Batman: Arkham City Critique - Breaking the Bat

Ойындар

Batman: Arkham City is a tragedy. But if that's the case, why is it so much fun? Rocksteady didn’t strike gold by accident when they made Arkham Asylum. They mined deep and hard into the history of the Bat to unearth everything that makes him powerful and captivating, and they carried that ethic into the creation of Arkham City. They didn't coast on the acclaim of the first game. If Asylum’s Batman is the mould, City takes every opportunity to break it.
So let's look back on my favourite Arkham game!
LORE DUMP
• What the hell happened...
Thumbnail by by Zoltiboi
/ zoltiboi
BATMAN: ARKHAM CITY ENDGAME - MOTION COMIC
Arkham City: Endgame - Motion Comic - Nicolas Cortez: / watch
MERCH
monty-zander.myspreadshop.co....
TWITTER
/ montyzander
PATREON
/ montyzander
TIMESTAMPS
00:00:00 - Introduction
00:04:32 - A Grand Opening
00:17:01 - Riddler 2.0
00:29:00 - Inspector Gadget
00:40:16 - Substance Over Scale?
01:03:18 - The Demon and the Detective
01:12:44 - The Combat Racetrack
01:26:31 - Predator and Prey
01:36:56 - Enter Catwoman
01:48:00 - The Killing Joke
02:01:36 - Harley Quinn's Revenge
I MADE MY FIANCEE PLAY RESIDENT EVIL
• Resident Evil | Noobus...
BATMAN: ARKHAM ASYLUM CRITIQUE - FINDING THE BAT
• Batman: Arkham Asylum ...
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY CRITIQUE - ROCK'N'ROLLERCOASTER
• Guardians of the Galax...
QUANTUM BREAK CRITIQUE - BEYOND AMBITION
• Quantum Break Critique...
I MADE MY FIANCEE PLAY HOLLOW KNIGHT
• Hollow Knight | Noobus...
MUSIC
All music used is licensed by Artlist.
1 - Rob Cawley - Silent Theatre
2 - Nobou - A New Dawn
3 - SPEARFISHER - Blood Meridian
4 - Yehezkal Raz - Emerald
5 - The David Roy Collective - The Old House
6 - Emanuele Errante - Altered Communication
7 - Tamuz Deckel - A Speck in Time
8 - Risian - Oud of this World
9 - Nobou - Autumn Mist
10 - Nobou - Particles
11 - Nobou - Eyes Closed
12 - Michael Vignola - Too Much
13 - Nobou - Sophisticated Nostalgia
FOOTAGE/REFERENCES
1 - Batman: Arkham City Comic - Paul Dini
2 - Batman: Arkham City: Endgame Comic - Paul Dini
3 - Arkham City: Endgame - Motion Comic - Nicolas Cortez: • Batman: Arkham City: E...
4 - Game Interview - Batman: Arkham City Interview with Dax Ginn - • Game Interviews - Batm...
5 - Batman Dax Ginn Interview - Part 1 - CVG - • Batman Dax Ginn interv...
6 - (Arkham City) Sefton Hill DICE 2012 - • (Arkham City) Sefton H...
7 - Zack Snyder - Batman Vs Superman: Dawn of Justice - Exclusive Interview - HeyUGuys - • Zack Snyder - Batman v...
8 - Buy Batman used at Gamestop, get a Catwoman Code - www.engadget.com/2011-10-15-b...
9 - Why used games are such big business - New Yorker - www.newyorker.com/business/cu...
10 - Batman: Arkham City Panel Comic Con 2011 - Gamespot - • Batman: Arkham City Pa...
11 - Behind the Scenes - Batman: Arkham City [Making Of] Neogamer Archive - • Behind the Scenes - Ba...
12 - Voice Talent - Batman: Arkham City Behind the Scenes - Gamespot - • Voice Talent - Batman:...
13 - Batman: Arkham City - Video Interview - • Batman: Arkham City - ...
14 - Batman: Arkham City E3 2011 Interview - Gamespot - • Batman: Arkham City - ...
15 - Batman: Arkham City Interview - The Sixth Axis - • Batman: Arkham City In...
16 - Batman: Arkham City and the art of narrative game design - www.theguardian.com/technolog...
17 - The Man Behind The Cowl - Arkham City Interview - blog.playstation.com/2011/08/...

Пікірлер: 481

  • @MontyZander
    @MontyZander Жыл бұрын

    Thanks for being here! Check out our podcast - Lore Dump - below. This is the episode where we covered Metal Gear Rising and it was a laugh. kzread.info/dash/bejne/pqSFvNRslbeZe7w.html

  • @TheAzulmagia

    @TheAzulmagia

    Жыл бұрын

    Oh, Monty, did you know? If you shoot the TYGER Helicopters before Protocol 10, it makes the guards angry enough to shoot at you. Also, if you don't trace Zasz's call throughout the sidequest, you get an extra two calls and then Batman will automatically solve the tracker puzzle for you.

  • @MontyZander

    @MontyZander

    Жыл бұрын

    @@TheAzulmagia I didn’t know this!

  • @DontPretendtoCare

    @DontPretendtoCare

    Жыл бұрын

    The cryptographic sequencer is the best part of the game. So engaging.

  • @blamingfish432

    @blamingfish432

    7 ай бұрын

    26:33 ive never seen this? how do i get these to appear

  • @SilverFang95

    @SilverFang95

    4 ай бұрын

    Hugo Strange is 100% correct.

