Written by: PlayDevil.com Staff

 

 

 

There are two ways you can view Gotham City Imposters, you can either see it as a comical shooters, or a game trying to cash in on the Batman licence. My own opinion changed dramatically during the short course of my demo, having gone in incredibly sceptical I was won over by just how much fun I had with the comic verses team based FPS gameplay.

 

Of course entering the highly competitive online competitive FPS genre Gotham City Imposters has to be a lot more than ‘fun’ to succeed. Most important among the games extra attributes is that its gunplay and movement are incredibly solid. Developer Monolith has been responsible for a number of high profile FPS's so it is now that they have manage to bring their skills to the downloadable title, but it is the manner in which they handle locomotion around the different maps that really differentiates it from traditional run and gun combat. Combining both trampolines to gain height and a grappling hook I was able to rapidly move around the environment in a way that fast become second nature.

 

The other key to the games appeal finds itself in the Batman vs. Joker mechanic of the game. Set in a Gotham City everyone wants to emulate his or her favourite hero or a villain. The fun comes from creating a character based loosely on their team’s idol. 'Batmen' run around with crash helmets and body armour, while Joker-a-likes improvise all manner of amusing weaponry and make up. It is a fun and familiar shorthand that allows for a wide degree of amusing and novel customisation. Levelling up characters unlocks further upgrades and powers allowing the player to continue to evolve as they play.

 

With only a short 3-on-3 demo on show (the final game will support 6-on-6) there was little time to become familiar with all on offer. Thrust in to the 'Fumigation' game mode (a simple control point capture mode) everything was instantly go. I was on the Joker team and a range of standard weapon types were on offer for each of the demo’s preset characters. Though all possessed a decidedly makeshift like in appearance each of the guns was instantly familiar, with sniper, shotguns and machine guns forming the bulk of the choice. While the two basic weapons carried adhered to genre archetypes my support weapons were more noticeably Joker themed. Low tech but deadly automated turrets stood out from the crowd, along with the noticeably shoddy grappling hook that provided so much of the fun. A simple aim and tap of a bumper saw my character shoot around the map, creating a skill-based speed that is rarely seen in such games.

 

Currently there are only 2 maps were discussed, each set an iconic areas of Gotham, but my short time with the level on show would suggest many more would be needed to really provide value and longevity to the title. The fundamentals are there, and prove incredibly fun. With a range of ways in which to receive XP, level and customise character build Gotham City Imposters could be a popular choice for those looking for a quality budget shooter not based around the modern military this holiday season.

 

Gotham City Imposters will be coming to XBLA, PSN and PC this winter.