Common Sense Media Review
By Marc Saltzman
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Team-based shooter for comic book fans is fun but flawed.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Play
Videos and Photos
Gotham City Impostors
What's It About?
In the movie The Dark Knight, fans of Batman dressed up as the Caped Crusader and took to the streets to fight evil. Now you can do that in the game GOTHAM CITY IMPOSTORS, a downloadable multiplayer first-person shooter for Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network, and Windows PCs. Up to 6 vs. 6 teams of gamers can dress up like Batman or his arch nemesis, The Joker, to take to the streets and use weapons and gadgets to destroy the other team. The over-the-top and cartoon-like shooter features a few different modes including Team Deathmatch, Fumigation (think Domination), and Psych Warfare, where the object is to get a battery back to your base and then defend it for as long as you can.
Is It Any Good?
Gotham City Impostors is sort of good. On one hand, it can be a fun and frantic game with a lot of customizability, upgrades, weapons, and gadgets to choose from -- including some wild options like grappling hooks and ice guns -- which are fun to unleash on unsuspecting enemies. On the flipside, however, the matchmaking was often slow and unstable, there are a few mandatory online accounts that need to be set up first (including a Warner Bros. one), and maps that are hit or miss. Plus, some weapons and upgrades seem to have more of an effect than others, so some players were complaining about balancing issues and time vs. payoff concerns. Overall, Gotham City Impostors can be an enjoyable and colorful first-person shooter that needs more polish before you consider dropping $15 on it.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what downloadable digital games are appropriate in their family. Because there isn't a retailer who can turn down the purchase and no box for parents to see an age rating in the corner, this is harder for parents to navigate.
The violence in this game is cartoony and over-the-top. What is the impact of such violence on teens?
Game Details
- Platforms : PlayStation 3 , Windows , Xbox 360
- Pricing structure :
- Available online? : Available online
- Publisher : Warner Bros. Games
- Release date : February 7, 2012
- Genre : First-Person Shooter
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic ) , Superheroes , Adventures
- ESRB rating :
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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