Gotham Knights Review Summary

Overall fun and enjoyable: Players overwhelmingly found the game to be fun and enjoyable, especially when played in co-op. Many highlighted good graphics, engaging gameplay, and a surprisingly positive experience that exceeded low expectations.

Strong Bat-Family focus: The game's focus on the Bat-Family (Nightwing, Batgirl, Red Hood, Robin) and their dynamics after Batman's death is highly praised. Players enjoyed exploring Gotham from a new perspective and appreciated the faithful characterizations and lore.

Diverse playable characters: The four playable characters are distinct in their personalities, combat styles, and abilities, offering varied gameplay experiences. The ability to switch between them and customize their gear and appearance adds significant depth and replayability.

Satisfying and evolving combat: Combat is described as fun and satisfying, especially once players unlock more abilities and get accustomed to each character's style. While some noted initial clunkiness, it becomes fluid and engaging with practice, and boss fights are often highlighted as challenging and well-designed.

Co-op mode is excellent: The co-op mode is a significant highlight, with players consistently stating that playing with friends greatly enhances the experience. It allows for seamless teamwork, strategic combat, and adds considerable replayability.

Inferior to Arkham Series: Many players found the game to be a significant downgrade from the Arkham series in almost every aspect, including combat, movement, story, and overall polish. This led to widespread disappointment and a feeling that the game did not meet expectations, especially given its price point.

Weak Story & Characters: The story and character development were widely criticized for being bland, predictable, and unengaging. Dialogue often felt cringeworthy, and characters lacked depth or memorable arcs, failing to create emotional investment for players.

Repetitive Gameplay Loop: A major criticism is the game's repetitive nature across various elements. This includes combat, side missions, open-world activities, and the overall gameplay loop, leading to boredom and a feeling of grind, especially in the later stages and post-story content.

Clunky Controls & Movement: Players consistently reported that character movement, combat controls, and traversal mechanics felt clunky, sluggish, and unresponsive. This made basic actions frustrating and detracted significantly from the superhero experience, often leading to accidental interactions or getting stuck.

Major Technical Issues: The game suffered from significant technical issues, including frequent crashes, poor optimization, and various bugs and glitches. These problems severely impacted the gameplay experience, leading to frustration and lost progress for many players.

Four distinct playable characters: The game features four playable characters: Batgirl, Nightwing, Red Hood, and Robin. Each character has unique combat styles, traversal abilities, skill trees, and personal storylines, allowing for varied gameplay experiences and encouraging players to switch between them.

Standalone game, not Arkhamverse: The game is a standalone title, not a direct continuation of the Arkham series, though it shares some thematic and gameplay inspirations. It features an open-world Gotham City and focuses on Batman's protégés (Nightwing, Batgirl, Red Hood, Robin) after his death, offering a different combat system and narrative.

Extensive RPG and gear system: The game incorporates significant RPG elements, including a loot and gear system, character leveling, skill trees, and equipment crafting. This progression system is central to gameplay, though some players found it repetitive or bloated, requiring grinding for materials and upgrades.

Unique dodge-based combat: The combat system is different from the Arkham series, focusing on dodging rather than counter-attacks. It takes time to get used to, with players describing it as initially clunky but becoming satisfying once mastered. Each character offers a unique combat approach, adding variety.

Designed for co-op play: The game is designed with co-op play in mind, allowing the entire story to be played with one other person. While the main campaign supports two players, a separate 'Heroic Assault' mode allows up to four players. Some players noted issues with co-op progression synchronization.

Inconsistent Performance & Stuttering: Despite improvements, some players still experience inconsistent performance, including significant frame drops, stuttering, and occasional freezes, especially in open-world areas or during specific actions like riding the Batcycle. This is particularly noticeable on mid-range or older PCs, and some high-end systems also report issues, suggesting optimization is still not perfect.

Mixed Graphics Quality: Player opinions on graphics are mixed but generally positive. Many find the graphics beautiful and well-recreated, especially after patches. However, some note minor graphical bugs or inconsistencies, and a few feel the optimization for graphics could still be better in certain areas.

Good Handheld PC Performance: The game is reported to run well on handheld gaming PCs like the Steam Deck and Rog Ally, with players finding the performance acceptable and visuals looking good on these devices.

Frequent Loading Screens: The game features numerous loading screens, which can interrupt gameplay flow. Some players note that the open world is not seamless, and loading screens are not always well-hidden, unlike in other similar titles.

Windowed Mode Improves Stability: Some players found that running the game in windowed mode significantly reduced or eliminated freezing issues, suggesting a potential workaround for stability problems.

Buy only on deep sale: A significant majority of players recommend purchasing the game only when it is heavily discounted, citing that it is not worth its full price. Many suggest waiting for sales, with specific price points often mentioned.

Don't compare to Arkham: Many players strongly advise against comparing this game to the Batman: Arkham series, as it leads to disappointment. They emphasize that Gotham Knights is a different type of game, often recommending it more for fans of the broader DC universe and Bat-Family characters rather than those expecting an Arkham sequel.

Better with co-op play: The game experience is significantly enhanced when played with friends in co-op. Many reviewers state that the game is best enjoyed, or even only enjoyable, in a cooperative setting, with some explicitly advising against solo play.

Great for DC/Bat-Family fans: The game is highly recommended for dedicated fans of the DC universe, especially those who appreciate the Bat-Family characters and their dynamics. It appeals to players looking for a new story within this universe or a superhero action RPG.

Average game experience: Overall, the game receives mixed to average ratings, typically falling in the 6-7/10 range. While some find it decent or above average, others rate it lower, indicating it's not a standout title but can be an 'okay' experience.

Underrated and Overhated: The game is often considered underrated and unfairly criticized, with many players feeling it received excessive hate at launch. While not a masterpiece, it's generally seen as 'okay' or 'serviceable' rather than truly bad.

Wasted Live-Service Potential: The game suffered from design issues, particularly a perceived last-minute pivot away from a live-service model. This led to a feeling of wasted potential and mediocre execution.

Audience Expectations Vary: Player reception is often influenced by their prior experience with other superhero games like Arkham or Spider-Man, or their general familiarity with the DC universe. Some players are more accepting of deviations like Batman's death.

Batman Dies Early: A key plot point is Batman's death early in the game, with players taking on the roles of his proteges. This narrative choice is a significant departure from previous Batman games.

Aimed at Younger Audience: Several reviewers perceive the game as being more suitable for a younger audience, specifically kids and teenagers, due to its tone and gameplay style.