Xbox 360
As you read this, the Lego Star Wars series has sold in excess of 15 million units: no small feat, even for a game based on both one of the world’s most successful toys and most popular movie franchises at the same time. We suspect it was a case of high-fives all round when the news of their achievement broke at Traveller’s Tales. However, for a developer to live up to that level of success requires something very special indeed.
Luckily for them, Lego Batman: The Video Game looks set to repeat the spectacle with gusto. It borrows elements from the comic books, films and the ace cartoon series, mixing them up in what is set to be the biggest Lego game so far.
Story-wise, it's familiar Batman territory: Gotham City's criminals have broken out of Arkham Asylum and are running riot. It's up to the Dark Knight and his plucky sidekick Robin to mop up the streets.
The story spans several generations of the comic book universe, and along the way you will take on tons of iconic villains, including The Joker, Penguin, Two-Face, Catwoman, Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn. As you collect coins from smashing objects, you can unlock these baddies and view the game from their perspective.
You can also use their special abilities to reach areas the good-guys cannot. For example, Poison Ivy can use seeds to plant vines which can be used to climb up to hard to reach areas, and she can also make kissy-faces at guards and then knock them out with toxic gas. As you can imagine, this looks hilarious and recaptures the humour of previous titles.
The familiar Lego gameplay remains intact from previous titles, so fans will be able to pick this up and get stuck in straight away. Newcomers and younger players will have no problem getting to grips with the simple controls. This makes jumping about platforms and bashing bad-guys a hoot, without having to think too much about what you're doing.
There are lots of neat tricks in here, making use of such Bat-gadgets as his Batarang throwing stars and the always handy zip-line. Vehicles also play a large part in the action, with the Batmobile and Batcopter all present and correct.
There are even a variety of special suits available which unlock new abilities. One will make you stick to metal surfaces, while another will let you knock down walls. The wide variety of moves at your disposal is impressive and allows for a whole range of gameplay tricks and puzzles.
Visually, whilst Lego Batman captures the grim, gothic style of the Batman universe, it also throws tons of Lego colour into the mix, thanks to the bright, plasticy characters running about the place. The addition of a booming orchestral soundtrack makes everything feel even more authentic. It really does succeed in marrying the feel of the two franchises.
While the Lego movie titles have always been fun in single-player, they have always excelled with a second person onboard. Two-player here consists of a drop-in/drop-out cooperative mode both over the internet and offline for the console versions. So far, there has been no word about a more competitive mode but we'll bet our spandex that it's in there somewhere. This would be awesome, as the combat is assigned to just one button yet still offers plenty of cool kicks, punches and throws to dispatch goons.
This is set to be a fine addition to the series, adding a wealth of new features, while keeping what made the Lego games so special in the first place.