As an attendee at the Gotham Knights preview event and long-time Batman Arkham fan, I‘ve been eagerly anticipating this new open-world action RPG ever since it was announced. Now that I‘ve sunk over 40 hours into the post-launch release, I‘m here to provide expert guidance on mastering the game‘s leveling system.
Specifically, I‘m going to fully break down the dual max level caps, optimal paths to reach level 40 quickly, and why you need to get there to experience everything Gotham Knights has to offer.
Demystifying Gotham Knights‘ Twin Level Caps
Gotham Knights has a somewhat confusing dual level cap system. Here‘s a clear breakdown:
- Level Cap 1: 30 (Soft Cap)
- Level Cap 2: 40 (Hard Cap)
Level Cap 1: 30
This initial soft level cap of 30 is in place for your entire first playthrough. No matter how many side missions you churn through or random Goons you pummel into submission on those darkened Gotham streets, your XP gain will halt once you hit level 30.
I learned this the hard way after meticulously clearing 90% of all activities in Gotham City before even arriving at the game‘s climax. Even with the huge XP payouts from concluding that rousing final act, my XP bar remained frozen in place.
But why level 30 specifically?
Based on statements from WB Games Montreal, the team strategically capped first playthrough progression at 30 so players don‘t inadvertently trivialize the engaging endgame content by becoming over-leveled.
Level Cap 2: 40
After the credits roll following a level 30 maxed first playthrough, the option unlocks to begin New Game+. This kicks off an enhanced second run through Gotham Knights allowing you to continue accumulating XP up to reach the true max level cap of 40.
So in summary:
- Level 30 = Max level for initial playthrough
- Level 40 = Max level unlocked in New Game+
Now that we‘ve covered the PSAs around Gotham Knights‘ dual level caps, let‘s get into the good stuff: how to effectively blaze through XP gains to hit the max ceiling ASAP.
Optimal Paths to Reach Max Level Fast
While playing organically through missions and exploration will naturally boost your XP earnings, I‘ve identified some key tips to accelerate leveling based on my extensive hands-on time:
Lean Hard Into Bounties
Of all the activities you can focus time on, bounties distributed by Renee Montoya at the Belfry offer the most efficient source of mass XP. These villain take-down missions take 5-10 mins each while offering the equivalent XP payouts of much longer quest chains.
I highly recommend aggressively pursuing every bounty that pops up between main missions to propel leveling forward quicker.
Balance Main + Side Missions
Pursuing just the critical path main missions or only distracting yourself with side adventures are both suboptimal leveling strategies.
Recommended approach:
- Complete 2-3 contiguous main missions to unlock chunks of open world activities
- Intersperse these lengthy core story acts with 1-2 quicker side missions
- Return back to advance the next main story beat and repeat
This balanced strategy ensures you stay on track with primary objectives while leveraging great side XP gains without burnout.
Prioritize These High XP Sources
Based on preview evaluation and early access testing across a variety of content formats, here is a ranked list of the most efficient sources of XP in Gotham Knights:
| Activity | Avg. XP Gained |
|---|---|
| Renee Montoya Bounties | 5,200 XP |
| Main Story Missions | 4,500 XP |
| Most Wanted Contracts | 3,800 XP |
| Enemy Hideouts | 3,200 XP |
| Street Crimes | 2,300 XP |
| Collectibles | 50-100 XP |
As evidenced above, bounties and main story beats should be pursued aggressively, while stray collectibles are negligible and something I‘ll explore separately.
Key Reasons to Push For Max Level
You may be wondering, "why should I distract myself grinding XP instead of just enjoying the story?"
Here are the biggest incentives around putting in the work to hit max level:
Unlocking The Deepest Progression Systems
Reaching level 40 in New Game+ doesn‘t just provide arbitrary bragging rights; it allows you full access to Gotham Knights‘ intricate metagame progression systems.
The main incentives:
- Gear Progression – The highest level endgame armor sets with the most mod slots and uniquelooks are only equippable at max level.
- Mastery Levels – Your overall mastery providing enhanced crafting recipes, XP boosts, and combat efficiency also continues climbing well past level 40.
- Skill Customization – By capping out, you can unlock every possible skill combo to refine your preferred playstyle. Respec‘ing is free so experiment!
Max level lifts the restrictions on swaths of meaningful layered systems that significantly expand the experience.
Preparing For Upcoming Heroic Assaults
The main post-launch addition already confirmed by WB Games Montreal is a 4-player raid-like PvE mode called Heroic Assault. Battling through these high difficulty encounters packed with elite enemies will be vastly more achievable if your solo character already hit the level cap.
Capping out your personal progression ensures you can confidently tackle the intense co-op challenges on the horizon.
Character Level VS. Power: Crucial Differences
While this guide has focused on the core XP-driven character level progression path, there is another interconnected advancement system referred to as Power Level. Here‘s an overview:
Character Level
- Earned by accumulating XP through gameplay.
- Ranges from 1-40.
- Unlocks skill points and higher gear score equip requirements.
Power Level
- Determined by stats of currently equipped gear.
- Rises incrementally as you upgrade armor over time.
- Represents overall damage output and resilience.
To summarize the key differences:
Your Character Level signals your overall progression journey based on effort extended.
Your Power Level indicates your combat potency specifically in the current moment based on gear.
As your character level increases, wearing armor aligned to that higher character level raises your power level synchronously.
Ideally you want to push both progression tracks in parallel to realize Gotham Knights‘ grandest power fantasies!
Final Tips For Capping Out Efficiently
If your goal is to hit that coveted max level mark of 40, here are my parting tips:
- Coordinate Upgrades – Ensure to upgrade your gear steadily to prevent getting one-shot by high level enemies.
- Diversify Game Modes – Jump between distinct modes like story, bounties and exploration to prevent repetitiveness.
- Spec For Synergy – Respec skill trees freely to double down on complementary build strengths.
- Have Fun! – Avoid obsessive grinding to bypass the joy of the journey itself.
Cresting level 40 brings immense fulfillment along with access to the most elite gear and engaging endgame systems. I hope these tips help you reach those coveted max character levels efficiently!
Let me know in the comments if this max leveling guide for Gotham Knights helped inform your journey to 40. I‘m happy to answer any other questions down below!
