Best Paper Dialogues Podcasts (2026)

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Billy the Kid — Part 7: The Siege Holds 47:48

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4d ago47:48

47:48

On the second day of a siege, the gunfire matters less than the waiting. Day Two of the Battle of Lincoln (July 16, 1878) does not erupt—it calcifies. The town seals itself shut. Civilians barricade behind adobe walls. Gunmen hold positions they cannot abandon. And law enforcement, unable to compel surrender, begins looking upward for force it cann…

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Billy the Kid Part 6 — The Law That Wouldn’t Come (Day 1 of the Lincoln Siege) 44:30

16d ago44:30

44:30

When the sun rose over Lincoln on July 15, 1878, the town wasn’t waking up — it was bracing for war. Billy the Kid, Doc Scurlock, Tom O’Folliard, Jim French, and nearly sixty Regulators fortified the McSween home and Tunstall store, carving rifle portholes into adobe walls as they prepared for the inevitable clash with Sheriff George Peppin, The Ho…

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Billy the Kid Part 5: The Road to Lincoln – The Return of the Kid 1:11:53

2M ago1:11:53

1:11:53

Billy the Kid wasn’t born a legend — the road made him one. In Billy the Kid Part 5: The Road to Lincoln – The Return of the Kid, Dark Dialogue: Gallows & Gunfights rides straight into the violence, betrayal, and frontier politics that pushed a teenage ranch hand into the center of the Lincoln County War. This episode dives deep into the pivotal st…

1
The Operative: No One Lives Forever Review | 11 Senses, Cate Archer, Not Parody 2:21:47

1M ago2:21:47

2:21:47

A group of men that worked in the world of educational software used to get together and play Doom multiplayer one day wondered if they could make their own games. So, they called themselves Monolith Productions and got to work. We’re going back 25 years to 2000 to take a look at a first-person shooter set in stylised 1960s. We’re talking The Opera…

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The Hand That Pulled the Strings – Power, Politics, and the Santa Fe Ring 1:16:34

2M ago1:16:34

1:16:34

Power didn’t die with the gunfights in Lincoln County—it just learned how to legislate. In this installment of Gallows and Gunfights, we peel back the curtain on the Santa Fe Ring, the shadow government that turned the New Mexico Territory into its personal empire. These weren’t outlaws in dusters—they were judges, governors, and businessmen whose …

1
Alpha Protocol Review | Natural Dialogue, Invisible Thumping, Shooting Skill Trees 3:04:52

2M ago3:04:52

3:04:52

Despite being made up of people with many years of experience, Obsidian Entertainment – arguably one of the more beloved developers making games today – were still very much in their early years while making this James Bond, Jack Bauer, and Jason Bourne-inspired game. We’re going back 15 years to 2010 to take a look at a third-person shooter-cum-RP…

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Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves Review | A Growing Gang, Empty Hubs, Disconnected Story 2:13:28

2M ago2:13:28

2:13:28

For a record-breaking fourth time – a second time this year alone – we are looking at a game from the back catalogue of Sucker Punch Productions. And this series is special to this podcast, because it is the very first game we ever reviewed. We’re going back 20 years to 2005 to take a look at a stealth action mascot platformer featuring a thieving …

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Billy The Kid Part 3: The House Always Wins — Until It Doesn’t 1:31:38

3M ago1:31:38

1:31:38

By gallowsandgunfights

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Amnesia: The Dark Descent Review | Managing Sanity, Touching Objects, Unnerving Sound 2:06:41

3M ago2:06:41

2:06:41

We’re revisiting a developer on this episode that had an idea with with the Penumbra series that would revolutionise the horror genre. But not until they refined it and popularised said idea with the game we’re looking at on this episode. We’re going back to 2010 to take a look at a first-person survival horror game set in 1800s Prussia. We’re talk…

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Billy The Kid Part 2: 1:55:04

3M ago1:55:04

1:55:04

The roll call of the Regulators is not complete. In this second installment of Dark Dialogue: Gallows and Gunfights, John and Angela return to the witness stand of history to finish the testimony of the men who stood with Billy the Kid during the Lincoln County War. Bound together by the cold-blooded murder of John Tunstall, the Regulators were ran…

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Ghost of Tsushima Review | Accessible Sekiro, The Feeling, Chasing Foxes 2:36:32

