In recent weeks, WB Games Montreal has shed new light on its upcoming Batman game without Batman. Gotham Knightsand some details have left fans skeptical about the direction the game is headed if Bruce Wayne survives bat family. First one 13 minute gameplay video revealed that GC‘s incarnation of Nightwing utilizes a jet-powered glider, while Red Hood has been infused with wild “soul energy” abilities. By far the most disturbing revelation came via a bio for Batgirl posted on the game’s website that suggested she recovered from her disability through “raw willpower and determination.”
During a Q&A session in Gotham Knightis official Discord ChannelCreative Director Patrick Redding addressed the backlash against the insensitive Batgirl character bio, and provided insights into Nightwing’s glider and the Red Hood’s new powers.
Batgirl’s Character Biography on the Gotham Knights Website discusses the history of Barbara Gordon as Batgirl and as the Oracle. The Oracle was Gordon’s technologically ingenious alter ego who provided invaluable support to Batman after a confrontation with the Joker, portrayed in The killer joke, left her paralyzed. The reason WB Games Montreal was criticized for the biopic is that Gordon was spurred by her father’s death to “recover from her wounds so she can return to active duty as Batgirl”. This prompted fans to shout out the game for using the heroes’ tired comic book trope Overcoming their disability through sheer willpower.
Redding revealed in the Q&A that the team worked together after receiving criticism AbleGamersa nonprofit organization dedicated to improving accessibility in the video game space “to learn more about different types of spinal injuries and the potential for someone to regain mobility.”
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“As with many of our characters and plot elements, the circumstances of Barbara’s injuries differ in a number of important ways from how they were portrayed in the comics,” said Redding. “Barbara has had multiple surgeries followed by a lot of physical therapy and pain management [in Gotham Knights].”
Redding went on to say that the team acknowledged the criticism, replacing the controversial description with, “Through extensive training and rehabilitation, she recovered from her wounds and returned to active duty as Batgirl.”
Redding went on to discuss the creative choices behind Nightwing and Red Hood’s Traversal abilities, primarily Nightwing’s Green Goblin-esque glider and Red Hood’s new jumping ability.
During the 13-minute gameplay demo, Nightwing is shown traversing rooftops using a technoglider called the Flying Trapeze. Corresponding EurogamerNightwing’s Techno Glider is a throwback to Batman’s retro bat glider. Redding said the creative team liked the idea of Grayson using one of Batman’s stealth drones to gain more altitude to perform his death-defying acrobatics.
“[The Flying Trapeze is] designed to feel a bit improvised and reliant on his extreme athleticism, which fits with Nightwing’s approach to everything,” he said. “Flying has a very different feel to Batgirl’s cape glide and it pairs really well with his larger parkour and jumping moves as well as grappling.”
The most bizarre revelation in Gotham Knights Gameplay trailer, for me at least, was Red Hood, aka Jason Todd, leaping through the skies of Gotham in a distinctly supernatural way using his new ability, the Mystic Leap. Redding said the development team drew on Red Hood’s origin story – which involves death at the hands of the Joker and subsequent resurrection in the story Lazarus Pit– as he approaches his new powers, she intends to serve as a manifestation of Todd growing into his own.
“We really liked the idea of Jason beginning to confront the trauma of dying and coming back, being able to use some lost abilities,” Redding said. “As he’s attempted to reinvent himself from antihero to hero while retaining his strengths, he’s discovering he can channel these mystical talents in a way that’s familiar to him: through his physicality [and] how he moves, but also how he fights and even how he uses his weapons.”
Redding explained Todd’s new ability as “just a manifestation of those powers” that he received after being revived in the Lazarus Pit. I just hope those powers include fixing my son’s skull so he doesn’t have it Bone Structure of a Lego.
Gotham Knights Slated for release on October 25th, now only for PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.
