Over the course of a decade, TT released three different LEGO Batman games and 2018’s LEGO DC Super Villains marks the fourth such occasion. Fortunately, DCSV makes it clear from the very beginning it’s not just LEGO Batman 4, and brings much needed changes to a series running the risk of growing stale.

Custom characters have been a trademark part of TT's games since LEGO Star Wars II. Usually, the customisers used to make these characters are tucked away somewhere in each game's hub, but for the first time ever, it’s the main feature, with the game asking you to make one in order to even begin the first level. As a result, the customiser is the most expansive it's ever been, with the ability to create thousands of different characters, all more accurate than they’ve ever been. Want to bring Wolverine to the DC universe? By all means, go ahead! Want to create Duke Nukem instead? Go for it! How about Walter White? Goku? That one DC character TT sorely missed? It’s all right there for you. And if you want to create your own character like I did, you can easily do that too with the parts available.

Many of the trademark points in LEGO Batman games such as the batsuits and the soundtrack from the 1989 film are gone, giving DCSV a fresh coat of paint. The story centers around your custom character (known as The Rookie), capable of absorbing superpowers, teaming up with the villains of the DC universe to put a stop to the “Justice Syndicate”, who may or may not be responsible for the disappearance of the Justice League. Just like the references to the 1966 show in Batman 3, DCSV has several connections to The Animated Series, ranging from a DLC level based on Mask of the Phantasm to even bringing former Jedi-turned-criminal Mark Hamill and the late, great Kevin Conroy on board to reprise their roles for the game.

DCSV is to DC what LMSH2 was to Marvel, with many of its open world features being brought over, such as new challenges including graffiti tagging posters of Harvey Dent, finding character tokens and destroying bowties on statues. This time around, you also get a phone which serves as your minimap, capable of taking photos much like in LMSH2, as well as being able to receive text messages from the characters you’ve helped across your time in the open world. The Lantern hubs in Batman 3 got a mixed response, so fortunately not only is Gotham City back, but TT have finally included Metropolis into the mix, as well as Smallville & Apokolips.

Overall, LEGO DC Super Villains is the definitive game in the four game strong Batman series, with the best customiser in any LEGO game, plenty of things to do once you’ve finished the main story and a great VA cast to boot. LEGO Batman 4’s gonna have to kick some serious brick in order to surpass this one.

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