  • @xardiesn.o.o.b4971
    @xardiesn.o.o.b49714 ай бұрын

    "take my blood. I wish someone would. The stuff is killing me" one of my favorite lines

  • @johntonssen7231

    @johntonssen7231

    Ай бұрын

    I love the ‘nice of you to say, but you of all people would know, there’s plenty wrong with me’

  • @jakeloh9456
    @jakeloh9456 Жыл бұрын

    In the Arkham games, I feel Batman's fatal flaw is his inability to place his trust in his friends. He refuses Robin's help, which leads to him going down into Wonder City without backup. He never thinks to call in the help of the myriad of other heroes and vigilantes he calls allies. He mistrusts Mr. Freeze, leading to the fight that allows Harley to steal the cure out from under him. In the sequel, he makes mistake after mistake in his belief that he has to shoulder the burdens of the world. He never thinks that maybe, Atlas should shrug, and share the weight of the world with another.

  • @TheAzulmagia

    @TheAzulmagia

    Жыл бұрын

    While I can agree with that, I can't really blame the Mr. Freeze fight on Bruce since Victor is the one that kickstarts the problem. That said, I also feel like the circumstances that led to said fight are pretty contrived to begin with given that Freeze is trying to blackmail the guy that saved his wife to begin with (by his own admission in the Arkham City interview tapes). That's in addition to the fact that Bruce has one foot in death's door, which isn't exactly conducive to a successful rescue.

  • @alchemistofsteel8099

    @alchemistofsteel8099

    Жыл бұрын

    Imagine how quickly arkham knight could have been solved if Batman was more coordinated with the Robin's, the creeper, catwomen and Black canary

  • @kennel878Xx

    @kennel878Xx

    Жыл бұрын

    Beautifully said friend, well said indeed. In a poetic way I think that's the flaw of batman (or weakness) just as every other hero and villains weakness has. Batman could very well be the most bad ass talented , wisest and smartest person to exist but that doesn't change the fact that he's still only human despite being the most talented of humans. He still has flaws and issues and imperfections just like any one of us do . That's what makes him so special. Despite those flaws that's like a double edged sword Batman still finds a way to overcome and find a way and solution to compensate for that issue he has. It can be seen by his over performance of work, time and dedication he puts in. That's what's so inspiring about him

  • @Rule-ve9xl

    @Rule-ve9xl

    6 ай бұрын

    ​@@alchemistofsteel8099Batman did knight all in one night. Sure if they follow every plan/order Batman tells them sure it will take less time, but if they mess up it might prolong it.

  • @johntonssen7231

    @johntonssen7231

    Ай бұрын

    The reasoning behind it is that after Jason ‘died’. He was too afraid to lose anyone else.

  • @andycic.544
    @andycic.544 Жыл бұрын

    Something I've always loved about Arkham City is how much weight it gives to the Joker's death. The power of that shot of Batman carrying joker out of Arkham City holds so strongly in your memory that even when Joker comes back as a hallucination in Arkham Knight it serves more as a way to highlight his physical absence in the story than it does a way to bring back the character.

  • @goroakechi6126

    @goroakechi6126

    Жыл бұрын

    True. Joker didn’t feel too cheap in Knight, more like he was watching Batman from the sidelines. While I still wish he was completely gone, I don’t mind it as much as I should because of this.

  • @caoilfhionndunbar

    @caoilfhionndunbar

    Жыл бұрын

    @@goroakechi6126 I think it would have been worse if he wasnt there at all. the series was essentially the story of their relationship, having the last game be just totally unrelated would have been... weird.

  • @LegendaryDarkKnight602

    @LegendaryDarkKnight602

    Жыл бұрын

    What I hated was the Joker takeover section was too short and confined. I wanted to drive out into the streets in the Jokemobile and kill people.

  • @Visionism

    @Visionism

    Жыл бұрын

    And it mirrors the Cain and Abel painting the game opens with.

  • @bburd-jt8os

    @bburd-jt8os

    3 ай бұрын

    I hated that personally. Joker is trash and shouldn’t be treated with any respect or remorse. I prefer their relationship written with joker as a character Batman wants gone but won’t kill.

  • @rollingon5566
    @rollingon5566 Жыл бұрын

    For me, Batman's fatal flaw is his isolation. Often, Batman keeps pushing himself to be alone over and over again because he doesn't want anybody to have the same tragic day be did when his parents were murdered. As a result, he goes into most situations alone after a certain point because he doesn't want any of his family or friends to be hurt. Often times leading to himself and others being hurt much more. How many times in this game would it have been useful for batman to do one thing and either of his Sons to do the other? Personally as well, as demonstrated by your catwomen example, him opening and up and being happy would effectively kill the batman. As a human, he needs to be happy. As the bat, he must be alone. To me saying Batman's tragic flaw is his no killing rule betrays the point of Batman. No one deserves to die. If not for the life of the person but for those who are scarred from it. After all batman was scarred by the murder of his parents, it sent a wound larger than any gunshot. If he killed joker, would Harley take her own life? I think so. If he killed penguin, would a power vacuum cause a gang war claiming dozens of more lives? I think so. Batman to me represents the end to a cycle of death that murder and killing brings with him. To me, It'll never be a flaw that batman never takes a life. It is the ultimate strength that makes him not just the world's greatest detective but the world's greatest hero. And to you my Scottish KZreadr pal. I found your channel through your Arkham asylum video and it has single handedly gotten me back into reading comics again. I cannot describe how grateful I am for that, it's a medium like no other that tells stories no one else can. And it's touched me in a way I will never forget. So thanks for that

  • @TheAzulmagia
    @TheAzulmagia Жыл бұрын

    I always found it very bizzare how Talia was handled in this game. Bruce is willing to let hundreds/thousands of people die despite knowing that any number of people have been thrown into Arkham unfairly, himself included, let alone the fact that Batman has such a strong moral compass that he won't even let The Joker die if he can help it. Yet at the very end, when Talia dies, he practically forgets about her and she completely disappears from the game right before the Clayface reveal.

