Gotham Knights - Everything to know about new Warner Bros. Batman game - top most popular games in 2021
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| Photo: Variety |
After watching Gotham Knights’ trailer, it is easy to figure out that many things are happening in Gotham. There are multiple playable characters in the game, along with a bunch of familiar DC villains. In short, there are several things you should learn about Gotham Knights before this upcoming 2021 video game is released. So, in this article, we’ll round up every piece of information we’ve gathered about Gotham Knights.
Gotham Knights Release date & Platform
As of now, there is no official release date for Gotham Knights. However, it is confirmed that WB Games Montréal co-op title will release in 2021.
Moreover, according to some recent rumors, Gotham Knights might release in July 2021. These speculations surfaced on the internet after Gotham Knights’ Twitter post for Christmas 2020. The post flaunts a Flying Greyson's’ circus event that is happening in mid-July. That is why some DC games enthusiasts think that through this post, WB Games Montréal is hinting at a possible July release date for Gotham Knights.
WB Games Montréal’s ‘Gotham Knights’ is set to release for PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, and PS5. So, both current and last-gen console users will get to experience the game, according to Fossbytes.
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| Photo: GameRadar |
What's the gameplay like?
The gameplay walkthrough released alongside the reveal trailer shows a pretty good slice of gameplay in Gotham Knights. You can spot a bit of stealth, some of Batgirl's moves, traversal around the level, and a boss fight with Mr. Freeze. WB refers to this fight as a Villain Encounter, which they say will change depending on what level you are. Boss fights won't just have increased health totals and other stats. Apparently, the kinds of moves they use during fights will change to match your character's level as well.
There are definitely some RPG elements at play here too. Throughout the gameplay walkthrough, you can spot level indicators next to enemy health bars and damage numbers accompanying attacks. WB later said that you'll manage your gear: a melee weapon ranged weapon, and suit, which will affect how you play. That's different from your suit's style though, so you can look and play great without compromise.
There's also a purple bar in the bottom right corner that looks like a powerup meter for special attacks. WB later confirmed to IGN that "you have special abilities in your ability tree that you'll unlock, and you can choose to unlock it in different ways, as well as how you use your gear. And some of that will tie into that bar that we'll be talking about in the future." You can take on Gotham Knights entirely as a single-player game or two-player co-op. In the gameplay preview above, Robin drops in to help Batgirl put Mr. Freeze's plan on ice (er, on defrost?). WB also says that Gotham is totally open world so you can do as you please without enemies of higher levels blocking your exploration.
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| Photo: GameRadar |
Gotham Knights Characters
Gotham Knights features four members of the Batman Family who've been tapped to keep Gotham safe without big guy Bruce himself. Gotham Knights definitely isn't an origin story, featuring several of the vigilante crew pretty far into their character development after a couple of name changes.
Robin - Tim Drake: The Robin of this Gotham story is Tim Drake, the third inheritor of the Robin moniker. Drake is the young one of the group, but also the smartest and a master sleuth. According to WB, Tim is "an expert fighter armed with his collapsible quarterstaff and skilled in the art of stealth, Tim also possesses a background in combined psychological warfare and behavioral sciences, all of which sets the stage for him to accomplish any mission."
Batgirl - Barbara Gordon: Batgirl aka Oracle aka Batgirl again, Barbara Gordon is another member of the Knights. She's the daughter of deceased GCPD commissioner Jim Gordon and a tech wiz with martial arts chops. WB says that in Knights she's "highly trained in a variety of fighting styles, such as kickboxing, capoeira, and jiu-jitsu. Her signature weapon is the tonfa. Barbara also displays great skill when it comes to hacking or coding in computers and technological systems to dig for information."
Nightwing - Dick Grayson: Original Robin Dick Grayson, now Nightwing, is the acrobatics master of the group known for fighting with his two escrima sticks. Knights calls him "a natural leader, an optimist, and the most charismatic of the Batman Family. He grew up in an unorthodox but loving circus family, so he values close personal bonds."
Red Hood - Jason Todd: Robin number two, Jason Todd, joins the group under his later name Red Hood. He's got a pretty complicated relationship with the Batman Family, especially his Robin successor Tim. His death, resurrection, and a lot of resulting personality changes put him at odds with Bruce and co. for a time. By the time of this story, he's fully reconciled with the Bat gang, WB says, though that history could potentially be another source of conflict. As for his other skills, WB says "Jason has trained to reach the peak of human strength, and he’s proficient in multiple combat techniques with all manner of weapons—both traditional and high-tech. After reconciling with the Batman Family, he has embraced Batman’s non-lethal combat methods." Nevermind those dual pistols. They're definitely not deadly, we hope.
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| Photo: GameRadar |
Gotham Knights Background Story
Gotham Knights kicks off with Bruce Wayne dying in an explosion. Prior to his demise, Batman had planned to leave Gotham in the hands of some other Bat Family members. The Bat Cave has been destroyed, by Bruce himself no less, and he's left the team the Belfry tower as a base of operations instead. Robin, Red Hood, Batgirl, and Nightwing assemble to protect Gotham despite being on bad terms with the Gotham City Police Department after the death of former commissioner Jim Gordon. Gotham's secret society, The Court of Owls, will play a role as well. By the looks of all those rows of frozen containers at the end of the reveal trailer, it seems there may be quite a number of their Talon assassins to contend with around the city.
Don't be fooled by continuity here—Arkham Knight ends with what could be a setup for a similar storyline, but WB has confirmed that Gotham Knights is set in a different continuity. The Arkham mantle is being picked up by Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League instead.
How does co-op work?
According to PC Gamer, it sounds like Gotham Knights will offer a decent amount of freedom in co-op. During the gameplay reveal, we spotted Robin dropping into Batgirl's session seamlessly. WB Games has said that you won't be attached at the hip to your co-op partner either. You're free to explore around a bit, even while in your friend's session. You can also play as the same hero as a friend. WB say that you're free to drop in as Batgirl while a friend is already playing her and that the skills available for each hero will let you both player her a bit differently. There's no level-gating in Gotham Knights, so you should be able to play along with a pal without worrying about their level too much either.
If you’re playing the game online, the other player can join the session without affecting the story. Nevertheless, if you don’t feel like playing the game with your friend, you can play it solo in the offline mode. Gotham Knights is an open-world game in which players can interact with Gotham City in their own way. Other than that, the new Batman game features the RPG element. So, similar to other role-playing games, players’ choices will reflect in the story of Gotham Knights.
