Gotham Knights was one of the highlights of DC's FanDome event. The game, created by Batman: Arkham Origins developer WB Montréal, will see players taking control of Robin, Batgirl, Nightwing and Red Hood as they struggle to bring order to Gotham City following the death of the original Dark Knight, Bruce Wayne. Despite the fact that the story of Gotham Knights seems to perfectly compliment Rocksteady's 2015 game Batman: Arkham Knight, it will not be set in the same universe.
Besides the cinematic trailer that outlined the game's overall story, WB Montréal also showed some gameplay footage. The clip revolved around a "Villain Crime," a type of mission that revolves around a particular villain — in this case, Mr. Freeze. Whether Villain Crimes are part of the main story, or side quests similar to the Most Wanted missions from Batman: Arkham Knight, is unclear, though their sheer inclusion suggests that Gotham Knights could have a more non-linear plot than previous Batman games.
In the game, Robin can use a device called the "Justice League Satellite," meaning that the infamous DC superhero team which includes Batman, Wonder Woman and Superman is part of the Gotham Knights universe. While the Justice League also existed in the Batman: Arkham games, they were only referenced through Easter eggs and never played a part in the games themselves. Considering how Rocksteady's Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League will draw from other DC properties, maybe WB Montréal plans on doing the same.
Gotham Knights Is Designed For Co-op Gameplay
According to creative director Patrick Redding, who narrates the gameplay footage, every level in Gotham Knights has been designed so that players can approach it using any build (and, by extension, character) of their choosing. Batman: Arkham Knight also allowed players to take control of Robin, Nightwing and Batgirl on numerous occasions. However, the availability of these characters was always restricted to a handful of combat arenas and predator maps. If Redding's words are true, Gotham Knights will grant players more freedom than they have ever had before. Two players will also be able to team up in an online co-op mode.
Gotham Knights' Combat Has New Styles & A Progression System
Aside from story structure and world design, the gameplay has also been given a thorough update. The combat that was exhibited in the gameplay footage for Gotham Knights appears to be much more versatile and free-flowing than the simplistic, combo-based approach of the Batman: Arkham series, resembling that of the latest Assassin's Creed titles more than anything else. Boss battles seem to work a bit differently, too, as their difficulty supposedly scales in proportion to the power level of the player character. Of course, Batman: Arkham games also included progression trees, but these only impacted Batman's arsenal, not the strength of his enemies.
Gotham Knights' Release Date
Although no particular launch date has been set, Gotham Knights is slated for a 2021 release. This would mean that the game will be available in stores before Rocksteady's Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, which will not appear until 2022. The release date may be subject to further change depending on how the coronavirus pandemic will develop. Like live-action films, video games are incredibly difficult to produce remotely due to the hefty hardware involved. As Redding stressed, Gotham Knights is currently in a pre-alpha built, and WB Montréal might need quite a bit of time to hammer out the technical glitches seen in the gameplay footage.
Gotham Knights' Plot Will Involve The Court of Owls
The game's cinematic story trailer confirmed something the gaming community had already been expecting for quite some time: that the Court of Owls will play a prominent role in the story. Since this sinister organization has yet to appear in either a live-action Batman movie or a Batman video game, they rank among the lesser-known members of the Caped Crusader's Rogues Gallery, making them a perfect antagonistic force for a detective-style title Gotham Knights. Put simply, they are a secret society not unlike the League of Shadows who kidnap children and turn them into fearsome, brainwashed assassins.
Gotham Knights' Villains May Include Two-Face
This is probably the least-known detail of the game due to the fact that it wasn't announced in either of the two trailers that premiered at DC FanDome. In truth, it has not been officially confirmed at all, but rather gleaned by fans who excavated a promotional website that WB Montréal launched during the week leading up to FanDome. The site, called r3dakt3d, was designed so as to deter casual visitors and attract devoted ones. After navigating the site, they would find what is widely believed to be a print of one of the game's maps. When further excavating the address, one particularly persistent fan found another map, one which the site's encrypted files had labeled "Face Two-Face." Assuming the developers were referring to Harvey Dent, there is a solid chance the iconic Batman villain will pop up in Gotham Knights. Maybe he will have his own "Villain Crime."