LEGO Batman follows on from the successful LEGO Star Wars and Indiana Jones games, with developers Travellers Tales Games this time turning their attention to DC Comics' caped crusader. The game features Batman and Robin on their quest to defeat the metropolis' many indigenous super-villains - and once you've done that, you can take on the role of the deranged psychopath bad guys and girls against the forces of justice.
Unlike the previous LEGO games however, this doesn't follow the storyline of any particular films - there are three main storylines about a fiendish plan, the first masterminded by The Riddler, the second by The Penguin (and to some extent Catwoman), the third by the darstardly plans of The Joker. Plenty of other super-villain characters can be found, generally one being the main character in each level . If you're not familiar with the Batman comics (which I'm not) there'll be a few you don't recognise - Clayface and Killer Croc, for example (some introductory text about these characters is shown before the level begins, which is a nice touch). Others you'll know from the films - Catwoman, Joker, Riddler, Mr Freeze & Poison Ivy (though if you know these because you had to sit through the utterly abysmal Batman & Robin, you have my sympathy), Two-Face. When you play as these characters, they each have unique abilities; this aspect of the game is very nicely done indeed.
The levels are fairly short compared to the other LEGO games, but this is mostly made up for by the fact that there are more of them. Instead of a total of 18 levels you have a total of 30, split equally between Hero and Villain levels. The amount of gameplay is I estimate roughly equal to that of the first LEGO Star Wars game, though less than either LEGO Star Wars II or LEGO Indiana Jones. Compared to its nearest Nintendo WII title - LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga - it doesn't even come close in terms of longevity. Still, it'll keep you (or your kids) happy for a very reasonable amount of time.
Game Modes and Playability
You have two basic game modes - Story and Free Play. While both are set in the same levels, in Free Play mode much more of the playing area is available to you since you can switch between different characters, which means you have more special abilities to play with. Some parts of the game can only be accessed with particular abilities, and typically Free Play mode opens up an extra 50% of the level for you - if you play it right, of course. You can unlock new characters by completing levels, and when you go back to the BatCave you are able to buy new characters.
The gameplay is much like the other LEGO games, in that you have to defeat the bad guys (and girls), overcoming obstacles by solving puzzles, destroying or making structures to allow you to progress, or use your characters' abilities. While you only ever play Batman or Robin in the Hero's Story Mode, at certain points in the levels you are able to change the suit you're wearing. For Batman this might mean being able to plant bombs or glide, while Robin's suits include a magnetic one that allows him to walk up metal areas and a "Technology Suit" which allows him to control certain gadgets. This works well enough and compensates for the fact that you're always playing the same characters.
The levels are, as usual, well designed though there do seem to be a few bugs which make it difficult or on very rare occasions impossible to complete a level if you're done things in an unexpected order. The game has managed to completely crash our WII on one occasion - which is only the second time that has ever happened to us. If these bugs were more frequent they would be a major problem, but as it is, they're a very irregular annoyance.
While overall I didn't quite enjoy the main levels as much as the previous games (though I certainly still enjoyed playing LEGO Batman), the vehicle levels seemed a bit more fun than the previous ones. Riding the BatBike in particular was quite exhilarating - pity that it was on that level the our WII has it's tizzy fit mentioned above, really!
While the basic game play is very much like the previous LEGO games, there has been a lot of thought put into making it a unique experience in its own right. To this end there are quite a few extra features or abilities incorporated into the game and its characters that have not been in the previous games. This makes it a pleasantly different experience while maintaining the familiar controls and feel of all the LEGO games.
The game makes a bit of use of the Wiimote - jerking it forwards initiates an attack (though you're far more likely to hit the key to do it), and you use it as a light gun when firing the "Batamarangs". LEGO Batman uses the Wiimote and nunchuck.
Aesthetics
The graphics in LEGO Batman are pretty good - like most WII games there is an element of fuzziness about the graphics, but they're nicely detailed and overall look good. The character animations are great and often quite amusing. The background graphics are dark and sinister, in keeping with the general atmosphere of the later films and, I believe, the comic books; the characters however often seem to have more in common with Adam West's Batman. There definitely seem to have been influences drawn from that crazy series / movie along with the original comics and both Tim Burton's and Christopher Nolan's vision of Gotham.
