Compare Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight vs Death Stranding 2: On the Beach

Map and navigation design has one concern: a reviewer could not tell where the partner character had gone during a puzzle.

Map and navigation design gets strong praise from the Route Simulator and more convenient route planning.

Multiplayer design is mixed to negative because local multiplayer sounds fun, but lack of online co-op is repeatedly called out.

Asynchronous multiplayer is one of the clearest strengths, making players feel connected through structures, roads, likes, and shared effort.

Mission design receives strong praise for compact plotting, length, structure, and hands-on fun across previews.

Mission design is mixed: reviewers liked forward momentum and variety, but some criticized forced backtracking or insufficient challenge.

Sound design is positive, with reviewers noting good audio design and distinct sound effects.

Sound design is very highly rated for immersive environmental audio, rain, wind, footsteps, and overall atmosphere.

Level design is praised for longer, more vertical, and well-designed mission spaces rather than flat or shallow levels.

Level and environment design is praised for being more thoughtful and confident in how it leverages traversal.

World-building is praised for nods to Batman media, a broad source-material base, and a blend of Arkham and Lego influences.

World-building is praised as bizarre, imaginative, and distinctive, though one review criticized gaps in cultural representation.

The open world is consistently viewed as a strength, described as vibrant, rewarding, deep, sprawling, and possibly the best Lego open world yet.

The open world is repeatedly praised as varied, beautiful, and more densely interesting, with Australia seen as a stronger setting than before.

Boss design has limited but positive evidence, with one hands-on reviewer calling bosses fun alongside chase sequences.

Boss design earns frequent praise for spectacle and improvement, though some reviewers found bosses simple or out of place.

Companion AI has a notable concern: Gordon could appear far away during a puzzle, making it harder to reconnect with him.

Dollman’s companion role is strongly praised for scouting, advice, and personality, making the journey feel less lonely.

The small seven-character roster is the clearest repeated concern, partly offset by praise for deeper character treatment.

The cast/character roster is widely praised as excellent, quirky, memorable, and performance-rich, with a few mixed views on newer characters.

Dialogue quality has limited but positive evidence, with jokes and banter singled out in the preview.

Dialogue quality is mixed, with one review praising clarity while others complain about long or nonsensical speeches.

One hands-on preview strongly praises the mission pacing, saying the demo structure was well paced.

Pacing is mixed: many reviews praise improved mission or story momentum, while others call the narrative slow, muddled, or filler-heavy.

Writing is praised for strong voice-and-writing execution and humor that does not undercut serious story moments.

Writing quality is split sharply, ranging from career-best praise to criticisms that the script and finale do not land.

Animation quality is viewed positively through solid demo animation and funny, expressive takedown animations.

Animation quality is strongly praised through motion capture, character animation, and facial/body performance work.

Progression is mixed: the reviewer accepts collectible-based upgrades but notes a preference for level-up progression.

Progression is praised for faster unlock pacing and more forgiving advancement that keeps deliveries rewarding.

Difficulty balance looks flexible, with reviewers welcoming simple execution for casual play and tougher challenge options for skilled players.

Difficulty balance is one of the more divisive areas: some praise fair harder settings, while others say combat, BTs, or traversal became too easy.

The learning curve appears gentle, with reviewers saying controls were easy to pick up and intuitive.

The main noted learning curve is movement weight, which takes adjustment before it becomes satisfying.

Driving is a clear highlight, with the Batmobile and vehicle handling described as fun and the best yet for a Lego game.

Vehicles are praised for handling better and arriving earlier, though several reviewers felt driving can trivialize the hiking-focused identity.

Polish is praised overall, with reviewers calling the game promising, detailed, and extremely well polished even in early demo form.

Polish is praised through refined systems, a smooth PC port, and an almost flawless technical presentation.

Fun factor is extremely strong, with reviewers repeatedly calling the game good fun, a lot of fun, and potentially the greatest Lego game.

Fun factor trends positive, with many reviewers calling the sequel more fun, though some still did not personally connect with it.

Art direction is positive overall, with praise for bricky Gotham and costume/minifigure presentation, though suit quality varies by example.

Art direction is strongly praised, especially the detailed vistas and rugged depiction of Australia.

Character development evidence is limited to one expectations-focused review that anticipates meaningful growth across Batman and the Bat family.

Character development is praised where reviewers saw Sam relying on others more and the sequel deepening characterization.

Innovation is promising, with reviewers saying the game feels unexpectedly different and potentially TT Games' most ambitious project.

Reviewers praise the sequel’s inventive systems, unusual world, and a gameplay structure that few other games attempt.

Vehicle roster looks strong, with praise for loads of Batmobiles and different vehicles with their own handling and stats.

Vehicle roster evidence is limited but positive, with one reviewer praising the usefulness and variety of vehicles across missions.

