DC’s new video game, Gotham Knights, which came out in late October 2022,  was met with mixed reviews. Gotham Knights was first introduced to fans during the 2021 DC Fandome event. Fandome is an online event hosted on the DC website which announces all new DC projects and content to be released that year on in the near future.

A trailer for the game was shown, letting fans get a taste of the new game. The games official website, gothamknightsgame.com, advertises, “Gotham Knights will be available for PlayStationⓇ5, Xbox Series X|S consoles, and PC.” The website also defines the game as a “action role-playing game,” which makes it similar to many other DC games in the Batman: Arkham game series. 

Based on the trailer and promotions for the game, fans can see villains such as the Penguin featured in the game. However, it seems the Court of Owls will be the main antagonist in the game. The game itself has been through multiple updates and reviews, but fans seem to be pleased with the overall outcome of the graphics. 

Olympic Heights junior Nicholas Gast says, “I think that it is a good quality game, the developers clearly put a lot of time and effort into this game, and I believe that their work did not go unnoticed.”

While the overall image of the game seems to be pulling fans in, over the months leading to the game’s release, there was some backlash. Between fans and control groups, some people seemed to be displeased with the story of the game, specifically with the character of Batgirl, Barbara Gordon. The character herself has a very different backstory, being one of the few popularized disabled characters in the DC universe.

While Gordon was paralyzed in the comics, recently she was given an arc where she regained her ability to walk. Because of this, the character returned to her former alias of Batgirl. In Gotham Knights she was given a slightly different introduction, and many fans found it offensive to her time as a disabled character. 

The bio for her character in the game was eventually changed. While some fans still wished for changes to the game, others like Gast were pleased with it. “I don’t think that any improvement can be made,” Gast commented. This majority of fan opinion allowed for a smoother release for the game.

While Gotham Knights was made to be enjoyed by DC fans, both viewers and gamers, it has also attracted new fans and consumers who hadn’t enjoyed the DC universe before. “I would buy the game because I’m trying to get into the DC universe more and have heard good things about the game,” Gast added. 

 Many people, including Gast, actually found out about the game through TikTok. The game has been advertised by gamers, conspiracy theorists, reviewers, and editors. Through these TikTokers, fans can learn more about the game. The game is also multiplayer, which makes it more user friendly to fans. All this has allowed the game to become fairly popular quickly after its debut.