Lego Batman

"Batman and Robin.....In Lego."

The Lego series of video games is massive. The money made from these games is amazing. Lego Star Wars: The Video Game was the first of these, chronicling the first three movies in the Star Wars saga in Lego form. Lego Star Wars saw two sequels; Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy, and Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga. Traveller's Tales decided to do another movie saga, Indiana Jones. The first game included the first three movies, while the sequel, The Adventure Continues, will include KOTCS. One of their more recent forays in video games, is Lego Batman, an entirely original adventure into the Lego world, based off of the Lego Batman toy line.

Gameplay: Just like Lego Star Wars and Lego Indiana Jones, Lego Batman is an action adventure game. Players must progress through levels while using certain abilities, tools, and building contraptions out of Lego pieces. New abilities include tightrope walking, and costume changing. Batman, Robin, and Batgirl use their fists during battle, while other characters use different weapons, such as guns, swords, and freeze rays. With the speed of building items being increased, so is the importance of building. Suit changers need to be built in order for a superhero to change costumes, orange handles need to be attached to move dumpsters, and cars. One cool thing in this game is the ability to play as the villains from their perspective. Here, you get to see how their elaborate plans came to life before their destruction by the Dark Knight. Gameplay gets an 8/10.

Graphics: Generally, they are okay. I really wouldn't expect an improvement from Lego Star Wars: TCS, but they are okay, but the occasional glitch can really screw you over to the point where you have to start the level over. Graphics get a 7/10.

Sound: The music is enjoyable, in fact it's a score from Tim Burton's Batman movie. While the music is okay, there is nothing else. The same ominous tune is essentially set on repeat, prompting me to put on my iPod. If you can stand repetitive music over and over and over again, then this is the score for you. Oh! I forgot that the music gets slightly more dramatic when you fight a boss, otherwise, you hear the same song over again. Music gets a 3/10.

Re-playability: To be honest, this is the best part of every Lego game. If you are a completionist, like myself, then you will enjoy this game. Collecting minikits, saving hostages, and collecting power bricks essentially nets you most of the percentage of the game, aside from the story, but what sucks about the actual 100 percentage of the game, the finality of it, is the only thing you can get is Ra's Al Ghul. While he is one of my favorite villains in the Batman universe, I was kind of desiring more of a reward than an immortal man, I really think a better reward should have been in place, but really I think the Replay value gets a 9/10.

Overall: This game is really more for children or the avid Lego fan. It lacks the scope of Lego Star Wars, in number of characters, and levels, plus there really isn't much left after you beat the story, just playing through the level one more time for minikits and the like, leaving this game clueless as what to do next.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 11/02/09

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