it when the arkham series was in its hay day. Beautiful video BTW.

[@alexanderbaker149]

Not even 10 minutes in yet hearing Neil makes me even more excited for the rest of this

[@xardiesn.o.o.b4971]

Was watching this last night and actually stopped and started a different video before I fell asleep so I could come back to this Merry Christmas and thanks for the content

[@calemr]

I've heard that the Arkham Knight was meant to be an original character. One last hurrah for people who made this version of the bat, intended to be used by DC comic writers, if they wanted to. And then DC or Warner Bros came in and went "Hey, we're trying to push Jason Todd in the comics at the moment. So you're gonna put him in your game." And then they had to pivot hard and change things. But they'd already said "Hey, check out this cool new character". Now, I don't know if this is true, I can't remember where I originally heard it, and haven't been able to find confirmation lately, but I think it certainly sounds believable based on how companies act. And how poorly set up it was. I expect better of Rocksteady than to have a bunch of in your face flashbacks to a character we've only seen a few small references to in prior games, and then expect ANYONE not to know who the Arkham Knight is immediately afterwards. But I don't expect any better of marketing executives than to go "Hey, kneecap the big twist of your final story so you can shoehorn in advertising a character for us." The advertising said it was going to be someone new, and I feel like if they'd intended him to be the Jason Todd from the start, they wouldn't have just outright lied. Also, if they'd planned it, they'd have probably spread his story through the prior games a little, instead of putting it all in the one game where he becomes important.

[@thehatman7051]

this video was so incredible that I immediately went and watched the whole rest of your Arkham critiques, and now I'm devastated that the Arkham Lore Dumps wont come out till next year

[@sup1602]

You know in the opening in the dinner, all the articles that are in the newpapers are fully written. I mean there is are actual articles you can read in them, unfortunately the text is not really readable. Feel bad for the dev who wrote all of them only for them not to be read property.

[@kinglyer5640]

Thanks once again for the amazing content. I love the dedication and honest love for media that you put into all of your content.

[@LordSephiroth518]

Another fantastic video, Monty. I have really enjoyed your deep dives into these games. It's good to see a review deep into the game beyond the surface level critiques of just "Batmobile Bad". This was one of my favorite iterations of Batman and so glad to have been able to journey through them again with your videos. Thank you for all you do, and I am looking forward to more to come. But in the end, there is only one question left: Are you ever going to get over Gotham Knights Monty?

[@MontyZander]

I will after the critique comes out in July 👀

[@LordSephiroth518]

@MontyZander We will have to hold you to that one. I think Gotham Knights hurt you much too deeply. So show us on the doll where Gotham Knights hurt you. I'm looking forward to that critique, though, because that game has so many flaws, and I am sure you have plenty to say. Plus, I don't want to suffer through playing it alone.

[@iamjafooli]

Just commenting to comment. I've thoroughly enjoyed this series. Thanks for all your efforts!

[@Liamx-00]

I honestly don’t think we will ever get another superhero game as good as the Arkham series was I truly hope we get a true remake one day where the expand on the ending of knight and expand the lore overall

[@mar-z6l]

Fell asleep while watching some videos, and when i woke up i found your channel thanks to this awesome video. it's beautiful, the most beautiful i've ever seen on batman games, and maybe even on batman! keep the hard work going, and thanks for this video!

[@msf2399]

As always, love your stuff. Love your analysis. Very annoyed you posted this like, 1.5hrs after I went to bed, so I had to watch it in fits & starts over the course of the day instead of just not sleeping and downing the whole thing in one go, but eh, that’s not really your fault. I will admit, however, admit, that in your analysis of this, run-down of “Death In The Family”, and the discussion of a few of Jason’s major comic-book landmarks (like your mentions of “Under the (Red) Hood”) I’m a little disappointed you didn’t point out how *many* of these villains have direct ties to Jason’s comic history, *especially* Jason’s time as Robin. Admittedly, I just reread a bunch of Jason’s original Robin run (both Pre & Post-Crisis) so they’re extra clear in my memory, but just a few examples: 1. Croc literally debuted in the same story Jason did, Pre-Crisis. He was *invented* for the purpose of killing off Jason’s parents. 2. “The Cult” storyline Blackfire came from is one of the few stand-alone Batman stories from the 80s that gives Jason a real role to play. (Far too many either excise Robin altogether-looking at you, “Son Of The Demon”-or work so hard to make Jason indistinguishable from Dick that they literally never address Jason by name-the second half of the “Year Two” book leans so hard on this, I had to double-check the publish date when someone told me it was supposed to be Jason in that arc.) As Bruce wavers under the pressure of the Deacon’s brainwashing, it’s Jason’s strength & stubbornness that keeps our heroes moving, Bruce most often only being able to move forwards for the sake of his Robin. 3. Mad Hatter has an arc where he nearly kills Jason, leading to the 80s inevitable re-establishment of Batman’s origin as Bruce flashes back while Jason’s in the ICU, musing prophetically that Bruce always expected this life would be his end but now it might just kill Jason. 4. In the same vein, Scarecrow shows up in Jason’s 2nd Post-Crisis Robin story (in “Detective Comics,” rather than “Batman” comics, and you do have to skim forwards because for a while DC’s DC were focused on wrapping up the Pre-Crisis batfam story.) It’s another really interesting story, actually, because Scarecrow decided to try *removing* fear and letting people’s lack of reflexes destroy their lives, which Bruce overcomes by “imagining the worst fear I could possibly think of” in order to ground himself. In the final panel, we see that worst fear was Jason dying. It just feels very deliberate in how they chose some of these villains, not just for who has already been in the games and who ties into the theme of legacy, but in how Bruce isn’t the only one tied to those villains. So many of them are Jason’s villains as well (I very much agree it should’ve been Shiva in the Ra’s quest, both to bringing in another game-established character & for this reason.) Even the ones who don’t have strong ties to Jason (that I know off the top of my head) still have strong ties to *Robin* - the Man-Bats have multiple stories in Tim’s original “Robin” series, Slade is one of Dick’s longest-running very personal antagonists after first showing up in “The New Teen Titans,” etcetera. …I don’t know where exactly I’m going with this, it just feels like a missed opportunity not to mention.

