LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes Review

While this is a first for me in terms of diving into the Lego Batman series, I had my doubts on what kind of Batman game would be delivered after seeing Rocksteady’s Arkham City. Yes it’s Lego but as kids, we loved to play with the stuff so does LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes rekindle that and save the day? Or was this one adaptation that should have been left as a toy?

Story
Judging by the title, you would automatically assume that this game is about Batman’s heroic missions to save what needs to be saved, however that is not necessarily the case. Throughout the story Batman receives help from a variety of other super heroes such as Superman, Wonder Woman and Green Lantern allowing you to switch between them.

Bruce Wayne collecting his Man of the Year award.

The story begins with Bruce Wayne being awarded the Gotham “Man of the Year” award beating his rival Lex Luthor. All is calm until suddenly The Joker and some of Batman’s greatest villains crash the occasion, this makes Bruce change into the Bat suit and together with Robin, the group is defeated apart from Joker who manages to escape. After a lengthy chase, Batman manages to capture Joker and throw him into Arkham Asylum along with every other villain.

Later on, Lex Luthor breaks Joker out of the Asylum using a weapon called the “Deconstructor” which can break apart solid black objects. Joker also uses the weapon to free the other inmates but Batman arrives to round them all up and send them back. Together Joker and Lex Luthor team up to create a chemical that could cause huge devastation however Batman stays on their tail and makes it his mission to stop them, along with receiving help from Superman and The Justice League.

Tt Games obviously knew what they were doing as the narrative here is both original and works really well. It’s sad to see that some of the other characters didn’t get as much screen time however the interaction between Batman and Robin and later Batman and Superman helps the story move along and keeps interest in the events happening.

Gameplay
At the beginning, the game features two characters you can switch between, Batman and Robin with each having unique abilities and suits to conquer different puzzles. As you go through the story, you will gain access to other characters such as Superman and the Justice league with the option of unlocking villains for use. In total there are 50 playable characters which is a pretty amazing number considering that each have their own skill and use within the game.

Everything takes place in an open world Gotham City which you can run around and explore. Within the city are several key areas where missions or special events take place such as the Bat Cave and Arkham Asylum. Of course it’s not only limited to those areas as you’ll find the entire city itself being utilised. I found this to be a really great aspect as the entire environment was used and nothing was wasted, yes the key areas are important but so is the city itself and I’m glad the developers decided to explore the space in order to create fun and interesting gameplay.

The heroes unite!

Just like previous Lego games, you can either play this by yourself or have someone else join you for a full Co-Op adventure. As I mentioned earlier you start with two characters, Batman and Robin and you can switch between them at will depending on the situation as not all obstructions or puzzles can be completed by one character e.g. Batman uses the Electricity Suit to absorb an electrical field so Robin can pass however Robin then uses the Magnet suit to climb to the upper level and fix the hook so Batman can grapple on to it. The entire premise of the game depends on the teamwork between the characters on screen and therefore requires the player to understand their strengths and how they can help each other out.

Suits are found by breaking and then rebuilding LEGO bricks found around the city, you can tell which ones they are because once you break them, they shine blue and begin hopping around. Other than Batman and Robin, you can play a whole cast of DC characters such as Superman, Cyborg, Wonder Woman etc; I have to say flying around with Superman is incredibly fun and being able to use him during certain gameplay segments is almost a cheat in itself as he’s already too powerful. Along with these characters you can also obtain extra special ones by building golden doors around Gotham City.

For the super hardcore of us, each area contains objects or mini missions that you can complete in order to get the best possible results once the section is over. These things vary from saving a pedestrian in trouble to collecting a certain amount of LEGO Studs in order to gain the Superhero rank.

Graphics
Visually, LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes is an impressive looking title going for realistic environments and making use of strong textures and lighting but of course with great graphics comes with a price and for this game, it came in the form of its loading times which can take a little longer than most gamers can handle. Also flying and landing too fast with Superman actually gives the game trouble in keeping up, therefore certain areas load fully a few seconds later.

Full blown and amazing Gotham City.

Voice acting can sometimes come across rather dull and some of Robin’s cheesy dialogue doesn’t help to bring it up either. Background music can be split into two areas, exploration and battles with each sounding and playing out really well. I especially like the atmospheric/ cartoony feel when exploring an area using only the basic instruments to create an interesting tone.

Final Verdict
From the outside, LEGO Batman 2 is one of those titles that may seem childish; however it’s a game that even the most hardcore Batman fan can enjoy. The story is strong, immersive and keeps you glued to the screen from beginning to end, and the gameplay does more than enough to keep things fresh and interesting. Of course with such a big game, loading times would take their toll and it could be a frustratingly long wait before you can get stuck in, however all the elements seem to be so strong that the wait doesn’t seem to matter.

Story = 10/10
Gameplay = 10/10
Graphics = 9/10

We Know Gamers Final Score = 9.6/10

Had a chance to play the game? Tell us what you thought in the comments section below!

LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes Review
Reviewed by Liban Ali
on Jul 15 2012

Rating: 9/10