"Impostor" just about sums it up
Batman is known for two things: being ridiculously cool, and having a ridiculously dedicated fanbase. Naturally, it would make sense to dedicate an entire game series to him that encompasses his trademark badassery. I mean, come on, who wouldn't want to play a game about the Caped Crusader? He's got a nearly superfluous amount of gadgets, is trained to single-handedly destroy a group of six or more people in hand-to-hand combat without so much as a scratch on him, and is highly intelligent, not to mention he battles some of the most over-the-top, monstrous, and mentally-depraved villains ever introduced, including a freakishly-huge monstrosity that keeps on coming back to life after being killed. So, yeah, despite not actually being gifted with miraculous abilities like being able to fly or bend time to his will, he's still one of the most memorable superheroes ever created, and naturally, he has an incredibly large posse of fans. But who cares about the fans, right?
Wait, what's that? They actually made a video game centered around dedicated Batman followers? Pffft, get outta here! That would be the most boring game e-
...oh. They actually did.
Huh.
As odd as this whole premise sounds, the game is much better than you might think. It's quirky, funny, and manages to emulate modern-day FPSes and pull a surprising deep content amount of its pocket. Yes, I know, I said modern-day FPS. Yes, this means it has class customization and calling cards that act remarkably similar to Call of Duty. Yes, its art style and character customization could be considered derived from that of Team Fortress 2.
No, I don't give a sh*t.
If anything, this game has managed to clock in more hours from me than most big-named franchises on the market today. It's a strictly online-oriented game, but if you're actually reading this review then it really shouldn't be too much of a problem for you. Otherwise, too bad! Don't buy it, Single-Player Sam. For the rest of us, let's just do a background check and see if we can get any information out of Gotham City Impostors.
Being somewhat of a First Person Shooter guru myself, I felt right at home blasting away my opponents with the outrageous tools of destruction the game hands to you, but how does the gameplay hold up? To be honest, if I was judging between this game and another mainstream FPS like TF2, I'd probably go with TF2 as far as gameplay goes, although this game is still solid. It combines TF2's lifebar with that of, um, Skyrim's, I guess. Your health doesn't regenerate at the speed of sound, unlike Call of Duty, but you can use resupply dumps to gain back lost health and ammunition.
The game's layout also feels like a strange mix of TF2 and Call of Duty. The game has customizable classes, but, in a very odd yet neat addition, you can change your character's body type, affecting how fast he/she runs or what types of guns they can carry without being weighed down. Everything else generally stays the same, although there's unique gadgets that are remarkably similar to Batman's, which allow you to grapple and pull yourself onto higher ledges or glide through the air with the grace of a drunken chimp, among other things. They each have quirks, and it really makes me feel like each of the classes I make is different when I choose them, unlike other mainstream games where it's mostly either a "guy with a machine gun," "guy with a shotgun," or " guy with a sniper rifle." The controls work about as smoothly as they come in a first-person shooter, and the gunplay uses the "critical hit on a headshot" mechanic, similar to that of Fallout. The game also makes a decent attempt to coerce you into playing for a long time by adding hidden calling cards, costumes, and other goodies that are unveiled by putting in enough hours, although you can choose to buy them if you are so inclined.
The graphics really suit the game's zany mood, but really aren't anything to write home about. For such an intensely odd game, I would have at least expected to see just a bit more variety in the color palette on some of the levels. Speaking of levels, there's only five of them, and that really sucks for the people who want variety out of the actual gameplay, although I'm sure they'll eventually add some more content to soothe this sore spot. On top of this, though, there's only three multiplayer modes. Three! That's at least half of what most First Person Shooters currently offer in their mutliplayer games. Come on, Monolith! Sure, it's kinda taxing to come up with game modes that would fit the bill of a Batman parody video game, but give me just a little bit more to savor next time!
If I were to summarize Gotham City Impostors... You know what? I really don't have to summarize it, the title does it for me. It takes place in Gotham City, and this game is an Impostor of a lot of other First Person Shooters on the market. Don't take this negatively, though; the game is still unique in its play style, and the fact that it tries to blend elements of pretty much every online FPS imaginable is enough to warrant at least a demo playthrough. If that didn't push the envelope, the campy, humorous nature makes it a good FPS to introduce to your kids. (even though they probably play Call of Duty already. You bastard.) In any case, it's time to wrap up this review with a few sentences worth of terrible Batman puns.
I was really Two-Faced about this game. If you're looking for a game with a sizable amount of content in the customization department, GCI is right up your Crime Alley. It'll also please the gamers who looked at Batman Arkham City and said, "Why So Serious?" If you're looking for map variety or intriguing game modes, though, this game will most likely be the Bane of your existence.
I'm truly sorry for that, by the way.
