And then Batman: Arkham Knight came along.

Launching on June 23rd, 2015, after extensive hype, it would seemingly offer a thunderous conclusion to the trilogy (and yes, trilogy because, for better or worse, Arkham Origins never gets its due). Previous titles exposed Batman’s never-say-die attitude and incredible detective skills, but this one stacked the gauntlet in a way that exposed his desperation. Maybe the Dark Knight wouldn’t come out of this in one piece. Maybe this really was the Knight’s End.

It seemed like the perfect recipe for a finale, especially with the Arkham Knight providing a suitable counter to Batman’s prowess. Gotham City presented a slick new open-world playground to explore, one teeming with new Riddler challenges, villains to nab, and unsuspecting crooks to divebomb on mid-dialogue. There was also the Batmobile, and who wouldn’t love tearing through the streets, targeting enemy vehicles and wrecking them (non-lethally) before engaging in some friendly interrogation? Did we mention how incredible everything looked? Even by today’s standards (and by those of more recent DC games, which we’ll get to), it looks absolutely phenomenal in pretty much every aspect.

In its endeavor to go a little too large with the sequel, Rocksteady introduced some rather annoying wrinkles. Which we’ll get into but ten years on, Batman: Arkham Knight is still an incredible open-world experience and one of the better superhero games out there, even if it kind of fumbled the climax. No major story spoilers, so don’t worry if you’ve never played it.

The events of Arkham City would make Gotham City much safer, but it’s not long before Scarecrow, missing since Arkham Asylum, would unleash a new spread of Fear Toxin. Batman quickly enters the fray, venturing to where it all began – Ace Chemicals. And then his world is turned upside down. Confronted by a new villain, the Arkham Knight, leading a group of mercenaries and working with Scarecrow, Batman has to deal with the kidnapping of Barbara Gordon, aka Oracle and a larger plan to infect the city. Then there’s the matter of the Joker, whose infected blood is turning a small group of patients into his successors.

There are some pretty high stakes, and Rocksteady offers up some pretty cool set pieces, but the overall narrative sags in places, especially when it comes to the Arkham Knight. Given the circumstances of his history with Batman, you would think that a proper battle would be in the offing, but it’s an anticlimactic series of takedowns while sneaking past his shots.

Then there’s the other elephant in the room – the Batmobile. Yes, it was cool when engaging in high-speed chases and even in some puzzles, but there were also the annoying tank missions, where you had to take down waves and waves of enemy vehicles. It was repetitive, and even if you still had missions where Batman stealthily took down a base’s opposition, destroying 20 militia checkpoints was simply too much to ask.

With those negatives out of the way, let’s talk about the many positives. The Free Flow Combat is still as robust as ever – countering and dodging is still fluid and responsive; finishers are hard-hitting and crunchy. Building up your combo and systematically dismantling a group of enemies never gets old, even if the variety of threats isn’t massively expanded over the previous games. One of the cooler new additions is Dual Play – it allowed for temporarily controlling the likes of Robin, Catwoman and Nightwing. You could even perform stylish dual takedowns. The only downside is that it’s only available in select points, and they’re not nearly as plentiful throughout the story. Stealth also remained as excellent as ever, with new options like imitating Harley Quinn’s voice with the Voice Synthesizer to lure enemies and pounce on them.

Regardless, it’s such a refined and well-done combat system that WB Games Montreal’s Gotham Knights looks downright sickening in comparison. Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League incorporated a counter-shot mechanic but still leaned heavily on looter mechanics, “traversal skills” and unimaginative live-service objectives.

While there’s plenty to dislike about certain open-world activities in Arkham Knight, the Most Wanted system did open up a fresh variety of cases and villains for Batman to hunt down. The Perfect Crime is investigation-heavy and leads to a battle with one of the Dark Knight’s more disturbing villains. There are Riddler challenges to complete and Trophies to earn, and though it was an excuse to shoehorn more Batmobile segments, at least these were more focused on racing than combat. Other notable villains – and antiheroes – from the franchise also make their debut, presenting some interesting new stories and challenges.

The traversal also remained as incredible as ever – chaining grapples and glides just felt so intuitive and right, making the Batmobile stick out like a sore thumb all the more. Perhaps the biggest point of contention for most players is having to achieve 100 percent for the true ending, which only raises more questions than answers. Then again, with how Kill the Justice League followed up, I would have preferred if they went unanswered.