4M ago2:36:32

2:36:32

We’re back after our summer holidays and kicking off the second half of season 3 by looking at a particular Washington-based developer that we’ve looked at many times before, Sucker Punch Productions. After chatting about two-thirds of their raccoon trilogy on this very podcast, we’re taking a look at something that is much more recent, much more g…

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Billy the Kid, Part 1 – The Regulators Rise 1:59:58

4M ago1:59:58

1:59:58

The courtroom of the Old West is open — and our first witness is Billy the Kid. In the debut of Dark Dialogue: Gallows and Gunfights, we strip away the dime-novel myths to uncover how Henry McCarty — a bright, polite boy from the slums of New York — became William H. Bonney, the young Regulator at the center of the Lincoln County War. This episode …

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Deus Ex Review | Active Augmentations, Stealth Exploration, A Reactive World 3:02:15

8M ago3:02:15

3:02:15

In the late 90s, John Romero convinced Warren Spector to join his studio in order to make the game of his dreams. This game was something Spector had been thinking about since 1993. It had a couple of names over the years – Troubleshooter being one, and Shooter: Majestic Revelations being another – but one thing remained the same: it was ambitious.…

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Batman Begins Review | Arkham Prototype, Scaring Goons, Acrobatic Gremlin 2:12:34

8M ago2:12:34

2:12:34

In 2005, filmmaker Christopher Nolan was about to become mainstream with the first movie in his superhero trilogy. Meanwhile, a group of developers in Derby were working on a video game tie-in for said movie that wouldn’t turn out to be quite as popular. We’re taking a look at an action adventure game that was neither a precursor to a game based on…

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Haunting Ground Review | Dog Bonding, Dark Themes, Dodging Pursuers 2:24:31

8M ago2:24:31

2:24:31

Imagine a game so successful that during the making of it, you actually end up coming up with three games. That’s what Capcom did when they were prototyping Resident Evil 4. They got that, they got Devil May Cry and they also got the game we’re talking about on this podcast. We’re going back to 2005 to take a look at a survival horror that didn’t g…

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Invisible, Inc. Review | Risk vs Reward, Incognita, The Slow Chase 1:59:13

9M ago1:59:13

1:59:13

After the launch of Don’t Starve, Canadian developer Klei Entertainment was on solid ground in every way. They’d put their hand to many genres and had been successful in pretty much all of them. We’re going back to 2015 (or 2013, if you want to include this game’s EARLY early access launch) when they revisited sneaking, but put a different spin on …

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Metal Gear Acid Review | Card Battles, Withholding Info, Talking Dolls 2:27:06

10M ago2:27:06

2:27:06

What do you do when you have a brand new handheld console coming out? You turn to a series that is synonymous with your home console. We’re going back to late 2004 (or early 2005… or late 2005, depending on the region you’re in) to look at a turn-based strategy spin-off. We’re talking Metal Gear Acid (or Metal Gear Ac!d, however you’re meant to pro…

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Thief II: The Metal Age Review | Stealth Strepsil, Sound Vibes, Robot Rising 2:37:13

10M ago2:37:13

2:37:13

We’re going back into the shadows and listening out for footsteps on tiled floors, as we revisit a series that all of us enjoyed back in season 1. We’re going back 25 years to 2000 to look at a massively influential first-person stealth game. We’re talking Thief II: The Metal Age. On this episode of Stealth Boom Boom, we chat a little bit about the…

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Destroy All Humans Review | Holobobbing Around, Demolishing the 1950s, Speaking Human 2:02:13

10M ago2:02:13

2:02:13

Who knew that a Jack Nicholson-sounding extra-terrestrial in a Grand Theft Auto-like would become a cult classic? We’re going back 20 years to 2005 to look at a third-person action-adventure game that spawned more sequels than you realise. We’re talking Destroy All Humans! On this episode of Stealth Boom Boom, we chat a little bit about Pandemic St…

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Tenchu 2: Birth of the Stealth Assassins Review | Grapple Hook Tweaks, Ninja Soap Opera, Movement Disagreement 2:06:36

11M ago2:06:36

2:06:36

We’re living by honour and killing by stealth… again. For only the second time ever (although it will be happening a lot more throughout this season), we are returning to a series. We’re going back to 2000 to look at a third-person stealth-action game. We’re talking Tenchu 2: Birth of the Stealth Assassins. On this episode of Stealth Boom Boom, we …

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Shadow of Rome Review | Gladiatorial Combat, Corridor Questioning, Roman Whodunnit 1:57:33

