COVE

Screenshots from: https://youtu.be/NGgRDKTfIA4?si=yIKGraT3f2weOMoZ

Arkham Asylum picture: https://images.app.goo.gl/cNYKozdgmx3vTaaN8

The video game Batman: Arkham Knight, written by Sefton Hill, Ian Ball, and Martin Lancaster, developed by Rocksteady Studios, and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment holds Gothic elements throughout its scenes. First of all, Batman/Bruce Wayne fights a city full of criminals mainly because of his own trauma involving the tragic death of his parents, proving the process of exploring the self. Excess can be seen all throughout Gotham City with its many high buildings and consistent rain. One particular building that has an extremely gothic feel to it would be Arkham Asylum. The architecture of this building is quite reminiscent of Victorian Gothic architecture in its large windows and archways and ornate detailing on the outside of the building, always surrounded by clouds, rain, and darkness. Batman constantly reflects on his own traumatic past in the game and has to learn to navigate his life now without repeating past mistakes given that he is only human. Batman wants good to have power over all of the evil that exists within Gotham, constantly trying to steer the city away from the chaos. With Batman's constant inner conflict and exploration of his own limits, the intensely ornate and dark architecture, and the threat of the past haunting the main character, Batman: Arkham Knight stands as a sometimes fun, but also emotionally challenging game that holds many Gothic elements.