  • @jtcreeps5586
    @jtcreeps5586 Жыл бұрын

    I’ll never forgot opening this up on Christmas morning in 2011 when I was ten unaware of how much impact it was going to have on my life. A masterpiece through and through

  • @dadenelson7570
    @dadenelson7570 Жыл бұрын

    Babe, wake up, new Monty Zander video

  • @PurpleDoshi

    @PurpleDoshi

    Жыл бұрын

    Ture

  • @loubloom1941

    @loubloom1941

    Жыл бұрын

    Don't call me babe, we broke up 5 months ago!

  • @Kris-wo4pj

    @Kris-wo4pj

    Жыл бұрын

    ​@@loubloom1941 move out then

  • @ccelite3782

    @ccelite3782

    Жыл бұрын

    W boyfriend

  • @ccelite3782

    @ccelite3782

    Жыл бұрын

    @@loubloom1941 hollup... let him cook

  • @TheAzulmagia
    @TheAzulmagia Жыл бұрын

    If I had to challenge one thing you said, it'd be that Batman's hamartia is less his inability to kill and more his inability to make a meaningful, lasting change. As you touched on earlier, he saw the corruption in the asylum and did nothing about it. It apparently just washed off of him. Throughout the games, Bruce has a tendency to be somewhat dismissive of the criminals or insane as people as well, with even Oracle pointing out that it's okay Deadshot is shooting people because "they're all bad guys". Bruce doesn't counterattack that Strange is just as likely to have thrown minor offenders into Arkham City as murderers or that even the worst of the worst don't deserve to just be gunned down like animals, but instead talks about the innocent people that have been locked up instead. Even in Arkham Knight, should you manage to lock up Riddler before the Joker Hallucination is gone, it mocks Bruce to point out that beating up Edward is a much easier solution than doing anything to actually address his mental illness to prevent him from finding value in his supervillain persona.

  • @khalidahmed8402

    @khalidahmed8402

    Жыл бұрын

    Which is weird because comic’s Batman takes a fierce stance on wanting to reform criminals whom possess the potential to do so. The exception is the Joker who he still wants to help in spite of zero redeeming qualities because he sees him in himself.

  • @SidPhoenix2211
    @SidPhoenix2211 Жыл бұрын

    Arkham City is such a great superhero game. After liking Asylum... I LOVED City. In a lot of ways, the jump felt like the jump from Uncharted 1 to 2. From a decent, exciting start to a fully-fledged, groundbreaking display of a cohesive vision. Bigger and better in every way. And I always get weirdly excited to see just how fucked up Batman's suit gets over the course of the game lol

  • @baki484

    @baki484

    Жыл бұрын

    Man you've perfectly summed it up some of my favorite games of all time.

  • @SaberRexZealot

    @SaberRexZealot

    16 күн бұрын

    Comparing Arkham Asylum to Uncharted 1 is a bit of an insult lol. Arkham Asylum is a much, much better game than that.

  • @chaoticduk7515
    @chaoticduk7515 Жыл бұрын

    Thank goodness youtube recommended me your bioshock infinite critique out of the blue, you've quickly become one of my fave channels to go and watch in the background while working on art (and also to sleep, not that the content is boring I just have ADHD and need to have something on lol) I think you're also the first content creator to actually make a joke about that and go "sweet dreams" which made me go from half asleep to wide awake in .5 seconds

  • @MontyZander

    @MontyZander

    Жыл бұрын

    Oh god sorry!!

  • @chaoticduk7515

    @chaoticduk7515

    Жыл бұрын

    @@MontyZander FGHBFBA IT'S ALRIGHT THE SENTIMENT WAS APPRECIATED NONETHELESS o7 we need more unapolagetically left leaning youtubers with this style, I think the only other one that comes to mind is hbomberguy

  • @GVILTY

    @GVILTY

    Жыл бұрын

    ​@@chaoticduk7515 TRUE!

  • @lizabee484

    @lizabee484

    Жыл бұрын

    Lmao same thing happened to me when I listened to that episode, pretty sure I know which one you’re referring to, and it immediately made me go “oh god they’re listening to me again” and then “oh it’s Monty being cheeky lol nvm” which made me giggle for about a solid minute. Very interested in the art you mentioned working on tho tbh 👀 Not… Not in a creepy way. Just in a, I can’t art and I love to cheer on artists as I live vicariously through their talent, way. ^_^;

  • @chaoticduk7515

    @chaoticduk7515

    Жыл бұрын

    @@lizabee484 You don't sound creepy at all ghsbha you're good!! I can show some of it off on twitter or somethin.

  • @jayvansickle7607
    @jayvansickle7607 Жыл бұрын

    The Fact that Freeze isn't in the challenge map is ridiculous. They could've even had a few thugs thrown in to make it more difficult.

