The Knights of Gotham: A Fallen Legacy?
Gotham Knights, the latest entry in the Batman: Arkham franchise, arrived amidst a storm of controversy. Initial excitement for the Court of Owls storyline quickly turned to disappointment as the game revealed a focus on Batman’s allies rather than the Caped Crusader himself. Concerns about performance and clunky gameplay further dampened anticipation. With the game finally released on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series S/X, does Gotham Knights rise above its troubled pre-release reputation, or is it another missed opportunity in the DC universe?
A City in Mourning, Heroes in Disarray
The tragic deaths of Batman and Commissioner Jim Gordon have plunged Gotham City into chaos. With a wave of volatile criminals seizing control, the remaining Bat-Family – Batgirl, Nightwing, Red Hood, and Robin – step up to fill the void. They operate from the Belfry, a new base of operations, striving to restore order and bring justice back to the city.
A Familiar Feel, With Some New Twists
Gotham Knights’ open world borrows heavily from the Ubisoft formula, with familiar map icons, quests, and world traversal mechanics. However, the game maintains a hint of the classic Arkham DNA, particularly in its combat. Players enjoy a near-freeflow combat system, requiring precise timing for dodges and demanding attention as they navigate between opponents. The game’s camera movement, however, can be erratic and sometimes disorienting, highlighting an underlying issue with the overall gameplay experience.
A Performance Nightmare
Gotham Knights is plagued by performance problems that ultimately overshadow its strengths. Even with a capable mid-range PC, the game struggles to maintain a stable framerate, especially in the open world. The game’s optimization is inconsistent, with performance drastically fluctuating between indoor and outdoor environments. The city of Gotham is densely populated, packed with civilians, vehicles, smoke effects, and neon lighting, leading to frequent frame drops and stuttering.
A typical scenario: Completing an indoor mission at a solid 50fps, only to have the framerate drop to 30fps upon stepping outside. This inconsistent performance is evident across all graphics presets, making it a constant obstacle to enjoying the game.
Key Takeaway: The game’s recommended system requirements are misleading, with even high-end PCs experiencing significant frame drops. While the developers have been honest about the game’s performance issues, they haven’t been able to resolve them effectively.
A Mixed Bag of Visuals
Gotham Knights’ visuals are a mixed bag. The game’s mood lighting, particularly in nighttime scenes, effectively conveys the city’s bleak and hopeless atmosphere. However, the character art design feels out of sync with the game’s overall aesthetic. While the vigilantes’ suits are meticulously detailed and visually impressive, they lack consistency in how they interact with shadows and lighting.
The result: The suits have a peculiar glow effect in dimly lit areas, creating a disparity between the characters and their surroundings. This inconsistency is particularly noticeable in combat, where the heroes appear bright and vibrant, while enemies have a flat, lifeless look.
More Than Just a Skin Deep Issue
The optimization challenges extend beyond performance issues. Gotham Knights features a slew of unpolished elements that impact the overall gameplay experience. The movement system is overly sensitive, causing players to bump into objects frequently. The auto-aim feature, a staple of the Arkham series, has been removed in Gotham Knights, leading to clunky and frustrating aiming mechanics.
While accessibility settings provide some relief for these issues, they can’t fully compensate for the game’s underlying flaws. The movement smoothing option, for example, helps with the overly sensitive navigation, but has the undesirable side effect of slowing down movement when navigating vents.
The Verdict: A Disappointing Knight of Gotham
Gotham Knights, unfortunately, falls far short of its potential. Despite some visually appealing aspects, the game is plagued by technical issues that detract from the gameplay experience. The developers, while being upfront about the game’s shortcomings, have failed to deliver a polished and enjoyable product. With its inconsistent performance, clunky combat, and repetitive open-world design, Gotham Knights becomes a tedious chore rather than an engaging adventure.
For those seeking a captivating and memorable experience, Gotham Knights might leave you feeling disappointed. However, if you’re determined to explore Gotham City and battle its criminal underbelly, the game’s compelling narrative and the diverse roster of playable heroes might be enough to keep you entertained. But, be aware that you’ll likely need a high-end PC and significant patience to truly enjoy the journey.
