From Dust seems like the most unlikely title to come from a studio whose recent library is made of blockbuster franchises. With series like Assassin’s Creed, Splinter Cell, Prince of Persia, and Rayman in its arsenal Ubisoft shows no signs of slowing down. But when the company released its downloadable title From Dust the game made a big splash by separating itself from other action-oriented titles the studio usually scribes to.
As a platformer Limbo doesn’t do anything to break the mold but it has one thing going for it that sets it apart from other titles in its genre: atmosphere. Taking queues from predecessors like Ico and Lost in Shadow, the player navigates a nameless boy through the monochromatic landscapes of purgatory in search of his little sister. On the surface it sounds like a meager plot–in fact, some critics have criticized Limbo for its anemic storyline and abrupt ending–but its the emotional connection the player has to this character that’s the ultimate driving force of this title.
At a time when most independent titles released on the Playstation Network or the Xbox Live Arcade were vying to be the loudest, fastest, most destructive games available, Limbo made a name for itself with its minimalistic visuals, ambient soundtrack, and simplistic gameplay. Not to say this game is easy. It is near impossible to predict traps before they happen due to its aesthetic, but I think that’s intentional, and watching its protagonist die in the most brutal fashion over and over again takes a gut-wrenching toll on the player. The mechanics of the game are simple: run, jump, reach, climb, and push, but it’s how the player interacts with the environment that makes all the difference. It is also noteworthy that the game gives no tutorial prior to playing. This only heightens the experience as players are left to fend for themselves in a harsh and unforgiving environment.
It’s amazing the notoriety this game has achieved in such a short amount of time. Despite being an independent game this gem managed to crack the top ten lists of 2010 for such publications as Time, Wired, and IGN. And as of 2011, Limbo is PSN’s best-selling independent game developed by a third party, has received critical acclaim from players and critics, and has sold more than a million copies across all platforms.
In a world with Batman, who else do you need to fight crime in Gotham? Well, while most people would answer no one because it’s the goddamn Batman, The Bats would wholeheartedly disagree as they wage war against the Jokerz every time the Batsignal goes out ( neither side being quite sane). This downloadable game from Warner Bros. Interactive has you taking to the streets to wage war in this first person shooter as a member of one of these two groups.
To be honest, since I first saw the trailer for this game last year I had nothing but high hopes for Imposters. Imposters is a fun take on Gotham city which is normally shrouded in a heavy level of seriousness seen in the Arkham series and replaces it with over the top craziness. The art style, the character designs and just the custom voices to characters all add to the lightheartedness of gunning down your enemies with an assault rifle in Crime Alley.
The gameplay is fast and addictive with each round rolling into the next so you never lose your groove between matches. You have your standard multiplayer modes such as territories and capture the flag matches, but they always through in a little twist. I won’t go into more details as to ruin it for you, but all I will say is it is quite interesting. The gadgets you can use also change up the gameplay as you can grapple across the battlefield, rollerblade or glide meaning you get get in and out of trouble at the drop of the hat. You’re never out of the fight for long.
Like Call of Duty, you can customize your characters to look different and give them access to an arsenal of weapons and gadgets to use on the battlefield most which have a home-made feel to them . However, Imposters goes the extra mile giving you a wider range of perks for your character and a plethora of character customization which actually effects the way you play the game. If you like to play like Rambo, you can choose a heavier and slower body type with more amour, of if you play a scout you can choose the smaller, faster body type with less armour. It’s more choices than you get in most FPSs these days.
Graphics 8/10
Gameplay 8/10
Multiplayer 9/10
Replayability 8/10
The game is much more than you would expect from a downloadable title featuring graphics and gameplay mechanics that even disc titles seem to lack these days. Like I said earlier, I had high hopes for this game and I was not disappointed. If you fancy yourself a Batman fan in any way shape or form, this downloadable title is a must. Gotham City Imposters is now available on XBLA and PSN.