Review: Lego Batman (PS3)

Written by Dan Zuccarelli

Friday, 10 October 2008 08:35

Ever since the first Lego Star Wars game there's just been something about the series that strikes a chord with me. Granted they're essentially kids games at heart but the style and execution give them a much broader appeal. I for one have spent a large amount of time playing the games with my fiancee, both the Star Wars and (to a much lesser extent) Indiana Jones. They're fun, mostly simple and a great way for us to get some gaming in together.

But for both of us Batman was easily our most anticipated, being that we're both comic book nerds. Well, it's finally here and at a time of year where it has to fight for game time with tons of huge fall releases. So does Lego Batman get to stand alongside cool Batman stuff like The Dark Knight or Year One or does it belong closer to Batman & Robin?

Thank Flying Spaghetti Monster LEGO Batman seems to deliver on all fronts. I think from a story perspective it benefits from not having to follow the plot of any particular movie. Unlike Star Wars or Indiana Jones, the story in LEGO Batman is unique and allows them to not only include a whole ton of different characters but they don't have come up with ways to make slow parts of the movies exciting. It's a huge plus.

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Of course the story here is pretty simple not to mention pretty much done before. All the villains break out of Arkham Asylum an join forces to beg, borrow and steal from the good people of Gotham. That leaves is to Batman and Robin to save the day and take down the baddies.

Of course with any of these LEGO games the fun really comes from the spirit of the thing, that a world made out of LEGO is inherintly a lot more fun. I think Star Wars was a perfect fit, since everything in the world could be made out of LEGO pieces (ships, robots, etc). LEGO Indiana Jones on the other hand I think struggled with the style, since you can't really make caves, tombs, lava, etc out of LEGO. What you were left with felt disjointed, a real world with LEGO pieces tacked on. Taking LEGO Batman into the city fixes that issue, since buildings and cars lend themselves to the treatment.

The Batman in the game isn't drawn directly from any of the movies or TV shows, but seems to be a blend of all of them. As usual none of the characters talk during the cutscenes, though they're still extremely funny and always seem to bring a smile to my face while they move the plot along.

I also think Batman fixed the earlier issue of having to use specific characters to complete specific tasks by using different super hero suits. So when playing as the heroes, Batman and Robin can change outfits at certain points to complete tasks. For instance Batman can change into a protective heat suit or a glide suit. It streamlines the process, and it's a welcome change. You'll still need certain villains' abilities to reach certain areas, but at least as the heroes Batman and Robin can handle everything on their own.

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Gameplay wise I felt like this installment is a huge improvement over Indiana Jones, as the puzzle and platforming weren't nearly as frustrating here. This is a very good thing since my fiancee doesn't really have a talent at playing games. In Indiana Jones there were a few times she had to give me the controller to navigate some weird jumps. It was a real downer so I'm happy to see it not happening here.

In addition to playing as Batman and Robin you'll also be able to play the same missions as the villains, which is a great way to extend the life of the game and offer a whole host of fun characters to play as. Playing as Batman is cool, but playing the Joker is even cooler.

Overall it's a solid addition to the LEGO franchise, a small upgrade from Star Wars and a huge leap ahead of Indiana Jones. If you've enjoyed the previous titles, you'll find more to love here. It works best as a co-op experience.