As good as the base game could be, the DLC didn’t quite hit the mark. Playing as Batgirl in a story set before Arkham Asylum? Good, save for the crashing issues. Controlling Harley Quinn as she battles against Blüdhaven’s cops? Decent if it didn’t last 30 minutes (and the Red Hood Story Pack is even shorter). Catwoman’s Revenge? A Flip of a Coin, which saw Robin taking on Two-Face? Bad, plain and simple. At least the Season of Infamy added multiple new missions and villains like Mr. Freeze, The Mad Hatter, and Killer Croc, each with their own stories.

Batman: Arkham Knight was no stranger to controversy at launch. While the Xbox One and PS4 versions ran flawlessly, delivering a consistent 30 frames per second even with such detailed weather effects, character models, and environments, the PC version was an unmitigated disaster. Performance issues, crashes, bugs, a capped frame rate (which still dropped extensively) – the whole works. It was so bad that Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment suspended sales a day after launch and even offered refunds. Months would pass, and even with significant patches, the PC version still had issues, but it would eventually get much better.

Even with all these caveats – the Batmobile, some of the story beats, the finale, etc – Batman: Arkham Knight is still an essential experience. There’s something about Rocksteady exploring all these different avenues for the iconic hero, attempting to expand on his mythos and journey while following up on its successor, one of the greatest games ever made. It may not nail everything perfectly – I would probably rate it an eight out of ten, all things considered – but it’s still incredibly fun. Together with Arkham Asylum and Arkham Knight, this is one of the greatest video game trilogies out there.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

JB Perrette, Warner Bros. Discovery Global Streaming and Games CEO and president, said, “David has thoughtfully and purposefully chosen a time when our release schedule is lighter, which will help minimize disruption to our ongoing projects and strategic plans and allow this team to smoothly prepare for its next record-breaking title.”

Haddad added, “I am so proud of everything we’ve accomplished together at Warner Bros. Games during my time with the company. It has been an absolute pleasure working on and building our iconic gaming franchises, and I will continue to be an enthusiastic supporter of this talented team’s future endeavors. I look forward to working on the next chapter of my career and will always be grateful for my time with Warner Bros. Games.“

Perrette and Haddad will have a town hall meeting later today with the Warner Bros. Games team to offer “additional details.” Sources speaking to Variety says this is to focus on “filling Haddad’s slot.” Warner Bros. Discovery isn’t planning on selling its games division (despite past rumors).

While Haddad is excited for his career’s “next chapter,” the past few years at Warner Bros. Games have been rough. After the success of Hogwarts Legacy in 2023, 2024 saw Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League flopping massively, contributing to a $200 million impact on revenue. The live service looter shooter received its last content update earlier this month.

There’s also Mortal Kombat 1, which crossed five million sales but has received a mixed reception among fans. The Khaos Reigns expansion allegedly sold poorly, reportedly resulting in the cancellation of Kombat Pack 3 and the next story expansion. Player First’s MultiVersus also performed poorly upon its full launch last year, contributing to a $100 million loss.

New Story, New Universe

Perhaps the biggest distinction between Mortal Kombat 1 and Mortal Kombat 11 is continuity. MK1 isn’t a sequel but a reboot with a new universe with a new plot. Yes, it’s the direct result of MK11’s Aftermath expansion and has familiar characters, but for all intents and purposes, this is a clean slate with new relationships, events and so on. You can see this in Kitana and Jade having a somewhat uneasy relationship, and Kuai Liang (historically the younger Sub-Zero) seemingly being Scorpion instead of Hanzo Hisashi, and much more.

Returning Fighters

Mortal Kombat 11 introduced Geras, Cetrion, Kollector and Kronika (who wasn’t playable but still) in addition to several returning fighters like Liu Kang, Kitana, Kung Lao, Raiden, Jax and Jacqui Briggs, and more.

On the other hand, Mortal Kombat 1 is bringing back fighters that weren’t in the previous title, including Li Mei, Reptile, Smoke, Tanya, Ashrah and Havik, each with different looks and some new abilities. The recent trailer also confirms the return of Sindel and General Shao, aka Shao Kahn before he attained the title, and wielding a battle axe instead of a warhammer.

