It hasn’t been easy for Batgirl, Nightwing, Robin and the Red Hood trying to keep up with Batman. Nor has it been for Warner Bros. Games Montréal , a studio that after having gone through the award – winning Arkham saga with Origins , seeks to conquer the fans of the Dark Knight in a Gotham orphan of Bruce Wayne . To achieve this, Gotham Knightsuse a familiar formula where the corrupt city is presented as a huge open world in which to deliver justice against the evil plans of some of the most recognizable villains in the DC Comics universe. Without the Bat-Signal lighting up the city sky, is Gotham Knights able to maintain the high level achieved by other superhero games in recent times? Well, I’ll tell you in advance that it is, but I’ll tell you the reasons in this analysis of Gotham Knights.
I guess I wasn’t the only one who, since its introduction, has had second thoughts about Gotham Knights . The appeal of the game seemed to center around co-op, something that has, at other times, interfered with the single-player experience. The truth is that a cooperative multiplayer was not what I expected from a video game that, although it is not part of the Arkham saga , feels like a successor to the franchise .
Gotham Knights knows how to make a virtue of necessity in the absence of the bat
However, what I have found at the controls has been a video game that puts its story as the main value regardless of multiplayer, allowing you to enjoy Gotham Knight alone or in company, and integrating cooperative as something completely optional . The way of approaching the game will be very familiar to you if you have played the games of the Arkham saga, because Gotham Knights is presented as a large open world to explore, full of challenges, collectibles and crimes to solve; a huge city in which to get lost while patrolling. Although without a doubt, the best is hidden behind some main missions that take us through well-designed levels and that have a much more linear structure .
Gotham Knights shines in its main missions
You’re rarely going to come across main story missions that are solved by dealing hits in the middle of the lane, these usually take place in indoor areas. They are very well set and have a solid narrative . They really make you forget you’re playing in an open world when you’re exploring a twisted catacomb, a lab, or a grand mansion. They usually combine stealth phases with some simple puzzles and investigation through a “detective mode” with which to collect clues and discover secrets from the environment. This formula, without inventing the wheel, works well and makes the progress very entertaining, with some very interesting puzzles and investigation phases and some less inspired ones.
The way the plot progresses is clever, dividing each of the cases that make up the story into acts and leaving space between them to patrol the city while doing side missions. The game recommends the level with which to face each act, serving as a guide to progress through the story in a much more organic way . This system has allowed me to walk through the city calmly, without ever feeling that I was slowing down the plot, thus making the playable progress go hand in hand with the narrative.
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Each case in the game is associated with a villain from the Batman universe and they function as closed arcs to complete as we discover the central story of the game. In this sense, Gotham Knights knows how to make a virtue of necessity in the absence of the bat and throughout history, the figure of Bruce is reflected in each of the protagonists.
The impact of Batman’s death
It is a story that is not limited to putting us in front of the usual villains while they unleash chaos in Gotham. It is about loss and shows us how each overcomes it in their own way. We have examples like Batgirl, who after having gone through hell to become the vigilante she is now, tries to cope with the loss of her father and of Bruce, fighting not to disappoint them while enduring the contempt of the city for her. that she wants to protect. Our protagonists feel very human, they are not superheroes dispensing justice; They are a broken family trying to do the right thing in a city that doesn’t make it easy for them.
It will not take long to empathize with each of the team members. Their personalities are very different and they are very emotional because of the situation they have had to live through. Each character has their own story and to discover it you will have to switch between them regularly. You can do this comfortably from El Campanario, the new lair for members of the Batfamily. This replaces the batcave and works as a link for you to interact with the other characters, check the clues of the new cases, customize your bike and even play a few games in the Spy Hunter arcade.
Each character has their own story
The traits of each of the characters are reflected in the playable section , and you will soon discover which character is more skilled at carrying out the different challenges that the game presents us with. Batgirl is an expert hacker and can hack into enemy turrets and surveillance cameras from a distance, while Robin is light as a feather, cloaks in the shadows and will allow you to carry out stealth missions with ease. As you progress through the game, these differences will become more and more apparent thanks to its skill tree , which allows you to develop each hero by customizing their talents and fighting style. Fortunately, you won’t have to worry about balancing the levels of your various heroes, the game already does that for you.
Superheroes with a lot of RPG
This is one of the RPG aspects that the game integrates, but it is not the only one. In this sense, Gotham Knights shows enough depth in its RPG aspect to take it seriously. It is not just props: you will be able to create new equipment with blueprints and materials that you will find throughout the adventure. You will also have pieces to improve the equipment that will affect the power of your hero , his health, in addition to adding elemental damage and weaknesses. All this organized by levels and rarity . Depending on the level of difficulty you choose, paying attention to all this section may be essential to overcome your rivals.
