Published July 15, 2008
The Joker and Harley Quinn are trying to abduct Commissioner Gordon! Is it time for you to become the Caped Crusader and rescue him from these dastardly villains? Not so fast, chum! In Warner Bros. Interactive's LEGO® Batman™: The Videogame, you play not only Batman and Robin, but the villains as well. In alternating missions, take on the roles of various villains who've escaped from Arkham Asylum, and then follow up as the Dynamic Duo, and undo the bad guys' mischief.
The Dynamic Duo!
LEGO Batman features the same basic gameplay mechanics as LEGO® Star Wars™: The Complete Saga and LEGO® Indiana Jones™: The Original Adventures. You fight bad guys, solve puzzles by building or destroying LEGO constructs, and smash every LEGO object in sight. Unlike previous games though, the game design isn't limited by having to follow the storyline of a series of movies. Developer Traveler's Tales worked with DC Comics to craft a new storyline based around a mass escape from Arkham Asylum by the rogues gallery found in the Batman universe. Though there are tons of the usual puzzles and obstacles to deal with, expect a lot more of the WHAM! BANG! POW! BIFF! in this game than in Lego Indy.
The Joker is on the loose!
Gotham City itself is dark, foreboding, and rendered in sharp detail, a contrast to the plasticky, brightly colored LEGO "Minifig" characters. The various levels are packed with puzzle elements requiring teamwork to solve. All of the puzzles can be solved with the cooperation of the game's A.I., or by swapping between characters, but the game excels when you play with a friend or family member. The developers have worked hard to make the already excellent co-op play even smoother than earlier LEGO games, so you won't have to worry as much about being dragged to a deadly fall when your partner moves off-screen. Co-op is local play only. Traveler's Tales is targeting the game towards players working together in person, rather than online.
Each character has its own superpower—Joker has a shocker touch, for instance, that can stun good guys or activate electric devices, while Harley Quinn can reach heights with her double-jump. Batman and Robin will run across various technology suits that power them up, such as Robin's magno-boots, or Batman's glider suit. Between levels you'll go back to the Batcave to unlock various items and characters; there's also a secret passage to Arkham Asylum.
Ah, the inimitable Mr. Freeze.
To round out the atmosphere, the game uses the actual Danny Elfman score from the first Batman movie. It's shaping up to be another great LEGO game for the whole family. Bat-time? LEGO Batman ships in September. Bat-channel? The Xbox 360, of course!
Article by Denny Atkin
