LEGO Batman: The Videogame

I think I’ll have to file the Traveller’s Tales LEGO games in with the games I respect more than I enjoy. Normally that category is for experimental or high-minded titles that just don’t work as well as intended, which is obviously not the case here. The series certainly had a lot of creative energy, though by this fourth entry, it’s beginning to dim. Instead, I respect this series because it’s so clearly made with passion for both the LEGO brand and the property being adapted. The array of playable characters is huge, the attention to detail is much greater than necessary, and the slapstick cutscenes can genuinely be enjoyed by all ages. I just wish the gameplay wasn’t a complete bore.

Beat-‘em-up combat is highly accessible by default, so by attempting to further appeal to a young audience, the developers have made it drearily mindless. This is contrasted with frequently obtuse boss fights and puzzles, the latter of which are usually just increasingly unorthodox ways of opening doors. The collect-a-thon elements are mildly fulfilling, but they’re artificially prolonged despite the game’s substantial amount of content. Specifically, the arbitrary rules for item spawning force you to interact with everything, and character limitations in story mode require two playthroughs of every level. Some of the problems are softened when playing in co-op – the tedious parts are cut in half, and the puzzles that require some cooperation now engage a little bit. However, this doesn’t improve the awful combat and platforming controls, which make everything feel like puffs of cotton.