Movement

If you played Mortal Kombat 11, you would have noticed how it’s comparatively slower than Mortal Kombat 9 or X. Players reported some issues with Mortal Kombat 1’s movement in its stress test. After EVO 2023 attendees went hands-on with the latest build, it was confirmed to be much better. You can even use MK9’s dash block, according to pro player SonicFox.

Kameo Fighters

Another major new addition to Mortal Kombat 1 is the Kameo Fighter system. It allows for assigning a non-playable character to each core fighter and calling them in during battle for assists (with a cooldown for the same). Interestingly, Kameo Fighters are based on classic versions of established characters. Sonya Blade is her younger self; Frost is in her original, non-cyber form; and so on. Characters like Goro, Cyrax, Sektor, Stryker, Motaro and even classic Sub-Zero and Scorpion appear.

Kameo Fighter Special Moves, Throws, and Breakers

Kameo Fighters can use Special Moves like projectiles and throws, which help extend combos through different means. Some require enemies to be in the air to work, so some timing is required to pull them off. You can even enhance their moves by sacrificing a bar of the Super meter or delay certain moves (like Kano’s spinning attack). However, they also have Breakers, which can disrupt a combo.

Fatalities and Kameo Fighter Fatalities

It’s Mortal Kombat, so of course, there will be Fatalities. Based on the trailers thus far, there are some particularly gruesome ones, as is tradition. However, Kameo Fighters also have Fatalities. So you can call in Frost to freeze an opponent and punch away their flesh and organs, leaving their skeleton to fall to the ground or use Kano’s classic Heart Ripper to tear an opponent’s heart out of their chest.

Custom Character Variations

With the introduction of the Kameo Fighter System, custom character variations are no longer a thing. Introduced in Mortal Kombat X and featured again in Mortal Kombat 11, they allowed for assigning different moves to each character. Mortal Kombat 1 does away with them in favor of a single set for each core fighter, so figuring out how to mix in a Kameo Fighter’s skills with their combos is the real challenge.

Towers

While Mortal Kombat 11 featured a suite of modes outside of the story, including the Towers of Time and The Krypt, there’s a lot we don’t know about those in Mortal Kombat 1. Thus far, NetherRealm has only showcased the Klassic Towers, where you fight a series of opponents and their Kameo Fighters in a sequence. It’s tried and true, but something tells us more is in store. The return of Konquest, perhaps? Time will tell.

Invasions vs The Krypt

The Krypt was a major part of Mortal Kombat 11 – a full 3D-rendered location that could be explored from third person. You opened chests, solved puzzles and unlocked new outfits, Brutalities, Konsumables and much more. Though you could earn Koins, Hearts and Soul Fragments from The Krypt to open chests, completing Daily Challenges and grinding Towers is your main source of currency.

Mortal Kombat 1 does away with this, instead opting for a new mode called Invasions. You assemble a party of characters and venture across a board game-style map, battling Invaders from other dimensions (including alternate versions of Kitana and Scorpion). There are different unlockables including concept art and in-game Kurrency to earn, but each carries unique challenges to overcome.

Mini-Games

Historically, the Mortal Kombat series had its share of mini-games, from kart racing in Motor Kombat to Test Your Might and Test Your Sight. Emphasis on had because Mortal Kombat 11 had almost none (unless you count Endurance).

Fortunately, it seems Mortal Kombat 1 is going in the other direction. The new Invasions Mode will feature the return of Arcade Towers and mini-games like Test Your Might. That age rating by the Infocomm Media Development Authority in Singapore indicated that you destroy a decapitated head during a mini-game – it’s possible this could be for Test Your Might. Regardless, it’s good to finally see it back.

RPG Mechanics

Like Injustice 2, Mortal Kombat 11 featured a Gear System, where characters could equip three different pieces to change their appearance. They also granted the use of Augments for use in Towers of Time and AI Battles by leveling them up. It wasn’t too crazy, but there was a grind of sorts, especially when trying to earn more for The Krypt’s unlockables.

Mortal Kombat 1’s Invasions mode sees you leveling up characters and also equipping them with different loot, though further explanation of these mechanics is still pending. Thus far, we’ve seen different stats for characters like Liu Kang and an Inventory screen, potentially for Konsumables. Time will tell how it all works, but there are random encounters in the Invasions map and keys to use.

