LEGO Batman swoops into stores September 23, and before getting our hands on a retail copy, Warner Bros. Interactive let us sample the Caped Crusader's latest efforts early. We received a three level demo highlighting both the hero and villain campaigns, and while the game plays similar to previous LEGO video games, impressive graphics, a large cast of characters and plenty of gadgets makes this a familiar but enjoyable adventure.
We began our Gotham City tour with There She Goes Again, a level starring Batman, Robin and Catwoman, who steals an expensive jewel and makes her escape, prompting the Caped Crusader to give chase. On the trail of the nefarious feline, the Dynamic Duo pursues their enemy through dank streets, alleyways and on rooftops. A bunch of goons attempted to thwart our pursuit, so we made short work of them by mashing the X button and performing a series of punches. We also had the option of pressing B to grab them, which lets us perform special moves with X, one of which sends enemies sailing through the air and off screen.
Both heroes also have projectiles, in Batman's case, his trusty batarang. To use it, we pressed and held X, which caused a Batman insignia to appear. To target something, we maneuvered the icon using the left analog stick and then let go to let her rip. The batarang, which sailed from Batman's hands, destroyed whatever it touched, be it boards covering a window or an enemy. Each time, lots of LEGO pieces and hearts appeared, and we happily collected everything.
In typical LEGO video game fashion, we also had things to piece together. Walking over to piles of LEGO bricks let us build a lever that raised the door to a garage. Inside were more bricks, and putting them together created a one-man car that we drove for several moments. Later on, however, you'll be able to build a batcopter, which will help you navigate rooftops.
As we beat up criminals and snagged bonus goodies, we also enjoyed the visuals. LEGO Batman is the best looking LEGO game yet, with reflections in water, attractive lighting effects and great detail on buildings and other parts of the environment. It's a nice contrast with the simplistic and shiny LEGO characters and the result gives the game both a realistic and humorous edge.
Unfortunately, our demo ended with the first level. The other two, On the Rocks starring Mr. Freeze and A Surprise for the Commissioner with Harley repeatedly crashed, depriving us the privilege of playing as Killer Croc, the Penguin and the Riddler. However, this small sampling gave us a good idea what LEGO Batman will be like, and we can't wait to play a more updated copy later this month.
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