  • @nirman423
    @nirman423 Жыл бұрын

    So a few things I want to say: 1. I am also not a big Talia as Batman's love interest guy but i do feel like in the Morrison Run (specifically Batman Incorporated vol.2 but honestly since the start of their run) she is actually a great villain because she becomes a Supervillain who's whole gimmick is being Bruce's ex which imo surprisingly works. 2. About Batman's hamartia. I'd personally argue that it's not that Batman is unwilling to kill but that he cannot accept any death at all. From fighting with Alfred about saving Talia because her life is more concrete then the nebulous victims of Protocol 10 to grieving over the joker to the point of retreating into himself like he did (that he was only barely able to shake off by saving Harley from the same grief) Bruce is still that small child who cannot fathom death due to the trauma of his parents death. 3. Also just wanted to shout out your short read of the Tom King Batman/Catwoman run/saga and how you get that the messiness and complexity is exactly what that run was going for which a lot of people seem to have missed. 4. unsurprisingly the two batman villains that only work in the one story they were pretty much created for are the two worst missions in the game? who could have seen that coming? Anyway great video as always. Very excited for the last video of the trilogy (maybe a detour through the cash-grab spin-offs as well VR and Origin?) and for everything afterwards

  • @MontyZander

    @MontyZander

    Жыл бұрын

    Holy shit I love your hamartia reading. Thank you for this!

  • @nirman423

    @nirman423

    Жыл бұрын

    @@MontyZander my pleasure and thank you for the compliment. I have a small obsession with superheroes/mental health dynamic so I spent way too much time thinking about exactly that 😅

  • @dorianmichaelis1727
    @dorianmichaelis1727 Жыл бұрын

    Fully agree on the Talia point. Selina understands Bruce so much more and has less beef with him.

  • @michaelsimpson1224
    @michaelsimpson1224 Жыл бұрын

    Now that I've finished the video, I have two take aways: 1. They definitely should've used Mask of the Phantasm as the core inspiration for Talia’s story. Imagine a strange masked figure saving Bruce a few times, he meets Talia/Andrea in Wonder City, he shares a couple conversations with the Phantasm, and Bats is saved again during that last struggle through the steel mill. That's when their identity is revealed and she makes a deal with Joker. It would even provide a stronger subversion of the expectations for the Fake Joker reveal, where she has a scene very similar to the one in MoP where she disappears with Joker, only for it to be cut off by the real Joker killing her. 2. I live in both dread and excitement for the day you get to Arkham Knight and Shadow of Mordor, two of my most nostalgic games and some of the few games I'll replay despite their flaws. Knight is still the most visually stunning game I've ever played, almost a decade later, and I think, for better and worse, it does a better job at establishing Batman’s emotional connection to those he loses or thinks he loses throughout the game. I just wish they didn't waste such a badass adaptation of Scarecrow on playing third fiddle to Ghost Joker and DEFINITELY NOT Jason Todd As always a great watch!

  • @lakshaykochhar6799

    @lakshaykochhar6799

    9 ай бұрын

    I absolutely agree with Scarecrow part.

  • @lightningrodstudios2441
    @lightningrodstudios2441 Жыл бұрын

    The fact that they didn’t put Robin’s Arkham City look in Arkham Knight as a DLC is a crime. They gave Batman his first suit from Arkham Asylum. Why not give Robin his?

  • @laszlopados3350
    @laszlopados3350 Жыл бұрын

    Remember when Monty Zander said 'It's critiquing time!' and critiqued all over the place? On a serious note, I am so ready for this video. I hope it gets all deep, philosophical, thought-provoking and shiet. Love you content, MZ!

  • @FinneousPJ1

    @FinneousPJ1

    Жыл бұрын

    I love having his critique all over my face

  • @DrMadd
    @DrMadd9 ай бұрын

    There’s an aspect of Arkham City’s lore that a lot of people miss and it makes me sad because I think it adds so much to Ra’s Al Guhl’s character in the game. Wonder City was built by Ra’s Al Guhl 200 years before the events of the game and (in this universe) is where he first discovered the Lazarus pits. Ra’s overuse of the pit would wind up driving the citizens of Old Gotham mad. I really like this addition because it acts as a subtle implication for why Gotham is such a haven for the criminally insane and makes Ra’s come off as even more of a scumbag because it recontextualizes Protocol 10 into being less about “the greater good” and more about a petty man trying to wipe away his past mistakes without actually trying to do the hard work to fix them.

  • @highflyeranimation8272
    @highflyeranimation8272 Жыл бұрын

    8:01 Actually we also see Deadshot who is the thug waiting in line in front of Bruce Wayne. So many great details as always with Arkham Games intros

  • @DWolf2099
    @DWolf2099 Жыл бұрын

    I really don't understand the complaint about the free flow focus; I believe it's a good trade off, everything slows down a little bit and can still use all non-gadget/special moves. Personally in a big group of enemies with shields, swords, stun batons, and armor that slow down helps a lot especially against ninjas. As with all combat encounters in the Arkham series it's best to take everything in and take your time

  • @cooldudemcswagcooldudemcsw4697
    @cooldudemcswagcooldudemcsw4697 Жыл бұрын

    At what point is it the police’s fault that Joker and other villains don’t die. They put the entire city’s crime in Batman’s hands and then blame him when he doesn’t fix everything for them

  • @TheAzulmagia

    @TheAzulmagia

    Жыл бұрын

    It's not really the police's job to execute criminals. That's more on the courts for allowing them to be funneled into a failing institution. Even after Arkham City, the courts rule that just about every supervillain has to be set free because Arkham City was a human rights violation, which seems nonsensical. Just because Arkham City was unconstitutional doesn't erase the records of criminal activity that people like Riddler had beforehand.

