LEGO Batman: The Videogame

Sep 17, 2008

It's been nearly twenty years since the Joker first asked his nemesis, Batman, where he got those wonderful toys. Little did he know back then that the dark knight simply built 'em out of toy blocks... at least, if the upcoming LEGO Batman game is to be believed. LEGO Batman marks the third franchise that Traveller's Tales has brought into the land of LEGO, after "Star Wars" and "Indiana Jones." If the latest three-level preview build is any indication, the third time is definitely the charm.

If you've played any of the previous LEGO games, you should have a pretty good idea what to expect here. Two characters team up to play through a particular level, fighting off enemies and solving puzzles by building or destroying items made up out of different LEGO pieces. One of the interesting things about LEGO Batman is that the missions don't just focus on the heroic side of Gotham City, as players can also play missions from the city's seedy underbelly, playing as part of Batman's gallery of rogues.

For example, one minute you'll play the classic dynamic duo of Batman and Robin, running through the streets and over the rooftops of Gotham to catch Catwoman after her latest heist, while the next minute sees Mr. Freeze and the Riddler teaming up to "liberate" one of Freeze's old ice cannons from police custody at his old ice cream factory hideout. Since the developers aren't limited to adapting previously told stories as they did in the other LEGO games, the missions all feel fresh and original so far.

One of the best things about LEGO Star Wars was that it made the most out of the huge collection of characters, large and small, from the "Star Wars" universe. Ironically, this is what hurt the "Indiana Jones" game, as there just wasn't as recognizable a cast. In moving over to the "Batman" universe, though, the pendulum swings back in the right direction, with a gallery of characters even more varied than those seen in a galaxy far, far away.

It's not just the number of available characters that makes LEGO Batman so much fun though, it's also the variety of special moves each one of those characters has. The Joker, for example, dishes out a shocking handshake to police, courtesy of his electric joybuzzer, and the Penguin lets loose little robotic penguins packed with explosives. Over on the side of angels, you've got Batman with all of his fun toys. By default the Caped Crusader can whip out a Batarang and hit up to five selected targets with one throw. Certain stages also expand the capabilities of Batman and his friends, equipping them with new costumes that add everything from glider wings to magnetic boots to their usual bag o' tricks.

After completing a mission in Story mode, it unlocks a Free Play mode in which players can replay the level with immediate access to a number of unlocked character and their respective abilities. In fact, this is the only way players will have to find all of the hidden goodies and extra studs (used to purchase unlockables) scattered throughout the game. Free Play adds a lot of extra shelf life to the title, and never feels overly repetitive.

So far, LEGO Batman is looking pretty good. It's been a real treat visually, and the characters all have a surprising amount of personality considering they're all made out of LEGOs. The only real problems facing the game at this point seem to be persistent camera issues and the occasionally buggy AI. In certain parts it's hard to judge perspective correctly. This is particularly frustrating when trying to make some of the more precise jumps. At one point it took falling to our doom five different times just to correctly judge a jump from a rooftop to a catwalk just below.

As far as the AI goes, in solo games, more than once we had to backtrack through part of a level because our AI controlled partner got stuck somewhere. It's nothing more than an occasional irritation, and it's non-existent in co-op play, but it's still something that will hopefully be addressed in the final retail release.

After spending time with the preview build of LEGO Batman we're itching to get our hands of the final release later this month. If this build is any indication, LEGO Batman is hands-down the best LEGO game to date. The "Batman" comics fit beautifully within the confines of popular building blocks. Hopefully this won't be the last time gamers get to see a LEGO version of the DC Comics universe. Maybe we'll get a LEGO Justice League next. Just a thought.