World interactivity is praised through NPC behavior and small city interactions that make Gotham feel more alive and detailed.

Dynamic weather, terrain hazards, and reactive routes add life and variety, though one critic felt some additions gesture at depth without enough substance.

Combat earns the broadest praise, with reviewers calling it fluid, punchy, deep, immersive, and fun while noting clear Arkham influence.

Combat is widely seen as tighter and more viable than before, but several reviewers still found it basic, intrusive, or less compelling than traversal.

Weapon balance is mixed, with one reviewer finding Gordon's gadgets stronger than Batman's in the demo.

Weapon balance is mixed to weak, with several reviewers calling Sam overpowered or finding many weapons redundant, despite some praise for variety.

Atmosphere is praised through Gotham's neon, grimy, dark, tall presentation and 1980s-flavored ambience.

Atmosphere is a major strength, ranging from meditative and haunting to warm, strange, and emotionally resonant.

Environmental detail is a major strength, with praise for Lego Gotham's brickwork, density, no-copy-paste design, and lavish detail.

Environmental detail is consistently praised for texture, variety, visual density, and natural effects.

Reviewers describe the broader gameplay feature set as a major step up, with one preview calling the gameplay beyond amazing after hands-on play.

Reviewers generally describe the broader mechanics as substantially refined and more approachable, though one review found the gameplay disappointing despite the spectacle.

The core loop is repeatedly praised as fun, moreish, charming, and engaging, with combat and Lego collection hooks driving strong enthusiasm.

The delivery loop is often called addictive, satisfying, and more approachable, with dissent focused on repetition rather than the basic loop itself.

Graphics quality is praised in demos, with clean visuals and a fantastic-looking city.

Graphics quality receives near-universal acclaim, with reviewers repeatedly calling it gorgeous, stunning, or among the best-looking games on PS5/PC.

The demo's opening structure is praised for letting players test controls and take their time before deeper mission play.

Onboarding is praised for clearer instructions, a stronger opening, and a better job of pulling players into the systems.

The open world is described as freely explorable at the player's pace, supporting sandbox-style wandering around Gotham.

One reviewer praised the sequel for letting individual playstyles feel legitimate through its expanded systems.

Movement is viewed positively, especially for its snappy feel during exploration and free roaming.

Movement and hiking retain a distinctive physical weight that many reviewers loved, even when vehicles reduce how often players need to walk.

Narrative quality is promising, with reviewers noting a gripping plot, serious tone, and an intriguing story so far.

Narrative quality is highly divisive: many praise the story as memorable and emotional, while others find it muddled, messy, or unsatisfying.

Immersion is strong, with reviewers praising a lived-in open world and a cinematic tone that takes the story seriously.

Immersion is strongly praised, with reviewers describing effortless absorption and deeply lingering experiences.

Stealth is a pleasant surprise and more advanced than expected, though one hands-on reviewer notes the demo version was not especially deep yet.

Stealth is broadly praised as deeper, more flexible, and more fun, with many reviewers comparing the expanded toolkit favorably to Kojima’s stealth legacy.

Lore depth is praised through Batman references, familiar pieces reworked in new ways, and appeal to diehard Batman fans.

Lore support and depth are praised through the Corpus encyclopedia, which helps handle the dense terminology and proper nouns.

Exploration is one of the strongest areas, with reviewers praising Gotham as inviting, rewarding, dense, vertical, and fun to move through.

Exploration is strongly praised for making Australia exciting, scenic, and rewarding to traverse, especially when routes and vistas click.

Accessibility is praised through approachable controls and multiple difficulty options for players of different experience levels.

Accessibility-adjacent options, especially boss skips and a more accessible sequel structure, are treated positively by reviewers who mentioned them.

Side-character depth is promising, with Jim Gordon specifically praised as unexpectedly impressive.

Supporting characters are often praised for nuance and memorable moments, though one review felt they were underused.

Content variety is strong overall, with praise for costumes, collectibles, puzzles, and depth, though one suit-focused review notes some uneven costume quality.

Reviewers praise expanded tools, weapons, boots, and unlockable options, making the sequel feel broader than the first game.

The game creates positive emotional reactions in previews, from smile-inducing Lego-building moments to strong personal excitement.

Emotional impact is usually strong, driven by sincerity, human stories, and moving payoffs, but not every reviewer felt affected.

Enemy variety has positive early evidence, with different enemy types forcing smarter combat decisions.

Enemy variety is mostly praised for new forms and loadouts, but at least one review felt bandits and BTs were too familiar.

Faithfulness to Batman is one of the strongest consensus points, with reviewers praising Lego Batman as an excellent, faithful love letter to the franchise.

One reviewer praised the sequel for preserving the franchise’s heart and soul while expanding its systems.

Mission variety is praised in one hands-on breakdown, which highlights combat, puzzles, collectibles, character switching, and free-roam elements.

