Gameplay analysis with Gotham Knights, Nightwing and Red Hood

Gotham Knights is shown in action again by WB Games Montreal with a gameplay demo focusing on two characters we’ll find and control in the game: Nightwing and Red Hood.

commented by game director Geoff EllenorThe video shows the different mechanics in thirteen minutes and at the same time came the announcement that the PS4 and Xbox One versions have been canceled: the Canadian team wants to guarantee users the best possible experience and has chosen the way to do it.new generation special.

So what was this new take on the link set expected in the Batman universe, but inexplicably broken from the continuity of the Arkham series and Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League? We tell you about it Gotham Knights preview.

Setting, characters and gameplay

After focusing for a few seconds on the city that will be the backdrop of the adventure, it’s definitely at night, but much more alive than it looks in the Batman: Arkham trilogy, demo of Gotham Knights shows us the beauty and ugliness of this setting, framing first an enchanting cathedral and then a handful of criminals intent on breaking into an ATM.

This is where he enters the scene. night owl, aka Dick Grayson: The original Robin, who as an adult felt the need to liberate herself and create her own path differently from her mentor, Bruce Wayne, the Dark Knight. Perched on a roof, the hero leaps into space and is immediately joined by his glider, the Flying Trapeze.

The four Knights each have a different path of travel, and a few moments later we also see this. Rubricrepresented by the character’s spiritual energy that allows him to soar through the air until he reaches the desired goal: a power that Gotham Knights’ Jason Todd gained after being resurrected by Ra’s al Ghul, which proved very useful for jumping off a roof. city ​​to another.

The first battle we witness sees Nightwing and the Red Hood grappling with a gang of bandits: while the first hero is an acrobat who fights primarily using weapons. rods, the latter fires non-lethal ammunition (a license to the game, since in reality Red Hood does not hesitate to kill his enemies), thereby hitting opponents from afar. When a special bar is filled, devastating special attacks are possible even in pairs.

After the fight, we move on to a second scene where the Red Hood rides a motorcycle while chasing escaped criminals in a van: that’s it. bat cycle and all heroes of the game can use it. The race ends with a predefined sequence in which the vigilante causes the criminals’ vehicle to crash, then causes him to face the gang in the traditional way, as well as use a special that allows him to attach a stun grenade to an enemy and then detonate it. to command.

The scene ends with the Red Hood returning to the rooftops using the inevitable in this case. hook: the mechanics are the same as those seen in various Batman: Arkham, with the interface emphasizing any possible ports and therefore making maneuvering particularly quick and intuitive, it’s also useful for getting off the road if you find yourself facing very tough opponents.

Headquarters and covert action

Another round, another turn: this time we bell towerWe once again assume the role of Dick Grayson in one of the early stages of the campaign, where the Gotham Knights’ headquarters and the protagonist investigate the Court of Owls. In this regard, it is possible to access workbenches where the loot obtained so far can be used to customize and upgrade equipment, obviously making use of the extensive literature available to transform the appearance of each character.

When you go on a mission in Gotham Knights, you can enjoy these benefits: fast movementsis represented by a sequence in which our character uses FastBat: a kind of large glider that dematerializes when we reach the desired area. Nightwing is seen in action when he reaches an area where he thinks he’ll find clues to Gotham’s secret organization.

This is where the arrogant come in. similarities Between this new connection and the Batman: Arkham saga, with our character moving silently, perhaps moving from one balcony to the next, waiting for an enemy to come within range to knock him down or reach him with a single blow. behind him and knock him out. Also a augmented reality view takes exactly that of Batman and allows you to identify traces of blood or other clues at a possible crime scene.

In this case, Nightwing notices a mechanism under the floor connected to an electrical grid: a classic puzzle for the series, it guides the protagonist to a switch that can open a passage to the underground tunnels. But first another fight, this time with more detailed and multiple representations. special abilities Depends on ice to temporarily slow enemies.

Battle system and boss fight

The demo showed battle system Starting with the mechanic, Gotham Knights free flow It was introduced by the Batman: Arkham series, but it changes and reinterprets them according to the character we control. So if Nightwing is offering a mix of show and stick, Red Hood will mostly attack from afar thanks to its two non-lethal pistols.

During boss fight These aspects of the experience face the toughest tests, as you often have to stand up to highly resistant opponents who are immune to conventional maneuvers or equipped with items that need to be destroyed or weakened to open their defenses. It’s on the video gladiator clawA superhuman warrior created by the Court of Owls, who won’t give us any trouble.

previews

The presentation created by WB Games Montreal certainly deserved attention, as it awaited a second demo showing Robin and Batgirl in action, whose fighting styles and skills still boast fighting styles and skills unlike Nightwing and Red Hood. Against Gotham Knights. increased significantly after the confirmation of its existence. Court of Owls.

From a technical and artistic point of view, it looks like the developers have done a great job, bringing to life a Gotham that promises to be. wide and attractiveYou can move freely using the traditional hook or special systems that every Knight has, as well as the Batcycle and other tools. In short, the freedom of movement and the richness of the script seem superior to those seen in Batman: Arkham Knight, and the fights can boast something. more diverse.

However, there are some doubts about the general approach that I should address first. live service and therefore, as in Marvel’s Avengers, it can suffer from strong qualitative fluctuations between one mission and another, and result in missions that will inevitably repeat themselves for loot and advancement purposes. However, this is a feature that can only be evaluated after playing the game for a few hours.

From a technical standpoint, it’s understandable why the demo that we imagined was running on PC or a next-gen console currently doesn’t exceed 30fps, and why the studio decided to cancel the PS4 and Xbox One versions. really suffer obvious uncertainties in some cases, for example when you exaggerate with particles during the single boss fight in the video. The hope is that performance will take big strides from now on to launch and the indispensable graphics mod at 60fps is available.