With Batman is confirmed dead in Gotham Knights within the opening minutes of the campaign, leaving the Bat Family as the sole protectors of Gotham.
Players have had several glimpses of Gotham Knights, from villain reveals for Harley Quinn, Mr. Freeze, and Clayface, to gameplay footage showcasing each playable member of the Bat Family's particular skillset. As expected from the game's RPG tilt, each playable character has a unique style, with skill trees offering even more specialization. Past gameplay footage has only ever shown one of the heroes approaching a situation alone, or two different heroes teaming up through the game's co-op mode, however, it seems like this will not be the case when playing the game.
As has recently been revealed, players can form teams comprised entirely of the same character in Gotham Knights' two-player co-op mode. While this will likely please those who were worried about fighting with their friends or family over who would play which character, it does seem out of place within a story-driven title such as Gotham Knights. The choice to have the likes of two Nightwings at once could be immersion-breaking and defeats the idea of the Bat Family having to work together in the wake of their mentor's death.
Gotham Knights Needs To Establish A New Take On The Bat Family
One of the key reasons why this immersion-breaking mechanic could be an issue is due to Gotham Knights introducing its own new take on the Batman mythos. Gotham Knights' cutscenes may showcase their relationships with each other, not continuing this into the title's gameplay could mean players are missing out on the further depth and world-building that off-the-cuff remarks and interactions could bring as they explore Gotham City.
Players can either play Gotham Knights entirely from the perspective of one character, or don the mantle of another hero mid-playthrough to experience parts of the story with a different tactical approach. When taking this into , it's understandable that WB Games Montréal has given players the option of forming teams of the same character so that from a pure gameplay perspective players can fully master their preferred character whether they play solo or with others. Of course, it all comes down to each player's personal preference, and they will be able to judge for themselves whether this co-op gameplay mechanic is an issue or not when Gotham Knights releases on October 21.
