Gotham Knights: Patrolling a City Without Batman

Gotham City itself is the star of the show. The developers have meticulously crafted a hauntingly beautiful rendition of Gotham, awash in perpetual twilight rain. Familiar landmarks like Wayne Tower and the GCPD headquarters are meticulously recreated, while new districts like the Narrows and the industrialized Tricorner Yards offer fresh areas to explore. The city feels dense and alive, teeming with criminal activity and hidden secrets waiting to be uncovered. Traversal mechanics are a highlight. Each hero has unique movement abilities that reflect their personalities and skillsets. Nightwing glides gracefully from rooftop to rooftop, while Red Hood utilizes mystical leaps to navigate the city's vertical landscape. These traversal options add a layer of freedom and verticality to exploration, making Gotham feel like a true playground for crimefighting.

The RPG elements add depth to the characters. Each Knight has their own skill tree filled with upgrades that enhance their combat abilities, traversal skills, and detective capabilities. Players can customize their chosen hero to suit their playstyle, focusing on brute force, stealth takedowns, or a blend of both. Looting defeated enemies and completing missions rewards players with crafting materials that can be used to upgrade their gear, further personalizing their approach to crimefighting.

Combat in Gotham Knights is a mixed bag. On the one hand, the core mechanics feel satisfying. Each hero has a distinct fighting style, with Nightwing's acrobatic strikes contrasting with Red Hood's brutal firearms-oriented approach. Learning to master a hero's combos and utilize their gadgets effectively feels rewarding. However, the combat can become repetitive after a while. Enemy variety is somewhat lacking, and the core loop of defeating waves of thugs starts to feel monotonous, especially during the game's extended playtime.

The story in Gotham Knights is intriguing but uneven. The central mystery surrounding the Court of Owls, a clandestine organization manipulating Gotham from the shadows, keeps players engaged. However, the narrative unfolds at a glacial pace, with long stretches of repetitive missions and busywork in between story beats. The voice acting is excellent, with the cast bringing their characters to life with appropriate gravitas. However, some character interactions feel forced, and the emotional weight of Batman's absence isn't fully explored.

Gotham Knights attempts to innovate with its cooperative multiplayer mode. Players can team up with a friend and tackle missions together, combining their unique abilities to overcome challenges. While the co-op mode can be a fun way to experience Gotham City with a friend, it suffers from technical issues and balancing problems at times. Additionally, the single-player experience feels like the main focus, and the co-op mode doesn't always feel seamlessly integrated.

Despite its shortcomings, Gotham Knights offers a compelling world to explore and a decent foundation for future installments. The open-world rendition of Gotham City is a highlight, and the unique combat styles of the playable characters provide some initial thrills. However, repetitive combat and a narrative that struggles to maintain momentum hold the game back. If WB Games Montréal can address these issues and add more compelling story elements and enemy variety in future content or sequels, Gotham Knights has the potential to become a truly standout superhero experience.

• Reception: Gotham Knights received mixed reviews upon release. Critics praised the atmosphere of Gotham City, the unique playable characters, and the co-op gameplay. However, the repetitive combat, lack of enemy variety, and slow story were common points of criticism.
• Development: The game was developed by WB Games Montréal, a studio known for its work on the Batman: Arkham Origins prequel.
• Sales: While specific sales figures haven't been made public, Gotham Knights did not achieve the same level of commercial success as previous Batman titles.
• Cancelled TV Show: Interestingly, there was also a CW television series titled "Gotham Knights" that premiered in March 2023. However, the show was cancelled after just one season due to low ratings and production costs.
• Future of the Franchise: It's unclear what the future holds for the Gotham Knights video game franchise. The ending leaves room for a sequel, but there haven't been any official announcements from WB Games Montréal.

Here are some talking points you might consider based on this information:

• Did the mixed critical reception surprise you, or do you think it reflects the strengths and weaknesses you identified in the review?
• How would you improve the combat in a potential sequel?
• Are you interested in a sequel that explores the story threads left hanging at the end of Gotham Knights?
• Would you be more interested in a single-player or co-op focused experience in a future game?