This game, which continues the trend of translating well-known concepts such as Star Wars and Indiana Jones with LEGO aesthetics, takes on the Batman universe. The core concept is the same, with characters and things constructed from LEGO blocks, but this time set against a standard background. Most environments are side-scrolling with a fixed camera perspective, yet they are in 3D with a lot of depth.
It is not based on a specific film or comic book but on the franchise with a new tale. The animations and sequences are odd and have little in common with the darker vibe of recent Batman films. A slew of villains has escaped from Arkham Asylum and is currently causing havoc in Gotham City. During the first part of the game, players control Batman and his sidekick Robin as they battle all opponents in a typical brawler fashion. Enemies will frequently respawn indefinitely until the player figures out how to advance. Players can swap between the two characters at any moment and explore the environments using various devices such as the Batarang and grappling hook. They can both fight, and the computer AI controls inactive characters. Both characters have distinct abilities that they can access by changing their suits. Batman can then fly through the air or place bombs, but Robin, for example, has a technological outfit that allows him to walk on metal surfaces in any direction. They can also operate certain vehicles.
Both characters work out of the Batcave, a central location for storing trophies and accessing assignments. Many tasks have little puzzle elements, such as buttons or passageways, that must be cleared. Stuff and characters explode into smaller LEGO bricks, and the hero must sometimes construct buildings out of blocks to create new stuff. After a story mode task is finished, it becomes available in a separate free-play mode.
In the second portion of the game, players handle several villains such as Poison Ivy, The Joker, Mr. Freeze, The Riddler, Killer Moth, Hush, Clayface, Man-Bat, and more. They all have unique abilities, and their sections of the game always conclude when Batman and Robin confront them. In this way, the play demonstrates how they plot ahead of time for the fights in the initial portion of the game. The characters collect coins, objects, and hearts. They can die, but they quickly respawn.
Platforms have different multiplayer options. Drop-in/drop-out co-op is available on the home console and Windows versions. The PSP release performs the poorest of all, with no multiplayer option.
