Gotham Knights is the latest action RPG from DC and comes equipped with a playable roster of four Bat Family members, Batgirl, Red Hood, Nightwing, and Robin. Many fans are comparing Gotham Knights to Rocksteady Studio's Batman: Arkham series, which makes sense as both have featured many of the same characters and even some of the same locations. However, there is one plot line in particular that the Batman: Arkham franchise never got to explore that WB Games Montreal was able to develop in its 2022 game - the Court of Owls.
The Court of Owls was revealed early on in a promotional image for Gotham Knights, though some thought that this secret society should have been kept a secret until the game launched. A surprise reveal at a later date could have been an interesting twist, especially for DC aficionados that have been waiting for the Court of Owls to appear in a video game. Still, even with the Court confirmed to be in Gotham Knights, WB Games Montreal could have seized another opportunity to better their plot with the implementation of Owlman, Batman's evil counterpart and Bruce Wayne's brother.
Gotham Knights Doesn't Stand Out
Gotham Knights isn't short on enemies for players to battle against, as the developer made sure to include numerous characters from Batman's Rogues Gallery. Harley Quinn, Mr. Freeze, The Penguin, Talon, the Court of Owls, and others are all packed into the approximately 20-hour game.
While these characters' inclusions make for some engaging side quests, none of them solidify Gotham Knights as a cult classic. Perhaps it's because most of these villains have already been explored many times throughout comic book history, television, and games. At this point, with the writing they had, these villains just aren't able to shoulder the plot on their own.
Because some players are finding the characters and plot to be a bit simplistic, it probably doesn't help that Gotham Knights' gameplay hasn't left everyone satisfied. While the large open world of Gotham has most people in awe, there's a lot mechanically and story-wise that could use tuning up.
Owlman Could Have Made Gotham Knights an Instant Classic
Including Owlman could have been a decision that took Gotham Knights' reviews from "generic and unmemorable" to unique and groundbreaking. Since Gotham Knights doesn't take place in the same universe as the Batman: Arkham games, WB Games Montreal was free to make its own continuity, unaffected from any other game events.
Many may be unfamiliar with Owlman, or uncertain about his origins, which is logical since the villain has had many iterations in DC lore that can often be confusing to follow. Of course, many of these variations could have been a perfect fit for Gotham Knights' Court of Owls, especially since owls are predators to bats.
The first version of Owlman that may come to mind for most DC fans can be found in the Crisis on Two Earths animated film or comics. This is an Earth-Three iteration of the villain who is never actually given a name but is engineered to be the opposite of Batman. He retains the same cunning and fighting ability but has a much more nihilistic philosophy and chooses to use his talents in an organization called the Crime Syndicate.
However, there is a version of Owlman that would fit better in Gotham Knights, especially because this world may not be ready for the intricate details that come with multiverse mythos. The best iteration would likely be the Owlman from the New 52 reboot comics, specifically the one featured in Batman #1.
In the New 52 and in more recent years, Owlman is usually depicted as Bruce Wayne's older brother, hailing from an antimatter universe or timeline in which Thomas and Martha had two children. Owlman is typically known as Thomas Wayne Jr., and his origin story ranges from having abusive parents that he ends up killing, to seeing his entire family murdered in front of his own eyes.
In other iterations, Owlman is actually known as Lincoln March, a man who believes himself to be Thomas Wayne Jr. If the game had gone in this direction, it could have seen Owlman heading the Court of Owls and fighting against the Bat Family on the front lines, while also attempting to seize the Wayne family fortune now that Bruce is out of the way. In some storylines, Lincoln March is actually connected with the Court of Owls and seeing a foreboding villain with real motive as the mastermind behind everything could have been a next-level decision for Gotham Knights.
There are a few places that Owlman could have been inserted into the game, including after the Court of Owls Shadow Puzzle, but there's a scene during Case File 5.2 "The Court of Owls: Inside Gotham's Walls" that is a huge missed opportunity. A bit after defeating the Gladiator Talon and interrogating the head scientist could have seen Batgirl, Robin, Red Hood, or Nightwing discovering Lincoln March as the puppeteer. Depending on narrative thereafter, this plot twist could have cemented Gotham Knights as a must-play for Batman fans.
Seeing Bruce's apprentices go up against a man that is equal to their former mentor could have brought an extremely emotional atmosphere to the entire story. If it had turned out Owlman orchestrated everything, even Bruce's death, it could have given the Knights a chance to avenge their mentor while also dealing with their own grief. Unfortunately, Gotham Knights is still on the receiving end of quite a few negative reviews in terms of storytelling, and it seems Owlman will have to wait a bit longer until he's ready for a video game debut.
Gotham Knights is available now for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
