Gotham Knights’ Co-Op Focus Resulted In Gotham City Being Redesigned

As one of the most-anticipated games of 2021, Gotham Knights has some big bat-shaped boots to fill when you take to the streets as one of Batman’s four protégés. While the Batman: Arkham series of video games focused on a lone caped crusader, developer Warner Bros. Montreal is taking a different approach and emphasizing co-op play as you protect the city in the wake of Batman’s death.

“We have entirely redesigned the combat system in order for it to work well in co-op,” executive producer Fleur Marty said to GamesRadar. “Of course, we’re still a brawler, and some of the mechanics won’t feel totally alien for people who played and enjoyed the Arkham series, but it is in many ways very different.”

According to creative director Patrick Redding, the drop-in and drop-out co-op gameplay resulted in a redesign of Gotham City, so that enemy encounters wouldn’t feel claustrophobic. “Gotham is a city of alleyways and rooftops, so the footprint for gameplay needs to be compatible with that,” Redding explained. This isn’t the city you remember from the Arkham trilogy.

As players progress through the story, they’ll be able to level up their skills and abilities to keep pace with the supervillains who have taken over Gotham’s five boroughs. Progress is shared between characters, and you’ll be able to swap between Batgirl, Nightwing, Red Hood, and Robin whenever you return to their base of operations, the Belfry.

New gear, costumes, and gear can also be unlocked in the Gotham Knights base of operations, allowing you to further refine your playstyle between the heroes. Enemies will also scale to your level, which results in you being able to spend more time experimenting with different characters and playstyles, which also results in less time spent grinding for experience points. Despite the multiple characters and options, this isn’t turning into a full-on role-playing game.

You can also check out our Gotham Knights interview with Redding and Marty, where we discussed making a distinctly new story, how the RPG systems work, and more.

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