The enemies vary throughout the game and, although they are repeated a lot, they do not stop adding new rivals until the end. Some have surprised me, forcing me to change my way of dealing with them. Character development in combat becomes very satisfying and by the end of the game you have so many combat skills and you face so many different types of enemies that it’s really fun to combine everything you’ve learned to fight your way through. they.
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The combat is very reminiscent of that of the Arkham saga , although it feels somewhat different. It is somewhat heavier, but very rhythmic. The game rewards you for avoiding just pounding the attack button out of hand, encouraging you to hit the right moment with each hit of your combos to boost damage through crit or recharge special attacks faster. You will also have a dodge that, in the same way, executed correctly, will give you a devastating counterattack. You are usually going to face groups of enemies made up of light rivals, other heavier ones who have to break their guard or who launch unstoppable attacks. You will also have to dodge ranged attacks and many other surprises that I do not want to disembowel you.
The combat is approached very differently with each of the characters, even more so if we take into account the different variables when developing the skills of each one: Red Hood can launch a hail of bullets at his enemies, as well as explosives , while Robin can dispatch a group of opponents unseen or further boost critical damage by attacking from behind. All this makes the fights very fun and dynamic, but without a doubt, the highlight is the final bosses .
Some of the most interesting Batman villains
There are not many, but the bosses do not go unnoticed. Following the clues of each of the cases will finally lead you to them and what you will find will be a spectacular staging. The presentation of these enemies is impressive, both for the cinematics and for the environment that they are usually accompanied by. They are not easy , they will force you to learn their mechanics and watch their different attacks well. Forget rushing into them mindlessly, especially at higher difficulty levels. They have several phases and the situation, as usual, continues to get complicated.
In my case, getting through the entire story has taken me about 20 hours , although I’ve done a fair amount of side quests. If you go more to the point, it may cost you a little less, although it will also depend on the level of difficulty you choose. But if you’re left wanting more, the game allows you to continue doing side quests after the main story is over, the challenges you have left to complete, and unique enemies to defeat. You’ll also be unlocked New Game Plus , which will reset story progress, level up enemies but keep character progress, and increase the level your heroes can reach up to 40.
It shows enough depth in its RPG aspect to take it seriously
There has been a lot of controversy around the graphics section of Gotham Knights, especially when it was confirmed that on PS5 and Xbox Series it would work at 4K and 30 images per second , without the option of a performance mode that would reach those 60 FPS so desirable. But Warner Bros. Games Montréal’s title game is far from a visually weak game. It is not the great visual leap that I expected from an exclusive game of the new generation , and less after having enjoyed a Gotham as spectacular as that of Arkham Knight, but the truth is that Gotham Knights looks really good and has a multitude of details that denote the care with which the game has been designed.
Gotham City is a huge stage, without load times and with tremendous verticality. The city feels very real from above, with huge buildings as far as the eye can see, and the ray tracing in the reflections makes the streets glow fantastically. The design of heroes and villains is also at a high level: it’s a pleasure to stop the action for a moment just to see how well the new costume you just unlocked suits them.
Not the big visual jump I was hoping for
But it also highlights the large number of enemies that can attack you at the same time, added to the effects that are generated between explosions and abilities of the protagonists. At times the action becomes crazy, especially if we take into account the cooperative, which can make the fights much more striking , and more strategic at higher difficulty levels. The game will also receive a new free cooperative mode for up to four players , but for that we will have to wait until next November 29.
In my case, I’ve played Gotham Knights on an Xbox Series X and, while I’ve noticed some hitch on bike rides, as well as some popping in farther shots, the game feels very solid overall. During these game sessions I have also come across some occasional bugs, although they have been somewhat anecdotal.
Warner Bros Gotham Knights Standard Edition PS5
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PVP en Xtralife 69,95€
Finally, remember that the game arrives dubbed into Spanish and, although you can also opt for the original voices, it shows that there is a lot of love in the dubbing work, especially with enemies as histrionic as Harley Quinn, who are quite a show in screen.
a worthy successor
Gotham Knights
By: Felipe Baguena
Gotham Knights follows in the footsteps of an Arkham saga that conquered us more than a decade ago, a worthy successor that takes advantage of Batman’s absence to pay a precious tribute through its new heroes. With a great story, good action, well-written characters, and very emotional moments, I can’t recommend Gotham Knights enough.
Comprar Gotham Knights
5 things you should know:
- The story of the game and its characters is one of the strong points.
- Co-op is optional and perfectly enjoyed alone.
- The combat is fun and doesn’t get repetitive.
- Character development and RPG elements are heavily weighted.
- Although it is an open world game, the main missions are quite linear.
Players: 1-2 (Online Co-op)
Language: Texts in Spanish and voices in Spanish and English
Duration: 15-20 hours
