LEGO Batman: The Videogame

When I bought LEGO Batman:  The Videogame (PS3 version) at the shop assistant told me that it was the best of the LEGO games he’s played. I’d liked Star Wars LEGO on the PSP so the assistant’s recommendation peaked my interest. I had masses of LEGO when I was a kid (its all still in storage at my parents – so they keep reminding me) and I’m a Batman fan so the appeal of the game for me is really a no-brainer.

The Game

The format of the Batman LEGO will be instantly recognisable to anybody who has played any of the other LEGO games. Its a combination platform/puzzle/arcade game spread split into three episodes each with five missions which can be played as either hero or villain scenarios (30 levels total). You play Batman, in the first instance, battling to thwart the villains plans. You can switch between Batman and Robin at will or a second player can play Robin. They’ve obviously put a lot of effort in to make Robin a rounded character in his own right. He has his own abilities distinct from Batman’s abilities and you may actually find yourself using the character more that Batman for some levels.

A feature in the game is the ability to play as both the good guys and the bad guys. Once you’ve finished the level as Batman and Robin you unlock the ability to play the same scenario from the villains perspective. This isn’t just the same level reset, but it is an entirely new level based on the events that originally brought Batman and Robin into action. Each of the villains has some new or variant ability. The Joker has his joke buzzer, Catwoman has her whip, the Riddler can hypnotise people (a hold over from the movie franchise). The Penguin is surprisingly one of the strongest characters as he can use munitions and glide.

Full advantage is made of the LEGO physics. Destroying objects reveals LEGO pieces that your character must then assemble into a new object which he has to use to solve a particular puzzle. For example, destroying a set of barrels may reveal pieces that Batman can use to build a ladder which will then allow him to reach a high platform. For the most part the puzzles aren’t that taxing – you don’t have to figure out how to make the LEGO object; you only have to find the necessary pieces and let you character do the rest.

Each level has an associated “mini-kit” – ten icons hidden in hard to reach places or behind quick puzzles. Each of them represents a piece of a LEGO kit based on the theme of the level. Collect them all and you receive a stud bonus. Studs are the currency in the LEGO world and are awarded for completing just about any task (defeating an enemy, completing a puzzle, even just exploring). On each level there is a “power brick” hidden behind a slightly more involved puzzle. Finding that unlocks extras and upgrades that you can buy with you’re collected studs. This includes enhancements to abilities (faster building, more detonators, etc) or extras (mini-kit detectors, multipliers to your stud total, etc).

In general the stud system works quite well, but it really isn’t that important to the Story mode. However, once you’ve finished a story level you unlock the ability to “freeplay” it. This allows you to go back and replay the level with whatever character you want and to switch between a large selection of characters at any time. This is important as not all mini-kit icons can be found during the story mode. There will be puzzles that Batman and Robin just don’t have the abilities to complete. You may have to use Poison Ivy to grow plans or use the Joker to power a generator with his joke buzzer. The latter is a particular pain as you don’t unlock the Joker until quite late in the game so you’ll end up going back to earlier level just to complete one or two puzzles that need him.

The World

The first episode is based around the Riddler’s attack on the Gotham City Mint, the second is the Penguin’s attack on Gotham City, and the third is the return of the Joker. Each of the boss villains has a group of name villains working for them. The full roster of villains is quite impressive and includes Mister Freeze, Catwoman, Harley Quinn, Killer Moth (the old fashioned version), Man-Bat, and Poison Ivy. There is a tension in the game between the Batman franchise – the storyline – and the LEGO franchise – the Packman-like stud collecting. After playing it my recommendation is to play the hero and villain storylines to completion before attempting the freeplay.

The story mode is actually pretty cool and is definitely the selling point of the game. Each of the characters is captured surprisingly well and a real sense of characterization is archived despite the characters being mute and made of plastic. There is a real sense of fun throughout the game. This isn’t quite Adam West camp, but its obviously a game accessible to a younger audience. Robin goofs around in the background of the cut scenes, Killer Moth is attracted to bright lights, and the Penguin’s goons are pint-sized robot penguins with guns. Think Brave and the Bold more than The Dark Knight.

The LEGO games are obstentially based on film franchises (Indiana Jones, Star Wars) and this is the same with the Batman game. The sound track is instantly recognisable as Danny Elfman’s score from the first Tim Burton film. The Prince songs thankfully aren’t there, but do you encounter a few secret discos in the game. Prop designs and some later locations are also recognisable from Batman: The Movie. However, that doesn’t stop the game importing characters from there regular comics continuity. The end result is a nice blend of many different Batman continuities to create its own LEGO Universe. Unsurprisingly there are also actual LEGO kits to buy of the vehicles and accessories from the game – for some reason they’re pretty expensive.

This game may be a little too easy for some hardcore gamers and may not have quite the right tone for some comics fans. I can understand both points of view, but the game was just too much fun for me to sympathise with either. There isn’t much that stops Batman LEGO being perfect.