DLC Characters

Regarding DLC characters, Mortal Kombat 1 offers some unique choices. While it still features returning fighters like Quan-Chi, Ermac and Takeda, you also have special guests like Homelander from The Boys, Omni Man from Invincible and Peacekeeper from DC Universe. Additional Kameo Fighters are also coming, though they have yet to be officially revealed.

On the other end is Mortal Kombat 11, which featured several guests like the Terminator T-800, The Joker, Spawn, Rambo and Robo-Cop. Of course, we also had returning fighters like Sheeva, Sindel, Rain, Shang Tsung, and Mileena, several of which are now on the base roster for MK1. What the future holds for the latter in terms of support remains to be seen, but its DLC characters are already quite intriguing.

PC and Nintendo Switch Ports

QLOC and Shiver Entertainment did a good job developing the PC and Nintendo Switch ports for Mortal Kombat 11. Both return in the same roles for Mortal Kombat 1, but Saber Interactive is also assisting on the Nintendo Switch version. We’ve yet to see extensive footage for the Switch version or learn more about the requirements for running the game in 4K on PC.

System Requirements

Speaking of system requirements, Mortal Kombat 1 is a more demanding game than its predecessor. It requires an Intel Core i5-6600, an AMD Ryzen 3 3100 or a Ryzen 5 2600, 8 GB RAM and an Nvidia GTX 980, AMD RX 470 or Intel Arc A750 at the very minimum. On the other hand, Mortal Kombat 11 could run on an Intel Core i5-750, an AMD Phenom 2 X4 965 or a Ryzen 3 1200 with 8 GB and a GeForce GTX 670, GTX 1050, AMD Radeon HD 7950 or a Radeon R9 270 at the minimum.

Recommended settings for MK1 include an Intel Core i5-8400 or AMD Ryzen 5 3600X, 8 GB RAM, a GeForce GTX 1080 Ti, Radeon RX 5700 XT or Intel Arc A770. Mortal Kombat 11 requires a Core i5-2300, AMD FX-6300, or AMD Ryzen 5 1400, 8 GB of RAM and a GeForce GTX 780, GeForce GTX 1060, AMD Radeon R9 290 or an RX 570. Also, while MK11 could run on DirectX 11, Mortal Kombat 1 requires DirectX 12.

Launch Price

When Mortal Kombat 11 first launched, it was priced at $60, which makes sense since it was released in 2019 – one year before the infamous $70 price structure started for triple-A titles. Even Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate, which included Aftermath and both Kombat Packs, costs $60. Mortal Kombat 1 embraces the new pricing structure, costing $70 from launch for the base version.

She played a big part in Ragnarok’s accessibility features, which earned it the Innovation in Accessibility Award at The Game Awards 2022. Wonder Woman also appears to be embracing accessibility, based on Pavlin’s recent tweet. “Been on the Wonder Woman game for a week now and already impressed with the team’s dedication to accessibility. The game industry feels different than just a few years ago, in a Wonderful way!”

Wonder Woman doesn’t have a release window or announced platforms yet. It’s confirmed to feature an original story with Diana fighting to “unite her Amazon family and the humans from the modern world.”

Along with an open world, the title will feature the return of the Nemesis System from Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor and Shadow of War. In Wonder Woman, it will allow players to “forge deep connections with both enemies and allies,” though this has yet to be explained. Hopefully, we’ll learn more this year, so stay tuned.

Been on the Wonder Woman game for a week now and already impressed with the teams dedication to accessibility. The game industry feels different than just a few years ago, in a Wonderful way! pic.twitter.com/35OHGGvvZM

— Mila Pavlin #Accessibility #WonderWoman (@MissFire4) January 8, 2023

There’s probably only one major fight that sees you taking on two Elite enemies at once. You’ll also rematch against two bosses on more than one occasion. Let’s take a look at all of the boss fights below, though be warned that spoilers for the final bosses follow:

• Basher and Blazer
• Clayface (1st fight)
• Mister Freeze (1st fight)
• Harley Quinn
• Mister Freeze (2nd fight)
• Clayface (2nd fight)
• Man-Bat
• Bruce Wayne
• Talia al Ghul

For more details on how to defeat each boss, check out the video below by Boss Fight Database. Completing all the boss fights requires completing the Side Cases and beating Harley Quinn, Clayface and Mister Freeze. If you’re under-leveled or want to stick to the main story, you can pursue them after the last Main Case.

