The absence of Batman is felt inGotham Knights, and while the 2022 project introduces some interesting ideas to find a place alongside the belovedArkhamseries, it released to uncertain review scores ranging from complimentary to hugely critical. The gameplay is repetitive, the presentation leaves much to be desired, and frame rate issues plague most of the talk surrounding its performance. Perhaps most importantly,The Court of Owls are sorely underutilizedand don’t feel like the significant city-wide threat they have become in the comics, meaning it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the developer looking for other means to create a menacing adversary.
Batman has a rich lore thatGotham Knightscould dip into, pulling out interesting settings like Bludhaven or compelling side characters to make the game feel more in-line with its DC Comics source material. Gotham City isn’t short of villains, and while Batman is usually the one to foil their plans, some aren’t intrinsically linked to the Caped Crusader, meaning Nightwing and company could take them on as a plausible narrative direction. However, Joker shouldn’t be touched, as the Clown Prince of Crime is too popular and synonymous with Batman to ever do the game justice.
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Joker is Batman’s Biggest (Overused) Adversary
While Joker has a dark past with Red Hood that gives him a link to the characters inGotham Knights, he’s far more compelling as a thorn in the side of Batman himself. He’s the embodiment of criminality and chaos, whereas Batman is stoic, brooding, and fueled by an almost futile desire for justice. Much of Joker’s impact is a direct result of Batman’s personality being his antithesis, so bringing Joker to a game whereBruce Wayne is deadwould feel like having him arrive late to a party. Joker needs Batman, andGotham Knightswould be better served giving a different underutilized villain more time to shine.
With comic runs likeJoker Warand the Joaquin Phoenix-ledJokerfilm sequel arriving soon, there’s no shortage of the character in mainstream media, so yet another take inGotham Knightswould only fuel the belief that Gotham City isn’t interesting without him. As many Batman-centric stories lean on him, it’s easy to believe that he’s more important than the likes ofCatwoman and Riddler. He may be the most beloved bad guy in Batman’s rogues' gallery, but the more he’s used the less impact he has.
Gotham Knights Can’t Use Joker as a Get-Out-Of-Jail Free Card
Gotham Knightshad a vision prior to release, and it’s clear Joker was not a part of it. The project was supposed to be a respite from Batman, showing that Gotham City can be a setting for different stories to take place, so introducing Joker post-release would feel like an afterthought. LikeEmperor Palpatine inStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, the inclusion of such a substantial and popular villain would rock the foundations of the story being told, and make the already criticized story all the more unspectacular.
Joker is one of the finest characters in fiction, and succeeds as a villain by being a terrifying, largely unknowable entity. The frequency of his appearances recently is only serving to damage his impact when he does burst on the scene to create chaos.Gotham Knightswas an opportunity to show that there’s more to Batman’s lore than the man himself, and withJoker’s motivations closely linked to the Caped Crusader, it would be a mistake for WB Montreal to desperately throw him into the mix for viewer recognition post-launch.
Gotham Knightsis available for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
