When Gotham Knights was released in 2022, WB Games Montreal’s fresh take on the Batman mythos remained firmly in the shadows of the Batman Arkham games. While it had a strong premise in making the extended Bat-family the focus of its Court Of Owls story, it ultimately failed to capture the intrigue of that seminal comic book story arc, as well as the fun of Rocksteady Studios' open-world trilogy.
But it seems that the game could be getting a second lease on life, as a developer’s resume suggests that Gotham Knights could be one of the first current-generation games to get a Switch 2 port.
As first reported by Video Games Chronicle, the keen eyes of YouTuber Doctre81 found a developer for the studio QLOC who listed working on a version of Gotham Knights for an “unspecified platform.” QLOC has worked on a number of projects including PC ports of Mortal Kombat 1, Gotham Knights, and the Switch port of Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice. According to the ESRB, an original Switch version of Gotham Knights was supposedly rated, though hasn’t been heard of since.
While the ESRB rating suggested that such a project was in the works, such a release on the original Switch was highly questionable. Gotham Knights had a tough time running on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series let alone the eight-year-old Switch. Reworking the game and getting it running on a substantially more powerful device, however, would be more plausible. And considering there aren’t many “unspecified platforms” that developers would hypothetically be working on lends to the plausibility of the game being optimized and brought to Nintendo’s upcoming handheld.
Gotham Knights on the Switch 2 isn’t the most exciting prospect imaginable, especially when projects like the long-awaited Metroid Prime 4 are on the horizon. However, if true, Gotham Knights being re-optimized for the new console could be a chance to correct some of its shortcomings. Some of its more divisive elements, like its story are not likely to see changes. But stuff like its notoriously empty open-world and performance issues could be helped with extra time in the oven. Its traversal and stealth mechanics could be tweaked to make it more interesting too, compared to when it first launched. Even its gear and leveling system could be reworked to make it feel less like a feel-to-play service game.
If a second release for Gotham Knights were used to address these unpopular features, itt wouldn’t be the first game to do it. Deus Ex: Human Revolution fixed its static boss fights with its 2013 Director’s Cut. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater gave players finer control over Naked Snake and the game’s camera with its 2005 re-release. Most recently, Death Stranding’s re-release added new story sections and tools for the player to use.
In an era of endless remasters of already fantastic games, it’s far more interesting to see games that missed the mark the first time get a second shot. It’s even better if developers take the opportunity to improve it outright. If Gotham Knights is getting a Switch 2 port with a few adjustments to retrofit it onto Nintendo’s handheld, it would only make sense to make a few other tweaks to maximize the port’s development.
Releasing in the early days of the console’s life could garner more interest from early adopters. As someone who owned a Switch (and other consoles) in its first few weeks, I can attest that there’s always a lull period after launch. I remember being more willing to try stuff like NBA 2K PlayGrounds and the surprisingly sound port of L.A. Noire simply because there was little to play on the Switch outside of big, first-party releases. Gotham Knights could thrive in that window, especially if it's the best version of the game.
It’s incredibly easy to shoot down games that don’t meet the expectations of audiences. Gotham Knights was made by a talented team that clearly had a lot of strong ideas for their spin on the Dark Knight. Unfortunately, those ideas didn’t quite reach the heights of the studio’s previous games. But hopefully, the game can fare better thanks to player feedback and a new platform to spur interest.
While accessory manufacturers and industry insiders have been leaking tons of photos and alleged features of the Switch 2, we know few official details about Nintendo’s upcoming console. What we do know however is that it will be bringing some titles that skipped the original Switch for the PS5 and Xbox Series. Last year, Nintendo acquired Shiver Entertainment from Embracer Group. The studio is known for developing Switch versions of technically impressive games like Hogwarts Legacy. Looking back never looked so good.