Gotham Knights is available for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, and PC. Check out our official review here. You can also check out our guide here for the best gear and weapons for each hero to increase their combat potency.

Here’s the catch – you need to complete three Knighthood Challenges per character to unlock them. These include Time Strike Training, Against All Odds, and One Step Ahead. Timed Strike Training is simple – go to the Belfry and complete it. Against All Odds involves defeating three mini-bosses, which is again easy. It’s One Step Ahead that can take some time, especially if you’re trying to complete it for all four characters since it involves stopping ten Premeditated Crimes.

Premeditated Crimes require beating up thugs and gathering clues, culminating in a mission where you beat up more thugs. They take a bit of time and are monotonous, so focus on the characters you want to unlock Knighthood first above all.

Once you unlock Batgirl’s Glide, you can undertake Gliding Time Trials. There are five in total, one each in Southside, Otisburg, Old Gotham, Robinson Park, and The Cauldron. You must glide through each ring in succession without hitting the ground. Check out WoW Quests’ video below for their exact locations.

You also have the Batcycle Time Trials, which involve racing around different areas. You gain extra time by hitting the checkpoints, and pickups also grant bonus time. There are seven Time Trials in total – check out the locations for each in PS5 Trophies’ video below.

Gotham Knights is available for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC. Check out our official review here.

Return to the Belfry and look for the picture of the Bat Family. It’s located next to Batman’s gauntlet and mask on display. Examine the picture, and you’ll trigger a cutscene. Spoilers follow, so be warned.

This cutscene essentially showcases Bruce Wayne before the story’s events, as he records his death message. Or at least he would if the rest of the Bat Family didn’t keep interrupting him. After much joshing around, it ends on a happy note. We then cut to the present day with the Knights watching the scene. Everyone disperses, and it’s back to business.

It’s not a lot but caps off things nicely, especially given how the ending plays out. For more details on Gotham Knights, available for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC, check out our review here. You can also read our analysis of the ending and where the series could go in the future here.

Robin is highly recommended for those seeking a stealthy approach in combat. You’ll want to go with the Linked Suit due to its three mod slots, granting invulnerability to the next hit after KO’ing an enemy with a perfect attack and briefly increasing damage dealt after using his Ultimate. Of course, providing health to Robin and his allies on revive isn’t too bad either.

For weapons, the Modular Concussive Bo Staff is great since it has three mod slots. If you KO an enemy, you gain increased critical damage and double elemental damage on your next hit. You can pair this with the Cryogenic Slingshot for freezing enemies (and gaining Momentum upon KO’ing foes with a perfect attack) or the Team-up Incendiary Slingshot for Incendiary damage.

Nightwing is more evasive and provides some great support abilities for other heroes. As such, going high defense is advised, which means the Reinforced Suit is the best choice. It offers a whopping 6800 Defense and three mod slots, along with healing over time after an enemy is KO’d. Perfect evades increase critical damage, and when your health is low, you gain more defense. Truly an all-in-one solution.

As for weapons, there are the Jumpstart Escrima Sticks (paired with Concussive Darts) and League Basic Escrima Sticks (with Toxic Darts). The former provides increased damage for a short time upon dealing critical damage and also provides Momentum when your health is low. Using a Momentum Ability also grants health back. Pairing this with the Concussive Darts is good because they grant Momentum after knocking out an enemy and increased Momentum generation upon taking down an enemy with a Momentum Ability. It’s a good loop for gaining Momentum and using a Momentum Ability to regen health and Momentum.

The League Basic Escrima Sticks will increase critical hit chance and damage but are also best for dealing Incendiary damage. Since the Toxic Darts deal Poison, you can essentially build up these two status effects to slay even the toughest enemies.

Red Hood specializes in ranged damage, and the Gold Pistols with Gold Rounds are especially good for Cryo damage. By equipping mods for elemental build-up, you can easily freeze enemies and cause massive damage by meleeing them. If you prefer to stay at range, the Critical Momentum Pistols are also good. Upon using a Momentum ability, you gain an increased critical chance. Critical hit chance also increases when scoring headshots on enemies. Pair these with Overtime Effect Rounds for health over time and Momentum generation upon executing a Perfect Evade.

As for armor, the High Ultimate Suit should be your priority. Not only does it have three mod slots, but it also increases damage and grants some health back when using a Knighthood ability. If you want to lean further into Cryo damage, then the Gold Armor is worth equipping.

