The game plays like an early 3D platformer in the style of Banjo-Kazooie or Gex, with rudimentary puzzles and lots of collecting. Almost everything you do in the game causes "studs" to spill out; they're used to unlock bonus items such as extra characters. Combat is mindless, as you can literally just pound the attack button until enemies are dead. The entire game is very forgiving, to the point that if you run out of health, you'll immediately respawn in the same location with zero penalty. With no survival pressure and no strategy whatsoever required in battle, I have to question why these elements were even included. There's no point in having a health meter or heart pick-ups if your deaths mean nothing. There's no point in having combat if it's not fun or challenging.
Luckily, the game has some redeeming quality in the puzzle-based level design. You're always controlling at least two characters (Batman and Robin, or a pair of the villains) who must work together to get past obstacles. This format should make the game work well in two-player cooperative mode, although I wasn't able to test that feature. Each character has different abilities, although many of them are heavily repeated in the bonus characters. Batman can double-jump and grapple up to ledges, while Robin can walk on tight-ropes and use acrobatic moves. There are also special suits that let Batman use explosives and Robin walk through toxic waste. Unfortunately, most of these abilities can only be used at specially-marked places. There's usually not much thinking required as you switch back and forth between characters to pull switches and push blocks. The simple puzzles may be satisfying for very young players, but I felt like I was just going through the motions.
There isn't much else to say about LEGO Batman. It's a simple, bland, but competent game for kids and no one else. Neither the LEGO nor Batman license is used very well here, but it should be a decent introduction of the Batman universe to younger players. There's a ton of content in the package (including a full set of levels in which you play as the villains), but it's pretty much the same thing over and over. Less demanding players should be kept busy for a long time, while everyone else should be able to see quickly that the game doesn't have any real depth or challenge.
Pros:
Lastability: 7.0
There are tons of items to collect, studs to spend, and levels to burn through. If the game manages to hypnotize you enough, you might find yourself slogging through for quite a while. Co-op multiplayer is probably the best way to play, but you'll need two copies and two systems, so the console versions are probably better for that purpose.
Final: 5.0
LEGO Batman is an inoffensive, mostly boring platformer for kids. It'll keep you occupied for hours, much like the Riddler's weird devices in Batman Forever, but it would be a stretch to call the experience fun.
Or Lego Star Wars? I've never played any of them, but I've been interested in trying out the Star Wars games. I get the feeling once I play one Lego game, I'll never want to play another one, so I might as well play the original ones before the series just followed a cycle.
