Hey guys! Sorry about the delay on this one, there just aren't enough hours in the day sometimes. So I figured it would help me to plan out the next few weeks. Today will be Lego Batman 2, followed by Sleeping Dogs next Sunay, Darksiders 2 after that, and finally New Super Mario Bros. on the 3DS. So now I have no (planning-related) reasons for not putting up reviews. On with the show!
STORY
Lego Batman 2 begins at Gotham City's "Man of the Year" ceremony, where Bruce Wayne and Lex Luthor are in the running for the titular award. As Mr Wayne goes to accept the prestigious title, a large group of Batman's rogues gallery crash the party.
Witnessing the chaos that the Joker and his gang are able to cause, Luthor hatches a plan, and proceeds to break the recently incarcerated (again) Joker from Arkham Asylum for a caper involving kryptonite, a bat-gadget breaking gun, and the presidential election.
Unlike most Lego games, Lego Batman 2 isn't based off a previous story, but that doesn't mean it's not entertaining. The original story is the perfect fit for the lego games; it's light-hearted and fun for the whole family (that's not to say that the "older kids" won't love it too).
PRESENTATION
Gotham City is recreated stunningly in lego, as are a large cast of DC characters, both heroes and villains. They're all equally cool and the animations add to the already large amount of charm in the game.
This game is also unique among Lego titles, in that it is the first fully voiced Lego game. And it really works in it's favour. I mean, yes, the old games had their own charm, but alot of that still exists. The slapstick humour remains, but the voice work is just right, especially the grumbly voice for Batman, and in particular, Clancy Brown's stuck-up Lex Luthor.
The music is also fantastic, pulling tunes straight from Batman and Batman Returns, as well as John Williams' Score from Superman, played specifically for when Superman takes off to soar in the sky. It's a massive fan service, and I for one fanboyed a little when I first heard it.
GAMEPLAY
Lego Batman 2 is exactly what you loved about every other Lego game. Tight platforming, easy-to-pick-up yet still fun combat and light puzzle solving.
The puzzle solving, as-per-usual, revolves around having the right character for the job. Sometimes this means being able to use Robin's acrobatic suit to reach higher places, using Batman's strength suit to blow up special objects or using Superman's heat vision to manipulate gold items. It's still the same sort of gameplay as it ever is, but with a few new powers added in for good measure. It helps things stay interesting.
Outside of the main story, there's a whole open Gotham to explore, filled with goodies for the intrepid adventurer. From new heroes and villains, to "cheat" options, to vehicles; there are alot of collectibles. And studs. Lots of studs. I mean, what else are you going to pay for all of these collectibles with?
As far as the story missions go, however, there's not a whole lot of variations. There's the occasionally an on rails vehicle section, but that's it.
REPLAYABILITY
As I mentioned earlier, Lego Batman 2: DC Superheroes has a lot of collectibles, on top of all of Gotham to explore. You can find vehicles, fight supervillains, save civillians, find gold bricks. There's a hell of a lot to do in Lego Gotham. Then theres the ability to just take your favourite characters for a spin. Want to play co-op and race the flash and Superman (flying) down the street? Go for it. It's Lego in it's purest form, when you're making fun for yourself.
OVERVIEW
So everything new that Lego Batman 2 does (The voice acting, Original Story, and On-rails vehicle secions) all do alot to put it past the previous titles in the franchise. However, the lack of variety found in previous games caries over here as well. That said, the good definitely outweighs the bad, with a huge cast of heroes and villains, and an obscenely large amount of collectibles to... uh... collect, keeping you busy for hours on end.
If you're a fan of the Lego games, this is a must have for your collection. If not, then there's no better game to get in on the series with.
So next week, it's Sleeping Dogs. See you next time!
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