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Gotham Knights (PS5) Review
Developer: WB Games Montréal
Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
Genre: Action RPG / Open-World Action
Release: 2022
Gotham Knights takes the Batman universe in a different direction by removing Batman from the equation and placing the responsibility of protecting Gotham on four members of the Bat-Family: Batgirl, Nightwing, Red Hood and Robin. Rather than continuing the Arkham series directly, the game combines superhero action with RPG progression, gear, open-world exploration and two-player cooperative play.
The result is an enjoyable but uneven superhero adventure. Its story, characters and investigations are among its strongest features, while the combat and repetitive open-world activities prevent it from reaching the same level as the best Batman games.
Gameplay & Mechanics
Gotham Knights is fundamentally an action RPG. Each of the four heroes has their own abilities, skill trees, equipment and combat characteristics, allowing players to approach encounters somewhat differently.
Batgirl focuses heavily on technology and hacking, Nightwing emphasizes agility and acrobatics, Red Hood uses his pistols extensively, while Robin specializes more heavily in stealth. The four characters can be switched between at the Belfry, meaning players aren't permanently locked into one hero.
Combat uses light and heavy attacks, ranged attacks, dodging and special abilities. Rather than copying the counter-heavy system from the Arkham games, Gotham Knights places greater emphasis on dodging and building up Momentum to unlock powerful abilities.
The system works reasonably well, particularly once characters have developed their skill trees, although the basic combat can become repetitive.
Strengths
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Four genuinely playable heroes.
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Different abilities and skill trees.
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Momentum system adds another layer to combat.
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Equipment and crafting provide RPG progression.
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Combat becomes more interesting as abilities are unlocked.
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Easy to switch between characters.
Weaknesses
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Combat lacks the depth of the Arkham system.
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Basic attacks can become repetitive.
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Gear progression can feel more like statistical improvement than meaningful customization.
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Some enemies rely heavily on health rather than sophisticated combat mechanics.
Exploration & World Design
Gotham City is divided into five major boroughs and provides a large environment to explore. Players can patrol the streets, investigate crimes, collect resources and discover various activities throughout the city.
The city itself looks excellent. Gotham is appropriately dark and atmospheric, with distinctive districts, neon lights, gothic architecture and busy streets.
Unfortunately, the activities found throughout the city are not always as interesting as the environment itself. There are numerous crimes to stop, collectibles to find and challenges to complete, but many activities eventually begin to feel repetitive.
Traversal is also different from the Arkham games. Each character has their own method of getting around Gotham, including different traversal abilities. This gives the characters additional personality, although movement isn't always as fluid as Batman's traversal in Arkham Knight.
The Batcycle provides another way to travel around the city, but it doesn't become a particularly memorable part of the experience.
Story & Themes
The story begins with Batman dead, leaving Batgirl, Nightwing, Red Hood and Robin to protect Gotham. The four heroes investigate Batman's final case, eventually becoming involved with the Court of Owls and several familiar Gotham villains.
The narrative is one of the game's biggest strengths.
The relationship between the four heroes gives the story a more personal feel than simply playing as Batman. Their conversations at the Belfry help establish their personalities and explore how they respond to the enormous responsibility left behind by Bruce Wayne.
The investigation mechanics are also a welcome addition. Players examine crime scenes, connect evidence and follow leads, creating a stronger feeling that they are actually investigating a mystery rather than simply travelling between combat arenas.
The villain missions are another highlight, with characters such as Harley Quinn, Mr. Freeze and Clayface receiving substantial attention.
The story isn't perfect, and some character development feels underused, but the central mystery and interactions between the Knights provide enough motivation to continue.
Mission Design & Progression
The campaign combines main story missions with optional villain cases, crimes and other activities.
Main missions generally provide the best content, featuring more elaborate environments, investigations and set pieces. Villain missions are particularly useful because they provide additional story content outside the central Court of Owls storyline.
The RPG progression system revolves around gaining experience, acquiring equipment and improving abilities. Weapons and armor have different statistics and elemental properties, while skill points unlock new combat techniques.
The system gives players plenty to work toward, but it can sometimes feel unnecessarily game-like. Replacing equipment with something that has slightly better numbers isn't always as satisfying as unlocking a genuinely new gadget or ability.
Final Verdict
Gotham Knights is an enjoyable superhero action RPG that deserves to be judged on its own terms rather than simply as another Batman: Arkham game. Its strongest qualities are the four playable heroes, engaging central mystery, excellent Gotham atmosphere and surprisingly effective character writing.
The Court of Owls storyline and investigative sections give the campaign an identity of its own, while the ability to play the entire story cooperatively is a welcome addition. The four Knights also provide enough differences to make experimenting with each character worthwhile.
Unfortunately, the combat never reaches the sophistication of the Arkham series, and the open-world activities become repetitive. The RPG gear system adds progression but doesn't always make the combat feel substantially deeper.
Overall, Gotham Knights is a solid PS5 superhero adventure with a good story and enjoyable co-op, but its repetitive open world and less satisfying combat prevent it from becoming a truly exceptional Batman-family game.
Score: 7.5/10