11M ago1:57:33

1:57:33

On this episode of Stealth Boom Boom, we take a look at a lead character’s striking resemblance to a West Bromwich Albion fan and Guardian columnist (see: the bust on this episode’s cover art). We also take a look at the origins of a small, independent, Japanese developer called Capcom, and how these big fights actually happened IRL. Crazy, right? …

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Dying Light Review | Parkour Freedom, Zombie Chase, Superficial Sound 2:37:41

12M ago2:37:41

2:37:41

What do you do after you’ve had one successful first-person zombie game that is owned by a publisher? You don’t develop the proper sequel in that series and you instead make your own version of that thing. We’re going back to 2015 to look at a first-person zombie action survival game. We’re talking Dying Light. On this episode of Stealth Boom Boom,…

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Game of the Year 2024: The 2nd Annual Boomies! 3:28:55

1y ago3:28:55

3:28:55

Around this time of the year, other video games podcasts will be doing their game of the year pods and talking about games like Astro Bot, Tekken 8, Helldivers 2, Dragon's Dogma 2, Silent Hill 2, Hades II, Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, Metaphor: ReFantazio, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Balatro, Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth, Animal Well, Lorele…

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Rogue Warrior Review | Sweary Mickey Rourke, Ludicrous Takedown, Okay Action 1:36:29

1y ago1:36:29

1:36:29

Richard Marcinko was a U.S. Navy Seal, a Vietnam War veteran and an author. And in the mid-00s, Bethesda and Zombie Studios were going to make a video game based on him. And then that changed to Bethesda and Rebellion. We’re going back to 2009 to look at a first-person shooter featuring Demo Dick. We’re talking Rogue Warrior. On this episode of Ste…

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Mini Ninjas Review | Conspicuous Shinobi, Empty Areas, Windy Pants 1:35:22

1y ago1:35:22

1:35:22

After years of making bloody, adult, violent video games, the Danish video games developer we’re talking about today decided to make something that they could play with their kids. We’re going back to 2009 to look at a third-person action-adventure game featuring some small shinobi. We’re talking Mini Ninjas. On this episode of Stealth Boom Boom, w…

1
Alien: Isolation Review | A Chaotic Xenomorph, Being Terrified, Sevastopol Sound 2:44:45

1y ago2:44:45

2:44:45

In 1979, the screenplay of Dan O’Bannon was turned into a movie directed by a fledgling English filmmaker named Ridley Scott, and starring a young actress called Sigourney Weaver. It did alright. There were some more movies, some comics, some books, loads of merch, and even a few video games. We’re going back to 2014 to look at a first-person survi…

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Untitled Goose Game Review | Annoying Villagers, Vague Jobs, Mostly Honking 1:52:44

1y ago1:52:44

1:52:44

How many Slack conversations have you had that have been life-changing? If you answered anything other than “zero”, you are a liar. OR you are a member of the team that made the game we’re talking about on this podcast. We’re going back to 2019 to look at a stealth-puzzle game that became a phenomenon. We’re talking Untitled Goose Game. On this epi…

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Sly 2: Band of Thieves Review | Huge Heists, Playable Pals, Big Bloat 2:17:39

1y ago2:17:39

2:17:39

There were a lot of big games out 20 years – many of those games we’ve reviewed on this podcast, this year. But this game involving a raccoon, a turtle and a hippo is a special game for us, as it is the first time we are going back to a series for a look at a second game. We’re going back to 2004 to look at a 3D platformer that has big Ocean’s 11 e…

1
CounterSpy Review | DEFCON Delights, Proc-Gen Repetition, Big Vibes 1:36:54

1y ago1:36:54

1:36:54

A decade ago, a small indie developer called Dynamighty got a phone call (NB: don't know if it was a phone call.... could've been an email, a fax, carrier pigeon, or many other multiple means of communication) from a large publisher called Sony. And a game about the cold war was born! We're going back to 2014 to look at a 2D stealth-action game abo…

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Murdered: Soul Suspect Review | Join The Dots Detective Work, Boring Demon-hunting; A Walking Fedora 1:42:44

1+ y ago1:42:44

1:42:44

Independent developer Airtight Games partnered with Square Enix around a decade ago to prove that the hardest murder to solve is in fact your own. In many ways, that is a factual statement. In relation to this game, however... not so sure. We're going back to 2014 to look at a third-person adventure game about a ghost detective. We're talking Murde…

