Video games have evolved a great deal since they were first introduced. What started as a simple game of Pong has since grown to allow players to embody characters they could never imagine while also controlling ones they've loved since childhood. One of the best examples of this is games that are based on comic book characters. While games starring Spider-Man and Batman immediately come to mind, another title that has also entered the fray could offer something new to the genre -- Gotham Knights.
Gotham Knights is a solo/multiplayer experience where the Bat Family must work together to solve a case following the untimely death of Batman. But rather than solve things alone, players can join their friends and take on the criminals of Gotham as a team with various tools at their disposal. While it may seem reminiscent of the Arkham series, the combat has taken a few liberties that separate it from what came before. A great example of this is the game's adoption of a mechanic from Marvel's most violent game, 2005's The Punisher.
How Interrogation Works in The Punisher & Gotham Knights
In The Punisher, players could control Frank Castle in his one-man war against organized crime. On his journey, he had the opportunity to interact with his enemies and use them to gather information. In doing so, successful interrogation could offer up information, special art and health boosts. But it also allowed a chance for the player to inflict a violent death upon the enemy, which would often be shown in black and white. Because of this mechanic, the game became best known for how the Punisher obtained his intelligence.
In Gotham Knights, the mechanic is used much more passively but also more effectively. For starters, players have to hunt for informants across Gotham City rather than stumble upon them. As a result, players will use their AR mode to scan enemies, and those with a question mark become targets. Players can either sneak up on them to initiate an interrogation or, if caught, they will have to fight. When in combat, players have to eliminate each nonessential enemy and then focus on their informant. Since all enemies have health bars, it's imperative to bring their health down to the red to grab and interrogate them. Each character has their own unique animation, but the end result is all the same, and it's a fast and effective way to gain information.
Does Gotham Knights Improve Upon The Punisher's Interrogation Mechanic?
Gotham Knights carefully but smartly streamlines some of the more detailed and violent aspects of The Punisher's interrogation mechanic. Rather than create a mini-game around getting intel from enemies, Gotham Knights instead focuses on a fast and clean way to get the necessary information from criminals. Plus, being part of Batman's crusade, murder is completely off the table. Saying the mechanic is an improvement may take more dissection, as The Punisher offered more for the player's efforts. But still, from a purely mechanical and speedrun-friendly perspective, Gotham Knights' interrogation is far easier to navigate.
On the other hand, The Punisher offered far more rewards for players, which made grabbing and squeezing enemies for information more enticing. While the mini-game may have seemed arduous at times, it was fitting for the character and a clever way to interrogate enemies. With Frank Castle, it felt ideal. Nevertheless, the bare bones of the mechanic have proven to be perfect for a game like Gotham Knights, and because of that, it's safe to say that streamlining the mechanic served as an improvement.