Finally, there’s Batgirl, a Jill of all trades thanks to her proficiency in fighting, stealth, and even hacking. The Counter-Talon Suit provides a hefty amount of defense and health but the Cryogenic Suit is also recommended, due to its strong resistance to Cryo (making it great against Mister Freeze). In terms of weapons, the Modular Incendiary Tonfa is good due to its Incendiary damage, which combines well for more critical hits. The Overtime Effect Batarang is recommended for ranged combat since it restores Momentum and grants extra critical hit chance and damage.

All Suit Styles and How to Unlock

There are multiple different suits to unlock throughout the game, but each has unique Suit Styles which could be used for transmog purposes. This allows for using the stats of specific gear while keeping the look of a suit. Each suit has its own unlock and transmog requirements, so let’s first take a look at all of the different types in the game.

• New Guard
• Metal
• Eternal
• Beyond
• Promethium New Guard
• Titan
• Privateer
• Shinobi
• Year One
• Demon
• Knightwatch
• Talon
• Neon Noir
• Knight Ops
• Knighthood

There are four suits per hero in each type, and some are locked behind the Deluxe Edition and Visionary Pack DLC. Along with dropping randomly from enemies and as mission rewards, they can also be crafted. For more details on obtaining each suit, check out the video below by Batman Arkham Guides. It also showcases the different customization options and colorways.

Gotham Knights is out now for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC. Check out our official review here.

Let’s take a look at all of the collectible types below.

• Batarangs – These are mall glowing Batarangs that Batman left about the city. There are sixty in total to find.
• Historia Strigidae Pages – These documents reveal more information on the Court of Owls and its history. The city contains 42 Pages in total.
• Street Art – Appearing as graffiti and murals throughout the city, you need to hold down on the D-Pad to scan them. Pressing down will allow you to see them better. There are 12 in total to collect.
• Landmarks – Primarily appearing on named buildings, these badges are located on the side. There are 40 to collect in total.
• Secret Caches – These are 12 caches that contain Bruce Wayne’s Hidden Audio Recordings. You need to finish Main Case 01: Batman’s Last Case for them to become available, but afterwards, they can be located on the map.
• Secret Identity Compromised – Available after Main Case 01 as white icons on the map (like the Secret Caches), these essentially involve planting fake evidence to protect Bruce Wayne’s identity as Batman. You need to access a wall terminal without being spotted by enemies, floor panels, and cameras. Upon failing, you need to try it the next night, but quitting to the title screen and reloading allows for quicker retries. There are five Secret Identity Compromised locations in total.

Check out the video guide below from Batman Arkham Videos for the locations of all Batarangs, Street Art, Historia Strigidae pages, and Landmarks. You can also check out PowerPyx’s videos below for the locations of all Secret Caches, and Secret Identity Compromised activities. If you’re unsure about collecting everything in a district, refer to the map. There will be green checkmarks for Batarangs, Pages, Street Art and Landmarks after collecting them all.

Gotham Knights is available for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC. Check out our official review here, and stay tuned for more tips and tricks.

Instead, Gotham Knights takes place in a completely separate universe with its own story. In the beginning, Bruce Wayne/Batman is ambushed by Ra’s al Ghul, the leader of the League of Shadows, in the Batcave. Batman seemingly has no way to beat Ra’s and decides to self-destruct the Batcave, sealing him inside (while also sending a message out to the remaining Bat Family). So there you go – Batman is dead, gone, buried, and definitely not coming back.

Until close to the end, that is. Spoilers follow so you’ve been warned.

As it turns out, Bruce is dead but doesn’t stay dead (shock of shocks). Ra’s is but let’s back up. After receiving Wayne’s message, the Knights start investigating Dr Kirk Langstrom (who turns into Man-Bat in the comics) and his research. Langstrom is dead, and Talia al Ghul, Ra’s’ daughter, incinerates his corpse while warning the heroes of the League’s move on Gotham. Eventually, we learn of the Court of Owls and their leader Jacob Kane, Bruce’s uncle. Fun fact: He’s also the father of Kate Kane, who would become Batwoman in the comics.

