The Batman Arkham trilogy (yes, we voluntarily do not include Arkham Origins), developed by Rocksteady, remains a model for adapting a work into a video game. Almost ten years after the release of the last opus, the rumor of the arrival on Switch of the Arkham Collection, including the three original games, knew how to excite the fans. While waiting for the officialization of the bundle, it is Gotham Knights that it is up to perpetuating the legacy left by this critically acclaimed video game monument.
After a first postponement, the release of the game is finally scheduled for October 25, 2022. At WB Games Montreal, the moment therefore seemed perfectly appropriate to show us what the succession of the dark knight is capable of through a new trailer. . And we have to admit that the latter leaves us skeptical.
Where discretion prevailed in the adventures of Batman, this spiritual sequel had to have a more varied gameplay, justified by the presence of different heroes and the strategies underlying its multiplayer aspect. This trailer confirms that Nightwing will be lighter than Red Hood, which we could expect, but worries us about a defect present at different levels: the transpiring heaviness of the game.
Our costumed Dick Grayson twirled around in all directions, but in the end he only carried very few blows, and his choreography lost interest. Unlike his mentor, whose gestures were fluid, precise, and helpful, Nightwing’s are exaggerated and completely pointless. For his part, Red Hood seems adorned with lead armor, and only know how to shoot. Slowly. Certainly, we did not expect Bayonetta, but all the same: such rigidity contrasts with the character of the comics, equal to the Dark Knight in terms of physical prowess.
Rather than the qualities, it unfortunately seems to us that it is the flaws of the characters that are exacerbated in their respective gameplay. The chase sequence does not let us hope for much better outside the fights: the feeling of speed is almost non-existent, the skids rigid, the movements very slow,… and it is not the scripted sequence marking its end that will reassure us.
And what about the city. After a trilogy that was full of secrets, and a Spiderman in which details were teeming, this one does not only seem dull and dark, but above all bland and empty. We sadly fear that it will ultimately offer us little, apart from moments of repetitive combat.
Cherry on the cake, Gotham Knights will only be released on next-gen consoles, and will pass its turn on PS4 and Xbox One. Although it’s too early to tell, with these clichéd heroes and a disenchanted city of Gotham, the Dark Knight’s legacy has never looked so dark.