LEGO Batman: DC Super Heroes Review

It’s amusing that the relatively recent resurgence of the LEGO brand can mostly be attributed to video games, which are essentially virtual toys. Ever since the LEGO Star Wars games, the LEGO brand has dominated the licensed video game market in addition to being the top dog in brick-based fun. DC has been a bit slow in the movie department, but they have nearly every other medium of entertainment covered, so it’s no surprise that the sequel to the first LEGO Batman made its way to Android devices.

Developed by Warner Bros. International Enterprises (or just WB), LEGO Batman: DC Super Heroes is an Android action adventure game and the second in the LEGO Batman series. If you’ve been living under a rock for over a decade, the formula for LEGO games is that of a simplistic platformer. There are beat-em-up elements, platforming, puzzles to solve, and plenty of shiny things to collect. It all feels very 1998, but not in a negative way. There’s a charm to the LEGO video games that’s very hard to mimic. A lot of the charm is due to the passion and fanservice that WB puts into every game.

Being based on the enormous DC universe means that LEGO Batman: DC Super Heroes is filled to the brim with Easter eggs, in-jokes, and references to its long-running history. My particular favorite is the theme from the 1978 Superman movie playing whenever you take flight as Kal-El himself. Although, with the game mostly being targeted towards kids, the general vibe leans more towards the campy Batman of the ’60s, bringing Adam West to mind. Of course, the titular superheroes also appear in the game in the form of the Justice League, which expands the lore of the game’s world.
The non-Batman heroes in LEGO Batman add additional playable characters and levels to the mix, making the game much more content-rich than the previous one. Who needs to see Batman v Superman when you can just have both on the same team? This breadth of content also means that you’re not only limited to Batman-centric stages and enemies. The game is still heavily focused on Batman, but there are more options in Free Play mode now, and options are always a good thing in games.

In said Free Play mode, you can play as newly-acquired characters that you did not have access to before. Using them, you can reach new areas by using new abilities, helping you collect the vast amount of LEGO bricks that are in the game. These bricks help you either unlock new content or just help you get some satisfaction from completing a task. Either way, replaying old levels for new bricks can be rewarding.
Aside from not just evolving into LEGO Justice League, there really isn’t anything wrong with LEGO Batman: DC Super Heroes. It’s an extremely well done port that plays smoothly on Android devices. The game also sounds and looks great, which isn’t always the case when a game makes the leap from consoles to mobile platforms. The only flaw I can see people having is with the gameplay’s design being too simplistic, but that’s a personal opinion; it accomplishes what it sets out to do. For fans of LEGO and/or the DC universe, this is a must-have.