  • @shcdemolisher

    @shcdemolisher

    Жыл бұрын

    @@TheAzulmagia Exactly! They'd be put on death row at the front of the line on the spot, especially people like the Riddler, he'd be killed for his sheer arrogance and hatred that no prison cell is suited for him. Frankly I feel that Arkham city was the best choice, same with protocol ten. Except it's more a planned execution of all the criminals rather then a security breach. Which lets be honest, in real life the super villains would totally deserve being put down, the public wouldn't stand them always walking free or off to an asylum that no one would really use.

  • @johntonssen7231

    @johntonssen7231

    Ай бұрын

    @@shcdemolisherthat’s the point of asylum, you cannot execute someone who’s insane, so that’s why none of Batman’s villains can be executed

  • @mistertwister2000
    @mistertwister2000 Жыл бұрын

    “Two games had released that year where North played the main character” *Shows Ezio Auditore, famously voiced by Roger Craig Smith* Seriously though, I loved this video, that moment just gave me a good chuckle

  • @MontyZander

    @MontyZander

    Жыл бұрын

    Yeah my bad - the footage was meant to be of Desmond but the clip I wanted just refused to download so I went with a generic trailer!

  • @Ostfriese93
    @Ostfriese93 Жыл бұрын

    I played all of the Batman Arkham games, because they were on sale some time last year on Steam. I enjoy them a lot, after knowing the praise they got over the years, and I even played them in a row. I did not get bored by the recurring mechanics and theme. I really appreciated the evolution of the series. So far I watched all of videos of these games and I am really excited for your take on Batman Arkham Knight. Keep it up Monty!

  • @theonewhoplays3819
    @theonewhoplays3819 Жыл бұрын

    Great video as always! 2 small corrections: 1. It’s not snowing because of Freeze’s experiments, it’s just simply because it’s the middle of winter, possible late Dec-Jan, on the US east coast. 2. It’s just regular supervillain-grade acid Catwoman is hanging over, not Titan.

  • @kacpernowak1535

    @kacpernowak1535

    11 ай бұрын

    And you can't take thug's shield with a batclaw.

  • @michaelsimpson1224
    @michaelsimpson1224 Жыл бұрын

    I am HERE for the Talia Al Ghul slader Ngl, her blandness, her honestly terrible in-game model, and how they shove her into such a central role in the plot was the one GIANT problem I had with City.

  • @tylerhansen931

    @tylerhansen931

    8 ай бұрын

    Her original model looked way better, the remaster horrifically butchered her in particular, it sticks out really badly when Ras grabs her. Her hair was recolored very poorly and she was given a very heavy and extremely noticeable spray tan, and they removed her belly piercing for some reason.

  • @harris23456
    @harris23456 Жыл бұрын

    I'm genuinely hyped to see if you'll review origins or knight next. Origins really needs some love in the form of a long review like yours. (Yes, even the surprisingly fun multiplayer that still works on xbox and even pc if you edit the game file correctly to re enable it)

  • @jadedfennec5605
    @jadedfennec5605 Жыл бұрын

    Have I ever played this game? No. Am I going to watch a 2 hour critique of this game? Yes.

  • @keithhightower646
    @keithhightower646 Жыл бұрын

    My favorite part of Kevin's performance is how he'd switch so effortlessly between his Bruce voice and his Batvoice. So you'd get these moments where you'd have this goofy, frat boy, silver spoon fed ass voice momentarily coming from the personification of vengeance 🤣 or you'd have this rich playboy goof suddenly transform into a brooding focus instrument of justice as soon as he's out of the public eye.

  • @averymccoytarnished6782
    @averymccoytarnished6782 Жыл бұрын

    Monty is the kind of critic that critics will struggle to critique - I love the way that he can offer both heartfelt praise and unforgiving criticism within minutes of one another, seeing games that he loves not just as the sum of their parts, but also for the level of quality that each part presents. Too many reviewers view their final opinion on a game as a thesis that must be proven at every opportunity, and in trying to smooth over the flaws, fail to achieve that goal - good games are good not despite their flaws, not if their flaws are overlooked, but in the context that there are enough great qualities married to the flaws, coalescing to a final product that gets as much right as it can, and still has room for improvement. Thank you, Monty, for making reviews which are not only informative, but wholly sincere.

  • @MontyZander

    @MontyZander

    Жыл бұрын

    Shitting myself as I work through this Origins critique now that I do all of that ^

  • @averymccoytarnished6782

    @averymccoytarnished6782

    Жыл бұрын

    @@MontyZander Like my grandpa used to say, "If you're shitting yourself, you're doing it right." I'm still not sure if I trust his wisdom, but c'est la vie, c'est la merde.

  • @theonlybilge

    @theonlybilge

    Жыл бұрын

    @@averymccoytarnished6782 "If you're shutting yourself, you're doing it right." _he shits his adult diaper while not doing anything_

  • @baki484
    @baki484 Жыл бұрын

    Your stealth breakdown is perfection especially for the the freeze bossfight. It's a shame they have fallen so far from grace. Suicide squad is the most generic and by the numbers game. Arkham city and Asylum are my favorite games of all time.

  • @IliterateFoo

    @IliterateFoo

    Жыл бұрын

    Bruh Suicide Squad hasn’t even come out yet lol wait to judge til then

  • @baki484

    @baki484

    Жыл бұрын

    @@IliterateFoo So what if it hasn't come out. They showed us what we'll be getting. I've been on the money thus far.

