With the imminent arrival of WB Montreal's Gotham Knights, the anticipation surrounding its release is building with each passing day. The Bat Family has its time to shine this time around, as Batman's death seems to set up the events of the story. With the Arkham series still somewhat recently on the minds of many, the newest DC video game has such lofty heights to live up to. Not only that, but 2022's The Batman was a stark reminder of the property's ability to produce quality products, and the success of the Pattinson-led film stemmed a lot from its take on Gotham itself.
Conversely, Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy adopted an altogether alternative approach. Gotham Knights will likely be something different once again, but with Gotham being recreated, it should take cues from other great Batman stories and present a city that is right on then cusp of being a lost cause. The Dark Knight Trilogy consists of fantastic films, but the Gotham they forged left much to be desired, and WB Montreal should avoid the same fate.
Gotham City is Crime-Ridden as well as Corrupt
Corruption at the federal level is par for the course for Gotham, and the Court of Owls that Gotham Knights looks set to utilize proves just how much the city is at the mercy of unsavory higher-ups. Folks like Bruce Wayne and Jim Gordon are exceptions to the very grim rule, and The Dark Knight trilogy did well to show this as Carmine Falcone's grip on the city is noticeable in the first film, and Bane's easy ride to the top was all too efficient in The Dark Knight Rises. Petty crime is important to the fabric of Gotham City, though, as it has far more of an impact on the city's aesthetics and tone.
The problem with Nolan's films was that the Gotham they presented felt squeaky clean from all angles that weren't ground level. From the rooftops it looked like any other place, and as such Batman was an entity that looked out of place in a city that didn't look as downtrodden as characters kept reiterating. Gotham Knights will place the city at the forefront of the game's presentation, so it has to look like it's equally impacted by petty crime and structural corruption. The Batman did this, as did 2019's Joker, and WB Montreal needs to follow their lead.
Gotham Knights' Open World Has to Stand Out
Identity is crucial in open-world game design, as so much of the fun will be found in engaging with side quests and exploring the playground itself, searching for collectibles and soaking up the sights. There are plenty of offerings that use the format in an uninspired way, which serves to render any otherwise strong gameplay largely useless as the setting simply isn't interesting enough to hold players' attention. This happened with Watch_Dogs and Rage 2, and as Gotham has such a rich history and deep sense of character, it would be disheartening to not see any of its charm carry over to Gotham Knights.
The Gotham that The Dark Knight presents wouldn't have stood out among the plethora of interesting video game cities like the Lost Heaven of Mafia or Los Santos of Grand Theft Auto 5. A version of Gotham that is darker, grittier, more rundown and hopeless would give Gotham Knights' open world some much-needed identity, especially as comparisons to Batman: Arkham Knight are sure to follow its release. Batman exists as a direct response to Gotham City's crime and corruption, and Gotham Knights needs to show fans that while the Caped Crusader's efforts were helpful, they were by no means a remedy to Gotham's rotten ways. It needs to reflect the horrors that occur there on a regular basis, and for all it did well, The Dark Knight trilogy failed in that respect.
Gotham Knights launches October 21, 2022, for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
