Remember that scene at the beginning of The Dark Knight where Batman drops in to stop the Scarecrow from completing a deal for a batch of psycho-drugs and is interrupted by a couple of guys in homemade Batman outfits and guns? Take that premise, up the wackiness-factor, then blend in some Call of Duty and you have Gotham City Imposters for the Playstation Network, Xbox LIVE and PC via Games for Windows LIVE.

I’ll be honest and say that I went in wanting to like Gotham City Imposters simply because I like shooters that offer something different whether it is style or a unique gameplay mechanics. Monolith’s new multiplayer shooter lands mostly in the former category as a group of six Bat-fakes and six Joker wannabes battle it out. There’s solid gameplay elements that include a little spice, however, it’s the matchmaking and other elements surrounding the gameplay that bog the title down.

First, there is the acceptance of two terms of service, then creating and logging in with a Warner Bros ID before accepting yet another agreement the first time I started the game. This is the new reality of games today but I just want to play.

The matchmaking is hit or miss too and not because of how long it may or may not take to find other players. In matches I played, teams were unbalanced more often than not with multiple level 20-30 players on one side and the other team consisting of primarily level 10 players and under.

There’s also a serious problem with how the game handles players dropping out. In one match of Psychological Warfare, the entire opposing team dropped out of the match not long after it started and yet the game continued on as if nothing happened. We had to wait for the clock to countdown to earn the win and continue on to the next match. Free DLC is supposed to arrive in March that will completely revamp matchmaking and let players join matches in progress. But that’s not what I’m reviewing right yet.

The third non-gameplay issue I have with Gotham City Imposters is the leveling and unlock system that hands out rewards slowly. For example, you don’t unlock a second custom class until level 12. Unlocking all the guns and mods is similarly grinding. Imposters features an overwhelming 1,000 levels but the rewards feel a little underwhelming. Fortunately, it only takes around one to two matches to level up depending on your skill level. However it wasn’t until I reached around level 20 that I felt like I had unlocked enough to create at least two mostly different custom characters. I actually feel stuck between the urge to unlock more and the dread of the grind needed to unlock all the weapons, mods and abilities.

This leveling structure feels forced in order to implement the micro-transaction system used to encourage players to purchase costumes and other items. For a free-to-play game, this structure is fine. Gotham City Imposters is a $15 game though.

Those issues aside, the gameplay is full of personality thanks to creative use of gadgets like the hand-wound grapple gun and a pair of Batwings that will make you believe a fat man can fly. While there’s a standard assortment of rifles, the game becomes more fun with the wackier weapons and gadgets. The oddball weapons and characters would seem out of place in most games but fit in this madcap take on Batman and Joker devotees.

Similarly, Gotham City Imposters’ five maps are at their best when Monolith dropped all pretense and ramped up the camp factor. Amusement Mile benefits from this the most with a gaudy style while Crime Alley seems dull in comparison despite being set in one of the most central places in the Batman mythos. Ace Chemicals has a certain Michael Keaton/Tim Burton Batman flair while the Docks and Gotham Power feel almost out of place.

Gotham City Imposters’ comes with three game modes with one being a straight up Team Deathmatch while the other two are new spins on standard modes. Fumigation is my favorite of the three and variant of Call of Duty’s Domination and plays like a game of tug of war. Controlling two or all three of the control points in Fumigation pulls the control meter in your team’s direction. If the Jokerz team hits 100% then a toxic cloud of gas is released killing all the Bats. If the Bats team reaches 100% of control then a swarm of bats comes into munch on the Jokerz. It’s a great mode because it appears to be the one that most gives your team the opportunity to pull victory from the jaws of defeat which makes for some exciting matches.

The final mode is called Psychological Warfare and is Imposters’ take on Capture the Flag. A car battery sits in the middle of the map to fight over and bring back to your team’s base to hook up to a device that blasts out hypnotic propaganda. If your team is one the losing side, your character walks around in a daze while the other team can off you for bonus points.

For $15, five maps and three game modes seems like enough content to satisfy. Monolith promises an additional free map in March so there’s a little more on the way. The gadgets and gameplay are a smart take on the traditional online shooter format and Gohtam City Imposters is filled with plenty of personality. The question is whether you’re up to the grind of 1000 levels worth of unlocks and waiting for the matchmaking to get fixed.

This review was conducted on the Playstation 3 with a code provided by Warner Bros. Interactive. 

Written by Scott Grill  (179 Posts)

Scott is one of those “weird” over 30 gamers who’s been around since before the days of the Atari 2600 and has been pounding on controllers and keyboards ever since. Sharing his passion of gaming with his two kids and friends put him on a writing kick that he hasn’t been able to shake off.