Gotham Knights deserves an independent spin-off like Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales to celebrate its role in the prequel adventure.
One feature of Gotham Knights compared to other action-adventure superhero games is the fluidity between multiple playable protagonists. WB Games Montreal prioritizes the player's experience in Gotham Knights, allowing fans to switch between Nightwing, Robin, Batgirl and Red Hood in the Clock Tower at any time. In addition, they can play any combination of these roles in the online two-player co-op mode. But if Gotham Knights wants to expand the story and characters of its base game, WB Games Montreal could consider a standalone spin-off.
This may require a more concise experience with a single character as the sole protagonist. In this way, fans will become more familiar with the titular character of Gotham Knights, and no matter which protagonist is chosen, it will be greatly elaborated. Making an indie story would have obvious drawbacks, including that one of the main attractions of Gotham Knights is its multiple protagonists, but if it does get spin off, they should follow the same formula as Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales.
The Gotham Knights spin-off makes Batman playable
The gameplay time of Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales depends on how many optional activities the player is involved in, but its main narrative can be completed in a matter of hours. This may sound short to some fans, but it's a neat experience with elaborate mechanics very different from Marvel's Spider-Man. After the events of Marvel's Spider-Man, Miles gets his own storyline and appears as a new wall-climber. Rhino was even re-enacted, and it worked really well to become a more interesting villain.
If Gotham Knights follows this template to make one or more spin-offs, WB Games Montreal (a video game developer) could flesh out its original IP with deeper world building. Considering that Bruce Wayne is supposedly dead in Gotham Knights, fans may be pleased to see him appear in the prequel story.
Batman can then be played, either as a playable partner in a two-player co-op game or alongside as an NPC. This will allow fans to enjoy Batman without ruining the Bat's moments in the spotlight, which they should relish in Gotham Knights.
Gotham Knights' spin-offs can also realistically show any of its playable protagonists. It would be incredible to see more of their early crime-fighting days, such as revisiting Jason's origins as Robin until his death and rebirth as Red Hat.
Gotham Knights needs to avoid DLCs like "Arkham Series."
One thing is certain about Gotham Knights' post-release content: Batman: Arkham Knight's DLC pack mode should be avoided. The "Sin Season" of Batman: Forrest Gump Knight is great and offers an ending for the influential Arkhamverse villains, but aside from Batgirl's Family Affairs DLC, its Arkham Episodes are pretty abrupt. The Arkham Episode is a supplemental story pack that features Nightwing, Robin, Batgirl, Red Hood, Catwoman, and Harley Quinn in their own mini-narrative.
Almost all Arkham episodes last about 10 minutes and can be impressive, which begs the question of why not simply add them as AR challenges. The story of Batgirl is fleshed out as a nearly one-hour prequel as she and Robin search of Jim Gordon, who is held hostage by the Joker and Harley Quinn at Seagate. Of course, the option to make a spin-off rather than a simple DLC package is a bigger investment, and WB Games Montreal probably doesn't want to risk it.
Standalone spin-offs may also alienate players who may not like one character over another. For example, if fans end up not liking playing Red Hood in Gotham Knights, they will hardly be inclined to play a full-fledged title featuring him. Still, Gotham Knights' Bat family deserves a richer experience than a single game can offer.
Gotham Knights is scheduled for release on October 21, 2022 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.