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The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay Review | Darkness, The Prison, Surprises 2:11:24

1+ y ago2:11:24

2:11:24

20 years ago, Starbreeze Studios was going through some tough times, and they were looking for one of their games to be the hit they needed. Across the water, Hollywood actor Vin Diesel was looking to get into video games with his new company called Tigon Studios. So, they decided to come together, and they launched a stealth-FPS in 2004. We're tal…

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Ape Escape Review | Monkeys, Gadgets, Regional Accents 2:09:55

1+ y ago2:09:55

2:09:55

25 years ago, a PlayStation-exclusive was released that required a new peripheral called the DualShock It had not one, not three, but TWO ANALOG STICKS. So, this one definitely made an impact at the time. We're going back to 1999 to look at a 3D platformer chock full of puzzles and monkeys to collect. We're talking Ape Escape. On this episode of St…

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Watch Dogs Review | Hacking, Online Privacy, Iconic Aidan Pearce 2:47:04

1+ y ago2:47:04

2:47:04

In June, 2012, almost every member of the general public decided they witnessing something special. The dissenting voices were few and far between. And then it came out two years later and opinions changed somewhat. We're going back to 2014 to look at an open-world, action-adventure hack-a-thon. We're talking Watch Dogs. On this episode of Stealth …

1
A Plague Tale: Innocence Review | Amicia & Hugo, Rats, The Final Boss 2:30:11

1+ y ago2:30:11

2:30:11

After years of being a support studio on Pixar games, and dabbling in new technology like the Kinect and HoloLens, French developer Asobo Studio got to work on the game that would be their breakout hit. We're going back to 2019 to take a look at a stealthy, puzzly action-adventure game. We're talking A Plague Tale: Innocence. On this episode of Ste…

1
Days Gone Review | Hordes, Motorbike, Duration 3:06:21

1+ y ago3:06:21

3:06:21

Being done with Syphon Filter, and having some successes with a Resistance spinoff and an Uncharted spinoff, Bend Studio got to work on Sony's next big PlayStation exclusive. We're going back to 2019 to take a look at an open-world action-adventure game. We're talking Days Gone. On this episode of Stealth Boom Boom, we take a look at how folks at t…

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Hitman Go Review | Board Game Translation, Planning Your Moves, Oozing Style 1:55:29

1+ y ago1:55:29

1:55:29

Square Enix Montreal were initially going to be making the next big PC and console game in the Hitman series, until they were put on mobile phone duty. A third of the team left because they were so gutted. And then the remainder created a 2014 turn-based puzzle game. We're talking Hitman Go. On this episode of Stealth Boom Boom, we take a look at t…

1
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice Review | Breaking Posture, Shinobi Deathblow, It Is Hard 3:03:42

1+ y ago3:03:42

3:03:42

After effectively creating the Soulsborne genre and having a wild amount of success with it, one of the most celebrated developers of the 21st century decided to tinker the formula once more. And, again, to great success. We're going back to 2019, to a stealth action game that picked up so many game of the year awards that particular year. We're ta…

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Alias Review | Slight Spyness, Clunky Kicks, Weapon Degradation 2:01:37

2y ago2:01:37

2:01:37

Around 20 years ago, J.J. Abrams and Jennifer Garner came together to produce one of the most popular shows on TV for a number of years. What's the next logical step? Make a game based on it, of course. We're going back to 2004 to a stealth action game that based on a hit ABC TV programme. We're talking Alias. On this episode of Stealth Boom Boom, …

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James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing Review | Nano Suit, Driving Missions, Pierce Brosnan 2:20:18

2y ago2:20:18

2:20:18

The game we're discussing today may have the most star-studded cast of any game we'll ever review: Mya, Shannon Elizabeth, Heidi Klum, Judi Dench, John Cleese, Willem Dafoe and Pierce Brosnan. We're going back to 2004 to an action-adventure game starring one of the world's most famous fictional agents. We're talking James Bond 007: Everything or No…

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LEFT ALIVE Review | The Difficulty, The Shooting, The Mikhail 2:29:57

2y ago2:29:57

2:29:57

Five years ago, there was a little bit of buzz around a game that Square Enix was publishing. Some of the people involved in making it had worked on Dark Souls, Armored Core, Metal Gear Solid. But, then it came out, and people were not happy one bit. We're going back to 2019 to look at a stealth-action survival game that was a Front Mission spin-of…

