After a short hiatus, it’s good for superhero games to start getting more love again. Ever since the explosion of popularity withMarvel’s Spider-Manon PS4, superhero games have been coming back in full force after theArkhamseries said goodbye in 2015. Now there’s an abundance of them, ranging from traditional fare likeSpider-Manto the new stuff from DC likeSuicide Squad. Two upcoming superhero games are continuing that trend in 2020 and 2021:Marvel’s AvengersandGotham Knights.
Albeit, fans know a lot ’s AvengersthanGotham Knightssince the game is releasing next week. Both Marvel and DC are dipping their toes into expansive, online superhero games all about playing with friends and fighting crime/evil together. At first glance, both games seem very similar in scope and story content, but the mechanics and narrative content couldn’t be more different. From what has been shown so far, here’s howMarvel’s AvengersandGotham Knightsstack up in comparison.
Likely Different Loot Mechanics in Gotham Knights
One ofthe biggest assumptions made aboutGotham Knightsso faris that, likeAvengers, the game may be sold entirely as a games-as-a-service title. Based on the individual enemy levels associated with each of the henchmen in the gameplay trailer, it’s understandable if this quickly becomes a concern for players. WB Montreal hasn’t made an official statement on the matter, but judging from the gameplay itself, this doesn’t necessarily look like the case forGotham Knights. If anything, this could be an expanded version of the Waynetech upgrade system fromArkham Knight.
Individual and enemy levels are just indicative of a level progression system and possible upgrade trees, like that of upgrades in the previousArkhamgames. There’s already signs of this in the UI, and with each dispatched enemy, each character gains a certain amount of points per kill/capture/etc. A proper comparison would be thatGotham KnightsRPG systems are more akin toAssassin’s Creed Odysseyinstead ofAvengers, as the game didn’t show off any new loot, just different character costumes entirely. There areelements of damage calculations for weapons inGotham Knights, so it is possible that loot plays a bigger role, but it doesn’t appear to be the sole focus of progression.
Avengers' Arcade-Like Mashup
Perhaps obvious based on the two types of games, but it is worth pointing out that the character roster between both games is vastly different. In a lot of ways,Marvel’s Avengersplays like an arcade-like power trip, as players can controlpractically any mainstream member of the Avengers. Each of the playable characters coming to the game has their own unique playstyle, but they’re all based on light attack/heavy attack playstyle for simplicity, with some special abilities in between, and more are on the way. Loot and gear aside, the gameplay isn’t particularly complicated or highly skill-based, and only involves minor reaction tests and strategy.
As forGotham Knights, combat appears to be less hectic but is more reaction-based and tailored to character’s abilities.Each member ofGotham Knights' Bat-familyhas their own unique subset of abilities along with their individual weapons and playstyles. Batgirl, for example, utilizes several special abilities like a bat swarm and flurry attack that drains a special meter under her health. There’s also the classic elements of verticality and grappling-hook-platforming from previousArkhamgames. WhereasAvengersis taking a catch-all approach to its variety of heroes,Gotham Knightsis honing in on its more concise roster and fleshing out their movesets individually.
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Two Different Styles of the Superhero Game
Obviously withAvengers, the scope of the game is far greater thanGotham Knights, but that doesn’t change the fact that they’re two very different games. Scope isn’t everything either, as some may find that they prefer the concise, controlled nature ofGotham Knights' gameplay and narrative when it releases.Marvel’s Avengerslargely plays out more like a classic arcade game, on the other hand, and likely does so on purpose. It’s meant to be a strictly fun gameplay experience that flexes its gameplay depth in the loot systems.Gotham Knights, at least from what can be gathered from the trailer and gameplay, seems to be going for a more traditional RPG approach whilst also making combat more mechanically complex.
Like theArkhamgames before it,Gotham Knightswants to be a superhero simulation that makes players work for the satisfaction of being like Batman.Avengerswants to make the superhero experience as straight-forward as possible, and that’s not a knock on the game by any means. These are two very different superhero experiences, and it would be interesting to see how the two games compare once they’ve both launched.
Marvel’s Avengersreleases June 17, 2025, on PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One. PS5 and Xbox Series X versions are also on the way.Gotham Knightsreleases in 2021 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