  • @ben22213
    @ben22213 Жыл бұрын

    Just wanted to say that your videos are phenomenal. I’ve watched loads of critiques/long form essays and very few KZreadrs can achieve this level of quality and polish. Please don’t stop doing these.

  • @morganfarlie
    @morganfarlie Жыл бұрын

    What I've found in GORGING on your content is that I can't help but question with greater depth, my passion and love of many of the games you and I have completed. Critical thinking is a beautiful thing and you've got a KNACK for engaging my brain in that way. Thank you!

  • @alextorres8635
    @alextorres8635 Жыл бұрын

    The thing that makes Batman the most fearsome fighter, superhero, detective and crime fighter IS the fact he will never choose to kill. He already knows how much harder his job is because people know that. It means he has to push even harder to achieve success especially against these kinds of villains. He simply would not be the same person or same hero if killing were ever on the table. It effects all of his decisions and to call it a fatal flaw is not exactly correct. It’s his defining characteristic. It is the height of his ideals and without it.....just look at the alternate universe versions of him. Look at Owlman or the Bat who laughs. It bleeds into his very identity as a man that uses fear against criminals. If you’re just gonna kill them, there’s no need to scare them. I feel that this is the one sticking point people have with him as a character. The very events that traumatized him and the reason he fights crime is about the preservation of life. Essentially, he’s the man that stops the deaths, he’s not the executioner of these criminals and people who don’t get that, don’t get Batman.

  • @liamboote225
    @liamboote225 Жыл бұрын

    Can't believe I didn't get a notification for this. Excellent video, really enjoying your videos on this series. As for Batman's fatal flaw, I think it is his inability to expose others to the truth of the horror is his most important flaw. Batman, as a result of the Asylum, refuses to expose those he holds close to the true horror and rot he saw. He has others he could call on to help him fight against it and fix the system, and a lot of deaths and harm could have prevented had he done that, but he can't expose them to that. He was so focused on Talia he would have left thousands of others to die had he not been talked out of it. He was so focused on keeping Robin safe that he sent him back out of the city, meaning he had no back up going into Wonder City and only had one pair of hands to work with at the critical moments of the story, when even one more set could have done so much good. This refusal to expose the truth of the horror is also evident at the end of last game. He refuses to allow the public to know about the truth of the horror. You touched on it in the video, but he refuses to expose this horror, thinking he is the solution to the problems and the rot of the system, and want to protect others. This fits well as a fatal flaw, because it is a flaw in this setting, but perhaps not others. It is heroic in a sense, shouldering all of the burdens onto himself to protect others. But in this story it is a flaw because it limits him from doing more good. I think Batman learned a bad lesson from Asylum, in that he can withstand and power through the rot and evil and horror he finds on his own. He learned he could do it on his own, so he now does it on his own so he can protect those closest to him from the horror. I think that does tie into your complaints about the DLC to some degree. He could work with Robin, but he believes he can take it all on his own, so he does so, keeping Robin away. He doesn't seem to learn that he can really on his allies in this game. It is still a poor gameplay choice that they didn't include it, but it does make some sense from a character level.

  • @trial_with_an_error9687
    @trial_with_an_error96877 ай бұрын

    Kinda upset that you didn't mention the song Coheed and Cambria did for Arkham City and how it both perfectly reflects Bruce and Joker's relationship/situation and the utter tragedy of Arkham City as a whole.

  • @MontyZander

    @MontyZander

    7 ай бұрын

    I don’t know who that is

  • @echotheworld8686
    @echotheworld8686 Жыл бұрын

    Bro out here gonna make one of the best Arkham essay series of videos I've seen on YT. Keep up the amazing work! 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾

  • @Cookediting
    @Cookediting Жыл бұрын

    Bro I fell asleep with KZread on and that whisper “One, Two, Three” woke me up and scared the fucking shut out of me

  • @punkxblaze
    @punkxblaze Жыл бұрын

    Outstanding. I just started watching your channel yesterday, and now there's an arkham city video. Perfect timing.

  • @stayslapped1568
    @stayslapped1568 Жыл бұрын

    I've been listening to your critique of Asylum over the past several days, so super excited to listen to this one. Really glad the algorithm helped me stumble upon your channel.

  • @Draliseth
    @Draliseth Жыл бұрын

    Memories of playing hopped up on NOS so I could unlock the Batman Beyond costume and caving in faces to The Crystal Method's intro on repeat. For some reason I was blown away by the detail of the wings appearing when gliding and stunning. I figured they'd just make the cape transparent and call it good.

  • @BANbantam
    @BANbantam Жыл бұрын

    the turn around on these vids is crazy, excited to watch this

  • @SJITZ
    @SJITZ4 ай бұрын

    Just got here right after finishing your Asylum video. Glad to have found your channel, man. The meaning of critique eludes many but you got it.

  • @johnnygraves4118
    @johnnygraves4118 Жыл бұрын

    This week has been a good week to stumble on your channel and binge your long form essays

  • @fortphoenix
    @fortphoenix11 ай бұрын

    As a bit of a cinematography nerd, my favourite bit about the Grundy boss fight is just the build up to it. There’s a snap zoom and rocksteady executes with such flair and conviction that I had a wide grin when I first played that fight. And speaking of cameras, I think rocksteady does a fairly good job with implementing and evolving its use throughout their trilogy… Great work on the analysis. Keep up the great work!!

