Last week, we were able to preview the next title from Warner Bros. Games: Gotham Knights. During two o’clock hands-on, it was an opportunity to discover the open world of this iconic city of Batman, but also to appreciate the differences in gameplay between the 4 playable characters. This preview will allow you to have a video preview of these: Nightwing, Batgirl, Robin and Red Hood. It is also important to note that we have not been able to test the title’s multiplayer cooperation, but we hope to be able to do so during the full test. As a reminder, Gotham Knights will be released on October 21, 2022 on PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC.
- Genres: action-rpg, combat, open world (solo or 2-player online co-op)
- Release date: October 21, 2022
- Platform: PC, Xbox Series X/S and PS5
- Developer: Warner Bros Games Montreal
- Publishers: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
- Price: €59.99 (standard version)
Red Hood: A Mission in a Gotham City Neighborhood
Much like Marvel’s Spiderman, you can explore the dark alleys of Gotham City on foot, using the grappling hook (and not the canvas) to fly from lamppost to lamppost, or even thanks to the batcycle that can roll at full speed. Even if you are heading towards your main mission, you may then be tempted to stop to pick up the Collectibles but above all to succeed in side missions such as frustrating hostage takings.
Important fact by the way: it’s always dark in Gotham. You can spend some time in the Belfry (your HQ) but whenever you want to go out into the city, it will be dark to mark the darkness of the place and the sadness of the loss of Batman.
Batgirl in detective mode
Of the 4 playable characters, Batgirl is probably our favorite to play. Supple, dynamic and able to soar in the sky thanks to her cape, she is thefemale perfect equivalent of Batman. In this gameplay video, you can see that some missions will require you to investigate and look for clues thanks to your scanner, in addition to beating enemies at all costs. You will sometimes have to put yourself in the shoes of a real detective in order to decode passwords and open chests or secret passages.
Moment Batcycle: the motorcycle we all dream of having
Of course, we were waiting around the bend for the exploration gameplay from Gotham Knights. If it is quite enjoyable to swing from building to building with lightness to cover kilometers, it is even more so when you get on the batcycle to rush towards the next objective. Very handy (tested with keyboard/mouse then xbox controller), you can feel it roar as soon as you accelerate and it’s quite difficult to refrain from doing a few front wheels.
The end of the video shows you the Belfry, the HQ where it is possible to change character at any timeview current missions and share story moments.
Nightwing and the fight against Harley Quinn
Nightwing is the second character we enjoyed the most in this gameplay session. With his pistol that can electrocute enemies, he can easily eliminate one or more opponents from a distance without ever being spotted. Also very agile, the leader of the bat-family can fight hand-to-hand with his famous sticks. In the video below, you can see him in action against Outcasts but also taking on Harley Quinn.
Before that, don’t forget to raise skills of your character and to unlock new ones thanks to the experience accumulated over the missions.
Robin and Blackgate Prison
In this mission, we were able to explore a mythical location of Batman: Blackgate prison. That’s where Harley Quinn is locked up, but we need her to gather information. Robin (or another character) will therefore have to infiltrate discreetly until he finds Harley’s cell. Note that it is possible to adjust the difficulty of the game if you find certain combat phases too complex.
The Polish studio has detailed its plans for its various licenses, including the next game based on the Cyberpunk universe. The Phantom Liberty extension is in preparation, but a real sequel will also be developed, in order to show the potential of the license.