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Syphon Filter Review | Important Head Shots, Long Missions, Inconsistent Rules 2:05:00

2y ago2:05:00

2:05:00

In the late '90s, Sony was looking for an action espionage thriller. They were looking for their GoldenEye. So, they turned to the only studio they knew that could pull it off: the one that made Bubsy 3D. We're going back to 1999 to look at the first game in a long-running PlayStation exclusive series. We're talking Syphon Filter. On this episode o…

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Second Sight Review | Charm, Twisty Timelines, Weak TK 2:16:05

2y ago2:16:05

2:16:05

What does a podcast that looks at older stealth / stealthy videos games do after reviewing Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy on its last episode? It goes back 20 years to look at a stealth-action game from 2004 that is often compared to the aforementioned Psi-Ops! We're talking Second Sight! On this episode of Stealth Boom Boom, we look at the forma…

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Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy Review | Telekinesis, Pointless Stealth, An Evil Twin Sister 2:13:10

2y ago2:13:10

2:13:10

It's time to do it again as we kick off Stealth Boom Boom season 2! According to our first game of 2024, your mind is the ultimate weapon. In fairness, that does make sense; if you're reading this, your brain is capable of big things (because you're an intelligent person who is about to listen to this podcast). We're going back 20 years to look at …

1
Game of the Year 2023: The Boomies 3:10:27

2y ago3:10:27

3:10:27

Around this time of the year, other video games podcasts will be doing their game of the year pods and talking about games like Alan Wake 2, Baldur's Gate 3, Super Mario Bros Wonder, Spider-Man 2, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. NOT US! No, no, no. This is the culmination of the first year of Stealth Boom Boom. And that means this is the…

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Chicken Run Review | Metal Gear Solid Jr, 00s Mini-Games, A Companion Piece (That Also Retells The Story of The Movie) 1:34:36

2y ago1:34:36

1:34:36

In the summer of 2000, celebrated animation UK animation studio Aardman Animations released their first feature-length film in cinemas around the world. Chicken Run was a phenomenal success, becoming the highest-grossing stop-motion animation movie of all time. We're going back 23 years to look at the game based on that very movie. Yep. We're talki…

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Thief: The Dark Project / Thief Gold Review | Sound, Shadows, Swords 2:13:53

2y ago2:13:53

2:13:53

After discussing Tenchu: Stealth Assassins, Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines, and Metal Gear Solid, we are – for the final time in the first year of Stealth Boom Boom – returning to 1998, the Year of Stealth. We're going back 25 years to look at the first-person sneaker that influenced so many that came after. We're talking Thief: The Dark Project (..…

1
XIII Review | Comic Book Style, David Duchovny, An OP Crossbow 2:05:49

2y ago2:05:49

2:05:49

19 years after writer Jean Van Hamme and artist William Vance created a Belgian comic that revolved around a very strong and athletic amnesiac, Ubisoft decided to create a video game adaptation of it. We're going back to 2003 to look at a stealthy first-person shooter. We're talking XIII. On this episode of Stealth Boom Boom, we look at how the com…

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Manhunt Review | Gruesome Violence, Shadow-lurking, Brian Cox 2:18:52

2y ago2:18:52

2:18:52

Rockstar North was on a real high. They were coming off of the both the biggest game of 2001, Grand Theft Auto 3, AND the biggest game of 2002, Grand That Auto: Vice City. The series that saw you stealing cars and driving dangerously through pedestrian-filled streets had propelled them into video game superstardom. Then they decided to do something…

1
Forbidden Siren Review | Sightjacking, Link Navigator, Ambiguity 2:27:17

2y ago2:27:17

2:27:17

In 1999, Keiichiro Toyama and Team Silent created one of the most-celebrated horror video games of all time: Silent Hill. Almost every superlative you can think of was thrown at Harry Mason's jaunt around the foggy American town. A few years later, Toyama and others that worked on the Konami classic took their talents elsewhere and tried to do it a…

1
Batman: Arkham Asylum Review | Freeflow Combat, Predator Rooms, Detective Mode 2:39:40

2+ y ago2:39:40

2:39:40

During the mid-to-late 2000s, film fans were breaking down the doors of cinemas all over the world in order to see how new life had been given to the Batman. Around this time, the alter ego of Bruce Wayne had a similar renaissance in video games. We're going back to 2009 in order to look at the action-adventure game that became the measuring stick …