WB Games Montreal has finally unveiled Batman project at DC Fandome, after months of teasers and rumors. As the rumors suggest, the game is called Gotham Knights, and includes multiple playable characters from the Bat family. It’s coming to PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X in 2021. Unlike the Arkham games, you will not be playing like Bruce Wayne. In fact, the billionaire Caped Crusader is dead.
The unveiled trailer showed Gotham City wrestling with the death of Bruce Wayne. Before he left, however, he recorded a message mentioning the four main characters in action: Nightwing, Robin, Batgirl and Red Hood. The trailer showed each of them in action, including heroes fighting together. A separate press release confirmed that it can be played solo as with two-player co-op. The film ended with confirmation that the story will encompass the Court of Owls, with an unholy recitation of the poem from the comic strip.
The developers chat and extended gameplay demo that followed seems to add a bit to a live aspect to the game, with the ability to customize your hero and enemies, displayed with HP, XP, and level indicators. The studio said it chose each hero for its “unique starting point and a long drive for growth.” A press release said players could “reinvent themselves in their own version of the Dark Knight.” The demo also showed a boss camp against Mr. Freeze.
The press release also outlined how we can expect the four characters to play differently. Batgirl is a hacker who uses her tonfa and martial arts. Nightwing is a more acrobatic fighter who uses Escrima sticks. Red Hood is a vigilante that uses a combination of traditional and high-tech weapons, including firearms. Finally, Robin is a grandchild with a background in psychological warfare, using a quarterback and stealth techniques. You may remember that Batgirl – real name Barbara Gordon – was paralyzed by Joker in the Arkham games. Because this is not set in the same continuity, she is able to reset the mask.
The studio has dropped hints about the game since last September, but those teasers have accelerated in the last week. WB Montreal announced that their next game will be shown in a developer panel at the show, and then began throwing clues through a teaser page that revealed a map and references to villains like Two-Face.
WB Montreal Developer Conversation is not the only DC Comics-based video game released during Fandome. Rocksteady also showed Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. Unlike Gotham Knights, this game takes place in the same universe as the Arkham games, and acts as a half sequel. For more event details, check out the full DC Fandome schedule.