The sound effects are also very good, and while the characters don't actually speak, the way Batman grunts in dismay (usually at Robin's antics) or thoughtfulness (usually when a villain gets away or a clue comes up) somehow sounds just like Michael Keaton. The music is okay, but I found it got overly repetitive and quite annoying after a while.
The cut-scenes look good, just like watching a cartoon really, and most of them are funny, some very funny. While the stories told in these cut-scenes are fairly simple, they do a good job of letting you know what's going on and what your main objective is going to be.
The BatCave and the Assylum...
Between levels you can go back to the BatCave, where extra goodies are available and you can use the computer to buy hints, enter cheat codes (I never really understood the point of these myself, but some people seem to like them!), and most importantly buy extra characters. In the BatCave you can also bump into Alfred (your waiter) or indeed any other of the "Good" characters that you have already bought. You can induce random mass brawls if you feel a need...
It's also possible to view any movie clips you've unlocked, get more LEGO Studs (cash), retry levels in Story Mode or Free Play Mode (free play is unlocked once you've completed the Story Mode of a level). Or, you could hop over to the Asylum - which is where all the criminally insane villains are. Basically this is like the BatCave, but for the Super-Villains.
Overall Verdict
LEGO Batman is a highly enjoyable game that is well worth getting, even though it isn't the best of the LEGO games. It's not particularly difficult but it does have its moments, and there are enough levels and challenges to keep you playing for quite some time. It should be noted that I've mainly played this as a 2-player game - the way I believe all of these games are best enjoyed - so I wouldn't necessarily recommend it as a solo game. I have tried a few levels in 1-player mode and, while it works fine most of the time, the AI of your partner can be very dumb sometimes. The Villain levels are perhaps a bit more fun than the Hero levels, but I enjoyed both.
If you're got someone to be the Robin to your Batman (or whatever!), then LEGO Batman is a game that you'll really enjoy. It goes without saying really that if you liked LEGO Star Wars or LEGO Indiana Jones, you'll like this one too.
Related Links
LEGO Games
LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga for Nintendo WII
LEGO Star Wars for PC
LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy for PC
LEGO Indiana Jones for PC
Batman Movies
Batman Begins
Dark Knight
Batman: The Animated Series - The Legend Begins
Unlike the previous LEGO games however, this doesn't follow the storyline of any particular films - there are three main storylines about a fiendish plan, the first masterminded by The Riddler, the second by The Penguin (and to some extent Catwoman), the third by the darstardly plans of The Joker. Plenty of other super-villain characters can be found, generally one being the main character in each level . If you're not familiar with the Batman comics (which I'm not) there'll be a few you don't recognise - Clayface and Killer Croc, for example (some introductory text about these characters is shown before the level begins, which is a nice touch). Others you'll know from the films - Catwoman, Joker, Riddler, Mr Freeze & Poison Ivy (though if you know these because you had to sit through the utterly abysmal Batman & Robin, you have my sympathy), Two-Face. When you play as these characters, they each have unique abilities; this aspect of the game is very nicely done indeed.
The levels are fairly short compared to the other LEGO games, but this is mostly made up for by the fact that there are more of them. Instead of a total of 18 levels you have a total of 30, split equally between Hero and Villain levels. The amount of gameplay is I estimate roughly equal to that of the first LEGO Star Wars game, though less than either LEGO Star Wars II or LEGO Indiana Jones. Compared to its nearest Nintendo WII title - LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga - it doesn't even come close in terms of longevity. Still, it'll keep you (or your kids) happy for a very reasonable amount of time.
Game Modes and Playability
You have two basic game modes - Story and Free Play. While both are set in the same levels, in Free Play mode much more of the playing area is available to you since you can switch between different characters, which means you have more special abilities to play with. Some parts of the game can only be accessed with particular abilities, and typically Free Play mode opens up an extra 50% of the level for you - if you play it right, of course. You can unlock new characters by completing levels, and when you go back to the BatCave you are able to buy new characters.
