Review Roundup For Gotham Knights -- Can These Heroes Escape The Shadow Of The Bat?

Reviews for Gotham Knights have gone live, a new sandbox game set in Batman's iconic stomping grounds and starring his proteges. With the caped crusader dead and criminals with punchable faces running loose on the streets of Gotham, it's up to Nightwing, Batgirl, Red Hood, and Robin to save the city from gangs, supervillains, and ancient secret societies.

So far, most critics haven't been bowled over by Gotham Knights, which comes seven years after Rocksteady's Arkham trilogy concluded in Batman: Arkham Knight. A generic sandbox design, paper-thin combat mechanics, and a needless loot system have all been criticized, although the co-op gameplay and well-written characters have been praised.

"Gotham Knights takes the Arkham blueprint and reimagines it as a loot-brawler, often feeling similar, but where it's different, it's worse," Mark Delaney wrote in GameSpot's Gotham Knights review. "Although the new guard fares well from a narrative standpoint, the gameplay systems built to serve their 30-hour campaign to reclaim Gotham let the team down."

For a more detailed list of reviews, check out GameSpot's sister site Metacritic where Gotham Knights currently has an aggregate score of 70 from 44 outlets.

• Game: Gotham Knights
• Platforms: PC, Xbox Series X|S, PS5
• Developer: Warner Bros. Montreal
• Release Date: October 21
• Price: $70

GameSpot - 4/10

Strong character work and a well-considered co-op experience can't save all that ails Gotham Knights, leaving this experience neither the one fans deserve, nor the one they need right now. - Mark Delaney [Full review]

Mark Delaney [Full review]

VGC - 8/10

Gotham Knights steps out of Arkham’s shadow to provide a great super hero game full of excellent characters. While some of this shine is dampened by inconsistent console performance, it’s gaming’s best take on Gotham that we couldn’t stop exploring. -- Jordan Middler [Full review]

NME - 8/10

A diamond in the rough, Gotham Knights is a blast but feels like it could do with a little more polish. Gotham Knights’ vision of Gotham is compelling and filled with charismatic characters you’re going to want to spend time with. There’s almost too much to do here, but you’ll probably be too busy battering goons to care. - Jake Tucker [Full review]

Game Informer - 73/100

Gotham Knights didn’t wow me with its overly familiar objectives, combat, and activities, but it didn’t leave me sour. It’s fun to control some new heroes as they brood over Gotham from its building overhangs and uncover hidden plots against its people. Those heroes are right to wonder if they’re living up to a vaunted legacy. And even if they’re not quite up to snuff, Gotham has enough baddies to punch to make for a good time, whoever you are. -- Matt Miller [Full review]

VG247 - 6/10

Look, if you want to jump around and punch people, there are hundreds of other games. If you’re really keen to play a DC action game, featuring a modern and admittedly brave step away from the big black bat, then Gotham Knights is fine enough. It’s just that in the shadow of former Batman titles, in the shadow of Batman himself, it doesn’t impress. It disappoints. -- Connor Makar [Full review]

Games Radar - 5/10

There's a compelling game in Gotham Knights, but it's hidden away behind a messy UX, needless crafting and customization systems, and combat mechanics that have been stretched paper thin to accommodate four heroes. I do believe that WB Games Montreal is capable of greatness, but this isn't the game that Gotham deserves after the death of Bruce Wayne, and it's not the one it needs right now following Rocksteady's retreat to Metropolis for Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. - Josh West [Full review]

IGN - 5/10

Gotham Knights is a consistently disappointing return to Batman’s troubled city and a distinct step backwards from the past decade-plus of Batman games. Even if running around Gotham in two-player co-op can be decent fun and each of the four playable crime fighters are well executed in their dialogue and distinctive moves, too many of the fundamentals fall short for me to recommend it. - Travis Northup [Full review]