The next Batman game’s combat has been ‘entirely redesigned for co-op’

Batman Arkham Origins developer WB Games Montreal says it completely redesigned the game’s combat with a co-op focus for this year’s Gotham Knights.

Announced last summer, Gotham Knights sees players controlling one of four superhero characters – Nightwing, Robin, Red Hood, and Batgirl – following the death of Bruce Wayne.

The action game is playable either in solo or two-player co-op and will release for PC, as well as current and next-gen PlayStation and Xbox consoles.

Gameplay takes place in a “dynamic and interactive” open-world Gotham City where players take on villains such as Mr. Freeze. They’ll use a variety of abilities, weapons, and unique combat moves to neutralize their foes, Warner said.

Speaking in a new interview with Games Radar, exec producer Fleur Marty said that while Gotham Knights will share some DNA with the Arkham games, players should expect “more variety and challenge” from the latest entry.

“We have entirely redesigned the combat system in order for it to work well in co-op,” she said. “Of course, we’re still a brawler, and some of the mechanics won’t feel totally alien for people who played and enjoyed the Arkham series, but it is in many ways very different.”

The producer added that Gotham Knights “allows you to switch to a different character pretty much any time you want, as long as you go back to The Belfry to do so,” without any fear of being under-levelled or prepared.

“Since the story progression is shared between all the characters, it also makes sense that you don’t have to level them up from scratch every time you want to switch. It also stays very coherent in terms of our narrative,” she added.

“Since the other members of the Batman family are always present in some way in the background, while you’re out in the world fighting crime or unravelling the mystery, they don’t stay inactive. So it makes sense that they are also progressing and getting stronger.”

Patrick Redding, the creative director of Gotham Knights, also commented on the game’s focus on a two-player co-op experience, stating that “the two-player dynamic fits the fantasy and the Gotham City setting.”

“The ‘duo’ or team-up is such a central feature of the universe that there’s a literal shorthand for it in the comics, animation, film, and TV versions,” he said, adding that this was also a way of ensuring that the city’s narrow streets didn’t feel claustrophobic with two players.

“Gotham is a city of alleyways and rooftops, so the footprint for gameplay needs to be compatible with that.”

Redding previously directed Splinter Cell titles Conviction and Blacklist in his previous roles at Ubisoft.