After years of speculations, rumors, and teases, gamers finally got a first look at what Warner Bros. Games Montreal has been working on in secret:Gotham Knights. The trailer and first gameplay showcase were unveiled at this year’s DC FanDome and it was certainly a welcome surprise for many.
RELATED:Gotham Knights: 5 Ways It Should Be Like The Arkham Games (& 5 Ways It Shouldn’t Be)
It was effective in not only getting gamers hyped for its 2021 release but also raised some questions. These questions did not get answered until the following days when the developers spoke with the likes ofIGNandGameSpotto provide many juicy details about the game that will surely bring more hype.
11What Is The Story?
Batman is dead. For reasons not yet shown or revealed, Batman is supposedly dead and the Batcave is destroyed thus leaving the protection of Gotham City in the hands of his most loyal and dedicated proteges: Barbara Gordon AKA Batgirl, Tim Drake AKA Robin, Dick Grayson AKA Nightwing, and Jason Todd AKA Red Hood who has embraced non-lethal methods.
The concept is genius as not only does it provide a scenario that could add a lot of changes to the dynamic of Gotham City, it could also bring about some character development for the Knights, and it gives fans a break from the already overused Batman character in favor for those who have been sidelined for too long.
10What Kind Of Game Is It?
The game is labeled as an action-adventure RPG and this was definitely shown off in the first gameplay as now enemies have health bars and levels which hints at the rumors of this game embracing a Nemesis system a laMiddle-Earth: Shadow Of War. The devs stated that there are different factions, sets of crimes to stop, and challenges to enjoy.
Each character will have unique skill trees to level up, different suits and gear to unlock, and gameplay styles. So while it will feature hand-to-hand combat and traversallike theArkhamgames, it will feature new combat mechanics including ranged attacks, heavy attacks, weapons to upgrade, and a stamina system that ties to special abilities.
9Is Batman Really Dead?
According to the devs, yes. It was even asked if Bruce Wayne is simply temporarily dead, undercover dead, or some other fakeout dead but the project leaders of the game returned with, “DEAD dead.” They added that Batman/Bruce Wayne will not be a playable character.
While fans can happily believe that Batman himself will not be playable, many still doubt that he is truly dead. There is a common theory that he was brainwashed by the Court Of Owls and made into one of their elite assassins known as Talons and will end up being one of the final bosses. After all,Arkham Knightboasted that the titular character was a completely new character, which was a lie.
8Can We Choose Our Characters?
Yes. The developers gave details that not only can the players choose one character to play as from beginning to end if they desire, they can also swap between the characters at their new base of operations known as the Bellfry. There will be no forcing gamers onto a character, it’s all up to them to choose.
This is an excellent idea for replayability as it will be interesting to see how each cutscene plays out depending on the character one chooses. All this combined with the fact that each character will play drastically different from each other will make for an addictive experience.
7Is It Single-Player Or Multiplayer?
Why not both? Those who prefer to play alone can indeed do it with four characters at their disposal. However, those who want to team up with friends will be happy as there is also an option for a drop-in, drop-out two-player co-op experience at any time.
This Dynamic Duo setup is refreshing as two friends can experience the entire game’s story together and go off exploring Gotham City from beginning to end. Even better is that characters will not be locked off if one is chosen: if two players both want to play as Red Hood at the same time, that is an option. If one wants to play as Batgirl while the other plays as Nightwing? Also an option: mix and match however it suits the game party.
6Is It A Live-Service Game?
This will be a more divisive answer no matter what since there are as many who love and enjoy live-service titles likeDestiny 2andMarvel’s Avengersas there are those who despise them. However, the developers have stated thatGotham Knightswill not be in that same vein: it will have room to grow but it will not followDestiny’s example.
So that likely means that there won’t be any PvP modes, any quest vendors in that same style, or the multitude of expensive DLC expansions. It will likely just feature new DLC characters, maybe some extra missions to go with said characters, and more cosmetics.
5Is This The Next Arkham Game?
With the Batcave and Batman both gone, one might be inclined to viewGotham Knightsas the sequel toBatman: Arkham Knightbut that is not the case: this is Warner Bros. Games Montreal’s new story that is a total reboot of the Batman mythos. This means characters like Ra’s Al Ghul, Poison Ivy, and The Joker may still be alive.
RELATED:The 10 Best Boss Fights In The Batman Arkham Series, Ranked
So no need to worry about having to play all fourArkhamgames to understand this one. The developers also stated that it will still be taking some gameplay elements from theArkhamfranchise while adding new layers and mechanics to it all to welcome new players without alienating long-timeArkhamplayers.
4How Big Is Gotham City?
Another aspect that returns from theArkhamgames is that players will be able to explore Gotham City from the moment it is open to them. The game’s map will have five boroughs that span across several islands with different bridges connecting the. Get ready to use those Batcycles a lot or hope there is fast travel.
One of the best things revealed about this map is that there will be no level-gating: no part of Gotham is sectioned off. Much like inBreath Of The Wild, the players can walk, run, or ride to any part of the map at any time. To make it even more interesting, this game will be ditching the idea of an evacuated Gotham and it will be a living city like inMarvel’s Spider-Manon PS4.
3Is There A Day/Night Cycle?
Yes and no. It’s not a traditional day to night cycle one would see inRed Dead Redemption 2orAssassin’s Creedbut instead, they will be taking a page fromMarvel’s Spider-Manwhere the story takes place across a multitude of nights. During the night, gamers can explore Gotham City and kick the rears of criminals and villains alike.
During day sequences, players return to the Bellfry to partake in other activities, likely as the unmasked versions of these characters, like enjoying some banter, narrative segments, and maybe some minigames if the game has them.
2Which Villains Are In The Game?
One can’t have a Batman-related game without a roster of villains to go along with it and this game has already set up several: the first and most blatant is the secret organization of Gotham’s elite known as The Court Of Owls and their Talon assassins. They appear to be the main threat of the game’s story.
RELATED:The 10 Best Villains In The Batman Arkham Series, Ranked
In the first gameplay footage, fans got a first look at this interpretation of Mr. Freeze in a heavy mechanized suit and he looks cool enough to give one chills (no more ice puns from here on out). During the game’s many teases, the League Of Assassins' emblem was shown, and days prior to the official reveal, the teaser caption “Face Two Face” is likely a hint towards Harvey Dent AKA Two-Face.
