The Arkham games were some of the best I played when I was younger so when I heard WB were working on a new Batman game I was incredibly excited for it. Unfortunately, Gotham Knights did not deliver. Spoiler-free review ahead.

While I don't have anything bad to say, I also don't have anything good to say. Everything just feels kind of average.

The combat is fine. It doesn't have the same fluidity as the Arkham games. Enemies telegraph their attacks but the indicator is barely noticeable and you can't even counter directly - only dodge. You can use special moves if you fill a meter, but they can be pretty easy to miss or are easily interrupted by other enemies.

There is a story, but so far it has failed to capture my attention. It's a series of short cutscenes followed by go somewhere, beat up some thugs, go somewhere else, beat up some more. Arkham had a lot of this too, but with the variation in the combat, and the occasional distractions they would throw in, the Arkham stories felt a lot more interesting.

My biggest problem with the game is the level design. Gotham is huge, and most of it looks the same making it difficult to know where you are without using your map. Driving around some of the narrow streets can be difficult and you better not drive over a ramp because you're probably going to go head first into a wall. For combat, there are very few vantage points so scoping out enemies or using stealth are rarely an option. Aside from the occasional explosive pipe or barrel there really isn't much you can use in the environment to take down enemies. Secret passageways and vents are all but non-existent. I have come across them occasionally but whether you can make use of them to sneak around really depends on where they go. So far I have only found one that actually proved useful to sneak up behind an enemy.

Stealth leaves a lot to be desired. Most of the components are there: silent take downs, aerial take downs, ledge take downs, smoke bombs, but the lack of detective vision and poor level design make it an inviable strategy in most situations. Detective vision does exist, it's just short ranged and only shows you a few things. You can't use it like you might in the Arkham games to read the room and plan how you were going to take out each enemy.

If you enjoy getting your hands dirty, running straight into the action and beating up a bunch of thugs, and you're a fan of Batman then maybe this game is for you.

If you're looking for the next Arkham game, maybe it is time to dust off that old copy of Asylum or City you have lying around and give it another play through instead. This is not the game for you.

The Arkham games were some of the best I played when I was younger so when I heard WB were working on a new Batman game I was incredibly excited for it. Unfortunately, Gotham Knights did not deliver. Spoiler-free review ahead. While I don't have anything bad to say, I also don't have anything good to say. Everything just feels kind of average. The combat is fine. It doesn't have the same fluidity as the Arkham games. Enemies telegraph their attacks but the indicator is barely noticeable and you can't even counter directly - only dodge. You can use special moves if you fill a meter, but they can be pretty easy to miss or are easily interrupted by other enemies. There is a story, but so far it has failed to capture my attention. It's a series of short cutscenes followed by go somewhere, beat up some thugs, go somewhere else, beat up some more. Arkham had a lot of this too, but with the variation in the combat, and the occasional distractions they would throw in, the Arkham stories felt a lot more interesting. My biggest problem with the game is the level design. Gotham is huge, and most of it looks the same making it difficult to know where you are without using your map. Driving around some of the narrow streets can be difficult and you better not drive over a ramp because you're probably going to go head first into a wall. For combat, there are very few vantage points so scoping out enemies or using stealth are rarely an option. Aside from the occasional explosive pipe or barrel there really isn't much you can use in the environment to take down enemies. Secret passageways and vents are all but non-existent. I have come across them occasionally but whether you can make use of them to sneak around really depends on where they go. So far I have only found one that actually proved useful to sneak up behind an enemy. Stealth leaves a lot to be desired. Most of the components are there: silent take downs, aerial take downs, ledge take downs, smoke bombs, but the lack of detective vision and poor level design make it an inviable strategy in most situations. Detective vision does exist, it's just short ranged and only shows you a few things. You can't use it like you might in the Arkham games to read the room and plan how you were going to take out each enemy. If you enjoy getting your hands dirty, running straight into the action and beating up a bunch of thugs, and you're a fan of Batman then maybe this game is for you. If you're looking for the next Arkham game, maybe it is time to dust off that old copy of Asylum or City you have lying around and give it another play through instead. This is not the game for you.