One of the more memorable scenes from 2007’s The Dark Knight was one that came minutes after the dramatic bank heist, when Batman foils a drug deal organized by Scarecrow. There are a bunch of Batman imitators waiting to pounce on the opportunity but they are no Batman. When one of these look-a-likes asks the Dark Knight what makes him so different, he is quickly chastised with “I’m not wearing hockey pads.”
Regardless of this and other glaring differences, fans the world over chomp at the bit to gain the opportunity to assume the cowl, mostly in the fantasy aspect of having a fortune and a wealth of burgeoning technology at their disposal. The folks at Monolith Productions and WB Interactive have cooked up a solution for us Bat-brains: Gotham City Impostors.
You’re not the real Batman, as one arch-nemesis would quickly point out, but you certainly dress like him. You are a poor man’s version who has to utilize weapons simply because you don’t have the training and the technology to pursue the course of honor of the crew’s inspiration, This is made even more apparent in the only single-player portion of the game, Initiate, a brief tutorial that acclimates the newcomer to what makes this online game unique.
Things like roller skates, well placed trampolines, and meager grappling weapons allow you to move like the Dark Knight. You don’t use fists – you break one of Batman’s two rules, because this is a shooter. This may cause some to cringe, but not so fast, my friend. The Bat Universe is a prime target for weapon customization as the Impostors emulate their hero by creating their own homebrewed weaponry. The gameplay is reminiscent of Xbox 360’s Shadowrun, and the translation to Gotham is a lot smoother than you may expect. Controls in the beta are tight and this bodes well for its full release.
The customization options in Gotham City Impostors (weapon load out, character outfits, etc.) are contingent upon the level you reach while playing through the various game modes, with a proverbial smorgasbord further along. Each round, you sign up to fight alongside the Bats, the Batman homage vigilante squad, or the Jokerz, a crew of folks dressed up like the Clown Prince. The two game modes available in the beta, Psych Warfare and Fumigation, have roots in various Bat villain ploys to attempt to take over Gotham and submerge it in mayhem.
Psych Warfare is a form of capture the flag where teams race to grab a battery and return it to their respective base in an effort to discombobulate their opponent, allowing for some easy kills as the disoriented run around with their arms flailing.
Fumigation is a bit like Halo‘s Domination multiplayer mode, where there are three sections to take control of for a set amount of time. The game concludes when either time runs out or, depending on the team, a swarm of bats or Joker’s toxin overtakes the map.
The level of camp and slight lightheartedness is a definite change of pace for Batman titles in general, making this particular entry somewhat more approachable.
Gotham City Impostors will be available for download on PC, PS3, and Xbox 360 in February 2012.
