Perhaps the most enjoyable aspect of the game, as a fan of DC Comics, is the inclusion of other super heroes than the Dynamic Duo. I was a bit disappointed, however, at how much of the game goes by before any of the Justice League shows up. In fact, apart from the final sections of the game, you are limited to Batman, Robin, and Superman alone. Given how the game was advertised, I was expecting more LEGO Justice League, I guess, but clearly, Batman is the star of the show.
Throughout the story, little character touches here and there are reflected in gameplay. From the beginning, it's clear that Batman doesn't really like Superman, and resents having to rely on the Man of Steel at all. I felt the same way controlling Batman in a level when Superman was available. The Man of Tomorrow has the equivalent of about four suits of powers, plus flight. I found myself feeling a bit jealous of my son, who was using Superman. I'm sure this was part of the intention, and I must say, it worked perfectly. Such an integration of gameplay mechanics and story elements is very sophisticated, particularly for the LEGO series.
While LEGO Batman 2 is very enjoyable, a few major issues still rear their heads, keeping the game tantalizingly close to true greatness. The biggest issue is the dynamic split screen. Due to the inclusion of flying heroes, there is no way to turn split-screen off. The split is chaotic, twitchy, and headache-inducing, ranging from vertical to horizontal splits and everywhere in between. I tend to get motion sickness when I play FPS games for more than a couple hours at a time, and I found myself feeling the same way after perhaps an hour of LEGO Batman 2. Sadly, the bugs that the LEGO series is known for are still present. The game totally froze up on us no less than three times, and in two separate instances, characters got stuck in the geometry, forcing a save game reload.
Unless the developers can figure out a way to minimize the split-screen problems and iron out the bugs, the LEGO series may have reached a plateau. LEGO Batman 2 is very, very good, with a charming story and quick pace of gameplay. The collecting elements that LEGO fans love are better than ever due to the open world; flying around in Gotham is undeniably fun. I still heartily recommend the game, particularly for super hero fans, but this one is a few bricks shy of being a true LEGO masterpiece.
The Co-Optimus review of LEGO Batman 2 DC SUper Heroes is based on the 360 version of the game which was supplied by the publisher.
Verdict
Co-Op Score
Overall
The Co-Op Experience: 2 Player co-op similar to previous LEGO games.
Co-Optimus game reviews focus on the cooperative experience of a game, our final score graphic represents this experience along with an average score for the game overall. For an explanation of our scores please check our Review Score Explanation Guide.