Batgirl has always been an influential character in the Batman mythos, but her Batman: Arkham Knight Matter of Family DLC proved how effective the Bat Family could be in Gotham Knights. Batman: Arkham Knight featured several DLCs focusing on Nightwing, Batgirl, Red Hood, and Robin, mirroring Gotham Knights' roster perfectly. Each character enjoyed a dedicated storyline reflecting their goals, personalities, and nemeses with these independent (but brief) pieces of additional content. As a result, Gotham Knights has the opportunity to expand on their stories and present players with an enjoyable experience without Batman as the game's focal point.
Gotham Knights takes place after Batman's (supposed) death, leaving Nightwing, Red Hood, Batgirl, and Robin to protect Gotham City in his wake. Faced with powerful enemies emboldened by Batman's demise, each vigilante must use their training to defend their home. Unlike other DC games set in Gotham City, players won't have the option to play as Batman, with WB Games Montréal shifting focus to other of the Bat Family. While some may see this tactic as a risk, it gives other DC characters moments to shine, particularly Batgirl, whose kit is remarkably similar to Batman's. Despite the importance of Batman to Gotham City, Gotham Knights can prove that his existence is unnecessary for telling stories in the DC universe's darkest city.
While Rocksteady Studios developed most of the Batman: Arkham games, WB Games Montréal developed Batman: Arkham Origins and Batgirl: A Matter of Family, as well as a number of other DLCs for Arkham Knight. Although Arkham Origins was met with a mixed response when it released in 2013, it provided the series with an essential backstory. Going further, Batgirl's DLC in Batman: Arkham Knight excelled compared to the other DLCs, providing nearly an hour of content and developing Barbara Gordon's character beyond her role as Oracle. If WB Games Montréal recreates this process for each playable character in Gotham Knights, it would bode well for the game as a whole.
Arkham Knight's DLC Proves Batman's Abilities Can Be Adapted
Games like Batman: Arkham Origins and Batman: Arkham Knight proved how useful Batman's abilities can be, but the Batgirl DLC from Batman: Arkham Knight proves how these abilities work well on any character. Batman's capabilities are unique among the Justice League, as the World's Greatest Detective is one of the few without superpowers. What he does have, though, are abilities grounded in technology or physical prowess, which also became a trademark of the Batman: Arkham series. Despite their association with Batman, the Batgirl DLC's satisfying combat combines new tools and Barbara Gordon's colorful personality to create a familiar but new attitude.
During Batgirl: A Matter of Family, Batgirl teams up with Robin to track down the Joker, who has kidnapped her father. Batarangs, the Line Launcher, Explosive Gel, Smoke Bombs, a Remote Hacking Divine, a Batclaw, and a Grapple Gun are at her disposal. Contrasting with Batman: Arkham Knight, Gotham Knights supplies Batgirl with a police baton that she carries in honor of her deceased father, opening the possibility for new melee combos, but it's likely for Batgirl players to receive a similar kit to Batman.
Additionally, Nightwing, Red Hood, and Robin are liable to receive their own customizations of Batman's weapons and abilities. As an acrobatic combatant, Nightwing can utilize a flashier form of his mentor's martial arts, while Red Hood depends more on brute force and firearms. Batman: Arkham also implemented Tim Drake's Robin into several games and DLCs, utilizing Batman's teachings emphasizing technology and his staff.
Batgirl: A Matter Of Family Proves Batman's Allies Deserve Focus
Batman has remained a cornerstone for DC games and media for many years, competing against other massive comic book heroes like Spider-Man during that time. Unfortunately, the success of the Batman: Arkham games resulted in a dead-end for the character. The greatest weakness of many Batman stories concerns what little he has to lose. Few movies and games take advantage of the Bat Family, usually consisting of Batman's adopted children, cousins, and vigilante partners, which contrasts with their greater focus in the comics. Batgirl: A Matter of Family dedicates an entire storyline to Batgirl's personal relationships, which Gotham Knights could capitalize on. Though Batman: Arkham provided many Batman-centric stories to enjoy, exploring the personalities and inner struggles of characters the Dark Knight influenced could vastly improve Gotham Knights' storytelling.
Gotham Knights Could Be The Key To More Bat Family Games
Though Rocksteady Studios d Batman: Arkham Knight as the finale to Batman's story in their video game universe, Gotham Knights could provide the series with a spiritual successor despite taking place in another universe. Rocksteady Studios is continuing Batman: Arkham through the Suicide Squad game, but the departure from Gotham speaks to a new beginning rather than a sequel. Instead, Gotham Knights can capture the dreary spirit of Gotham City without Batman as a focal point. Most people know Bruce Wayne's backstory and personality, and while he remains a popular character, his character growth can often become stagnant and predictable. This wasn't the case with Rocksteady's finale, as Batman: Arkham Knight satisfyingly completed Batman's arc, but even so, his death in Gotham Knights presents an opportunity to retroactively develop the character in a unique, meaningful way.
Despite Gotham Knights taking place in a different universe, WB Games Montréal has taken inspiration from many systems present within the Batman: Arkham series. For example, Batgirl's abilities during the Gotham Knights gameplay reveal trailer are incredibly similar to Batman's abilities in Arkham Knight. Additionally, the motorcycles available to playable characters appear to function similarly to the Batmobile. With ability loadouts and traversal showing many similarities to the Batman: Arkham series, Gotham Knights presents fans with a way to experience Gotham (and Batman's legacy) in a refreshing new way.
Batgirl: A Matter of Family proves that WB Games Montréal can develop quality stories for the Bat Family in Gotham Knights, despite the mixed response to Batman: Arkham Origins. The absence of Batman and a new in-game universe presents the company with plenty of opportunities to tell a unique story. Batman may usually take the spotlight in Gotham City, but the potential overexposure of the character presents opportunities for his allies to experience exceptional growth in mediums outside of the comics. Gotham Knights is scheduled for a 2022 release, but WB Games Montréal is yet to confirm a specific date.
