The latest Gotham Knights gameplay revealed several new story hints for the game's full campaign. While the Warner Bros Montreal development team hasn't released many details about the project, the game's October release date is likely to spark the creation of more gameplay trailers, cinematics, demos, and other promotions. Opinions surrounding the gameplay reveal are mixed, citing clunky combat and a character upgrade system that suggests grinding for materials and upgrades may be present. However, the latest glimpse at Gotham Knights' gameplay also revealed vital information about the game's story, villains, and playable characters.

Gotham Knights takes place after Batman's death, with Nightwing, Red Hood, Batgirl, and Robin taking responsibility for Gotham City in the aftermath. Faced with a tide of emboldened supervillains, each vigilante utilizes their unique abilities and training from Batman to fight against the darkness. The Court of Owls, an affluent secret society, seeks to control the city's legitimate businesses and the criminal underworld, using mutated soldiers called Talons to defeat Batman's proteges. However, Gotham Knights' Mister Freeze also appeared in previous gameplay trailers, suggesting more of Gotham's Rogues Gallery could appear in the upcoming co-op title.

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While Gotham Knights' villains and overarching plot are still vague, the latest Gotham Knights gameplay trailer revealed more information about playable characters, the Court of Owls, and how the game functions alongside those conflicts. Unlike the first Gotham Knights gameplay reveal, which focused on Batgirl and Robin, Nightwing and Red Hood finally got their chance in the spotlight. The pair can be seen battling basic enemies, confronting Court of Owls agents, and unraveling Gotham City's biggest conspiracy. Although the trailer focuses on gameplay, there are dozens of story hints and reveals fans can examine.

Gotham Knights' Batfamily Struggles With Batman's Death

Silhouette of Batman in a puddle on the cover art for Gotham Knights

Gotham Knights features Batman's death, and the development team confirmed the game won't feature a playable Batman. Despite the Dark Knight's complicated relationships with his many proteges, the latest trailer suggests each Batfamily member is struggling with Batman's passing in their own way. Nightwing (Dick Grayson) and Red Hood (Jason Todd), Batman's first two Robins, share a brief conversation about visiting Bruce's grave. Both admit they haven't seen the grave, with Jason outright refusing to visit Bruce's grave. It's unknown how long after Batman's death the game's campaign takes place, nor how far into the campaign this scene takes place, but Batman's death clearly has long-lasting effects on the Knights. However, Gotham Knights' playable characters aren't the only ones struggling with Batman's death, with Alfred Pennyworth showing signs of grief and depression.

Gotham Knights' gameplay demo reveals the Belfry, the base of operations for the Knights after Bruce detonated the Batcave. Alfred Pennyworth, Wayne Manor's butler, survived the explosion and remained alongside the new vigilante team. Unfortunately, Alfred's role in-game remains unknown. In Batman: Arkham, Alfred regularly provided Batman with intel on various targets and performed off-screen research to advance the plot. Usually, the character delivered sarcastic dialogue that humbled the Dark Knight, but Gotham Knights appears to pursue a different take on the character. Alfred only appears for a few moments, but the former butler slumps at the table, hardly paying attention to his tea or the Knights. His entire demeanor suggests that Batman's adopted children aren't the only ones feeling Batman's absence.

The Court Of Owls Are Far Deadlier In Gotham Knights

Gotham Knights villain from the Court of Owls

Gotham Knights' Court of Owls shows many differences from their comics versions, but combat against Nightwing and Red Hood proves that the in-game Court is far deadlier than previously imagined. The Court of Owls is presented as an affluent, secret society with few combat skills in other mediums. Instead, the primary membership manipulates Gotham City through the shadows by controlling its various enterprises and business ventures. However, the members that Nightwing and Red Hood face in the Powers Club use a strange, green mist to power themselves up and become more dangerous enemies. A similar green aura appears when Nightwing and Red Hood face off against the Talon Gladiator, which revives itself with the strange chemical. The source of this chemical is unknown but could suggest the presence of a Lazarus Pit (or similar technology) in Gotham.

Related: Gotham Knights Looks Like DC's Marvel's Avengers

The Gotham Knights gameplay trailer also revealed some of the Court's resources within Gotham City. The Powers Club features a secret passageway beneath the lobby, which could reference Joseph Powers from the Court of Owls comics. As a secret society, it stands to reason that the Court possesses many hidden bases throughout the city. However, the level may contain the Court of Owl's infamous Labyrinth. Previous Gotham Knights trailers depicted Batgirl in the Labyrinth and her teammates being trapped in a cage. At the end of the gameplay demo, Red Hood frees the Court's prisoner before being trapped in a mysterious cage. It's likely players can look forwards to exploring many hidden bases with superpowered Owls, but the exact identity of these enemies has yet to be revealed.

Gotham Knights' Court Of Owls Are Recruiting Blackgate Criminals

A screenshot form the video game Batman Arkham Origins Blackgate.

Dialogue in the new gameplay demo suggests Gotham Knights' Court of Owls is releasing criminals from Blackgate Prison, one of the primary holding facilities for lawbreakers in Batman's hunting grounds. Unlike Arkham Asylum, Blackgate Prison contains the mentally stable and lower-ranking members of criminal organizations. However, Red Hood's dialogue suggests the Court's practice is nothing new, and the secret society may have been systematically pardoning criminals for many years. Furthermore, a pair of NPCs in the Powers Club share an exchange that suggests they're both recipients of the Court's influence and received shortened sentences. If this is true, the Court has systematically controlled Gotham's crime flow during Bruce Wayne's time as Batman.

It's unknown what the Court of Owls is planning in Gotham Knights, but this new information suggests the society could be using the flow of crime to hide their operations from Batman. The Waynes have always posed a significant threat to the Court, which could explain Bruce Wayne's murder. However, if the Court also discovered Batman's secret identity, their plot to control crime could be another method of distracting their enemy until the Court could carry out an assassination plot. Fans aren't aware of how deep the Court's influence lies, though WB Montreal is likely to reveal more information the closer the game's release date gets.

While more information about Gotham Knights' story and characters is likely to release in the coming months, the latest gameplay trailer is just the tip of the iceberg. The official Gotham Knights website contains some information concerning the Batfamily, but there are still dozens of other major characters from the Batman mythos that could appear. Additionally, four locked villain modules suggest other significant threats could surface alongside the Court of Owls when Gotham Knights releases later this year.

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