So here’s the hypothetical question. You know those guys in The Dark Knight who try and jump the Scarecrow and his men in the parking garage? I’m not talking about Batman himself, who comes in to swoop up the mess. I’m talking about the dudes in hockey pants, carrying around guns and delivering their own brand of justice. Well, what if they got their own game, giving players the chance to lock and load against a breed of street thugs that dressed up as the Joker? Well, it appears that Monolith, the developer behind the F.E.A.R. games, has asked a similar question, and now we have the result – Gotham City Impostors. Being released in hindsight of what is considerably the greatest Batman game ever made, Arkham City, is probably tough for a game like Impostors. And the fact that the majority of it, save for some minor challenges and a tutorial, takes place online may be a hard sell as well. And no Mark Hamill…well, to some, that’s a deathknell. But hold your horses. Remember, this is Monolith we’re talking about.
These guys have dabbled in first-person shooters before, and know their stuff. And wouldn’t you know it, they pull off an upset here. Though it’s not entirely nice and neat, we’ll take the victory. The game starts you off in the tutorial, where a pair of members from the Bats team guide you through the basics, using main and secondary weapons, along with accessories like roller skates and a homemade grappling hook. Once you go through these steps (and guffaw at the fact that these loonies actually head up the gang), you can go into battle through three primary modes online – Team Deathmatch, Fumigation and Psych Warfare. Probably the most basic of the modes is Team Deathmatch. It’s a battle to get to 50 points first, or whoever has the highest score when time eventually runs out (around ten minutes). If you prefer something a little more complicated, try Fumigation, in which you have to hold three objectives that add to a percentage count in the corner. The more you dominate a map, the more likely it is that your team will win.
Finally, there’s Psych Warfare, a Capture the Flag-like mode where you can steal offensive gear that leaves the other team without many weapons, save for some really vicious slaps. Ever bitch slap someone on the way to victory? Chances are you will here. There are five arenas in all, scattered throughout the lower sections of Gotham City. These include an amusement park and a dock area, as well as parts of a city that have seen better days. All the maps provide plenty of low ground to run around in, along with scattered trampolines and ramps that allow you to escalate to higher ground, perfect for snipers or those who like taking pot shots at incoming enemies. There’s variety in each map, to be sure. In addition, the customization options are tremendous. You’ll be able to deck out your Bat or Joker in a number of accessories, as well as modifying their voice for taunts and setting up your own custom card, so you can let opponents know just what kind of fight they’re in for. You can also unlock plenty of extra incentives, including weapon mods and some cool new duds to show off.
This featured review concludes on the next page, please click Page 2 below to read more of our final impressions of the XBLA title Gotham City Impostors.
