The wait is over and Warner Bros. Games finally releases ‘Gotham Knights’. Announced in the summer of 2020, the video game for current-gen systems comes with a slightly different premise: a title framed in the Batman universe, but without the Dark Knight’s presence. On this occasion, the hero is dead – calm down, something that was literally announced in the synopsis – leaving the safety of beloved Gotham to the so-called “Batman Family” of various DC heroes. As Red Hood (Jason Todd), Robin (Tim Drake), Batgirl (Barbara Gordon) and Nightwing (Dick Grayson). As you can imagine, the initial production data was a surprise, and there were no shortages of those who started to do so. Question the meaning of a Batman video game without Batman. How to make an attractive title, except for the hero of the franchise? By the way, it has always adapted to the environment as well. Fear not, the truth is that WB Games Montreal has managed to build a game. excellent product.
fallen hero
It is only necessary to pay attention to the introductory sequence to understand that ‘The Knights of Gotham’ does not walk in half measures, through a preface that is as powerful as it is impressive. We enter the situation: raging blows echo through the shadows that make up the Batcave, where the echo reproduces the powerful sound that betrays the deadly encounter between Batman and Ra’s Al Ghul, the ruthless leader of the League of Shadows. The duel between the two arch-enemy claims to be a death and leaves no room for doubt: one of the warriors plunges into the eternal night.
‘Gotham Knights’ is an open world third-person action role-playing game that offers both the usual single-player mode and cooperative multiplayer for up to two players. But before we begin to unravel the specifics of the production, it is worth reinforcing that the history of the video game has nothing to do with the ‘Arkham’ series. In other words, the entertainment company has decided. bet on your own story without any affiliation with any other product. In this case, the player is already aware of the death of Bruce Wayne (and therefore Batman) from the very beginning. The painful absence of the millionaire lawman leaves a power vacuum in Gotham that can only be filled by the ‘Batman Family’ before chaos takes over the streets.
The streets were left without guards of darkness
Without the main hero of the city, villains such as Mister Cold, Harley Quinn and Clayface appear in addition to gangs and gangs, but despite the threat posed by all these classic enemies, the highlight of this aspect falls. At the Court of Owls. The secret organization first appeared in a 2011 comic book by Scott Snyder with illustrations by Greg Capullo, it’s considered one of the latest Batman stories, so the addition of this secret group that has ruled the city for hundreds of years is an excellent addition. . And this In terms of plot, ‘Gotham Knights’ does it really well. In addition to providing all the essential elements for any video game or superhero movie, the construction of the Tribunal’s mythology and the rhythm it suggests create a feeling akin to being immersed in a comic book. Before leaving the subject, it is important to point out the difficulty of publishing a product with less important characters that won the love of the player during the adventure. The title manages to provide exactly that, such that it is very interesting to check out How does the relationship between heroes work? throughout the history.
Watching and punishing in Gotham City
‘Knights of Gotham’ also takes on the difficult task of avoiding ties to the hit series ‘Arkham’. While the two works were not directly linked, it was clear that the format would offer similar slices of experience with ‘Asylum’, ‘City’, ‘Knight’ and ‘Origins’. We can’t forget that they are a benchmark within the superhero genre, especially for their heroes. delicious fighting mechanics. It does a very similar job in that sense, recognizable from the first moves because luckily everything from the camera position to the rhythm of the fights feels familiar.
A very noticeable innovation is the possibility of changing the character, and precisely, it is important to note that each hero has a different style. Robin is ideal for the most cunning, quiet approaches, Nightwing boasts combos and quick hits, Batgirl can break through security systems more easily, and the Red Hood stands out for her strength. Since it is possible to change the Alter Ego during the game, it is useful to consider who will be used in each scenario, and to consider which of the four is most appropriate.
Despite each character’s inclination towards certain skills learned in exchange for XP earned by completing missions, they all manage to act efficiently between stealth and overt combat scenarios. You can hang it from walls, statues, gargoyles and more to get a general idea of the environment, Map enemies with ‘detective mode’ and choose the best tactic to fight. The fights are delicious, the controls are perfectly responsive to commands, which is important in these cases as the action is insane.
Lots to do in Gotham
Besides the fights, you also have to explore the city to fight crime, find collectibles and play side quests. And here is one of the biggest innovations of ‘Gotham Knights’, because it allows you to play in multiplayer mode with up to two users. For those who are in love with fashion and aesthetics, the video game also provides a number of interesting elements, such as changing the color schemes of clothes. But this is something else. this different outfits have specific strength, defense and health valuesrarity levels and even features that allow characters to level up.
It’s possible to switch between Red Hood, Robin, Nightwing, and Batgirl during the campaign, so you don’t have to worry if you choose one of them to fight most of the time. As you level up and get outfits and weapons, other heroes get their loot as well. This prevents the player from having to keep leveling up each character individually, as the bad guys increase their level of danger as the story progresses. In the missions, level suggestions are even given so that you do not enter into battles that you cannot cope with your current level. Y Not only are there the beatings you can take, but there are also many secondary objectives and puzzles.Allowing everything from combining elements from crime scenes to puzzles that will create images in the shadows.
WB Games Montreal’s work has always been very interesting graphically and ‘Gotham Knights’ is one of those video games that left its mark. The technical part exceeds the remarkable, and while it’s true that the title lacks stability in terms of fps, the cinematic sequences leave a very good taste in the mouth. All of them, of course, backed up by an artistic episode that takes us directly into the darkness surrounding the character. The voice acting is also top notch, though the most gullible fans will choose to listen to the original voices that bring their characters to life. Music, for its part, manages to convey the dark essence. carrying the conspiracy behind him.
Results
‘Gotham Knights’ is a a very entertaining game that offers hours of entertainment. So, considering the intentions of WB Games Montreal, we are faced with a truly entertaining, comprehensive and direct work that will delight not only fans of the DC universe, but also those who most want to know a story with a group of villains. Batman’s Court of Owls is interesting. A baseline that leaves nothing in the pipeline in terms of missions, secondary objectives, and methods of exploration.