[@RyansFiles]

The level of consistency in your videos is unmatched. Only person that I think comes close is neverknowsbest. Superb work as always

[@desertmortician9332]

Just finished watching all of your Batman Critiques, and I think you did an excellent job. I love all these games and its wonderful to see them get the praise they deserve. Flaws and all. Personally my main issue with Arkham Knight is not the Batmobile, not the lack of good boss fights, and not the obvious twist. Its actually the Joker as a whole. Now I will start by saying that I do love the Joker, and I love Mark Hamill's Joker, and think that he does a great job in this game. My issue is that Scarecrow is my favorite Batman villain. They build Scarecrow up SO MUCH, he is gonna gas the entire eastern seaboard ON Halloween! He has become more dangerous and deadly then ever after embracing his deformity after the Croc's attack, and he has the Arkham Knight as his partner, bringing most of the iconic villains under his yoke....and this is all derailed by the Joker ONCE AGAIN taking center stage AFTER HE HAS DIED!! And the game ends after Bruce injects Scarecrow with his fear toxin (the one that is not supposed to effect Scarecrow anymore) and not even a boss fight. Scarecrow Is built to be a perfect antagonist to the Bat, he uses fear as his weapon just as the Bat does, and yet he is constantly sidelined in favor of the Joker and it just feels like such a waste. Again Wonderful Video, Looking forward to that Arkham Knights video ~DesertMortician

[@thomasjoychild4962]

It's like Rose Tyler in the renewed Doctor Who :P She was great when she was there and partly for the season after she left where her absence was part of the emotional storyline, but the show sort of kept revolving around her long after...

[@mephilisthedarkelijahramat182]

I think there is a way to make it it just needs balance

[@billygoldman3703]

BRO IVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS YEEEEESSSSSSSS THANK YOU SO MUCH. Ive been re watching your videos so many times this week I wasn't even sure how long it would be till this one happened

[@theamazonbois7970]

Nah, Tim drake turning into the joker in Batman Beyond was cool

[@adeadphish7931]

I cannot believe I missed this video getting posted. I have been super excited for it and it does not disappoint. I am glad this digs into everything great about this game and not just the sticking points that have been harped on for years. I love this game, I love all four arkham games and would love to replay them after these reviews over the last few months. How fortunate the trilogy is coming to Switch this year. Also I love hearing anyone talk about how great Gail Simone is!!

[@ravensflockmate]

The Batmobile is not overused at all and I don't care if the twist is obvious it's the best in the series as far as I'm concerned

[@shanebattistv2165]

How great would it be if events played out like this.. - Jason reveals his identity maybe 1/4 into the game like you suggest here and pushes Batman mentally with guilt - Scarecrow uses this to distract Batman for much of the game until the Cloudburst is ready - Just before the fear toxin is released and Jason has served his purpose, Scarecrow turns on him and takes Jason captive again in the asylum to cause further suffering for Jason and Batman - The finale of the game is Batman fighting through streets crowded with fear toxin-induced civilians, reverses the toxin with the help of Ivy, and then goes to Arkham - The last missions in the game is going through the familiar Asylum where it all began fighting off patients crazed by the toxin - In the end, Batman agrees to reveal his identity in exchange for Jason’s freedom - Jason sees he was wrong and Batman was always willing to do anything for him. Jason then returns to help Batman. **In this version, let’s cut the Joker subplot and let Jason/Scarecrow take center stage. Joker was great in this, but we’ve had enough of him by this point.

[@pink_earthworm]

IM SO EXCITED FOR THISSAS

[@TheRealJameson505]

3 hours and 30 minutes! I am so pumped to watch this. It may take a couple days but I will watch till the end

[@clearmountain28]

On the, "nothing else did the story of people literaly become the Joker" I would point out the Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker did this storyline. I personally think Joker disease is a dumber version of this idea then cybernetic gene rewiting Joker but still.

[@andyboie3333]

This, THIS, is the video I've been most excited for for months!!! Thank you!!! 😆😆😆