  • @BenDiaz
    @BenDiaz Жыл бұрын

    One thing I hated about Harley Quinn’s Revenge was that all the characters (Batman, Harley, Robin) all end the DLC in the same place as characters as at the beginning of the DLC. No character growth or change whatsoever. Would have liked to see Batman learn to rely on his bat family in his grief or learn to let go of some guilt over joker’s death by the end of the story. Fun gameplay, but a horribly depressing way to end that always left me deeply unsatisfied.

  • @TheAzulmagia

    @TheAzulmagia

    Жыл бұрын

    Yeah, Harley Quinn's Revenge is entirely pointless in the grand scheme of things. Aside from Robin getting a bit more to do, there wasn't really any value to the story. Even worse is that all of the characters are basically STILL more or less in the same place by the time of Arkham Knight, minus Harley's attempt at suicide.

  • @asdfghjkl-qo8bp
    @asdfghjkl-qo8bp Жыл бұрын

    YAY!! After watching your Arkham asylum video, I was so excited to watch this when I got the notification. Love these videos!!!! 💙💙💙 definitely the best I’ve seen of the Arkham series on KZread, great job!!

  • @simonepreussner
    @simonepreussner Жыл бұрын

    I really really love your long reviews, Monty. They are always so well structured, and you have always more to say than: game good/bad. Even though I do not share all the opinions you express in your reviews, I always enjoy your insight. So thank you for doing this.

  • @rynepell3280
    @rynepell3280 Жыл бұрын

    Yet another banger Monty! I love how deep you go into the game down into it's soul. I can't wait for the Arkham Knight video and how you will deal with the twist in that one.

  • @Chessheromusic
    @Chessheromusic4 ай бұрын

    Wow Monty never realized the Cain and Abel painting of a brother killing a brother With a huge muscular Cain carrying his thin brother Was litterally a picture of Batman carrying the joker Two sides of a coin forced to be at odds bc of the world

  • @kontrolzee1761
    @kontrolzee1761 Жыл бұрын

    Your videos are amazing Monty. Absolutely incredible the amount of effort and editing you put into your videos. I wish i could make video's like you. Keep up the great work!

  • @satanade8163
    @satanade8163 Жыл бұрын

    i have been waiting so excitedely for this one, audibly said "Ohohoho here we go". I replayed the whole Arkham saga since your first Batman Arkham Asylum video just to be able to relate or disagree with your critiques. This is amazing content.

  • @MummysBraveBoy
    @MummysBraveBoy3 ай бұрын

    Super rare, barely an inconvenience?? I see what you did there. Understanding a reference with a slight change of words is TIGHT!

  • @JammedDuke
    @JammedDuke Жыл бұрын

    Monty liked my post from the asylum video and I knew at that moment to be patient for the upcoming video essays. Thank you for answering my prayers sir.

  • @afroanime4589
    @afroanime458920 күн бұрын

    I like how strange is in control of EVERYTHING. From catwoman and two face beef to freeze being catured everything

  • @Chaosqueenngami
    @Chaosqueenngami Жыл бұрын

    I am so glad I found your videos, I love video game deep dives, especially long ones with intellectual nuisance.

  • @notsowildcard9038
    @notsowildcard9038 Жыл бұрын

    You deserve millions of views on your videos for the quality content you produce man

  • @SidPhoenix2211
    @SidPhoenix2211 Жыл бұрын

    I know what I'm watching while I do initial rough sketches for a challenging new illustration as I wait for the new The Last of Us episode to drop tonight!! LOVED your previous Arkham video, and I've been rewatching yout BioShock videos again. Currently nearing the end of 2. EXCELLENT video, btw. Keep on keeping on, man!

  • @Inuzumi
    @Inuzumi10 ай бұрын

    Your videos are an absolute joy to watch.

  • @kidxantwon8525
    @kidxantwon8525 Жыл бұрын

    Best kinds of videos to watch up to. Keep up great work.

  • @jetperson3billion439
    @jetperson3billion43911 ай бұрын

    something interesting to note regarding the absence of talia is that she was supposedly going to have a bigger role, with character models being found referencing clayface possibly impersonating her

  • @gethspectre66
    @gethspectre66 Жыл бұрын

    loving the content , put true time and effort into this and it shows , good job, loving the channel cant wait to delve into it.

  • @731freeman
    @731freeman Жыл бұрын

    Gonna have to listen to this at work. I just subscribed to you like yesterday, and I get a new video while I have a backlog to go through. I feel spoiled.

  • @davidtones
    @davidtones Жыл бұрын

    Caught this at the perfect time, Ready for another amazing upload!

  • @bambamboyles
    @bambamboyles Жыл бұрын

    oh ive been so excited for this one. Monty your critiques are always so good man.

  • @RoboGuy2K
    @RoboGuy2K Жыл бұрын

    I was so genuinely upset about the wedding in Tom King's run being a fake out that I ended up dropping the run there.

  • @bytz4742
    @bytz4742 Жыл бұрын

    The two guns bitch line is one of my favorite things to come out these games

  • @lamaar8252
    @lamaar8252 Жыл бұрын

    Well done. Excited for the next episode. :)

  • @leonardocota4703
    @leonardocota4703 Жыл бұрын

    it's been too long since I got so excited for a youtuber uploading as I get when you do

  • @oddball87
    @oddball87 Жыл бұрын

    I found your channel through the Bioshock retrospectives, and I'm glad I did. Each video of yours I've seen has been well thought out and much more interesting than the average retrospective, and this one is no exception. I know you're probably going to cover Knight for next video, but I do hope you'll give Arkham Origins the same treatment at some point. One thing I'd like to add to the Catwoman section: something that makes the initial decision to lock her sections behind the DLC wall all the more pointless (and low key scummy on the part of Warner Brothers) is that Arkham City got a Game of The Year re-release (roughly about a year later I think) which included all the DLC on-disc, with all the Catwoman sections fully integrated in the main game right where they were supposed to be.

