Lego Batman

"Holy building blocks, Batman!"

In 2005, Travellers Tales (TT) released a game. A Lego game. The twist? It was Lego Star Wars! Its success prompted the company to make a sequel – Lego star Wars 2: The Original Trilogy. Some more time passed and we got Lego Indiana Jones (which I haven't played yet) and this year (2008) we get Lego Batman! Batman is one of my favourite superheroes and I adore TT's Lego games so there was no way I wasn't getting this. If there's one thing TT gets right each and every time, it's making great use of the licence. They did it exceptionally well with the Lego Star Wars games, I heard they used it very well with Lego Indy and that trend continues with Lego Bats.

The game, unlike previous Lego titles is not based entirely on the films. Sure, it's got the Danny Elfman soundtrack playing throughout the adventure and Gotham looks like it's been lifted straight from the Batman movies, but that's where the similarities end. It's a bit of a mixture of the first 2 films (Batman and Batman Returns), the animated series (by Bruce Timm and Paul Dini) and the campy 60's television series. It blends all 3 aspects well in a way that only the Lego universe could. It is definitely the darkest game that TT has made solely because of a few creepy Elfman tracks and the fact that Batman is a dark comic book series. However, the darkness is balanced out well by the comedic value such as Robin showing off on his bike as he and Batman race to the scene of a crime.


Graphics –

Fantastic as usual! Little Lego mini figures come to life, dripping with personality and charm. Each character has their own little unique animations such as Poison Ivy flicking her hair to the side, Harley Quinn doing a very Eric Morecambe inspired skip, to Joker doing his trademark laugh. The backgrounds are great too; levels can range from very gothic, to very bright and colourful. There are two hubs for the characters now – The Batcave for the heroes and Arkham Asylum for the villains. The cave is very atmospheric with its damp rocky formations, running waterfalls and bats flying about the place.

Arkham is filled with clown goons running amok and constantly starting fights with each other. It looks like a big colourful prison that's been ravaged by inmates, so very interesting! Not as good as the Batcave though.

Really, if you've played through previous Lego games by TT then you'll know what to expect graphic wise.


Sound –

TT have gone and used the original 1989 Danny Elfman theme and subsequent songs for this game. As one who can't get enough of the composer's work, this was a real treat. It probably would have been nice to have some of Elliot Goldenthal's stuff from Schumacher's flicks, because the songs in the game are reused quite a bit, but it still works remarkably well. As for voice acting... well, there's still no voice acting whatsoever. It's all done in mime with the odd grunt or laugh thrown in. Recognisable voice talent is used for Lego Batman such as Steve Blum as Batman and James Arnold Taylor as his sidekick Robin.

As I said before, the only real complaint is that there was a small amount of songs to choose from, so tracks get repeated often, but other than that it's all well and good.


Gameplay –
And we've arrived at the most important part of a game – its gameplay! Lego Batman drives on almost exactly the same formula as it's bigger brothers, but you know what they say; “if it ain't broke, don't fix it!” and I'm pleased to say that TT has taken that little phrase to heart and have left the core gameplay the same albeit with minimal changes.

You've still got a partner following you around wherever you go and you've still got the ability to switch characters at any time of your choosing. One thing I noticed was that the combat in the game is a lot more fist based unlike Lego Star Wars 1 and 2 in which you used your Lightsaber or Blaster Pistol. Having not played Lego Indy, I'm uncertain of how you do most of the fighting in that. It felt quite weird, but I quickly grew accustomed to it. Not all character fight with their fists and feet however, characters like the Joker and Harley can use guns to take out enemies, but if an enemy is too close then they'll switch to melee tactics to dispatch the threat.

One major new thing is the addition of the Batarang for Batman and Robin to utilise. You hold the Square (attack) button down and a little cursor (in the shape of the Bat signal or the Robin logo) appears. Your character will become stationary as you move the little symbol around. If an item flashes, you can use the weapon to destroy it. They can also be used to hit enemies as well. Overall, it's a nice little addition to the gameplay and is true to the Batman character.

Another major new thing are different costumes. Batman and Robin can switch into different costumes if they come across an outfit changer which gives them a new ability such as being able to glide, set up explosives or walk up magnetic walls.

In case you are wondering, yes, vehicle levels make a comeback. It was a helluva lot of fun zooming through the streets of Gotham city in the Batmobile and Robin's bike. They are fast and intense sections of the game.

Character customisation makes its triumphant return as well, allowing you pick and mix several different costume pieces for a mini figure, such as Batman's cowl with Joker's body and Harley's legs. I was personally very pleased that I could make a crude version of one of my made up comic book characters and it was really fun to play through a few levels with her.

Free Play is also back and that is where one of my complaints comes to mind. Complete a level and you unlock Free Play in which you are given a handful of different characters in order to get those few remaining mini kits. The problem is, aside from every single Batman and Robin costume, it also gives you many unneeded characters such as the henchmen who have no special moves or powers. It's quite annoying having to cycle through every character until you get the one or the outfit you want.

Other than that, the gameplay is rock solid. It's the tried and true formula that Lego game fans are used to and it works splendidly.



Lifespan –
There's this percent meter within the game that tracks how much you've done. Trust me when I tell you it'll take you a good while before you get up to 100%. There are characters and vehicles to unlock for Free Play, hints and trivia to read through, extras to get your hands on and more. Oh yeah, Lego City returns in the form of Wayne Manor and Arkham Asylum. You remember Lego City from previous games where you had to get one million studs in as little time as you could? It's back. Only this time, you can do it twice! Arkham is a piece of cake to complete, but Wayne Manor on the other hand... *Shudders*

As if their weren't enough in this game, the final hint (which by the way costs you a whopping 4 billion studs!) states “The End...?” hinting at a possible sequel. I'm all for a sequel.


Overall -
I loved every minute of this little gem. TT, you've done it again and will most likely continue to do so in the future. The sad thing is, not many people will play this game (or other Lego based games) as it's got Lego in the title. Whatever, they are the one's missing out.

If you want a great game for your kid, or if you just want a nice fun game that will take you ages to complete, pick up a copy of Lego Batman. You will not regret it.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 11/26/08

Game Release: Lego Batman (EU, 10/10/08)