Game Info
Game Name: Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes
Developer(s): Traveller’s Tales
Publisher(s): Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
Platform(s): PS3/Xbox 360/Wii/PC/NDS
Genre(s): Action/Adventure/Platformer/Open World
Release Date(s): June 19, 2012
ESRB Rating: E10+
Hey Superman…I still think you’re an ass!
Lex Luthor has come to Gotham in his last minute push for the presidency. When he decides to team with the Joker for an attempt to hypnotize the crowd, it is up to Batman and Robin to stop him. Breaking the inmates of Arkham Asylum free, Lex and the Joker use the cover to create havoc. When the problem becomes too big, it looks like it could be a job for Superman…if Batman lets him play.
Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes is the follow-up to the smash hit Lego Batman: The Videogame released in 2008. Like previous games it features a team-up gameplay. The game received high marks for improvements to the series and featured music from both Batman (1989) and Superman (1978).
Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes was the first of the Lego series to use actual voices and have an open world gameplay. The results are a better game and a bit more variety that keeps you playing longer. It really does throw you if you’ve played the previous Lego games to have the characters open their mouths and start talking…it almost doesn’t seem right.
A long list of characters…oh, how I wish I could use them more!
The open-world aspect of the game does add a bit of change. It is like one giant “hub” that the levels are set in. The only problem is with the game set-up. It doesn’t really benefit you to explore the world while the story is taking place, so you feel rushed through the story to find yourself in a good position to explore the open world…part of the reason is the character aspect.
Like most Lego games, there are a lot of characters and they would be fun to play…if you had access to them. Superman shows up rather early in the game, but characters like Wonder Woman, the Flash, and Green Lantern don’t appear in the story until much later. I wish you could play them earlier, and I wish that the story had been written in a way that at least had a level or two early on involving the Justice League.
Control-wise, I’m not a huge fan of Superman’s (or Green Lantern’s, Wonder Woman’s, Man-Bat’s, etc.) flying or any of the flying in the game. The controls are sticky and if you miss your target with Superman, circling around to find it again is a challenge (it does look great however). If you are a completest, you will do a lot of flying around to collect the gold bricks which litter Gotham. All the characters and vehicles play virtually the same, but it is a matter of preference whoever you have unlocked.
I think think this is my big break…next up Lego Aquaman: The Adventure Begins!
Another big problem with Lego Batman 2 is the extremely long load times. I thought something was wrong with my system at first, and it almost became a joke. I felt I could have gone and gotten a drink or gone to the bathroom while waiting. For a new game with so-so graphics, it should have much faster times.
Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes is a good game with some minor problems. I feel it is a bit more playable than some of the previous game (though I think the game feels a bit short). I think it is a good direction for a rather tired series. The game also has a big set-up for a sequel by a certain villain’s appearance at the end of the game with an ominous warning…though I feel that the sequel might just be Lego Justice League or Lego JLA.
Related Links:
Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy
Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga
Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars
