WB has "entirely redesigned" Gotham Knights' combat for it to "work well in co-op"
"Some mechanics won't feel totally alien for people who played the Arkham series, but it is in many ways very different."
WB Games Montreal, the studio behind the upcoming Batman game Gotham Knights, has confirmed the team has "entirely redesigned" the combat system to improve the co-op experience.
Gotham Knights is an open-world single-player and co-op action role-playing game starring playable Batgirl, Nightwing, Red Hood and Robin. The setup is the quartet must protect Gotham following the supposed death of Bruce Wayne.
"We have entirely redesigned the combat system in order for it to work well in co-op," Fleur Marty, executive producer of Gotham Knights, told GamesRadar+. "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 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," added creative director Patrick Redding. "Gotham is a city of alleyways and rooftops, so the footprint for gameplay needs to be compatible with that."
"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," Marty said.
"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."
Head to GamesRadar+ for the full interview.
Gotham Knights was revealed in August 2020 and is expected to release on PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, and Xbox One later on this year.
