LEGO Batman

LEGO Batman

At a certain point, kids have to grow up, and leave their toys behind, living on in their memories as they grow more distant and tinted the color rose. We all had a favorite toy growing up, but no matter your toy, everyone loved LEGO blocks and the cool stuff they built. Traveller's Tales has made a company out of harnessing that good will, coupling it with something else from your childhood, and selling it to you for $50.

LEGO Batman is no exception. It's the tried-and-true Traveller's Tales formula: action platforming, mild puzzle-solving elements, and shoddy driving stages. TT have something a lot of other developers don't, a sense of humor, and the super-severe attitude of modern Batman really lends itself to the LEGO style of wacky hijinks. A lot of the cut scenes and loading screen texts are genuinely funny, and that goes a long way to excusing the now-nearly-tired gameplay formula. You jump, punch, shoot and build your way through 30 stages, including frustrating non-puzzles that are obvious if you have the mindset for them and impossible if you don't.

The backgrounds are lush, and the music (mostly from the 1989 Batman movie's score) are great, and instead of standard grunts, there are over a dozen little effects giving each brick-shaped character a personality, from the Joker's goofy method of pulling levers to Catwoman sashaying instead of walking across a room. Surprises and easter eggs abound, and the achievements are a fun collection of goofy puns and fun side missions.

If it sounds like this is a glowing endorsement of the game, it's because it is. The formula improves everything about the LEGO series: more jokes, less tedium, interesting puzzle and neat unlockables, coupled with a great respect of its source material. There are some balance issues (why ever use the Riddler or Scarecrow when the "mind-control character" Mad Hatter is better in every way?), and the most tiresome parts of free play are cycling through the endless goons/useless bat-suits in each stage to get to who you need. And the frustration of your buddy getting hung up or simply not staying put while you try and solve a puzzle is an annoyance they've never quite figured out, it's generally not enough to seriously detract from the game.

If you've never played a Traveller's Tales LEGO game before, I'd be hard-pressed to recommend any other one than this one, and if you're a long-time fan, this is a more-than-successful send-off to the LEGO series, as TT has said that they're sick of doing them and want to move on. While I love my little square superheroes, I can't say I disagree with the decision.

Graphics: Beautiful backgrounds and unique animations, but doesn't push the system to its limits. 3.
Sound: Great effects and grunts from the characters, and a fine selection of the Burton score. 3
Controls: Platforming can be tricky, and your AI's pathfinding is as wonky as ever. The driving stages are improved, but still counter-intuitive. 2
Tilt: Fun, and more importantly funny game riffing on Batman. Evokes childhood delight and is just a joy to play. 5
Overall (not an average): 4