LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes

Game Info

If you have ever played a LEGO game you know the tried and tested formula used, you know the charm and humour used by the voiceless characters as they re-enact a ‘similar’ version of events to those of the characters they are portraying and you know how fun it can be to collect all those little LEGO studs. Well Travellers Tales have taken this formula and amplified it, creating a new kind of LEGO game with the same tradition at the base.

In terms of the story LEGO Batman 2 sees Lex Luthor running for president, but after losing the Man of the Year award to none other than Bruce Wayne, he realises he might need some help in winning the election. So he takes the Joker on board and they plan to create havoc, as well as spike people with happy gas and make them vote for Lex. A perfect plan if ever there was one. The problem? Batman and Robin are on the scene and will not allow them to get away with the scheme.

LEGO Batman 2 does a few things differently. In between each main storyline mission players can explore the great city of Gotham. The city is large and alive and LEGO studs and unlockables are literally around every corner. Players will drive or fly through the streets to get to the main missions. The 15 chapters of the main story focus on the good old LEGO platforming where players change between the characters to get to the end of the level. Along the way there are certain things that only one of the characters are able to do meaning that you must utilise each skill. Both Batman and Robin also have different suits which are scattered through the levels. For example shiny silver things can only be destroyed using the bombs on Batman’s Power Suit, whereas you will need to use Robin’s Acrobat Suit to get to some of the higher platforms.

It doesn’t end there, as players also unlock more of the Justice League team as the game goes on. Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Cyborg and Flash are all playable during the main campaign and again each character has a special ability which is needed to complete some puzzles. Each character is done excellently, Superman’s theme song from the original movies plays every time you take to the sky and Green Lantern can manipulate the LEGO blocks into constructs which can be used. These are just some of the additions to the game.

The biggest change in the game? For the first time ever in a LEGO game there are actual voices, real ones that talk and everything. Gone are the silent LEGO pieces shrugging and making strange faces and in are wonderfully performed roles by every single character bar none. It is impossible to realise just how much the voices fit the LEGO games until you have actually played LEGO Batman 2. The humour in every situation is excellent and is a natural step up in what Travellers Tales are trying to achieve. Even Arkham City and the recent Batman comics aren’t safe from being ripped off.

LEGO Batman 2 is a great addition to the LEGO universe. It provides so much entertainment that, despite the relatively short main mission, it will keep players busy for a long time. The open world of Gotham and eventually Metropolis make it even livelier than ever. The unlockables are plentiful as expected with new characters, vehicles and cheats to find throughout the levels. The Gold and Red bricks return also giving players something extra to go for.

If there is to be one complaint it is that the combat still falls a tad short of what it could be. The simple punch and kick combos with occasional other attacks make it slightly repetitive and boring at times. That being said, the rest of the game hides the tedium extremely well and you probably won’t even notice the attacks. LEGO Batman 2 is far and away the most impressive LEGO game to date, don’t think twice about it.