LEGO Batman: The Videogame Preview

E3 2008 Preview

Sometimes it is good to be bad, and sometimes it is good to be good. At least that is the idea behind the Warner Bros and Traveller’s Tales title LEGO Batman: The Videogame.

Just as TT has brought Star Wars and Indiana Jones to the LEGO world as video-game adventures, now it is time for the Dark Knight to make his entry. But don’t fear Batman fans, this is not a dark tale. In fact, the dev team worked with DC Comics to come up with a classic story that involves a massive breakout from Arkham Asylum and mayhem in Gotham.

Warner Bros. showed the title at the E3 event in the Los Angeles Convention Center. The demonstration of the game showed off a couple of levels, and revealed a game that was lush and colorful, with intuitive gameplay and intelligent AI. The latter needs to be in top form simply because this is an adventure in which the Caped Crusader is accompanied by Robin, and players will be able to switch between the two characters and will, in fact, need to in order to make it through some levels. The game has an arcade feel and was running on the 360 at a steady 720p. There are 15 levels for the Dynamic Duo, but players will also get 15 levels of being able to play as a villain duo – like the Joker and Harley Quinn. And just to make things more entertaining, the two story arcs overlap. In one, you may play as the Joker and Harley and kidnap Commissioner Gordon, while with Batman and Robin, you are tasked with rescuing the commissioner.

And just as lush as the graphics are, the Traveller’s Tales team also bolstered the audio experience by – among other things – securing the original Danny Elfman score and putting it into the game. There are hidden levels and players can also unlock different technical suits that give the principle characters different abilities. For example, Robin can get a suit that will allow him to walk up on metallic surfaces and that means up walls or even upside down. Batman can get a technical suit that allows him to fly.

The title promises to be more action packed than the Indiana Jones title but this is also the most visceral title produced by the team.

Shipping in the Fall, LEGO Batman: The Videogame should appeal to players of all age levels, whether it is the younger player, or an older Batman fan and veteran gamer. The game has solid combat mechanics, and a solid rewards system as well.

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