How does one see themselves when they’ve lost someone of great importance? Someone who meant everything to them and guided them to be who they are now? In Gotham Knights, Batman dies, and it’s up to the four people he trained to be his sidekicks/partners to pick up the mantle and run with it. But is it that simple? Can it be done so easily? That is the question that a new cinematic story trailer for the game highlights. In it, we see Robin, Batgirl, Red Hood, and Nightwing in cinematic action while a narrator goes over the “labels” on each of them.
Sidekick, stubborn, monster, pretender, and more haunt the four as they wonder whether they are good enough to be what Batman was and keep Gotham City safe. It’s a very haunting way to do a cinematic trailer, and you likely expect to see that the Court of Owls was narrating it to indicate why it was their time to rise and take over Gotham. But in a fun twist, it wasn’t them, but Alfred Pennyworth, the Bat-Family’s loyal butler. He asks, “is that all you see when you see yourselves,” projecting the fears that the four Knights have, only to tell them that Batman saw more in them. He saw their potential to be great, as the future, so he did all he could with them. Now, with him gone, they can be more than he ever was.
But the trailer also makes it clear that this journey won’t be easy, as the Court of Owls looms large in the trailer. Right at the end, we see the army of Talons emerge, surrounding the grave of Bruce Wayne alongside the group’s leaders. They’re waiting to see if the four can live up to the challenge they present!
One of the biggest reasons this trailer is so important is Alfred’s arrival. None of the previous trailers or first looks showed the butler at all. Like Batman and Commissioner Gordon, many could’ve reasonably assumed that he was killed. But instead, he’s alive and there for the Bat-Family in their time of need. That might mean we’ll see him interact with Dick Grayson, Barbara Gordon, Jason Todd, and Tim Drake throughout the story, though only time will tell.
We know from a different trailer that Renee Montoya will serve as the head of police in Gotham Knights and will also work with the four. So the connections to the lore will be stronger than first indicated.
The WB Montreal team recently noted that they want this game to be about character growth through the perspective of the four Knights. It’ll be interesting to see how the four develop throughout the game when it arrives on October 21.
Source: YouTube
