Lego Batman 2 (Xbox360 version) review

[gambit6613]

I got this today and have spent a couple of hours on it so thought i would post my initial thoughts on the game. I have to say it is the best looking Lego game so far, a little more improved than the Harry Potter games in my opinion, the Danny Elfman music is just fab and the voice overs really are very good and of decent quality. But I have got to say so far it really has not quite clicked for me. Dont get me wrong its most certainly not a bad game but for me is it not as good or as compelling to play as the Harry Potter and Star Wars games.

When i first started it i thought, yes this is really what im looking for in a Lego game but after an hour or so i found it becoming more of a chore, i dont think the combat is all that fun and the need to keep changing suits for different tasks has become very tedious. I have played a little of the open world but the Batmobile is quite awkward to control and though its not a big deal but it does not quite look right or sound correct, what i mean is the Batmobile from the first 3 Movies does not sound like a car for a start, it should really be more of a jet engine sound that the films used, but this is really a minor detail lol. I think for me i really like the format of Star Wars/Harry Potter simply because i enjoyed playing through the levels of the films that i know and love but with the Lego take on it, and this is something i really cant wait for the Lego Lord Of The Ring game.

I dont wish to sound too damming of it because its not a bad game at all, just the format for me is not that enjoyable. Maybe i have too put more hours into it and it may become more enjoyable, i have not unlocked Superman yet so that may make the combat more fun, so i will keep at it. I just remember when i played Lego Harry Potter at Xmas and i just could not put the game down, this has not had the same effect.

[Golgo]

Hmm...thanks for first imps. Had my beady eye on this. Been thinking about a Lego game to break my little boy into gaming (he's 4). Likes batman and pirates. I guess pirates of caribbean would be best? Sorry for noob question: I've never played a single Lego game

[gambit6613]

To be honest i have only played the Star Wars and Harry Potter series, all of which i have loved but i have not played Pirates Of The Caribbean so could not say. I would say from what i have played of Lego Batman 2 there have been a couple of places where i have been scratching my head as to what to do, so could be difficult for a 4 year old but then again im not that bright I really dont think you can go wrong with the Harry Potter or Star Wars for a younger gamer.

[Golgo]

Ta, gambit6613. Will have a look see.

[mr_sockochris]

I've played demos of all the Lego games with my 4 year old and Pirates of the Carribean was the one we liked best (so much so I bought him the full game today). There's too much fiddley jumping in the others that I end up doing big chunks of the game for him.

[Golgo]

^ thanks mr_sockochris: from a purely unselfish point of view, I'd be most happy if the pirates one was the best. Might try that one first. I've been holding onto a copy of Kirby's Epic Yarn for just this occasion, though. Been trying it out last couple of evenings, but it's so horribly saccharine I think even a four year old would puke their guts.

[Dogg Thang]

Oh dear lord what have I done?! After months of being really annoyed that the Vita was getting the stripped handheld version, I woke up this morning realising that I bought this one the Vita last night. The horror. I'm such an idiot. Ughhhhh...

Impressions? It's a stripped handheld version and really feels like it. Graphics are basic, levels are totally sparse and laid out in a very flat way and the cut scenes are offensively poor quality. Like the previous Lego handheld games, I imagine (hope) this will turn out to be quite fun. It it so far I have total buyer's remorse and I only have myself to blame. How did that even happen? I don't even know.

[internetuser]

9/10 on euro gamer !

[davek22]

?17.99 on steam bought it to play next week, impulse buy at that price

[rmoxon]

I think this is even more kiddie friendly than previous Lego games. The biggest improvement as far as kids are concerened is that they seem to have done away with any kind of awkward platforming element. This makes the game even easier than the Lego games usually are.

[Dogg Thang]

Playing more of the Vita version, it's really dull. Not awful by any means. Just bland, sparse and dull. Bettered by most other Lego games. I actually don't think the dark environments do it any favours - very little of it looks Lego-like. I'm betting the big console version is massively better though. We totally got shafted on the handhelds. Only myself to blame. I knew it. I knew what I was getting.

I think for me the best Lego was the complete Star Wars one. But I may well pick up the big console version of this at some point. Really wish they'd do a Lego Tron.

[BIG EDD]

I'll take a look at it on the vita and 3ds,I've always preferred the Lego series on a handheld system rather on my 360 or PS3 just suits me better

[Neon Ignition]

I'm about a third of the way through this now (PS3) and by a third I mean story levels rather than percentage completion. The world they've built is brilliant and the nods to the 90's films and Arkham games are nice little touches. Still waiting to get my hands on any characters other than Batman and Robin but at the moment I'd say it's the best Lego game I've played in a good long while. The open world is well made as well but the reliance of collecting is groan worthy, I've zero interest in trawling it to collect a gazillion lego pieces. It's a shame they didn't integrate it more into the game design itself as I'm enjoying the main levels.

[rmoxon]

I'll take a look at it on the vita and 3ds,I've always preferred the Lego series on a handheld system rather on my 360 or PS3 just suits me better

Reviews for the vista version haven't been good. Im guessing it's missing a lot compared to the normal console versions.

[Dogg Thang]

I completed the story mode on Vita last night and, no, it's not great. The rest of the DC characters that you get towards the end are a lot of fun to play and there are tons of characters to unlock but the main problem is that the stages are really dull. So you get fun characters and nowhere interesting to mess with them. There's a Justice League mode that is nothing more than wiping out waves of enemies in an enclosed room. It's a shame given the potential for fun in the characters.

While I'm guessing that's probably much better in the big console version with the open world, it does strike me as odd that they really embraced this as, as the name suggests, Lego Batman 2 rather than integrating the other heroes more.