Despite having up to four playable characters in Nightwing, Batgirl, Robin, and Red Hood it has been announced that Gotham Knights will only allow two players to team up at a time in co-op. Other recent superhero co-op games, such as Marvel’s Avengers and Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League have launched (or will launch) with four-player co-op, which has become somewhat of an industry standard in terms of co-op group size. Even outside the superhero genre, the majority of co-op action games typically aim for a four-player group. While Gotham Knights still has no release date and it is possible this could change before the game launches, for the time being, it looks as though players will only be able to bring one friend with them to Gotham at a time.
Although two-player co-op is perfectly fine, the presence of four playable characters in Gotham Knights‘ promotional material may lead players to believe that four players is the standard number. While all four Bat Family members will be playable throughout the duration of the story, it will not be possible to team them all up at once, though players will be able to swap between them while in the game’s social hub, the Belfry. While there are likely important reasons why the game only features two-player co-op, it is unfortunate that players won’t be able to see all three Robins team up in Gotham Knights at once.
One reason as to why Gotham Knights may only be playable in two-player co-op may be an emphasis on stealth gameplay. The Batman: Arkham series always featured many segments where the player could choose to tackle enemies in stealth, instead of fighting them head-on. They would have to make use of gadgets, enemy movements, and perches to hide on in order to take out large groups of enemies without being seen. These sections required a lot of precision and attention to particular enemy patterns that emphasized using Batman’s full arsenal of gadgets, and not just his fists. While Batman may be dead in Gotham Knights, according to the trailers, it appears his proteges will be using many of his same tactics while challenging enemies stealthily. These stealth sections could become too chaotic in four-player co-op, while two-player co-op could allow for more tailored puzzles and stealth gameplay.
How Gotham Knights’ Co-Op Differs From Suicide Squad: KTJL
Gotham Knights and Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League are both cooperative DC games that will release in 2022, but it is clear from their trailers that they are emphasizing very different gameplay styles. Gotham Knights’ decision to include only two-player co-op may indicate that it is looking to stick closer to the Batman: Arkham-style blend of stealth, combat, and puzzle-solving. While Rocksteady’s Suicide Squad shooter game looks to be focusing on large-scale, bombastic action, Gotham Knights may be looking to recapture the magic of the finely crafted and tailored stories from the Batman: Arkham games, only with the addition of a second player. Gotham Knights also features boss fights that look similar to those in the Batman: Arkham games. These battles could easily become too hectic with four players on the field, while two may be much more manageable.
While it will be disappointing not to see all four of Gotham Knights‘ playable characters team up at once, the game’s two-player co-op may actually be a blessing in disguise. Keeping the player count down to two may allow the developers to better tailor puzzles and co-op sections, while allowing the game to stay true to build upon the tried and tested gameplay of the Batman: Arkham Series. Gotham Knights may not connect to Batman: Arkham, but in limiting co-op to two players only, it may be able to recapture that series’ magic more easily.
