Batman, meet guns. From the makers of F.E.A.R., Gotham City Imposters squirms under the vast, caped shadow of the caped crusader. On the E3 show floor, a giant monochrome banner reminds all that Arkham City is king on the Warner Brothers boardwalk. That hasn’t kept Monolith from boldly going where no bat has gunned before — a downloadable, first-person shooter set on the grimy streets of Gotham.
At first glance, Imposters seems a standard, albeit colorful, multiplayer FPS. Five minutes hands-on reveals there’s more beneath the mask. Players assume the role of the Bats or the Jokerz, vigilante gangs formed in allegiance to the ideas their idols embody. As with any good vigilante, customization defines. Monolith has packed Imposters with hundreds of appearance options, from face paint to tutus, from cowls to body type, and everything in between. The comic tradition sits on the sideline (though DC Comics’ Jim Lee is on board with the project) in favor of comical expression. Ostentatious only scratches the surface.
Guns are guns, and guns play like Team Fortress 2 in Imposters. Traversal is another story. Monolith says that verticality plays a major role in each map, which became quickly evident in the E3 map “Amusement Mile,” a run-down, graffiti-covered carnival. Player classes (with just as much customizable depth) allow players to don fully-functional wings for use with vents, and rollerblades for launching off ramps and skating the premises swiftly. The thrill of introducing an enemy’s face to two fuzzy boots at the end of lengthy glide is even more satisfying in first-person.
Team Deathmatch is Team Deathmatch, but “Psychological Warfare” makes the most of Imposters‘ twisted, light-hearted premise. It’s capture the briefcase, but the briefcase (a battery), once returned to a team’s base, sends out brain-washing mantras. The propaganda sends the opposing team into chaos, and each possessed player drops their weapons and dashes about slapping wildly in hopes of disabling the device before thirty seconds are up and a point is scored. The frantic, vertical movement shines here, emphasizing the almighty melee in a genre that has all but forgotten the days of “Slappers Only.”
First-person shooters are first-person shooters. Imposters, though a first-person shooter, is not simply. The playfulness of the game’s inspiration comes through in almost every aspect (most weapons notwithstanding), and items like a grappling hook, pipe bombs, boomerangs, and energy drinks boost the unique spice already inherit to this game. The downloadable distribution promises a keen price tag for Imposters that shooter and comic fans alike will be hard-pressed to resist when it releases this fall. This city needs you.
