Gotham Knights Could Still Have A Playable Batman | Screen Rant
WB Games restricted Gotham Knights' playable characters to four DC heroes: Nightwing, Red Hood, Batgirl, or Robin. But a playable Batman could appear.
The first Gotham Knights trailer made it clear that Batman was dead, but there's still a chance the character could be playable. Many games allow players to control dead or otherwise unavailable characters in the main story, including several Batman: Arkham games. While fans still aren't privy to all of Gotham Knights' story details, it's clear that the Court of Owls is the primary criminal faction. While most members of the Bat Family encountered the Court multiple times in the comics, Batman is frequently depicted as their primary foe. Even though Gotham Knights shifts focus from the Dark Knight, his teachings likely deeply impacted his proteges, giving WB Games Montréal many opportunities to utilize him in gameplay.
Gotham Knights takes place after Batman's death, when Nightwing, Red Hood, Batgirl, and Robin are forced to step up and defend Gotham City in his wake. With Batman dead, many influential villains make their moves across Gotham in a bid for power. Nightwing, Red Hood, Batgirl, and Robin all feature unique abilities and tools to continue their peacekeeping mission across the city and can team up with one another in co-op missions for greater chances of success. Unfortunately, Batman's demise leaves the crimefighters with fewer resources, forcing them to work out of the Belfry rather than the Batcave. While Batman's absence allows Gotham Knights' four playable characters to grow, the game could benefit from a temporarily playable Dark Knight at various points in its story.
Although Batman may not be Gotham Knights' main Dark Knight (with Barbara Gordon stepping up as Batgirl in his absence), his influence on Gotham City and the DC universe is undeniable. The Batman: Arkham series became a raving success until Batman: Arkham Knight concluded the story with Batman's faked death. While adding Batman as a permanently playable character could cheapen Nightwing, Red Hood, Batgirl, and Robin's stories, adding the character in for brief appearances can enhance storytelling. With such an influential legacy on each character, it's easy to believe that the game's protagonists would frequently have Batman (or Bruce Wayne) at the front of their minds. Though Gotham City is not paradise, its flaws have molded some of DC's greatest heroes, which players should experience in Gotham Knights.
The circumstances surrounding Batman's death in Gotham Knights are incredibly mysterious, with fans and the game's protagonists receiving only a short clip to 'confirm' the Dark Knight's demise. However, Gotham Knights could begin its story with Batman as a playable character to immediately convince players of the Court of Owls' power and coordination. Equipped with state-of-the-art technology and years of combat and field experience, playing as Batman in a doomed mission could utilize Batman: Arkham's classic playstyles. Additionally, many prospective Gotham Knights players will likely be former Batman: Arkham fans, and the transition away from the Dark Knight could be assisted by a brief playthrough with the beloved character.
While it's likely Gotham Knights' Batman won't become a main playable character, this doesn't eliminate the possibility that players can temporarily control him. The Gotham Knights announcement trailer sparked a mystery the community is still unraveling: who killed Bruce Wayne? Considering the Court of Owls' relationship with Batman in the comics - and their primary antagonistic appearances in trailers - it's possible the secret society directly or indirectly caused Bruce Wayne's death. However, focusing on solving this mystery through Gotham Knights could distract from the new heroes who haven't experienced much time in the spotlight. Using a prologue mission to have players experience Batman's death firsthand could remove a big mystery early on and allow WB Games Montréal to develop an adventure outside Batman's narrative. This would turn the game's story into a how-done-it as opposed to a who-done-it, and potentially subvert expectations in the process.
Both Gotham Knights and Batman: Arkham emphasized Nightwing, Red Hood, Batgirl, and Robin's connections to Batman through their training and personalities. While each shared a complicated relationship with the Dark Knight, their fighting styles and technology are directly connected to his strategies and skills. Additionally, Nightwing, Red Hood, and Robin were all adopted by Bruce Wayne after they became orphans, so it's likely the three have more heart-warming memories of Batman than Batgirl. Given these relationships, it's possible that Gotham Knights could feature a playable Batman in flashback missions. Now that Gotham City has passed to the four proteges, they're likely to encounter similar situations that trigger memories of Batman's active days.
For example, if a player is controlling Gotham Knights' Red Hood, a flashback with Batman and Jason (as Robin) at a shared location could allow players to explore the building as Batman first. WB Games Montréal could reward players with hidden passageways and other advantages after exploring the site as Batman, before they return to the present and control Red Hood again. This would allow the game to give each hero a more personable and rewarding memory with the Dark Knight without taking the gameplay focus off Nightwing, Red Hood, Batgirl, or Robin. Different abilities and skillsets ensure that the strategies used with Batman won't be entirely applicable and could further develop the vigilantes without mirroring Batman's strategies and habits.
Gotham Knights could revive a Batman: Arkham mechanic that made obtaining upgrade points far more entertaining. In Batman: Arkham Knight, players could navigate to Wayne Point icons on the map and undergo combat trials to acquire more currency for level-ups. These challenges could involve stealth missions with simulated enemies or a Batmobile combat sequence, but it removed the pressure to grind missions and enemies to remain at an appropriate level. Gotham Knights could follow this sequence at the Belfry, where Nightwing, Red Hood, Batgirl, and Robin initiate different training programs to obtain upgrade currency. However, considering the Belfry once belonged to Batman, it'd make sense that most (or all) programs are tailored to the Dark Knight's arsenal and strategies. Playing as Batman in these simulations and then joining the fray as one of Gotham Knights' playable characters could create a heartwarming and meaningful method to improve a vigilante's abilities.
While it isn't confirmed if Gotham Knights will use Batman as a playable character, his influence should be felt throughout Nightwing, Red Hood, Batgirl, and Robin's gameplay. Early Gotham Knights gameplay trailers showed that Batgirl and Robin featured similar attacks and abilities from the Batman: Arkham games, proving that the Dark Knight's spirit lives on. Of course, Batman shouldn't become a permanently playable character, to prevent dragging the spotlight away from the four new protagonists, but players should have the opportunity to explore Gotham Knights' city during a brighter age.