The newly released Gotham Knights is a superhero RPG that heavily involves choices. The player will be allowed to progress through a story and several side missions in whatever order they choose, and with whichever character they like. You can change up between Nightwing, Robin, Red Hood, and Batgirl frequently, or stick with one throughout the game.
With a limited number of points to spend per character on skills, and challenges required for unlocking momentum abilities, knowing which to prioritize can be important. Each character has three trees of skills, one bonus "knighthood" tree which will be unlocked later on, and "momentum abilities," which are unlocked by completing challenges.
Nest
Momentum Ability
One of Nightwing's most powerful abilities is "Nest," which can be unlocked from challenges to earn momentum abilities. Nest is unlike the other momentum abilities, as it does not rely on the momentum bar, but rather a standard five-minute cooldown.
Properly using the Nest cooldown can make a huge impact on a fight, in particular one against a wave of enemies, as it will summon an area of effect circle that will damage opponents as well as heal and protect Nightwing.
Elemental Shockwave
Momentum Ability
The momentum abilities offer a unique flavor to each character's fighting options, and serve as a sort of ultimate ability to do some extra damage. "Elemental Shockwave" sounds down a powerful area of effect blast that can kill lower health enemies in one shot.
This ability is particularly effective against the Talons from the Court of Owls, who are some of the strongest villains in Gotham Knights. Since they cannot be hit by melee attacks until they're stunned, the shockwave does a solid job of disabling them to do so, as well as damaging them outright.
Flying Trapeze
Knighthood Skills
Unlocking the Knighthood skill tree and traveling ability is one of the best Gotham Knights tips for beginners, as being able to roam around Gotham City at high speeds can limit much of the travel time, as well as offer some terrific scenery.
The "Flying Trapeze" unlocks Nightwing's glider, which will allow him to travel quickly around the map and to descend on enemies from above. It won't take too much time to unlock the Knighthood skill tree, but the abilities following the trapeze can be very helpful for combat.
Nest Buffs +
Knighthood Skills
One of the most useful skills to be picked up from the Knighthood tree is "Nest Buffs +," which will add some pretty sweet improvements to the powerful "Nest" ability. Since many missions in the game will rely on being able to fight waves of enemies, improving on Nest can be a huge help.
It may seem boring to pick up an ability that itself doesn't allow for a new move, but the added power will be a huge help for fending off large forces.
Assassin's Mark
Raptor Skills
Unlocking "Assassin's Mark" allows Nightwing to mark enemies. Being able to mark enemies is important for two reasons. For one, the bonus damage Nightwing will be able to do to marked enemies can make fights go by much quicker.
Secondly, missions will sometimes offer bonus objectives for taking out marked enemies. Completing bonus objectives gives a nice boost in reward for materials and XP, both of which can help players customize their character further in the future.
Critical Expertise
Raptor Skills
The extra strength from critical expertise will bring fighting as Nightwing to life, which is one of the aspects that made Gotham Knights one of the most anticipated games of 2022. Nightwing's combat is quick and graceful, while also possessing the strength to knock enemies down.
The extra critical strike damage will allow for more powerful blows, and successful combo chains can see strong enemies shrink in health. For simple melee encounters, having the bonus crit damage can be a huge help.
Family Ties
Pack Leader Skills
One intriguing new aspect of Gotham Knights to the Arkham games is its multiplayer capabilities. Players can forces with their friends to play through missions and free roam the city, which is one of the best versions of Gotham in video games. The third tree of skills, "Pack Leader," is centered around buffs for friends. For those planning to play online, taking a dive into this tree is definitely beneficial.
The "Family Ties" ability offers the best boosts to allies, but also a sturdy defensive boost to Nightwing in single player, for those playing on their own. Enemies can come in large waves throughout the game, and being prepared with strong defensive skills is a good idea.
Extra Momentum Bar
Acrobat Skills
The momentum abilities can be very helpful, especially for dealing with large crowds of opponents. Hacking away with combos of light and heavy attacks can get grueling as well, so having fun abilities to spice things up makes the game's combat more enjoyable.
The momentum bar builds up from landing hits on enemies, and this ability will add another momentum bar. An extra bar means extra special attacks, and combining multiple can be devastating for enemies with large health bars.
Momentum Gain Plus
Acrobat Skills
Having an extra momentum bar is one thing, but filling it up is important too. Nightwing's "Momentum Gain Plus" allows for a speedier refill of his momentum bars, allowing players to use these special attacks more often.
This can be great for fighting multiple opponents, as players may become reliant on the momentum abilities to clear out big rooms of enemies. These increased gains will allow the usage of momentum abilities in rapid succession.
Aerial Damage Plus
Acrobat Skills
When dealing with a group of enemies roaming in Gotham City, getting a strong first strike can be essential to survival. If the player is able to pick off some opponents with silent takedowns, this is ideal, but some situations force going loud immediately.
A strong aerial attack is a good way to limit one or two immediate threats. Also, with Nightwing's momentum ability, "Pounce," he can get aerial attacks in the middle of combat, creating chains of high damaging blows with the added damage from "Aerial Damage Plus."
