This game tells us a lot about the perpetuation of the systemic racism built into the foundations of this country.

Batman might not kill, but Lego Batman sure as hell does.

It’s the only Batman game where you start off broke and have to scrounge for every penny possible.

I just 100%ed this game for the second time a few months ago, and I don’t think this game held up super well. The open world feels somewhat empty besides random goons who show up to attack you annoyingly every 10 seconds. The character roster is pretty small too, and most characters lack almost any extra abilities whatsoever.

However, this game kickstarted the “modern” phase of Lego games, and is basically an improvement on lego Batman 1 and all the lego games prior to this one in all areas. First to use voice acting, first to have a fully open world, and I never want to go back again. In the older games, you can’t even change your character without starting a new level, or randomly finding them in the hub. So yeah this game is monumental in terms of the lego franchise as a whole, probably one of the most important games in the whole series. Also the original story is fantastic. So if you want to own a piece of Lego history sprinkled with a little racism built in I highly recommend it.

7/10

Right then, let me tell you about LEGO Batman 2, or as I like to call it, "How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bat-Bugs." It's like that time I tried teaching my cat to swim – good intentions, mixed results, and a lot of screaming.

First off, they've given Batman a proper voice since the 1st one. I was skeptical, like when they first put wheels on suitcases. Everyone thought "That's stupid, that'll never catch on." But it does work! The voice acting's actually quite good, like finding a pound coin in your old jeans.

But then, oh boy, then we get to the controls. Remember that time you tried to eat soup on a roller coaster? That's what multiplayer feels like. You're there, trying to aim Batman's batarang with the precision of a brain surgeon, while your young partner bounces around like a sugar-fueled kangaroo.

Then there's the bugs. Oh, the bugs. Getting stuck in gargoyles isn't just an inconvenience – it's a metaphor for life itself. You're there, trapped in stone, waiting for your partner to take the subway to reset your position. It's like a weird version of "Batman Begins" where instead of learning to conquer his fears, Bruce Wayne just gets stuck in architecture.

But here's the thing – despite all these irks, the game's still more fun than a barrel of bat-monkeys. The soundtrack's got more bangers than a fireworks factory, with music from the '89 Batman film and '78 Superman throwing nostalgia around like confetti.

Like a slightly wonky LEGO brick that still fits in the set. It's not perfect, but neither am I, and I still had a blast. Just keep some paracetamol handy for the multiplayer headaches.

nostalgia