Throughout Gamescom, Gotham Knights was introduced to be popping out 4 days early, and we additionally noticed a villain trailer revealing Mr. Freeze, Clayface, and Harley Quinn can be amongst its bosses. Following that, IGN posted a seven-minute video exhibiting a boss combat with Harley, wherein Nightwing takes her on to free a bunch of individuals she’s mind-controlled in a hospital.
This model of Harley has make-up that jogs my memory of Heath Ledger’s Joker, solely with what seems like a spade drawn over her eyes. She’s ditched the Jeanette Voerman pigtails, however continues to be rocking the normal hammer and horrible quips, calling her opponent “Nightbutt.” In the meantime, Nightwing’s midway to a mullet, which you’d assume can be a greater goal for her to make enjoyable of.
The final time we noticed gameplay footage of Nightwing in motion there was a number of skating to get him into place for assaults to land, which appears lowered right here. On the identical time, it seems sluggish and never significantly dynamic. That could possibly be all the way down to the way it’s being performed—moderately than let Harley get hits in, this footage is extra about exhibiting off Nightwing’s strikes, which embody wrist weapons that fireside what are presumably rubber bullets and an ice stun. (Possibly discovered from Mr. Freeze?) He additionally dodges nearly each assault, that are telegraphed by circles across the incoming weapons.
Whereas that makes the combat look trivially straightforward and form of boring, checking the feedback makes it apparent why they’ve achieved it this manner. On YouTube the one factor that issues is proving you are Good At Video games, and so the feedback are all cheering on “probably the most expert gamer”. Personally, I might moderately see a video that made Gotham Knights’ boss fights appear to be a problem moderately than a cakewalk, however what do I do know.
It is not possible to not make comparisons with the Arkham video games’ rather more fluid freeflow fight, with its counters in addition to dodges and rising velocity as you constructed your combo. The cooldown specials of Gotham Knights, flashy as they might be—certainly one of them has Nightwing breakdancing whereas his batons fly round on their very own—do not actually examine. The dodges that depart Nightwing dealing with away from Harley like a cool man who would not take a look at explosions aren’t serving to.
Nonetheless, perhaps ramping up the issue so the enemies are quicker and extra aggressive will make it extra thrilling in play. The extra tweakable, the higher. The builders have stated that harm numbers will be turned off, which is a pleasant possibility. I might adore it when you might substitute them with SFX that stated BIFF and POW.
Gotham Knights can be out on October 21, and is coming to Steam (opens in new tab) and the Epic Video games Retailer (opens in new tab).
