What’s new from Warner Bros Games in the Batman universe promises to give a lot to talk about with its turn towards the game as a service.
Seven years after the release of Batman: Arkham Knight, Warner Bros Games returns to Gotham with an action and open world proposal, Gotham Knights. Although there is a key difference from the Rocksteady game. The Batman Arkham series has traditionally been for a single player, now Warner introduces in his universe a gaming system as a service focused on online multiplayer gaming.
We have already been able to play it, and in this analysis of Gotham Knights we will try to explain all the details that make this action proposal a title to be taken into account by fans. lovers of Batman and DC comics. If they’re willing to commit to a gameplay paradigm shift, of course.
Gotham Knights: all the information
Gotham Knights | |
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Platform | Playstation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC |
Release date | October 21, 2022 |
developer | Warner Bros. Games |
Gender | Action and adventure |
Idiom | Voices and texts in Spanish |
Gotham Knights Experience
As always, we will start talking about the narrative reason. What is Gotham Knights about? Well, if you’ve come this far you may already be aware that This is not a sequel to Batman: Arkham Knight., if not a new story set in the bat universe. A story starring his pupils: Batgirl, Nightwing, Robin and Red Hood.
Much to our regret, in this story batman is dead and it’s his apprentices who have to take over the reins of Gotham in his absence, while trying to solve Bruce’s latest case. An investigation that will lead them to face a legend, a secret organization that has ruled Gotham in the shadows for centuries: The Court of Owls.
Batman makes way for the new generations
Soon, the leading quartet realizes that the Tribunal is not the only threat in the city, as familiar faces from the Batman universe return in this adventure, such as Harley Quinn, the Penguin or Mister Cold, among others. As long as players are willing to stray a bit from what we might call the main story of the game.
There is also some space for the character development, since each protagonist has a background secondary mission in which you discover new details about his past and his relationship with both Batman and his companions. Something very simple, but that serves to empathize more cojn each of the heroes.
We can say that Gotham Knights has a good narrative role, but we must not forget that it is a game as a service designed to make the most of its online multiplayer mode. This m-as-a-service gaming condition is a key pillar of the experience that conditions the entire gaming experience.
Familiar faces from the DC Universe
First of all, the game is divided into two sections. the bell tower acts as the central hub of the hero group and is where you have to return after each mission to advance the story, apart from being where one changes character. Also here you can access the clue board to keep track of the plot, you can access training menu, creation or customization of the batbike. Optional narrative cutscenes will also appear as the plot progresses.
With everything in order at the Bell Tower, we can head out to Gotham for some fun. The city acts as a large open world with dozens of activities to dowhether they are history or not. After all, it is a game as a service designed to be played with friends, so I am not discovering anything new for anyone by stating that we have a huge board with a lot of authentic filler tasks and challenges which consist of going to point A or point B to tan the back of a bunch of bad guys and complete one of x types of side missions that are repeated over and over again as simple hobbies.
It’s a toll to pay on this game-as-a-service structure that even Gotham Knights doesn’t invent, but has no shame in embracing. It does not mean that there is proper side quests with a plot and classic characters from the Batman universe, such as Harley Quinn, the Penguin or Mr. Cold, but get used to the idea that on more than one occasion you will have to advance by completing filler assignments of this type. Also to advance the main plot, unfortunately.
Arkham essence with new combat styles
This game-as-a-service structure is also reflected in an RPG system with levels and skill trees. It’s about a RPG system typical of open world games and games as a service with very simplified skill trees and a really simple and uninteresting equipment, improvement and creation system where you are generally going to equip the item with the highest overall score. And yes, there is missions that have a recommended minimum levelso you may have to farm at some point.
Once you accept this RPG system, the truth is that the combat system is like any Batman Arkham and the abilities of each character are quite colorful. It will depend on your playable tastes to choose one or the other. For example, Red Hood attacks mostly from a distance with his pistols, Robin has stealth abilities more typical of Batman or Nightwing is the fastest attacker with his batons. In the variety is the spiceprogress is shared between characters and you can switch between them whenever you want by visiting the bell tower.
This approach makes play online with friends more fun than going it alone by being able to harness the abilities of two heroes when the sheer number of enemies and bosses makes you want a second pair of hands to punch.
Smoke and neon lights in Gotham
On a technical and visual level, you are probably already aware that the biggest drawback of this Gotham Knights is that it does not have a performance mode, so your action is limited to 30 fps despite being an exclusive game of the new generation of consoles and PC. A shame considering that it is an action game with melee combat and skills that would have benefited enormously from that performance bonus. Beyond that, we cannot guarantee that performance will not drop in times of stress.
Beyond the performance itself, this Gotham Knights has some points in its favor in audiovisual matters. It has 4K resolution, HDR and an artistic section as gothic and full of neon lights as you would expect from Gotham. On the contrary, we can clearly see the popping and the change of LOD while we move through the city, another toll to pay today for having a open world with no load timesexcept to enter and exit missions.
In either case, there is sure to be a release patch to correct these little problems in the best possible way at this time.
Conclusions and note of Gotham Knights
Gotham Knights may not be the sequel to Batman: Arkham Knight that many were waiting forbut if you’re willing to compromise with its typical games-as-a-service multiplayer open world system, it’s a fun action game that works well, despite the lack of performance mode, and will offer Batman and DC fans new stories. of your favorite heroes and villains.
Is Gotham Knights worth it? | |
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The best |
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Worst |
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Conclusions | Gotham Knights is a good open world action game, but traditional fans of the Batman: Arkham series may be looking for a more traditional adventure and not a game as a service that conditions absolutely everything. It is an experience designed to be enjoyed cooperatively with family or friends and get the most out of your heroes. |
It cannot be said that Warner Bros Games has failed to present its first game as a service within the DC universe. Aside from perhaps stronger performance on next-gen consoles, Gotham Knights does check in the traditional pillars of the genre. We’ll see if it’s enough to win over an audience that doesn’t care if a game has the names of their favorite heroes. Ask Square Enix and those responsible for Marvel’s Avengers.