Lego Batman 2 DC Super Heroes - Review

Lego Batman 2 continues the fantastic growth the Lego games, whilst retaining the charm of the originals, adding voice to the mix makes the world come alive even more.

While playing the game you will find yourself experiencing moments that are quite funny, and others that are a little less so, but it’s during these moments that you see the charm that underlies all parts of the game. Taking place in Gotham City, which has an odd style of Tim Burton’s original Batman look, but legoized, you assume the mantle of the Dark Knight and team up with a bevy of superheroes in order to stop the rampage of destruction by the Joker and Lex Luthor.

The gameplay does not stray too far from the formula that was set down with the very first Lego game all those years ago, so people who have played at least one game will be able to jump straight in here with very little issues. Where the gameplay changes up is with the power of the suits that Batman and Robin have access to. Equipping the Electricity Suit allows Batman to interactive with units that contain live wires without taking damage. Robin can clean up chemical spills when he dons the hazard suit.

Taking control of Superman, Wonder Woman or any of the other heroes gives you access to a variety of powers, with only a few, such as Green Lanterns ability to construct anything out of the semi clear green blocks, exclusive to the character, for the most part the powers are pretty similar across the board.

The games great moments come in when you hit a cut scene and get to take in the banter between the heroes, or even the villains. While Batman is usually quite serious, they have taken the character to whole new extremes here, and having him play off Superman results in some humorous moments. For me however the voice work takes second place to the score, while the general score is pretty standard, it’s the moments when the main theme from Tim Burton’s Batman film take over that I smile more than anything. And even flying as Superman results in the classic score from John Williams coming through.

Of course seeing as this is about the Wii U version of the game, most people would be keen to see what is new in this version. While the main content of the game is unchanged, and even the moments of adding the map to the over world are welcome, it’s not a game changer. The best use of the gamepad comes in the form of the 2 player co-op. One person using a Wii Remote and Nunchuck takes the TV screen, while the player using the gamepad can have their experience on the screen there. It takes the multiplayer to a whole new level as your no longer fighting for screen space.

If you have a Wii U and want something to get stuck into, you cannot go wrong with this game, it offers a massive amount of collectibles to keep you going back time and time again, and with the special touches of John Williams and Danny Elfman’s scores seeping into every moment of the game you will find yourself being sucked into this world. 

The Score

7.0

Review code provided by Warner Bros Games

The Pros

+Lots of game packed in, complete with characters you might not have expected

+The addition of those icon scores just helps set the mood even more

The Cons

-Very little improvement to the Wii U release from the other platforms

-Still the same basic formula as other Lego games