The Court seeks the Fountain of Youth and possesses an army of undead Talons to assail Gotham. Kane is assassinated by Talia, and though the Talons are awakened to run rampant over Gotham, the League has an army of Man-Bats, created through Langstrom’s research and the Lazarus Pit. Furthermore, it used the Pit to bring back Bruce Wayne from the dead, while somehow brainwashing him to be the new leader. Yes, it feels somewhat contrived, but it also sets up an appropriate encounter for the Knights to make that final leap towards replacing Batman.

The Knights fight Bruce and bring him back to his senses, but then the Court shows up to claim the Lazarus Pit. Thus Wayne sacrifices himself – again – by ramming the Batwing into the Lazarus Pit to stop anyone else from reaching it. The story ends with the Knights proclaiming themselves as the protectors of Gotham while the Court of Owls goes off the grid and the League of Shadows leaves Gotham.

So there are quite a few things to ask, but also several things to clarify. The overall state of the Lazarus Pit isn’t entirely unknown (though it’s claimed to have been “blown to bits”). It could be destroyed or just sealed off, preventing anyone from getting to it. Also, Bruce Wayne could be declared dead for good this time…except, like the first time, we don’t see his body. So one can always assume that he’s still alive. Yes, he was in a crash and massive explosion, but never say never when it comes to a DC Universe title.

Why did the League of Shadows want to invade Gotham, to begin with? It’s all part of their never-ending mission to fight against evil and injustice, even if it means committing unethical acts in the name of this purge. As such, it made sense to take out the Court of Owls, which had been governing Gotham from behind the scenes for several centuries. It doesn’t quite make sense why the League would use the Gotham Knights to do their dirty work, but hey, two birds, one stone etc.

The question now is: Where does the story go from here?

The success of Gotham Knights will ultimately determine whether a sequel gets made, never mind if there will be expansions further adding to the story. Events may have wrapped themselves up quite nicely, but there are several different directions that Warner Bros. Montreal could go in.

For instance, Harley Quinn may have broken off from the Joker, but that doesn’t mean the Joker is dead. The Clown Prince of Crime could still be out there, planning his next move. It may even be something completely out of left field since Batman is gone. After all, without his long-time nemesis, what point is there to the Joker’s life besides random chaos? It’s hard to say, especially since we don’t know how this universe’s version of the Joker would act. With Red Hood having unfinished business with him, it could be an interesting twist on the classic storyline.

Another question to ask – how did Ra’s learn of the Batcave’s location in the first place? It may be due to Nyssa Raatko, his other daughter who would serve as his right-hand in the comic book storyline Batman: Death and the Maidens before becoming disillusioned with his approach. She would eventually control the League with Talia, while also having control of the last remaining Lazarus Pit. Nyssa knows the Batcave’s location and Batman’s identity, so she may have helped the League in Gotham Knights.

Other elements to be aware of include The Order of St. Dumas, with which Azrael is associated. He took over the mantle of Batman in Knightfall and subsequently turned into a menace before Bruce made his return. Bane, who was interested in taking over Gotham after conquering Batman, could also surface. Who knows? The story could see him assuming leadership over the League of Shadows, just like in The Dark Knight Rises, to fulfill Ra’s goals. It’s unlikely that the story will be lifted wholesale, so don’t expect to see all of the Fumbling Four getting their backs broken.

More than anything, I think it’s impressive how many loose ends the story of Gotham Knights has. Renee Montoya could go on to become The Question or replace the deceased James Gordon as commissioner of the GCPD. The existence of Damian Wayne, Bruce’s son with Talia who would become Robin, hasn’t been confirmed, but there may be something later. Perhaps we can see the events leading up to Gotham Knights from the perspective of Batman. Maybe we can play as Bruce, who’s revealed to be alive again thanks to the Lazarus Pit but leading a completely different life. It could serve as a nice little prologue to the entire storyline.

There are plenty of villains waiting in the wings, but the overall direction seems fluid. It’s almost like Gotham Knights was designed as a live-service game that could go anywhere once the main story wraps up. A minor villain here and there, some showdowns with Court of Owls and League of Assassins minions, and eventually, a new big bad in the yearly expansion. But that’s another thing entirely.

Whether it expands on its new timeline, adapting existing material to fit within its framework, or calls it one-and-done with this title is ultimately up to publisher Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. An expansion featuring more Villain Arcs seems likelier than an actual sequel, given how easily they could slot into the current set-up. Time will ultimately tell, but at the very least, there’s some decent groundwork to build on for the future.

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