It’s official!Gotham Knightsis an upcomingBatmangame—there’s only one catch. Batman won’t appear in this upcoming installment. The game takes place in a stark reality where Batman is dead, and there are sinister forces wreaking havoc on the streets of Gotham City.
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We know many things aboutGothan Knightsfrom DC FanDome 2020. The game will beco-opand will containvillainssuch as Mr. Freeze and the Court of Owls. Without Batman, however, who is going to protect the citizens of Gotham City? These are five things we want to see inGotham Knights(and five it needs to avoid).
10References To Bruce Wayne (Want To See)
Gotham Knightsfollows the plot point from theBatman: Arkhamseries that Bruce Wayne is dead. They both say that Bruce perished in an explosion. According todenofgeek.com,“the only thing separating theGotham Knightsuniverse and theBatman: Arkhamseries seems to be the fact that WB Montreal said they’re not connected.” IfGotham Knightsisn’t connected toBatman: Arkham, then what is the story about?Gotham Knightsis setting itself up for a thrilling adventure.
Horizon Zero Dawn’s datapoints intuitively added tidbits of information. With a ton of baggage, we need to know what happened to Bruce Wayne. How WB Games Montréal will discuss Bruce Wayne’s death, if it’s in conversation or datapoints, remains to be seen. Ignoring a major plot point of the game is less than ideal.
9A Small World (Needs To Avoid)
Gotham City is meant to be a cultural hub in a fictional America. The design of Gotham City is meant to be inspired by cities like Chicago, New Jersey, and New York City. These large cities are ideal settings forGotham Knights.
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Gotham Knightsneeds an expansive world, but it shouldn’t sacrifice detail for scale. Densely packed worlds with small nuances like explorable buildings will separateGotham Knightsfrom otheraction-adventure genre games.
8Stealth (Want To See)
In the gameplay trailer, we saw pre-alpha footage, so it needs to be taken with a grain of salt. If you were wondering, yes, Robin did do a stealth takedown moments after the above screenshot. We’re hoping thatGotham Knightswill redefine stealth asSplinter Cellhas done many times before. Rather than taking existing gameplay mechanics, stealth needs to be reinvented for this newly announced upcoming game.
7Weak Character Development (Needs To Avoid)
Can aBatmanvideo game have too many characters?Games likeBatman: Arkham AsylumandInjustice 2prove that an abundance of characters is usually good. At the same time,Gotham Knightsneeds healthy character development, so that players develop a meaningful connection.
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We’ve already seen characters likeNightwing, Batgirl, Robin, and Red Hood,Mr. Freeze, The Talons, and the affable Alfred Pennyworth. If the game becomes too crowded with characters, it could wind up being a cluttered mess. Focus on character depth, and win the appreciation of fans.
6Immersive World (Want To See)
The detail inGotham Knightsshould be a step-up from its loosely connected predecessor,Batman: Arkham Knight.As a game coming to next-gen consoles like the PS5 and Xbox Series X, it should havenoticeably better graphics.Graphics don’t make or break a game, but they can add to the immersion.
Batman isn’t the only one who can glide. Robin and Batgirl prove to be more capable than Batman on occasion. With the world as your playground,Gotham Knightsneeds immersive exploration.
5Beat ‘Em Up Combat (Needs To Avoid)
Freeflow combat is the way to go with the upcomingGotham Knight’scombat system.However, merely copying the combat system from theBatman: Arkhamseries is not good enough.Batman: Arkhammay utilize freeflow combat, but the style has become overdone in video games likeMiddle-earth: Shadow of Mordorsince its introduction. Based on the latest gameplay trailers, it looks like WB Games Montréal is looking to retool thecombat system with new combos.
4A Smart Selection Of Villains (Want To See)
Batman villains are among the most maniacal, deadly villains in comic book history. The appearance of Mr. Freeze in the gameplay trailer is half-way to confirmation that there will be many villains inGotham Knights.We also saw the Court of Owls, which tells use that WB Games Montréal is delving into more recent Batman comic books.
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Merely having anabundance of villainsappear isn’t enough. How they are portrayed is going to impact the game’s enjoyment. With substantial character development,Gotham Knightscould be a masterpiece in the making.
3Microtransactions (Needs To Avoid)
Gotham Knightsshould avoid microtransactions altogether for the sake of pleasing its fan base. Players want to see vehicle customization, gadgets, and costumes allincluded with the base game.Microtransactions can work when gamers are given additional content that wouldn’t have been included, yet the argument to offer free content with a base game is strong. With the purpose of draining our wallets,microtransactions would be a blemish on what could be a smashing hit.
2Batman (Want To See)
Even though Batman is confirmed to be dead, he could return by using the Lazarus Pit. Used by Ra’s al Ghul, The Lazarus Pit is a natural phenomenon that can give immortality. It can even resurrect the dead.
Batman might be dead, but his legacy continues to live. Flashback gameplay sequences and illusions of Batman could make it soGotham Knightsdoesn’t leave out its pointy-headed protagonist. WB Games Montréal could also make it likeStar Wars Jedi: Fallen Order,where a major character appears at the end of the game. Darth Vader is a villain, and Batman is a hero, but the same concept could work.
1Drifting Too Far From Source Material (Needs To Avoid)
The bestBatmanfilms share that they all take inspiration from the comic books. While movies likeBatman & Robinhad loose connections, others likeThe Dark Knight Riseshad stronger links to Batman’s greatest comics. WhetherGotham Knightsis related toBatman: Gotham Knights#43 (2003) remains to be seen. As long as the developers at WB Games Montréal stick to the source material and aren’t too daring, this game will live up to expectations. Showing little understanding of the source material is unforgivable.
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