LEGO DC Supervillains was the first LEGO game for me to jump into in quite some time. If my time on the dark side has told me anything, it’s that this newest entry has implemented some features that are sure to make it a favorite among fans of DC and LEGO alike.
Perhaps the biggest improvement right off the bat was the character creation screen. My E3 2018 demo began with what seemed to be the start of the game, as various villains were breaking out of jail including my own. That’s right, LEGO DC Supervillains not only stars the bad guys but your own personal supervillain.
The character creator was far more robust than I could have expected. You can select the basics from hairstyle to color, but there are more interesting details that I appreciated. Being that LEGO DC Supervillains is a superpowered game, you have several options to choose from to truly make your villain fantasy come true.
LEGO DC Supervillains Preview: Which Villain Will You Be?
If you couldn’t tell by the title, I went all out given that this wasn’t my personal save file. For my hair, I selected the illustrious shaggy afro. There are tons of accessories to pick as well so I, of course, chose an anime-style eyepatch and scarf in order to look like an awesome ninja.
However, nothing matters more in LEGO DC Supervillains than the powers themselves. Unfortunately, the preview I had at E3 2018 had a limited selection of powers for you to select from. This was fine, though, as I chose to make my Ninja a truly unique supervillain by giving him the powers of Flash and wielding a bow.
The actual demo itself was the first level, which had my hilarious-looking villain team up with classic characters like Lex Luthor and Grundy for a proper jailbreak. The writing is wittier and funnier than ever, which makes sense given that the game is focusing so much on iconic villains like Joker.
The gameplay itself doesn’t feel much different than what you’d expect, though. In terms of gameplay, you already know what to expect from LEGO DC Supervillains if you’ve played a LEGO game in the last decade. Certain characters like Lex are the only ones able to complete certain puzzles so switching between your bad guys is necessary unless you happen to have a couch co-op partner.
Sadly, it turns out that the oddly awesome villain that I created didn’t work as well in execution as he did in my head. The superspeed power still needs some work, as it led to mishaps and quick deaths in the narrow corridors and rooms that were featured in the preview level.
LEGO DC Supervillains Preview: The Power is in Your Hands
Thankfully, you are able to acquire new powers as you progress through the story. Putting your own character at the center of LEGO DC Supervillains is a great way to actually encourage players to choose to play as their own creations. At one point near the end of the preview, I received the Heat Beam ability.
I found that this power provided by the story helped to improve how I controlled my bizarre villain. With the promise of many more powers to unlock, there are sure to be enough for players to experiment and find what combination works best for them.
Like in recent LEGO superhero games, LEGO DC Supervillains will feature some rather deep villains to choose from in its massive 150 character roster like The Ventriloquist. For those of that are disappointed by the lack of heroes, worry not. In free play, you will be able to find a healthy variety of DC superheroes to choose from just like how many villains were featured in previous LEGO hero games.
The handful of cutscenes that I saw showed off a level of presentation I haven’t really seen from a LEGO game. The voice acting isn’t cheesy at all, featuring some impressive work from Lex, Joker, and Harley just to name a few. The wacky story about the Justice Syndicate was hinted at just enough to get me intrigued by what Traveler’s Tales is promising to be the funniest LEGO game yet.
LEGO DC Supervillains feels like a natural departure for the series that is just what it needed. The focus on villains, the hilariously great writing, and surprisingly detailed character creation system have me certainly interested to see more.