  • @GoteTBH
    @GoteTBH Жыл бұрын

    Thanks for doing these, Monty! i fell off of these after the first one, i really tried but i couldn't get into to the 2nd one and after that i just stopped bothering. So your perspective is interesting.

  • @GoteTBH

    @GoteTBH

    Жыл бұрын

    Also, i was alot more stupid back then!

  • @wanderingalfir3563
    @wanderingalfir3563 Жыл бұрын

    Awesome job as always Monty!!

  • @sebastianholtsvendsen2597
    @sebastianholtsvendsen2597 Жыл бұрын

    ok... didn't expect you to make for all the arkham games. Seems like i have to not just play arkham asylum but also city and knight... God tier content but man you are killing me with all these games i now want to play.

  • @synraheim17
    @synraheim17 Жыл бұрын

    I seriously hope you’re working on an Arkham Knight analysis video cuz this and your Asylum video are dope.

  • @Captain_Midnight
    @Captain_Midnight Жыл бұрын

    These vids are great! Would love to see an analysis on Origins and/or Knight in the future

  • @YetiCoolBrother
    @YetiCoolBrother Жыл бұрын

    I was waiting on this, still one of my favorite games ever.

  • @exFAT.
    @exFAT.9 ай бұрын

    In Arkham City, I'm pretty sure you actually can listen to the interview tapes out of the menu, you just have to press the touch pad/map button to close the interface rather than 'O'/Back, because that button stops the playback. As always seriously great video, I'm on a marathon of your critiques right now I can't get enough of them!

  • @MrApplefan44
    @MrApplefan44 Жыл бұрын

    The next two hours: this (love your vids and your presentation on critique

  • @wrigamray3324
    @wrigamray3324 Жыл бұрын

    Love your videos, dude!

  • @pchurch692
    @pchurch692 Жыл бұрын

    Great video! Love the content

  • @playwithalfred7113
    @playwithalfred7113 Жыл бұрын

    I said you were my favorite! And here I am, 2 hours into the vídeo, you've proven me right once again

  • @jakebailey5834
    @jakebailey5834 Жыл бұрын

    This is a Awesome Video I Can wait The Next Arkham Batman critique. Have a Great Day Monty

  • @johnnynixii1945
    @johnnynixii1945 Жыл бұрын

    I think that Batman's fatal flaw for me has always been his hypocrisy and I don't mean his No killing rule but his constant need to stand on the hill of WHY he doesn't kill people because "Everyone can get better I wont give up on Gotham or its people because it can get better" but he himself gave up on getting better the moment he became Batman he preaches that people can be helped, but never committed to actually helping himself just surviving as Batman

  • @MontyZander

    @MontyZander

    Жыл бұрын

    Ahh love this. Super depressed about it . But it love it all the same.

  • @DductivJstr
    @DductivJstr Жыл бұрын

    I've been waiting for your new vid!!!!!!

  • @mr.lonewolf8199
    @mr.lonewolf8199 Жыл бұрын

    Hell yeah, we waited for this one 💪💪

  • @storz97
    @storz97 Жыл бұрын

    Nice video I like the way you tell a story

  • @cadthings3662
    @cadthings366211 ай бұрын

    Not nearly enough views...this channel is awesome!

  • @Wassupbro182
    @Wassupbro182 Жыл бұрын

    Nice video man subbed

  • @MisterJackwhite
    @MisterJackwhite Жыл бұрын

    Monty I just want to say you inspire me as a creator and I hope I can make videos of the same quality that you make one day, I enjoyed the video mate, youre a great narrator

  • @matthewsmith7059
    @matthewsmith7059 Жыл бұрын

    Excited for this one !

  • @GubtodiReviews
    @GubtodiReviews Жыл бұрын

    Yes! Been excited for this to drop since Asylum. Here we go. 🙌

  • @creecher1118
    @creecher1118 Жыл бұрын

    Excellent video for an amazing game. Thank you, Monty!

  • @stephanie8477
    @stephanie8477 Жыл бұрын

    Commenting again because this series inspired me to do a replay of the series. Now on Arkham Knight and making my Monty predictions

  • @darktsumani6983
    @darktsumani69839 ай бұрын

    You can listen to the interview tapes out of their individual menus but you have to press the options button instead of goin back

  • @TearfulFriend18
    @TearfulFriend18 Жыл бұрын

    Oh wow I didn’t realize this was coming out so soon. This is a pleasant morning surprise

  • @temmylongbottom2702
    @temmylongbottom2702 Жыл бұрын

    A great video as usual

  • @stephanie8477
    @stephanie8477 Жыл бұрын

    HELL YES! the best one in the series!! Can't wait to hear your thoughts

  • @callumarmitage4828
    @callumarmitage4828 Жыл бұрын

    Comments for algorithmic reasons because I love this channel

  • @jusssnow8271
    @jusssnow8271 Жыл бұрын

    I swear I get the most random urge to play all 4 games every few months

  • @pingus2099
    @pingus2099 Жыл бұрын

    I love Azrael's Knightfall costume :(

  • @jeffwilkins4236
    @jeffwilkins4236 Жыл бұрын

    Woooooo! Just in time for work!

Келесі