The gameplay is much like the other LEGO games, in that you have to defeat the bad guys (and girls), overcoming obstacles by solving puzzles, destroying or making structures to allow you to progress, or use your characters' abilities. While you only ever play Batman or Robin in the Hero's Story Mode, at certain points in the levels you are able to change the suit you're wearing. For Batman this might mean being able to plant bombs or glide, while Robin's suits include a magnetic one that allows him to walk up metal areas and a "Technology Suit" which allows him to control certain gadgets. This works well enough and compensates for the fact that you're always playing the same characters.
The levels are, as usual, well designed though there do seem to be a few bugs which make it difficult or on very rare occasions impossible to complete a level if you're done things in an unexpected order. The game has managed to completely crash our WII on one occasion - which is only the second time that has ever happened to us. If these bugs were more frequent they would be a major problem, but as it is, they're a very irregular annoyance.
While overall I didn't quite enjoy the main levels as much as the previous games (though I certainly still enjoyed playing LEGO Batman), the vehicle levels seemed a bit more fun than the previous ones. Riding the BatBike in particular was quite exhilarating - pity that it was on that level the our WII has it's tizzy fit mentioned above, really!
While the basic game play is very much like the previous LEGO games, there has been a lot of thought put into making it a unique experience in its own right. To this end there are quite a few extra features or abilities incorporated into the game and its characters that have not been in the previous games. This makes it a pleasantly different experience while maintaining the familiar controls and feel of all the LEGO games.
The game makes a bit of use of the Wiimote - jerking it forwards initiates an attack (though you're far more likely to hit the key to do it), and you use it as a light gun when firing the "Batamarangs". LEGO Batman uses the Wiimote and nunchuck.
Aesthetics
The graphics in LEGO Batman are pretty good - like most WII games there is an element of fuzziness about the graphics, but they're nicely detailed and overall look good. The character animations are great and often quite amusing. The background graphics are dark and sinister, in keeping with the general atmosphere of the later films and, I believe, the comic books; the characters however often seem to have more in common with Adam West's Batman. There definitely seem to have been influences drawn from that crazy series / movie along with the original comics and both Tim Burton's and Christopher Nolan's vision of Gotham.
The sound effects are also very good, and while the characters don't actually speak, the way Batman grunts in dismay (usually at Robin's antics) or thoughtfulness (usually when a villain gets away or a clue comes up) somehow sounds just like Michael Keaton. The music is okay, but I found it got overly repetitive and quite annoying after a while.
The cut-scenes look good, just like watching a cartoon really, and most of them are funny, some very funny. While the stories told in these cut-scenes are fairly simple, they do a good job of letting you know what's going on and what your main objective is going to be.
The BatCave and the Assylum...
Between levels you can go back to the BatCave, where extra goodies are available and you can use the computer to buy hints, enter cheat codes (I never really understood the point of these myself, but some people seem to like them!), and most importantly buy extra characters. In the BatCave you can also bump into Alfred (your waiter) or indeed any other of the "Good" characters that you have already bought. You can induce random mass brawls if you feel a need...
It's also possible to view any movie clips you've unlocked, get more LEGO Studs (cash), retry levels in Story Mode or Free Play Mode (free play is unlocked once you've completed the Story Mode of a level). Or, you could hop over to the Asylum - which is where all the criminally insane villains are. Basically this is like the BatCave, but for the Super-Villains.
Overall Verdict
LEGO Batman is a highly enjoyable game that is well worth getting, even though it isn't the best of the LEGO games. It's not particularly difficult but it does have its moments, and there are enough levels and challenges to keep you playing for quite some time. It should be noted that I've mainly played this as a 2-player game - the way I believe all of these games are best enjoyed - so I wouldn't necessarily recommend it as a solo game. I have tried a few levels in 1-player mode and, while it works fine most of the time, the AI of your partner can be very dumb sometimes. The Villain levels are perhaps a bit more fun than the Hero levels, but I enjoyed both.
If you're got someone to be the Robin to your Batman (or whatever!), then LEGO Batman is a game that you'll really enjoy. It goes without saying really that if you liked LEGO Star Wars or LEGO Indiana Jones, you'll like this one too.
Related Links
LEGO Games
LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga for Nintendo WII
LEGO Star Wars for PC
LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy for PC
LEGO Indiana Jones for PC
Batman Movies
Batman Begins
Dark Knight
Batman: The Animated Series - The Legend Begins
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