Lego Batman

"Where Does He Get Those Wonderful Toys?"

Lego Batman.

Think about those two words for a minute. Lego and Batman. Two of the coolest things in existence. Legos are insanely fun to play with, and Batman is probably the coolest superhero ever.

Combine the two, and you have an incredibly fun game from start to finish.

I recently purchased Lego Batman, having enjoyed both Lego Indiana Jones and Lego Star Wars, and thus far, I've enjoyed Lego Batman far more than I have the other two.

Everyone is represented in Lego Batman, from Batman and Robin, to The Joker and The Penguin and The Riddler. You even have lesser known villains like Bane and Clayface as well.

Without further delay, let's get into reviewing this game and why this is a must buy for any Lego or Batman fan.

Story - 10/10. All of Gotham City's most notorious villains have busted out of Arkham Asylum and on a rampage throughout Gotham City. It's up to Batman and Robin to thwart them once again and send them back to Arkham. However, this time you're not just the heroes. In each chapter (there are 3 with 5 stages each), there are two different story arcs. You can play the hero story arc and use Batman and Robin to thwart the super villains of Gotham and put an end to their nefarious schemes, and after doing so, you have the option of playing as the villains and going through their story arc where they are successful in completing their diabolical plans. There are three main villains (The Joker, The Penguin, and The Riddler), and each one has other villains working with them to complete their schemes (The Riddler has Two-Face, Poison Ivy, and Mr. Freeze working for him; The Penguin has Catwoman and Bane working for him; and The Joker has The Scarecrow and Harley Quinn working for him. There are other villains involved but I don't want to spoil it all.)

In typical Lego game fashion, there is no dialog but the facial expressions and the sight gags set the tone for the premise of the mission at hand. Many times, this will make you laugh out loud, especially for Batman fans.

Controls - 8/10. The control scheme is pretty good but sometimes the angles some of the ladders and grappling points are at make it a tad difficult to traverse without dying a couple of times. A lot of this is typical of the night time battles that are common place in the Batman universe (with the exception of the 60's TV show, Batman typically only fights crime at night. Fans of the comic and the movies will probably already know that though.) So, due to the darkness, it makes some progression and puzzles a tad difficult but by no means impossible.

Graphics - 10/10. Honestly, Traveler's Tale has once again done a great job recreating the universe in Lego. This feels every bit like Gotham City. It's dark, it's ominous, and it's a cesspool of crime and corruption. Even the amount of detail on the Lego versions of characters is impressive and stays true to their comic counterparts. When Two-Face stands still without his guns drawn he will start flipping his coin. The Joker has his deadly Hand Buzzer. There's even a cut scene in The Riddler's story arc where he and Poison Ivy are sneaking into the Gotham Botanical Garden and she gets pissed at him when he steps on a flower. As a long time Batman fan, it is the little things like these that fill me with joy and enhance the experience for me as I am sure it will for every Batman fan out there.

Difficulty - 6/10. This is where the game (and my review score) suffers just a tad. Truthfully, this game is not that difficult. Some of the puzzles are a bit of a head scratcher at times, but most of the boss fights are not too tough at all. I don't know if this game was designed with younger gamers in mind or not, but it wouldn't take an experienced gamer long to blow through this game. Maybe 15 hours tops. But, you can drag out the experience and explore as much as possible to earn as many studs as possible in order to buy stuff. It's simple enough to pick up and play. It'll keep you entertained. But, if you're looking for a long engrossing gaming experience, you're gonna want to look elsewhere.

Replayability - 9/10. There's a number of things to go back and earn because it is impossible to get them all in one run-through. Many of the mini-kit parts and the red bricks will require access to all of Batman and Robin's suits. Fortunately, in Free Play mode you can switch into any suit you want at any time (unlike Story Mode where you can switch suits only on specially designated pods). Also, our beloved heroes are not immune to toxic gas and toxic waste, but a few of our beloved villains are. You can probably figure out who if you think hard enough. Those villains will also be necessary if you're trying to find all of the red bricks and mini-kit parts. If earning mini-kit trophies and red brick cheats isn't enough to keep you playing, there are a couple of hidden missions you can unlock as well by fulfilling certain requirements (which I will not reveal here. You want to know? Read the FAQs or play the game yourself.)

Fun Factor - 10/10. I'm going to sound like a broken record here, but this game is fun. Unlike Lego Indiana Jones and Lego Star Wars (where if have seen the movies you already know how it's going to end), Lego Batman is an all new story line. Batman and Robin have their usual bevy of gadgets to help them be the triumphant heroes they are, and there are times where it is fun to be evil. How many times have you played older Batman games and wish you could play as The Joker? Well, you'll get your wish here. This universe feels complete, and for any Batman fan, it's entertaining without being kitschy (at least nowhere near as kitschy as the 60's TV show). Once you pick this up, it's going to be hard to put down.

Oh...did I mention there's a level where you can a) drive the Batmobile and b) blow up everything in the process? I didn't? Well, I'm mentioning it now. That level, in my opinion, is the most epic of epic wins. I won't tell you when it happens, but if you're anything like me, that will be the most enjoyable level you have ever played.

Rent or buy? Honestly, this is a must buy for Lego and/or Batman fans. If you don't like 3-D platforming or puzzle solving, you won't like this because the vast majority of the game is 3-D platforming and puzzle solving. It's easy enough for younger gamers to pick up and play, and entertaining and nostalgic enough for older gamers to get a real kick out of it. As a gamer approaching 30, I've found this more enjoyable than most of the titles that the PlayStation 3 has to offer. Who needs realism when you can live out your comic fantasies? In Lego no less!

Some hardcore gamers might be turned off by Lego Batman because it's not too incredibly difficult. Some people might have a hard time justifying the $50 price tag because the game is rather short. If that's your stance, buy it used or wait for a price drop. (Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga can be had for $20 brand new now.) It's cheaper than most new PlayStation 3 games out there now, but you're really not getting a whole lot for your money.

Overall - 9/10. The graphics are beautiful, and Traveler's Tale has done a great job capturing the essence of Batman in Lego form. There's enough humor to make this game quite entertaining, and it's easy enough to pick up and play. The difficulty (or lack thereof), the relative briefness of the game, and some odd camera angles keep this game from being perfect. But, it is a worthy addition to any game library. Batman fans rejoice! It's been years since we've had a Batman game that didn't suck! All hail the Dark Knight's most entertaining adventure!

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 01/05/09

Game Release: Lego Batman (US, 09/23/08)