Mission variety is praised for fresher cargo conditions, hazards, and delivery setups, though some reviewers still noted simplification.

Originality is praised through the original story and the sense that the game feels distinct despite clear inspirations.

Originality remains high, with reviewers praising bold creativity, even as some say the sequel is safer than the first.

Soundtrack quality has limited but positive evidence from one preview praising the 1980s-flavored ambient music.

Soundtrack quality is strongly praised, from licensed tracks to Ludvig Forssell/Woodkid scoring and emotionally timed music.

Performance optimization has limited positive demo evidence, with one preview finding no performance quirks or issues.

Performance optimization is praised across PS5 and PC, including smooth performance mode, strong PC scaling, and polished port work.

Replay value is supported by collectible pleasure, platinum-chasing incentives, and speculation that Gotham's secrets will last over time.

Replay value is supported by one reviewer eager to return for more missions after finishing the story.

Controls are seen as approachable and responsive, with reviewers praising ease of control, intuitive inputs, and a lack of complaints in hands-on play.

Controls are mostly praised as more refined, smoother, and less cumbersome, including PC input support, with only minor complexity caveats.

Menu usability has limited positive evidence around in-world shops, which one reviewer preferred over buying from a grid.

Menu usability is improved overall, especially radial menus and reworked menus, though some still found systems fiddly or clunky.

Voice acting has limited but strong praise from one preview that found the game wonderfully voice-acted.

Voice acting is one of the strongest consensus positives, with performances frequently called excellent, memorable, or world-bringing.

Batman himself is appealing to reviewers, who frame the game as an impressive and loving take on the Caped Crusader.

One reviewer found Sam especially well cast and suited to the game’s semi-silent protagonist role.

Age appropriateness has limited but positive evidence: the preview says the game is accessible without feeling too childish.

Enemy AI is a repeated weak spot, with reviewers noting it is not especially sharp even when combat remains fun.

The only clear aiming criticism was the absence of gyroscopic aiming, despite the game pushing ranged weapons more heavily.

Bug frequency is a mild concern rather than a major flaw; one hands-on reviewer noticed minor demo bugs that seemed fixable.

Co-op has mixed evidence: local co-op is treated as fun, but the absence of online co-op stings for modern play.

Community features receive strong praise for likes, shared structures, monorails, roads, and the sense of helping unseen players.

Couch co-op has positive identity value in the Lego tradition, even though online co-op is absent.

Resource balance is mixed because plentiful building materials make construction smoother but also reduce challenge.

Facial animation evidence is uniformly positive, with reviewers highlighting detailed faces, capture, and rendered human contact.

Family friendliness is positive, with reviewers calling it kid-friendly, family-friendly, and a good introduction to modern AAA concepts.

Fast travel is useful and convenient through the Magellan and waypoint systems, though some restrictions and grading tradeoffs remain.

Flying and gliding are praised as enjoyable and even exquisite, though one preview notes a slight delay when turning while gliding.

Frame-rate stability is consistently positive, with reviewers citing smooth 60fps, high PC frame rates, and handheld stability.

Grind level is rated positively by one reviewer who felt the game can be enjoyed at the player’s own pace without grinding.

Handheld play is viable but compromised, with Steam Deck running at low resolution while ROG handheld play was issue-free.

Haptic/DualSense integration is praised as highly immersive through controller feedback, speaker use, and adaptive triggers.

Horror tension is mixed to weak because BTs can still feel tense, but several reviewers say the sequel reduces their fear factor.

Load times receive a perfect single-review score for near-seamless transitions between menu, cutscenes, and gameplay.

Monetization fairness is split: cosmetic deluxe content is framed as optional, but locking Mayhem mode behind deluxe drew criticism.

Skill-tree and APAS-style systems are praised for rewarding playstyle choices and allowing situational re-specs.

Social features are praised where likes and player feedback create a warm, positive network of encouragement.

VR Training/tutorial support is praised as both useful and fun for refreshing mechanics.

Upgrade systems are praised for flexible perks and incentives that help tailor traversal, stealth, and combat approaches.

Visual effects are praised as incredible, with weather, landscapes, and special effects repeatedly singled out.

DLC value has limited but positive evidence, with one buyer guide saying the deluxe premium feels worth it.

Platform-specific support is excellent in cited reviews, covering deep PC settings, controller support, and full DualSense implementation.

Value for money is mixed-positive: the standard edition is considered plenty valuable, while deluxe may be worth it for some players.

Puzzle evidence is mixed: one reviewer found puzzles too simple, while others praised gadget use and puzzle variety within missions.

Fetch-style questing remains a pain point for one reviewer, who found ferrying boxes back and forth exhausting.

User interface design is praised for thoughtful fictional UI and a radial menu that makes road management easier.