Gotham Knights: To Be Hyped or Not to Be?

It has been almost 7 years since the last Arkham game came out. Since then, fans have been eagerly waiting for more. It was a sigh of relief when the Gotham Knights game was announced by WB Montreal. Fans started hoping for another Arkham-Esque title that would keep them occupied for the next few years. Combine these high hopes with a superhero like Batman and the Gotham Knights character roster, and we have the perfect recipe for creating hype.

Cyberpunk also created a lot of hype, but eventually, it was a letdown. Now, we’re not saying that to jinx the game or anything, but there’s always a possibility of things going sideways. Fans are desperate for the release date of Gotham Knights and its characters. So let’s find out if the Gotham Knights game is worth the hype.

What Will Gotham Knights Be Like?

As far as we know, Gotham Knights (no Batman) will be a lot like the Arkham series, at least visually. The biggest turn-off for most people is that Batman is dead in this game, so you can’t play as The Batman. The game has clearly tried to copy the dark atmospheric vibe of its predecessors. So far, we can say that the visuals are pretty great based on the limited gameplay footage we’ve seen. Warner Brothers Montreal has released a gameplay trailer that gives us a few key insights.

The gameplay shown in the video is not really similar to any Arkham games. Even the worst-rated games of the Arkham series seem to have better fighting mechanics than Gotham Knights. The visuals might be great, the DLCs released in the future can be good, and the character design might be cool. However, without solid gameplay mechanics, none of that other stuff matters. A game that’s expected to be the spiritual successor to previous Batman games can’t be slow and sluggish.

As you can see for yourself in the video, Nightwing’s movements and attacks are too slow. Nightwing is an acrobat and here, he fights like a flying stone instead. Red Hood might be a tad bit better, but play as Red Hood in the Arkham series and you’ll feel the difference. The Gotham Knights game doesn’t seem to have anything to make it stand out other than its setting based on Batman’s city.

What We Know About Gotham Knights Release Date

Fans have been eagerly waiting for the day this game hits the stores. Gotham Knights the game was supposed to release in 2021, but it got delayed to 2022. As of now, we’ve been told to expect Gotham Knights’ release date to be somewhere near 25 Oct 2022. However, the studio should probably take a bit longer so that they can rectify the tortoise-paced action in the game.

WB Montreal has also released a public statement canceling the release of Gotham Knights on PS4 and Xbox One. The studio said that they’re doing this to maintain the game’s quality. However, seeing the state of its fighting mechanics, it’s safe to say that Gotham Knights can even be shipped on mobile phones. So, why not PS4 and Xbox One as well?

The Characters In Gotham Knights

The characters in Gotham Knights (Batman not included in the package) are going to be its main selling point. People are expecting to play as the entirety of the Bat-Family, other than Batman himself, of course. We don’t really think that characters like Nightwing, Red Hood, Robin, or Batgirl are enough to attract enough attention. People might’ve shelled out their money for an iconic hero like Batman, but no one other than comic book nerds really wants to play as a sidekick.

Is It Worth All the Hype?

From what we could tell after seeing the gameplay trailer, the answer is a resounding no. We don’t think that you should pre-order the game or even buy it on day 1 of its release. Sure, the devs might fix the problems later on, but we can’t incentivize paying for a half-baked product. Too many devs have done this recently and the gamers are the ones who really have to pay.

As of now, we won’t recommend investing your hard-earned money into this game when it comes out. Sure, Gotham Knights (without Batman!!) has characters with varied playstyles, but will WB Montreal actually be able to bring out those unique fighting styles? Until and unless the answer to this question changes, we aren’t even going near this game’s store page.

Hi! I'm Arvyn, and I'm an English teacher from the UK. I've been teaching English online for over 4 years to students from all across the world and all ages. Outside of work, I'm a huge fan of reading, video games, and playing with my adorable kitties. See ya!