Gotham Knights (2022): The Review

Overview

Gotham Knights sets out to fill Batman’s absence with a new generation of heroes—Nightwing, Batgirl, Red Hood, and Robin—tasked with protecting Gotham after the Dark Knight’s death. While the game offers a visually impressive city, enjoyable co-op gameplay, and character-driven storytelling, it falls short due to repetitive mission design, lackluster combat, and an open world that feels empty rather than alive. It’s a decent superhero experience, but it struggles to live up to the legacy of the Arkham series.

Score: 6.5 out of 10

---

The Positives ✅

The game really shines in how it brings its four heroes to life, each one has a distinct personality, and their interactions add real emotional depth to the story. Jumping into drop-in, drop-out co-op turns Gotham’s crime-fighting into a much more fun, dynamic experience, especially with a friend by your side.

Combat-wise, each character feels unique, with distinct fighting styles that keep gameplay varied, even if the overall combat mechanics don’t feel as polished as they could be. Meanwhile, Gotham itself is a treat, the city’s neon-lit streets and gothic architecture create a moody, atmospheric playground that feels alive and full of danger.

Adding to the mix are strong side missions, especially those featuring villains like Harley Quinn and Clayface, which offer entertaining detours and keep the experience fresh beyond the main story.

---

The Negatives ⚠️

While Gotham Knights tries to capture the thrill of the Batman universe, its combat system feels sluggish and unresponsive, especially when compared to the smooth fluidity of the Arkham series. This can make fights drag on and sometimes get frustrating. The side content falls into repetition quickly, with random crimes and patrols lacking enough variety to stay interesting for long stretches.

Even though Gotham looks fantastic, the open world doesn’t have the same depth or interactivity fans might expect, making exploration feel a bit hollow. Technical issues don’t help either, frame rate drops and other glitches can pull you out of the experience, particularly on consoles. To top it off, the main villain, the Court of Owls, doesn’t quite live up to their legendary reputation, leaving the story’s central threat feeling underwhelming.

---

The Experience 🎮

Gotham Knights aims high as a co-op Bat-family adventure, and while it hits some solid notes with its character dynamics and story moments, it struggles to fully deliver. The game took me around 40 hours to finish, and throughout that time, the repetitive missions and clunky combat started to wear thin. Technical glitches also chipped away at immersion, making it clear this isn’t quite the Arkham-level experience fans might hope for. Still, if you’re into Gotham’s vigilantes and want some cooperative crime-fighting action, it’s an okay ride, just don’t expect it to soar.