Review: Lego Batman
I've been enjoying the Lego games in a pretty hardcore way for the last six months or so - not just because I'm a fan, but because the boyfriend is a superdy-duper-megafan. So with the benefit of some hot gay insight, I've been swimming neck-deep in Lego Gotham for the past week. Traveler's Tales has performed the same makeover we've become accustomed to, putting cutesy Lego touches on fearmonger Batman, his goofy sidekick Robin, and giving just about every conceivable Batman character a Lego pose. That formula is the game's biggest strength and its worst weakness, depending on the situation and your point of view.
There isn't a lot new here - if you enjoyed Lego Indiana Jones or the Lego Star Wars games, you'll find a lot more to love here. The frustrations from the previous games are all alive and well here also - some environmental glitches, unwieldy AI, and lackluster vehicle missions. The humor that made Lego Sean Connery and Lego Leia so recognizably funny isn't quite as alive here, because for the most part Lego Batman sticks to standard DC Batman schtick. It's still cute as hell to watch Catwoman strut her stuff, but it lacks the recognizable pop of iconic moments from George Lucas' Star Wars and Indiana Jones films.
Since the previous Lego games were all based on films, there was a certain common thread pulling the player along. If you hadn't seen Indy hiding behind a rolling gong in Temple of Doom, for instance, you might have been a bit lost at a certain point in the game's "Shanghai Showdown" level. Batman is missing some of these narrative hooks, which is a double edged sword: the game isn't tied down by film story points, but it can leave you up a creek if you get stuck.
Traveler's Tales hasn't crafted a film-quality story for Lego Batman, nor lifted much story from DC's rich catalog - on the contrary, the everyone-escapes-from-Arkham premise is about as plain as you can get. The characters, on the other hand, are a real trip, and although Lego Batman's over 50 characters are fewer than any other Lego game's roster, they come straight out of DC history. Baddies like Poison Ivy and Catwoman are de rigeur, but Man-Bat, Killer Moth and the Mad Hatter will thrill Batman fans (and probably confuse everyone else).
One big improvement is the embellishment of character abilities. While the previous Lego games had an assortment of special abilities - Thuggees who could access certain statues or Jedi and Sith who could interact with the environment by using their Force powers, Lego Batman has a whole roster of specialized heroes and villains, and the environment and puzzles reflect that diversity. Mr. Freeze's ice powers can create frozen platforms across a river of lava, Poison Ivy can grow certain plants, and so on. You can really see how much creative energy went into that aspect of the game.
The non-Lego bits of Lego Batman are a real step up from the previous games, graphically speaking. Gotham glitters moistly in the darkness, with surprisingly realistic sets and an environment that pulls you into the action - mostly. Because the Lego games are told on such a wide, shallow stage, there are some depth issues that hamper the fun. It's kind of alarming that Traveler's Tales has taken us through seven films and one beloved comic universe without tuning some of the basic mechanical issues. In some ways Lego Batman's issues are worse than Lego Indiana Jones: there are ladders to climb that look straight but need to be climbed at a random (and occasionally inconsistent) angle, as well as big glidey jumps that should be simple but aren't, because the angle of the camera doesn't let you see how off-center you are. A more fluid camera would have made all the difference in the world. (In other words, if I have to fly across a gap, please let me see the friggin' gap.)
Just about everybody is talking about the Villain levels, which you unlock after completing one of the game's three main story arcs. It's hands-down the best part of the game, since you'll be replaying the story you've just finished from the bad guys' point of view - across mostly new environments. Batman's great and all, but he's more than a bit wooden by nature, and sashaying across the screen as Poison Ivy or the Riddler is just too rich in comparison. I found myself hurrying through the main game to get to the villain levels, and that's not even taking Free Mode into consideration.
Lego Batman is the perfect game to play with a friend (or hot sexy boyfriend), and it's a gem for Batman fans and/or fans of the Lego games. If you've never loved the Lego games this is probably not a good time to start, nor does Lego Batman raise the bar terribly higher than the previous Lego games. Frustrations compete with pleasures to keep this game from being top-notch, but it should earn a well-deserved place in the hearts of Lego and Batman enthusiasts.
7 out of 10.
tiny dancer
Posted to Hot Stuff, Reviews, Video Games on 2 October 2008
· Comments (2)
Other stuff like this: batman, lego, lego batman, traveler's tales, tt games
I've been playing it for 4 days now & I love it. I've loved all the Lego games so far. It even made me like Indiana Jones, I don't care for the movies at all. Batman may be stiff but I find the humor of Robin & the other characters more than make up for it.
Great review.
You can definately tell you've gotten into the game. None of the other reviews I've read mention the powers bit.
I love the Lego games!