The Dark Knight is gliding his way onto handhelds later this year, but it's an adventure less serious and more studly LEGO studs, that is.
LEGO Batman kicks off an unparalleled crime spree in Gotham City thanks to the escape of Batman's most villainous rivals. From the Joker to Scarecrow to Poison Ivy, Batman must track down a dozen notorious criminals and return them to justice. Of course, he does it LEGO style with the help of sidekick Robin.
The game spans three chapters organized into six individual levels. When first playing through a level, you'll tackle a story mode that takes you through Batman and Robin's adventure in capturing their enemies. Along the way you collect LEGO studs for purchasing unlockable characters and costumes, special Joker cards for bonuses, and well-hidden red bricks tied to extras. In short, it's LEGO gaming redone a la Batman.
Two vastly different levels showed off exactly how
LEGO Batman plans on distiguishing itself from previous LEGO incarnations. Within the game's first chapter entitled 'The Bullion Dollar Riddle', we started off with the introductory mission, 'Gotham Streets'. Here Batman in his incendiary suit works with Robin to blast through puzzles in the city's back streets and alleyways.
Since you always play as either Batman or Robin, the game ushers in variety by allowing you to swap suits granting various powers. Batman's incendiary suit, for instance, allows him to place explosive canisters that blow apart hardened LEGOs. A magnetic suit grants Robin the ability to walk up metal surfaces. Other suits include one that enables breathing underwater, the ability to survive in clouds of toxic gas, and even wield an electrical charge.
Batman's incendiary suit came in handy when solving the cooperative-style puzzles in the first level. Climbing up onto a platform, we were able to blow apart a brick with a canister which then rained down below into pieces that could be constructed into a ladder. Using this ladder, we climbed up as Robin and walked a tightrope to another platform housing a switch to open the door to the rest of the level. Solving these puzzles solo is entertaining, but the promise of local wireless cooperative play sounds even better.
The second level we played, 'Batmobile Chase', had us racing through the streets of Gotham in Batman's ride. The top-down driving requires us to dodge civilian cars while shooting at enemies blocking our way. Occasionally the view was obscured by highway overpasses. Along the drive, LEGO studs filled our coffers for each enemy killed.
Despite deviating little from the formula established by
LEGO Star Wars and
LEGO Indiana Jones, Batman's foray into a Gotham built brick-by-brick looks entertaining nonetheless.
LEGO Batman will hit DS in September, as well as on PSP.
