Review: Lego Batman 2 (PS Vita & PS3)

By Wayne Webb

Lego Batman 2 was always going to be a hard game to get wrong. There are plenty of Lego titles available and most of them are fun for kids and adults alike. Lego Batman2 is more of the same, in other words another good Lego game.

Lego Batman was one of my favourite Lego titles for console games and the PS Vita version delivers pretty similar style and gameplay to the larger console iteration. Yet, there are differences and the game looked shorter to me than the big brother version on the PS3 – but as you are having fun there’s little to complain about. You play as the titular hero but through the machinations of the plot you can swap out and play as other characters, mostly Robin and Superman.

And this is where the game gets better than previous incarnations. You get to play as Superman, who can fly and has heat vision. He’s pretty tough and it’s almost like having cheat mode on until you realise that Lex Luthor is the villain and Kryptonite is abundant. From here on in it operates like many of the Lego franchise games and the fun abounds.

However, there are some niggley changes, which are not bad, but are different enough to notice. First, there’s voice acting involved. A new concept for Lego, which accomplished all communication from characters in the past via Lego Mime. Second, the combat feels more repetitive than the previous version – maybe my memory is painting a rosier picture but I don’t recall the previous version having the monotonous grinding through combat.

Never fear though, as you can play plenty of different ways and can drop in and out of local co-op play on the PS3 version, and if you are a fan of either Lego or DC Heroes, then there’s loads to see and do. When you finish the campaign you unlock Justice League mode where you play levels as various members of the League – which brings a whole level of cool with Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, Flash and some B-Listers, too.

So despite the facts that it is repetitive, been done before and has voiceovers (not sure about that still) Lego Batman 2 delivers everything you want from a Lego franchise game, and then adds a little more kick just for fun. 

Pros: Funny, stylish, loads of options, Justice League Mode, co-op play, good story, consistent with Lego game history
Cons: Weird to hear voices, combat grinding

4.5 Shacks Out Of 5