With Gotham Knights, Warner Bros. Games Montreal wants to make you feel like a superhero. In this upcoming 2021 launch, you’ll take on the mantle of Gotham City’s protector – chasing its streets and rooftops like Batgirl, Nightwing, Red Hood and Robin in the wake of Bruce Wayne’s untimely death. To save the city from further falling into chaos, you’ll need to embrace the spirit of Batman’s legacy and wrap up one of the darkest chapters in Gotham’s long history.
While Gotham Knights shares some DNA with Arkham games – WB Games Montreal was behind Batman: Arkham Origins 2013 – you should expect more variety and challenge from this all-new experience. “We have completely redesigned the combat system so that it works well in cooperative mode,” said Fleur Marty, executive producer at Gotham Knights. “Of course, we are still a fighter, and some of the mechanics will not seem totally foreign to the people who played and liked the Arkham series, but it is in many ways very different.”
A light in the dark
PRINCIPAL INFORMATION
(Image credit: Warner Bros)
games Gotham Knights
Developer WB Games Montreal
Editor Warner Bros. Interactive
Platforms PS4, PS5, Xbox One, X / S Series, PC
Launch 2021
WB Games Montreal is creating an original story in the DC Universe, a story separate from the Arkham tradition, comics and films. Patrick Redding, Gotham Knights’ creative director, says it has “been a dream” that the studio has the freedom to make its mark in Gotham. “This is a universe that many of us on the team have invested in since we were old enough to read. The real test of that was when we started working with DC and started talking about what we wanted for characters and stories, and our specific interpretations. They encouraged us to double our unique vision. ”
This unique shot depicts a Gotham 15 years after Bruce Wayne’s tenure as his protector. The Rogues Gallery is already well established. Low-level criminals fear Batman’s presence, his early intervention by the growing forces of the underworld, and hated by large areas of the Gotham City Police Department after the assassination of Commissioner Gordon. It will be our responsibility to restore order with a little vigilant justice, although it is easier said than done.
“The hardest part is the constraint on wealth,” says Redding, talking about the decades of stories the studio could be inspired by. “We cannot try to get every piece of the interconnected tradition right or it will not be coherent. It is the essential difference between a medium like comics – where you can read intimate thoughts and study each panel for clues – and games, where the player experiences fantasy of these characters making choices and acting. ”
“The game allows you to switch to a different character almost anytime you want, as long as you return to The Belfry to do so”
Fleur Marty, executive producer
And for the action to take place in an open world Gotham City, in what we believe to be the most interactive and dynamic version of space ever committed to a video game. Five distinct districts make up Gotham, and you’ll need to regain control of each other as iconic villains, like Mr. Freeze, and powerful new threats, like the mysterious Owl Court, emerge from the shadows after the Dark Knight’s fall. You will be tasked with clearing up growing threats to the city, protecting Gotham citizens from street crime and finding out what happened to Bruce. It is this balance between investigation and insurrection that has shaped the direction of the Knights of Gotham.
“Even when we had the outline of our central mystery, we forced ourselves to focus first on the characterization and how it should shape not only the narrative and performances, but the set of action for each of the four heroes,” says Redding. “We analyzed the overall tone of our Gotham City and used that to decide which supporting cast and villains to build the game on. It became the foundation, shaped the game systems, and then we built the game’s history and found our cast of characters to work on that. “
This cast of characters is vital. With Batman’s most iconic villains flooding the city, this is not a mission that you can accomplish alone – you will need help from your friends. Although Gotham Knights has four playable heroes, it was designed in cooperation with two players to deliver a very specific superhero costume. “The dynamics of two players fit into the fantasy and Gotham City scene. The ‘duo’ or duo is so central to the universe that there is a literal abbreviation for it in the comic, animation, film and TV versions,” says Redding, who notes that this was also a way to ensure that the city’s narrow streets and ancient architecture don’t look claustrophobic while you are fighting alongside a friend. “Gotham is a city of alleys and roofs, so the footprint for gameplay needs to be compatible with that.”
Fight for the future
Gotham Knights is an action RPG with a rotating cast of heroes, each of whom you’ll be able to improve over time, investing in new skills, combat equipment and costumes as you progress. While Gotham Knights can be played alone, it also offers drop-in and drop-out co-op so that you and a friend can face Gotham as they please. Marty told me that it was important for WB Games Montreal that you never feel stuck playing as a single character and, as a result, there is a fluidity and freedom in the central design of Gotham Knights.
“The game allows you to switch to a different character almost any time you want, as long as you return to The Belfry to do so.” With the Batcave destroyed at the time Code Black was started, The Belfry is the new base of operations for the Knights of Gotham. This is where you will go during the day to regroup and rest, advance the narrative while accepting new challenges and missions, and tinkering with your heroes’ costumes, weapons, equipment and play style. When night falls and you are ready to return to patrol, you can return to Gotham like any of the characters and without fear of being below level or prepared.
“Since the progression of the story is shared between all the characters, it also makes sense that you don’t have to increase them from scratch every time you want to change. It also remains very consistent in terms of our narrative, ”Marty continues. “Since the other members of the Batman family are always present in some way behind the scenes, while you are around the world fighting crime or unraveling the mystery, they are not inactive. So it makes sense that they are also progressing and getting stronger.”
This design decision serves two purposes. First of all, it ensures that we are not going to spend all of our time stuck at The Belfry arguing with a friend about who will play as Barbara Gordon. Second, there will be no need to work through the experience to unlock the characters and levels. Enemies will also be scaled to your level of progression, ensuring that we will always feel free to experiment with different heroes and their unique playing styles, weapons and skills. Gotham Knights will present us with the most challenging mission the Bat Family has ever faced, and you will be able to tackle it on your own terms.
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