Gotham Knights co-op means it has 'entirely redesigned' combat from Arkham

Gotham Knights is stepping out from the shadow of the Arkham series with a totally revised, co-op friendly approach to brawling.

The upcoming project from WB Games Montreal, the developers of Batman: Arkham Origins, takes place in its own fictional universe that's separate from the Arkham series (which original Arkham developer Rocksteady is continuing with Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League). In a new interview for our latest Big in 2021 spotlight, the developers of Gotham Knights told us about how and why they're stepping away from Arkham's often-imitated combat system.

"We have entirely redesigned the combat system in order for it to work well in co-op, because that part of the experience is really exciting for us," executive producer Fleur Marty told us. "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. Designing a combat system from scratch has its challenges indeed, but it’s been a very stimulating one and we're very proud of the result!"

While Arkham Knight prominently featured tag-team fights that brought in multiple members of the Bat-family, it was focused solely on being a single-player adventure. You can tackle Gotham Knights solo as well if you prefer, but you may have even more fun if you create your own dynamic duo.

"The two-player dynamic fits the fantasy and the Gotham City setting," creative director Patrick Redding told us. "The 'duo' or team-up is such a central feature of the universe that there’s a literal shorthand for it in the comics, in animation, in the film and TV versions. And Gotham is a city of alleyways and rooftops, so the footprint for gameplay needs to be compatible with that."

Our last Big in 2021 article highlighted Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart as the first must-have PS5 exclusive of 2021.