Gotham Knights, the gameplay analysis with Nightwing and Red Hood
Gotham Knights
Gotham Knights has been shown in action again by WB Games Montreal with a gameplay demo focused on two of the characters that we will find in the game and that we will be able to control: Nightwing and Red Hood.Commented by game director Geoff Ellenor, the video illustrates different mechanics in its thirteen minutes, and at the same time the announcement that the PS4 and Xbox One versions have been canceled has also arrived: the Canadian team wants to guarantee users the best possible experience and to do so has chosen the path of the exclusive next -gen.
So what was this new look at the expected tie-in set in the Batman universe, but inexplicably disconnected from the continuity of the Arkham series and Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League? We'll tell you about it in this preview of Gotham Knights.
Setting, characters and gameplay
Gotham Knighs, the disturbing Gotham as the backdrop to the adventure After pausing for a few seconds on the city which will be the background of the adventure, strictly at night but much more alive than what has been seen in the Batman: Arkham trilogy, the Gotham Knights demo shows us the good and the bad of this setting, first framing a fascinating cathedral and then a handful of criminals intent on breaking into an ATM.It is at this point that Nightwing, aka Dick Grayson, enters the scene: the original Robin, who as an adult felt the need to emancipate himself and create a his own path in a separate way from his mentor Bruce Wayne, the Dark Knight. Perched on a roof, the hero launches into the void and is immediately joined by his glider, the Flying Trapeze.
Each of the four Knights has a different means of travel and after a few moments we also see that of Red Hood, represented by the spiritual energy of the character that allows him to float in the air until he reaches the desired destination: a power that Gotham Knights' Jason Todd acquired after being resurrected by Ra's al Ghul and which proves to be very useful for jumping from one rooftop to the other in the city.
The initial confrontation we witness sees Nightwing and Red Hood struggling with a gang of thugs: while the first hero is an acrobat who fights using mainly sticks, the second fires non-lethal ammunition (a license of the game, since in reality Red Hood has no qualms about killing his own enemies) thus hitting opponents from a distance. Once a special bar has been filled it is possible to unleash devastating special attacks, even in pairs.
Gotham Knighs, Nightwing with the inevitable sticks After the fight, we move on to a second sequence with Red Hood riding a motorcycle while chasing the criminals fleeing in a van: it is the Batcycle and all the protagonists of the game can use it. The race ends with a predefined sequence in which the vigilante causes the vehicle of the criminals to crash, to then face the gang in a traditional way and also use a special that allows him to connect a stun grenade to an enemy and then detonate it on command.
The scene ends with Red Hood returning to the rooftops, using in this case the inevitable grappling hook: the mechanics are identical to that seen in the various Batman: Arkham, with the interface that highlights any possible anchor point and therefore makes the maneuver particularly quick and intuitive, also useful for getting off the road in case you find yourself facing too demanding opponents.
Headquarters and stealth action
Gotham Knighs, Red Hood Another round, another sequence: this time we are in the Bell Tower, the headquarters of the Knights of Gotham, and we again take on the role of Dick Grayson dura nte one of the early stages of the campaign, when the hero investigates the Court of Owls. In this context it is possible to access workbenches where the loot obtained up to that moment can be used to customize and enhance the equipment, obviously drawing on the extensive literature available to each character to transform their appearance.When you leave for a mission in Gotham Knights it is possible to take advantage of the rapid movements, which are represented by a sequence in which our character uses the FastBat: a sort of large glider that dematerializes when we reach the area desired. He is seen in action when Nightwing reaches an area where he thinks he will find clues to Gotham's secret organization.
Gotham Knighs, a clash with the Talons of the Court of Owls It is at such a juncture that the similarities between this new tie-in and the Batman: Arkham saga, with our character who proceeds silently, perhaps moving from one balcony to another waiting for an enemy to come within range to be able to knock him out with a single blow or reach him from behind and knock him out. There is also an augmented reality view that resembles that of Batman and allows you to identify traces of blood or other clues to a possible scene of a crime.
In this case Nightwing notices a mechanism under the floor that is Connected to an Electric Grid: A classic puzzle for the series, leading the hero to a switch that can open a passage to the underground tunnels. But first another fight, this time represented in more detail and with lots of special skills related to the ice to slow down the opponents momentarily.
Fighting system and boss fight
Gotham Knighs, Hood Red fights with guns The demo has illustrated in a rather clear way the fighting system of Gotham Knights, which starts from the freeflow mechanics introduced by the Batman: Arkham series, but modifies and reinterprets them according to the character we control. So if Nightwing offers a mix of stunts and sticks, Red Hood mostly attacks from a distance thanks to his two, uh, non-lethal pistols.During boss fights these aspects of the experience face the toughest test , because you have to stand up to very resistant opponents, who are often immune to traditional maneuvers or are equipped with objects that must be destroyed or weakened in order to open their defense. It happens in the video with a Gladiator Claw, a superhuman warrior created by the Court of Owls who will not fail to give us a hard time.
Preliminary impressions
Gotham Knighs, the four protagonists of the game In waiting for a second demo that shows Robin and Batgirl in action, which we imagine boast fighting styles and skills that are still different from Nightwing and Red Hood, the presentation made by WB Games Montreal has certainly had the merit of arousing interest in comparisons of Gotham Knights, considerably increased already after the confirmation of the presence of the Court of Owls.From a technical and artistic point of view it seems that the developers have done a great job, giving life to a Gotham that promises to be wide and fascinating, in which to move freely using the traditional grappling hook or the special systems that each Knight is equipped with, as well as the Batcycle and any other vehicles. In short, the freedom of movement and the richness of the scenario seem superior to what was seen in Batman: Arkham Knight and the fights could boast a greater variety.
Gotham Knighs, Nightwing in combat position There are however some perplexities, in first of all about the general setting that should recall the live services and that therefore, as happened in Marvel's Avengers, could suffer from strong qualitative fluctuations between one mission and another, with assignments that will inevitably end up repeating themselves for the purposes of looting and progression. However, this is an aspect that can only be judged after playing the game for a few hours.
On the technical side, it is understandable why the studio has decided to cancel the PS4 and Xbox One versions, given that the demo itself , which we imagine runs on PC or on a next-gen console, does not currently go beyond 30 fps and indeed suffers from obvious uncertainties in some situations, for example when you exaggerate with the particles during the only boss fight present in the video. The hope is that between now and launch the performance will take big steps forward and the indispensable 60 fps graphics mode is present.
The new gameplay video of Gotham Knights looks quite convincing and promises a characterized experience from a large open world, a great freedom of movement, rather varied and interesting freeflow combat, as well as four protagonists each with different abilities. The structure, with its live service references, however, arouses some concern and the hope is that the developers know how to dose these elements well so as not to frustrate the undoubted charm of the setting and of the opponents present within it.
