Unleashing the Dark Knight: Exposing Gotham Knights' Missed Opportunity with Playable Batman

Highlights

The game's focus on customization and looter mechanics gave it a unique identity but left fans seeking a more familiar freeflow combat experience feeling alienated.

Despite its flaws, modders have taken initiative to create custom content for the game, including popular mods that reintroduce Batman, showcasing the missed potential of the title.

Gotham Knights, one of last year's most controversial releases, received a lukewarm response primarily due to its disappointment to fans of the renowned Batman: Arkham series. Although set in a completely new continuity separate from Rocksteady's Arkhamverse, comparisons to Batman's successful escapades were inevitable. While protagonists Nightwing, Batgirl, Red Hood, and Robin are beloved by many devoted comic fans, their own game veered too far from the narratives of their mentor.

Following the indomitable legacy of the Arkham series, Gotham Knights' departure from the Batman games gave the title its own unique identity but may have ultimately hindered its long-term success. By adopting a "looter" type gameplay similar to titles like Destiny 2, the game's emphasis on customization and enemy levels sets it apart from the reactive brawler combat that made the Arkham titles popular in the 2010s. This focus on its own interpretation of combat and traversal mechanics left many Batman fans longing for the familiarity of the past. Fortunately, a group of modders has answered this demand.

Gotham Knights' Batman Mods Evoke a New Arkham

Prior to its release, Gotham Knights faced skepticism from players who were wary of the trendy live service model. Although the game itself does not fully embrace this model, the inclusion of gear and skin mechanics has led to speculation about significant changes during development. As a result, fans of the Arkham series, known for its measured and well-paced singleplayer experiences, have been left disappointed by Gotham Knights.

However, despite these shortcomings, passionate players of Gotham Knights have taken matters into their own hands by creating custom content. Numerous impressive mods have been developed, with the most popular ones bringing Batman back into the streets of Gotham. One notable modification, "Batman Reborn", gained attention for replacing Nightwing's appearance with that of the caped crusader. More recent mods, such as Spacedasher's "Batman: The Enemy Within", continue to highlight the missed potential of the game when it comes to DC's iconic characters.

Batman Could've Added a New Perspective to Gotham Knights

Playable Batman mods have gained popularity as players were disappointed with the new protagonists in Gotham Knights. It is apparent that the game would have greatly benefited from the actual presence of Bruce Wayne. While some may argue that the Arkham series is already saturated, it must be noted that the saga concluded almost a decade ago with Arkham Knight in 2015. Additionally, none of the previous titles were set in a normal version of Gotham City like the one seen in Gotham Knights. Therefore, incorporating Batman as a post-game unlock would have been a logical choice rather than the fate he received in the story's conclusion.

Although several games featuring Batman were released after Arkham Knight, none have successfully lived up to Rocksteady's groundbreaking series. However, fans are likely to embrace a return to playing as the Dark Knight in Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, where an alternate version of Batman controlled by Brainiac is set to appear.

Gotham Knights is available now on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X.