Lego DC Super-Villains is a 2018 action-adventure platform game created by Traveller's Tales and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. It is a new game in the Lego Batman series that focuses only on villains from the DC Universe. This is the first game in the series to do so since the villain levels in Lego Batman: The Videogame. The game was released on October 16, 2018, in North America and on October 19, 2018, worldwide. The macOS version was released by Feral Interactive on July 30, 2019.
The gameplay is similar to previous Lego games, including a two-player cooperative mode. Lego DC Super-Villains is the first game in the series to include a character that players can customize for the story. The plot follows villains from the DC Universe who must take on the job of protecting Earth after the Justice League disappears. They must fight a group of supervillains from another universe who are pretending to be heroes and searching for a powerful item for their leader.
Gameplay
Lego DC Super-Villains is an action-adventure game played from a third-person perspective, switching between action-adventure sequences and puzzle-solving challenges.
Like earlier games in the Lego Batman series, such as DC Super Heroes and Beyond Gotham, players can use a group of famous characters from the DC Universe, each with special abilities. Lego DC Super-Villains is different from other Lego games because it is the first to include a custom character that becomes part of the game's story. At the start, players choose their character’s appearance, name, and fighting style. As the story progresses, players earn superpowers for their character and unlock new customization options.
The game uses the same gameplay style as previous Lego games and includes elements from the Lego Batman trilogy. It features two main modes—story and free roam—with open-world areas between levels. These areas include locations from the DC Universe, such as smaller versions of Gotham City and Metropolis, as well as Smallville, Arkham Asylum, Apokolips, the Justice League Watchtower, Stryker’s Island, the Hall of Justice, S.T.A.R. Labs, and Belle Reve. Story levels also include places like Gorilla City, Oa, Themyscira, and Nanda Parbat.
The game includes a Deluxe Edition, which gives players who buy it access to season pass content. The season pass includes levels based on other DC media, such as two from the 2018 movie Aquaman, one from the 1993 animated film Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, two from the 2019 movie Shazam!, and one from the 2013 Young Justice animated series episode "Summit." It also includes character packs, such as the "DC Super Heroes: TV Series DLC Character Pack" and "DC Super-Villains: TV Series DLC Character Pack," featuring characters from The CW’s Arrowverse TV shows; the "Justice League Dark Character Pack"; and the "DC Movies Character Pack," which includes characters from the DC Extended Universe.
Plot
After capturing a powerful person called "The Rookie," Commissioner Gordon arranges their transfer to Stryker's Island in Metropolis. The Rookie has a unique ability to absorb energy and gain new powers, so Gordon offers Lex Luthor, who is in prison, a shorter sentence in exchange for monitoring the Rookie and evaluating their threat level. Before Luthor can agree, his bodyguard, Mercy Graves, arrives to free him and the Rookie. They escape with other imprisoned villains, but the Justice League pursues them. Meanwhile, the Joker and Harley Quinn steal items from Wayne Tech, and Batman chases them. The villains are later defeated by the "Justice Syndicate," a superhero team from another world. The Syndicate forces the Justice League away, and Harley witnesses this event.
The Justice Syndicate claims the Justice League is on a mission in space and that they are their replacements. Their leader, Ultraman, pretends to be a reporter named Kent Clarkson to spread false information. Luthor becomes suspicious and starts gathering villains to expose the Syndicate and take control. Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen also investigate separately. The villains learn the Syndicate is actually the "Crime Syndicate," the villainous version of the Justice League from Earth-3. They are searching for something on Earth, using their superhero identities to access secret information. After recruiting Gorilla Grodd, Sinestro, and Black Adam, the Legion of Doom attacks the Crime Syndicate at LexCorp. However, Luthor betrays the group, planning to use Syndicate technology to eliminate them and rule Earth alone.
The Rookie tries to stop Luthor by damaging the machine, which accidentally brings Apokolips near Earth and teleports everyone to random locations. On Apokolips, the Joker, Harley, and the Rookie meet Darkseid, the Syndicate's secret leader, who ordered them to find the last piece of the Anti-Life Equation. The Justice League rescues them after escaping imprisonment on Apokolips. They learn the Syndicate has tricked Earth's people into believing the Justice League is evil, leading the League to form an uneasy alliance with the Legion of Doom to defeat the Syndicate.
The alliance tricks Johnny Quick into revealing the Syndicate's plans on camera. Lois broadcasts the footage globally, turning public opinion against the Syndicate. After defeating the Syndicate and sending them back to Earth-3, the alliance searches for the last piece of the Equation. Batman discovers it was inside a Mother Box stolen by Harley, but the Rookie absorbed it while returning the Crime Syndicate to Earth-3. When Darkseid sends forces to Earth to find the Equation, the alliance tries to protect the Rookie but is captured and taken to Apokolips. The League and Legion rescue them, but Darkseid absorbs the Equation. It fails to work because the Rookie's unique biology altered it, revealing the Rookie is from Earth-3. The Rookie uses the Equation to defeat Darkseid and change his and his forces' minds, making them kind.
Despite Luthor's attempt to take over Earth, the alliance restores Apokolips to its original location and returns home. The Rookie is offered a choice: join the Justice League as a hero or continue working with the Legion of Doom as a villain. The decision is left to the player.
If the player chooses the Justice League, Luthor expresses disappointment, but the Joker reminds him he tried to send the Rookie to another universe twice. Livewire blinds the League and the Rookie, allowing villains to escape. The Rookie then joins the League to pursue them.
If the player chooses the Legion of Doom, the Joker suggests the Rookie become their new leader, as Luthor is no longer trusted. The Rookie teleports the villains away, and Batman comments on being right. The Legion escapes to continue their plans.
In a post-credits scene, the angry Anti-Monitor arrives on Apokolips to find its inhabitants still affected by the Rookie's powers. He attacks Darkseid, disgusted by his kindness.
Development
The game was leaked by Walmart Canada in May 2018. Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment officially announced the title on May 30, 2018. Game director Arthur Parsons explained that the idea of a super villain-themed game began in 2008 with Lego Batman: The Videogame, which included levels that showed the story from the villain's perspective.
The game's voice work is directed by Liam O'Brien. This is the first Lego game since Lego Dimensions to use original voice acting by actors from the Screen Actors Guild–American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) after the 2016–17 video game voice actor strike ended. Parsons said the game features an "All-Star" voice cast, which he described as the best he has ever worked on in any Lego game. Like Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham, the cast includes actors who have played roles in other DC games and movies. Notable additions include Michael Ironside returning as Darkseid for the first time since the Justice League Unlimited series finale in 2006, Zachary Levi returning as Shazam from the Shazam! movie to match the Shazam! downloadable content packs, and Greg Miller providing the voice of Polka-Dot Man.
Reception
According to Metacritic, the Nintendo Switch and PC versions of the game received "mostly good" reviews. The PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions received "some positive and some negative" reviews. Reviewers liked the game's story, humor, and the way characters speak. However, they pointed out that the gameplay was similar to earlier Lego games.