Gotham Knights is the latest DC game within the Batman universe. However, Nightwing and co’s adventures are far removed from the previous DC games and the famous Batman Arkham franchise given how the recent WB Montreal title is set in a world devoid of the Dark Knight himself.
With a focus on multiplayer co-op modes, the game also allows players to walk around Gotham City ranging from the gritty buildings to neon-lit streets. As Nightwing, Jason Todd, Batgirl, and Robin take down local threats and the Court of Owls, gamers would similarly have adrenaline-fueled fun playing games that delve into street vigilantism and city exploration.
MultiVersus (2022)
The Warner Bros Discovery catalog includes fan-favorite characters from the pantheon of DC Comics, Scooby Doo, Looney Tunes, Game of Thrones, and several other franchises. So, obviously, an ambitious crossover like MultiVersus was inevitable. In a fighting mode similar to games like Super Smash Brothers, players can choose between 5 classes of fighters and 20 characters.
While the rest of the Bat Gang are absent, MultiVersus allows players to fight as Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, and Harley Quinn in fun-filled Hybrid fights. Given that this year hasn’t had many DC titles, MultiVersus can be a light-hearted segue for gamers away from the edginess of Gotham Knights.
Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order
Much like its iconic predecessors, Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order relies on co-op gaming with action, RPG, and hack-and-slash elements. Even though the primary antagonist is Thanos, the addition of the Black Order and its quest for the Infinity Stones adds a fresh take for players away from the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
When it comes to superhero team-up games like Gotham Knights, MUA 3 makes for a strong entry in the Marvel franchise with a wide variety of characters to choose from including classic Avengers, X-Men, and a couple of more niche heroes. While the game doesn’t allow much scope for exploring open-world environments, the sheer range of iconic pop culture characters makes it a must-play option for geeks who are into comic book-inspired games.
Young Justice: Legacy (2013)
Based on the hit DC animated series of the same name, Young Justice: Legacy allows players to make squads of members from the titular team who fight interplanetary threats alongside the Justice League. Taking place in the time period between the first two seasons, the character lineup includes the show regulars including Nightwing himself.
With Nightwing’s squad taking on the Court of Owls in Gotham Knights, similar team-up games would make for good follow-up options. With a different take on Nightwing character, players of Young Justice: Legacy can now explore his leadership and fighting skills in an action RPG that pits him with team members who go beyond the Bat-family. Hence, Legacy would be an interesting new team up for Nightwing after Gotham Knights.
Cyberpunk 2077 (2020)
As is evident from its title, Cyberpunk 2077 is an ode to both the past and future of the cyberpunk genre. This is not only evident in its amusing narrative of a hacker developing a symbiotic connection with a cybernetic implant, but also in its detail-rich open world that players are free to explore.
In fact, for many, Cyberpunk 2077‘s multicolored open world is its best part. There is enough scope for players to speed around in their Akira-like motorcycles to chart the horizons of the dystopian wasteland the game is set in. As Gotham Knights also allows its titular vigilantes to roam around Gotham City and explore its darkest corners with the software allowing enough attention to detail, Cyberpunk‘s depiction of North California’s Night City would seem pretty impressive.
Justice League: Heroes (2006)
Justice League: Heroes is quite dated in its graphics given that it was released for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox back in 2006. But with story contributions from the late Dwayne McDuffie (who was monumental in developing the animated series Static Shock and Justice League Unlimited), it makes for a classic comic-accurate DC adventure.
Over 15 fan-favorite Justice League members appear as playable characters in the game. In the single-player mode, players can choose two characters and switch between them at will while taking on villains. With the League assembled against an intergalactic conspiracy spearheaded by Brainiac, Justice League: Heroes amps up the scale of the threats when compared to Gotham Knights but its free-flowing options to choose between several heroes is what makes it a comparable yesteryear classic.
Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales (2020)
The sophomore chapter in Marvel’s Spider-Man series, Spider-Man: Miles Morales is a cutting-edge tribute to one of the most recent yet most popular comic book heroes.
Instead of focusing on any ambitious ploy to destroy the planet, the Insomniac Games venture focuses on Harlem, the neighborhood of the new Spider-Man as he struggles to find balance between a corporation and a collective of tech-villains wreaking havoc. Not only would the Harlem angle connect with fans of Gotham Knights which focuses on Gotham City alone but the emphasis on Miles Morales instead of Peter Parker is also reminiscent of Gotham Knights‘ emphasis on Batman’s supporting characters instead of the Caped Crusader.
Teen Titans (2006)
Back when the Teen Titans animated show was at its peak, an action beat’em up title was released with storylines derived directly from some of the best Teen Titan episodes and even included the original cast returning to voice the characters.
Allowing up to four players in its multiplayer mode, Teen Titans’ single-player mode also allowed players to fight as the titular team of five, switching between any of the five Titans as and when required. Much like the show, the leader of the team, was of course, Robin. Before the former Robin Nightwing and the current inheritor of the mantle starred in a game like Gotham Knights, it cannot be denied that the show did help in showcasing the lead potential of the Batman sidekick and for such historical reasons alone, the 2006 game adaptations would make for a good throwback for fans of Gotham Knights and Robin as a character.
Gotham City Impostors (2012)
Two teams of six compete against each other in Gotham City Impostors. While one side includes amateur vigilantes dressed up as Batman, the other side includes criminals who idolize the Joker.
Gotham City and its crime is so rich in lore that the narratives can go beyond just Batman and Joker. Gotham City Impostors proves this point by adding a new perspective to games set in the fictional city. The fact that both sides feature novices only humanizes these characters further. It proves that while Gotham Knights might show how the city sprawls with vigilantes possessing combat skills and high-tech gadgets, sometimes even the amateurs can do their bit at fighting crime (or add to it).
Mad Max (2015)
Inspired by the titular franchise (especially its latest installment Fury Road), Mad Max is an engaging open-world adventure set in a vast desert. As humanity is on the brink of extinction, the protagonist Max must rebuild his car and fight off bandits.
The gameplay includes vehicular action and even the two-button strike and counter system that was popularized by the combat mechanics of the Batman: Arkham series. The sunny, barren desert set in the middle of nowhere also makes it quite an environment to drive around and explore, serving up a good contrast to the nighttime, urban landscapes of Gotham in Gotham Knights.
Batman: Arkham Origins (2013)
Set eight years before the events of Arkham Asylum, Arkham Origins presents a younger, more impulsive, and less-refined Batman who battles multiple villains of Gotham City one Christmas Eve while also drawing the ire of the city’s police.
With its sprawling open world for Gotham, Arkham Origins (much like the rest of the Arkham series) has set a precedent for the city’s depiction in video games. In terms of the game’s narrative, a younger Batman finds the vigilante taking brash decisions and resorting to impulsive violence, challenges that even his successors like the protagonists of Gotham Knights face as they get burdened with the responsibility to protect the city.
