That’s right. The Lego men are back and this time they’ve invaded the city of Gotham. Traveller’s Tales has always done a great job of transferring different worlds into LEGO pieces, but can they keep up their success with a city as dark and corrupt as Gotham? This is actually want makes the game, in my opinion, more successful than any of the previous Lego franchises. It’s take on a plethora of villains, and its heroes, Batman and Robin, create for some very memorable moments and some side-splitting laughter.
Keeping with the trend of the previous Lego games, Lego: Batman is broken up into three different acts with plenty of villains in each. Only in the sublime world of LEGO could Batman take on this many villains. Everyone from the Joker to Killer Croc seems to make an appearance somewhere throughout the game. The game also does a great job of educating people about the Batman universe. Before every level, the game presents the player with a short description of the villain they are about to face. Newcomers to the Batman universe will love this feature, and even the most avid of Batman readers may learn a thing or two from the short descriptions. This is also the first LEGO game to feature its very own story. While dialogue is still nonexistent in the LEGO universe, the comedy is as spot-on as ever. Batman’s intense personality coupled with Robin’s…misfortunes…create some great tongue-in-cheek humor.
Anyone who played LEGO: Star Wars or LEGO: Indiana Jones should feel right at home with LEGO: Batman. The game still revolves around basic platforming elements, but that doesn’t mean that it’s exactly the same as the previous games. Just as Luke had the Force and Indiana Jones had his whip, Batman has his ever famous batarangs and grappling hook. Also, instead of using multiple characters to accomplish certain tasks, such as Short Round fitting through small doors, LEGO: Batman uses interchangeable suits to give Batman and Robin all the special abilities they need.
