„Lego Batman“ angespielt: A BLOCKbuster that shouldn't be underestimated
Lego video games: super-cute, but otherwise rather flat? "Lego Batman" sweeps these prejudices aside just as effectively as dozens of villains and bricks.
(Image: Warner Bros. Games)
Superheroes are still a big topic, whether in cinemas or on home consoles. After Marvel recently sent Spider-Man on a video game adventure, it's the turn of his less squeamish clawed colleague “Wolverine” this fall. Meanwhile, the other licensing giant Warner Bros. is holding back a bit on DC: Following the major live-service flop with “Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League,” there's only a new Lego game with the Batman license.
A weak consolation for all fans waiting for a “real” game? Not at all. Because with “Lego Batman: The Video Game,” British developer Traveller's Tales presents a game that doesn't rest on the shallow gameplay of recent block games but instead arranges a surprising best of Batman.
But I remember it differently!
After a cinema visit, the Wayne family heads home. When they want to use an alley as a shortcut, they are attacked by a gangster. The parents die; only son Bruce is left behind and vows from that day on to protect his hometown, Gotham, from all crime.
So far, so familiar is the legendary origin story of the bat-vigilante, which “Lego Batman” also begins with. The game clearly follows Tim Burton's 1989 film version – until it suddenly jumps into Christopher Nolan's 2005 universe and shows how the now-adult Bruce travels to the Himalayas to be trained as a ninja in a monastery. When the combat machine returns, it finds itself in the plot of “The Batman” from 2022, where Batman has to put a stop to a powerful mafia boss.
„Lego Batman“ angespielt (13 Bilder)
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)The first thing “Lego Batman” masterfully achieves is the fusion of all Batman stories, as if there had only ever been this one. Without drifting into chaos. Without omitting important things. While earlier Lego games depicted their source material one-to-one, just in blocky style, the great fun in “Lego Batman” is encountering the familiar and then being surprised by new interpretations. Non-experts, on the other hand, are presented with an exciting comic plot that requires no prior knowledge but a certain tolerance for rubber ducks and bat droppings.
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Because he's always there too: the typical Lego humor, which has always been defined by dry as well as charming silliness, exaggerations, and subverted expectations. In most cases, the humor works, especially when corrupt police officers are paid in donuts or Batman is only allowed to enter a club after winning a dance battle. Elsewhere, gangsters play in a ball pit and use children's slides to relax. Not every scene needs jokes, but not every humor has to make everyone laugh. Luckily, “Lego Batman” fires from different confetti cannons.
Collecting fun, fights, and a bit of “GTA”
But no matter which bat adventure is told, the player always finds themselves in a Lego version of familiar Batman locations, which they can explore, marvel at, and (partially) destroy to collect tons of Lego bricks. Sometimes a simple puzzle needs to be solved, and other times a swarm of enemies needs to be overcome. This fun can be played alone or in co-op; the second player takes on the ever-changing and no less likeable sidekick who accompanies Batman. The levels retain replay value primarily through the search for hidden treasures and secret passages. This is basically the concept that developer Traveller's Tales has been using since its first Lego games. But with “Lego Batman,” it overcomes these limits – again through its fusion talent.
Instead of just wildly hammering the attack button, the player can guide Batman like an agile whirlwind through entire groups, countering here, striking there, dodging there, and landing a final blow. This combat system is not new but has been perfectly adopted from another Batman game series, namely the Arkham trilogy. The captivating experience remains the same, and each new fight invites you to perfect your flow and drive the combo counter higher. New attacks and maneuvers are unlocked via a skill tree. Occasionally, Batman can also avoid fights and sneak through the shadows. Then it's possible for him to take out enemies quietly, from behind or from an elevated position. This not only livens up the gameplay but also fits the masked avenger perfectly. Arkham also beckons here.
But perhaps the biggest surprise awaits the player when they have completed their training in the Himalayas: Because Batman doesn't just swing from roof to roof with his grappling hook but can also get into his legendary Batmobile, with which he speeds through the streets of Gotham. Here, “Lego Batman” opens up its own little open world, similar to what you know from “GTA”: with traffic and pedestrians, with many locations to explore and many curves to drift. The Batmobile handles so elegantly and rapidly that it hardly matters where it's going, whether you're following the main story or getting distracted by the many mini-tasks.
Conclusion: An entertaining and simple experience
A climbing passage, a chase, an interrogation, a boss fight, a new mechanic, and then another sequence that invites a smile. As soon as one villain is defeated, the next one appears. Decorate the Batcave. Kick dozens of cars around with the Batmobile. And there's always time for a Riddler puzzle. Before boredom can even set in, “Lego Batman” has already pulled the next surprise out from under its cape. While the lovingly designed and detailed Lego locations are somewhat overshadowed by all the action.
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It's not just bricks: Developer Traveller's Tale seizes the opportunity to surprise the whole world with its new formula, polishing the entire Batman repertoire, from story to gameplay. Two things can be criticized: in previous games, there are more characters to collect and play with, so “Lego Batman” is very sparse with under ten figures. At the same time, while the game is perfectly balanced for a parent-child constellation or a casual couch co-op session, it's far too easy for experienced single players – even on the highest of three difficulty levels. If you're not here for the Lego charm or the Batman fan service, you're in the wrong place. Everyone else should put on the bat suit.
“Lego Batman: The Video Game” was released on May 22 for Windows, PS5, Xbox Series, and Nintendo Switch 2. It costs 69.99 euros. USK from 12 years.
(afl)
