Dick, Barbara, Jason, Tim. Or, as Gotham City criminals, Nightwing, Batgirl, Red Hood and Robin know them. They are the four most iconic members (along with the butler Alfred of course) of the Bat-Family, Bruce Wayne’s closest allies in his fight against crime. And they are also the protagonists of Gotham Knights, an ambitious title that takes them right to the center of the stage, giving them the opportunity to shine. Will Warner Bros. Games Montreal manage to win the challenge? Let’s find out together in ours Gotham Knights review!
Gotham Knights, the review: Batman is dead, long live Batman!
Everything starts from there, fromBatman’s latest fatal adventure. The Dark Knight has fallen in battle, fighting one of his most fearsome opponents. But Bruce Wayne is the man of the detailed plans and has already set everything up for a similar event. Including the handover to his most faithful battle companions, ready to become the new protectors of the city. Exactly, the Gotham Knights.
Dick Grayson, the first Robin, now become Nightwing. Jason Todd, his heir to him as Batman’s shoulder who went through a tragic fate to re-emerge as Red Hood. Barbara Gordon, the most famous of the Batgirl. Finally Tim Drake, last to wear the cape of Robin. From the Campanile Tower it will be up to them to carry the Bat flag high, starting right from that last case he was investigating …
Gotham Knights builds on the foundation that every Batman and company game should have: a solid and engaging story. We are immediately intrigued by the events and curious to find out how it will evolve. And even if comic fans (or those who have closely followed the game’s launch) they already have an idea of what awaits themstarting with an apt and much loved villain, there will be no shortage of surprises.
Also because along the way this game takes full advantage of one of the strong points of the Gotham universe: its criminals. Whether it’s in the main story or in the different parallel subplots, we will cross the path of some of the most fearsome names of the urban underworld and every time it will be a Big emotion.
A heavy legacy on the shoulders
Just as the protagonists of this story are called upon to pick up a baton that is difficult to bear, the game itself has a similar fate. Since its first announcement it has been impossible not to think of the celebrated Arkham serieswhich gave extraordinary videogame thrills to all fans of the Gotham Bat.
As announced several times, this is not a direct sequel of that series, but of a new project, curated by another studio. This allows you to move more freely on a narrative level, moving to a different context that we will discover little by little. The comparison remains however unavoidablegiven the different stylistic points of closeness, beyond the obvious similarities due to the setting.
However, Gotham Knights has a strong identity of its own that will emerge with the passing of the hours of play. The key lies precisely in the centrality of the Bat-Family, of which we can deepen the dynamics and the more human sides, those that are behind the bezels. Alternating control of the different characters and witnessing their exchanges is truly an exceptional plus.
What then Gotham Knights does exceptionally well on a narrative level it is immersing everything in the DC Comics universe. Through a gimmick as simple as the e-mails each character receives, we can get a glimpse into superhero life rarely explored so far. It is incredible the ability to create the right atmosphere that can give a simple exchange of messages to organize a trip between Batgirl, Supergirl e Black Canary.
Gotham Knights review: living like a true vigilante
One striking aspect of Gotham Knights that is worth pointing out in this review is its ability to bring us into the full life of the vigilante of the city. Beyond the main mission and all the secondary ones, we will have the chance to experience the daily routine of a superhero, dealing with minor crimes and patrolling the rooftops to protect honest citizens.
You never get bored in Gotham City and there are always so many things to do. The list of our goals (very well organized) will grow more and more and we can also literally spend hours of gameplay exploring minor goals without progressing into the main storyline. It’s almost disorientante think about how many possibilities there are to get lost in the alleys of the city.
Going into more gameplay detail, it should be highlighted as the combat system is not perfect. There are some aspects that should be fixed (such as ranged attacks, to be reviewed to make them really effective) and initially did not convince us very much. However, once you get carried away it is definitely fun and we were looking forward to putting ourselves to the test again with new opponents.
Where the game really fails is in movement around the city. We have different possibilities to move in the various sectors, but each has substantial flaws. The fast travel it requires considerable efforts to be activated and does not save a lot of time. Speed over the rooftops grappling with the grapple is a lot of fun, but sometimes it’s not very intuitive and in some cases it’s simply not possible to do so.
The Batcycle finally, the main vehicle we have at our disposal is not fast enough to make driving sessions challenging. Combined with the fact that we will often find ourselves on long straights, moving from one side of the city to the other unfortunately becomes a monotonous and mechanical operation.
Gotham Knights, positive review but more can be done
This game fits excellently in the wake of video games dedicated to Batman, collecting the legacy of the Arkham saga in a more than worthy way. A exciting story that will take us into the dark meanders of Gotham City is accompanied by a gameplay that is not always perfect, but nonetheless convincing and fun.
For comic fans it’s great to be able to take control of the Bat-Family and deepen their interpersonal relationships. The different cutscenes of daily life are truly splendid to follow and offer a new perspective to these characters. And for those unfamiliar with them, Gotham Knights offers a wonderful opportunity to meet Dick, Barbara, Tim and Jason and discover what this universe offers much more oltre a Bruce Wayne.
Sure, on some aspects Gotham Knights can still improve, but the foundations are more than solid and there are still great opportunities for growth. ̶R̶o̶m̶a̶ Gotham wasn’t built in a day, after all. And above all, we’re sure fans of Batman and his entire universe won’t be disappointed.
PRO
- An exciting story that brings new captivating heroes to the center
- Complete immersion in the DC Comics universe
- A gameplay with a good learning curve
- Many possibilities to customize the different protagonists
- A huge number and a great variety of activities to be done even beyond the main storyline
VERSUS
- Some aspects of the combat system should be improved
- Sometimes there are too long sections of the cutscene
- Traveling around the city is rather monotonous and should be reviewed
Gotham Knights will be available from next October 21 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X | S and PC. For more information, please visit the game’s official website.