LEGO Batman: The Videogame

Sep 25, 2008

I was initially going to tease this review with some kind of "holy blockheads, Batman!" line, but, aside from being kinda lame, it occurred to me that Robin's idiosyncratic exclamation was probably popularized most by the campy '60s TV series starring Adam West or the animated "Superfriends" series of the '70s -- which a fair amount of the game's intended target audience probably hasn't seen. But like the rest of the licensed LEGO games to date -- starting with LEGO Star Wars and the recent LEGO Indiana Jones -- LEGO Batman: The Videogame works on multiple levels. It's colorful and simple enough for kids to mash their way through most of it, but there's enough in the way of slapstick comedy, sly puzzles and tons of extras to keep it interesting for gamers of all ages.

A big difference between LEGO Batman and its predecessors is that it doesn't re-tell the story of any specific film(s). This was probably a good decision, as none of the "Batman" movies (with the possible exception of the recent "Dark Knight") come close to the "Star Wars" or "Indiana Jones" films in terms of iconic set pieces ripe for parodying. Instead, you have a generic "everyone's broken out of Arkham Asylum!" scenario, split up into three episodes focusing on the Riddler, Penguin and Joker hatching separate madcap schemes. If anything, the game feels most indebted to the '90s animated series, with Danny Elfman's 1989 "Batman" score as the soundtrack.

Otherwise, LEGO Batman doesn't change what isn't broke. You control little LEGO-ized versions of Batman and Robin, running around a LEGO-ized Gotham City beating up thugs, solving puzzles and taking on an endless parade of supporting villains like Mr. Freeze, Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn and Two-Face. As usual, there's no spoken dialogue: cut-scenes are all played for slapstick humor, and many produce a good laugh or two. While there's plenty of combat, it's mostly simple button-mashing without consequence. If you die, you lose some coins and continue from the same spot. So it's your ability to solve the game's numerous puzzles that dictates how fast you progress through the game.

Since the LEGO games have always been designed around two characters playing as a team, the dynamic duo of Batman and Robin make a natural fit. If playing solo, you can swap between the two characters at any time, and the computer does a solid job of controlling your teammate. Both have the ability to fire Batarangs at far-off objects, and each can gain additional abilities (needed to solve puzzles) via special suits scattered through the levels. Among them, Batman has a demolition suit to blow up metal objects and a glide suit to jump long gaps, and Robin can pick up a magnet suit that lets him walk up metal walls or a technology suit that allows him to hack certain control panels and control remote objects. The only downside to these suits is that they telegraph the game's punches to some degree: When you see a magnet suit, you know you're going to need it for a puzzle pretty soon.

LEGO Batman also includes controllable vehicles as a regular part of the game, which keeps the general routine of "beat stuff up, solve puzzle" from getting monotonous. Each five-chapter episode has one chapter fully focused on vehicles, one land, one sea and one air. The vehicles are drop-dead easy to control, but these missions can sometimes be vague in telling you what you need to be doing, especially in the flying missions, where your duo control differing aircraft with special abilities that aren't immediately apparent. As a result, it's not uncommon to find yourself flying around aimlessly for a while, unsure what you're supposed to do to advance.

The other major shakeup to the usual formula is the addition of 15 "villain" missions to complement the 15 "hero" missions you play as Batman and Robin. Story-wise, they're the same three episodes focused on the Riddler, Penguin and Joker, just retold from the villains' perspective. However, don't be tricked into thinking that these are recycled maps. They're almost completely brand-new levels and puzzles, only occasionally crossing areas seen in their "hero" counterparts.

In fact, the villain missions turn out to be far more interesting and entertaining than the hero ones. For the most part, Batman and Robin just beat up thugs and solve puzzles in a race to the end-of-chapter boss battle, while the villains get to do far more interesting stuff, like smashing through police barricades with giant robots, remotely controlling a police chopper and crashing it through the front door of a bank, etc. One Joker level set atop a rollercoaster track is vastly superior to just about any of the Batman levels. It's the difference between watching a police chase after a robbery as opposed to seeing the entire heist from the inside. By the time Batman and Robin are on the scene, most of the best stuff has already happened.

Additionally, the villain levels feel less forced since you're constantly given new characters with unique abilities, instead of relying on special supersuits for Batman and Robin. Female characters can jump higher, certain characters have immunity to slime or poison, some can mind-control, and so on. As a result, every villain level has a fresh, unique feel to it, right to the end.

As has always been the case, finishing the basic "Story" mode is barely half the game in LEGO Batman. Each level has tons of hidden areas and goodies that can only be accessed by replaying it in "Free Play" mode, where you can freely toggle between multiple characters and instantly access any special ability you might need. There are many areas and puzzles of each level only reachable in Free Play mode, and finding hidden minikits and special LEGO bricks allows you to unlock extras, bonuses and characters (and, on the Xbox 360, achievements). Even the two home bases of the Batcave and Arkham Asylum are worth spending some time to explore (yes, there are a few secret levels to be unlocked).

Graphically, LEGO Batman looks as sharp as previous games in the series. Aside from the colorful characters and effects providing a nice contrast to the darker Gotham backdrops, the animations remain a high point. Batman and Robin have a number of ways of knocking thugs to pieces, and many of the villains have their own nifty little moves, like the Joker's hand-buzzer shocking would-be attackers. It's probably not a game that's going to be used to showcase special effects, and yet it's consistently attractive-looking while in action.

The only real downsides to LEGO Batman are the fact that online co-op play isn't supported, and the difficulty level can often swing wildly from way too easy to fairly cryptic. Most of the game is an unimpeded march from one puzzle to the next, and may be a little too easy for anyone but young'uns. But in the middle of that you'll get the occasional head-scratcher, mostly boss battles where it's hard to figure out exactly what's going on, and then visual issues like the camera angle hiding a special suit or a hole in the wall that just looks like more wall. It's a little jarring to cruise at 200MPH and then come to a complete stop, which happens quite a few times in LEGO Batman.

But these are minor issues in what's really another fantastic LEGO game. LEGO Batman is simple enough for kids to mash their way through, but addicting and deep enough to hold the interest of their parents, and the rare game perfect for them to play together. It's at least worth a rental, although there's a good chance you'll want to spend more than a weekend with the latest exploits of the Dark Knight.