Gotham Knights Gotham Without Its Batman

The Bat Family takes the spotlight here, with no Batman to fall back on. Batgirl, Nightwing, Red Hood and Robin each play differently, from raw power to acrobatics, and each has their own skill tree and abilities to unlock. You are never forced to switch: stick with one favourite for a whole playthrough, or rotate heroes between patrols to see what each one can do. Their personalities carry it too. Dialogue changes depending on who is in the scene, the banter between the Knights and their villains is genuinely funny, and each hero gets personal moments that show how they deal with losing Bruce. It is the rare superhero game where the sidekicks are the whole story.

Gotham is an open-world action RPG, and its five boroughs each have their own character: brooding architecture, grimy alleys, moody lighting. You patrol at night and drop in on criminal activity wherever you find it, guided by what you hear as you move through the streets: shouting, gunfire, calls for help tied to events actually happening nearby. Between patrols you return to the Belfry, gear up, customise your suits and mods, and pick your next mission. Some crimes are small disturbances; others are major operations with minibosses. The rhythm of heading out, cleaning up what you can, and coming home before dawn gives the game its shape.

The whole campaign can be played in two-player online co-op, and that is where the game is at its most fun. Clearing a major crime together, coordinating takedowns on a boss, or just cruising the boroughs side by side turns a solo vigilante fantasy into a shared one. Missions are built to be tackled as a pair, and having a second set of hands makes the heavier fights far more manageable.