LEGO DC Super-Villains

Man, what a ride. This is without a doubt the best LEGO game of the new generation. It gets a spot in the Hall of Fame along with all the classics like LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga, LEGO Batman, and LEGO Indiana Jones, as well as other titles.
TL;DR: The game is amazing, incredible customization system which allows the creation of infinite characters, along with a large open world. No bugs, has a lot of things to do even after finishing the story, a lot of collectibles and challenges along with amazing voice acting and creativity. Even though is one of the best LEGO games, it is still a bit expensive, so buy on sale.
I really love LEGO games, since I was 3 or 4 years old, as the genre was the first one I ever played. But this time, Traveller's Tales really outdid themselves, This game is complete in every single aspect, from graphics (LEGO standards, of course) to gameplay, from dialog to level design. This is a masterpiece. It is so good that after playing for almost 40 hours I had my save file deleted and had the willpower to start all over again. Only because the game is worth playing until the end. And I did, as of now I have 100% it, after almost 80 full hours.
First, the story. It's as fun as LEGO game stories can get. It keeps you interested, it is well written, and along with the amazing voice acting, it is pretty fun to see how things come to an end. Basically, as you would have imagined, this time you are seeing things from the Villains' perspective. After years of only playing as the heroes, you are (most of the time) the bad guy. But you know, in this game, it's good to be bad. Basically the Crime Syndicate (evil Justice League from Earth 3) came to Earth 1 and kidnapped the Justice League for reasons I won't mention here. And now it's up to the bad guys like Joker, Lex Luthor, Sinestro, Clayface, Black Adam, Captain Cold, Reverse Flash and a bunch of other criminal scum to save the day from the "badder guys".
But the best part of this game is the revolutionary custom character system. In fact, it's so good it is the very first thing you do when the story begins. And this is real, real customization, you can select the type and color of every single body part, face details like facial hair or wrinkles, the character's voice (basically grunts), special effects for when you attack, the name, their affiliation, even the color of their health bar. And of course, superpowers. You can make a character with any. Superpower. You want. You wanna make a well-dressed old man with a cold beam coming straight from his chest, who can also use technology panels, grapple, throw bombs around and fly? You can do that, and more! Or maybe a robot with explosive bolts and a charge attack which sets out a colored explosion that looks like fire and destroys silver LEGO, you can do that too. Your imagination is your limit. Or you can just make a Jojo character and be done with it, like me.
But the reason behind this is because the game revolves around your first custom character. The Rookie, as people call them, can absorb special powers along the game and unlock new options for customization. They are a key part of the actual story, so you will see your custom character interact with basically everyone, from Wonder Woman to Deadshot. Of course, you won't have all of the super strong powers at start, but before even finishing the story, most powers will be unlocked, and you can then make more characters and let your imagination take hold.
It has also a really big open world, from the Asylum to Smallville, the Iceberg Lounge to Apokolips, you have a lot of things to do, destroy and collect. There are plenty of missions and challenges which require you to hunt certain collectibles with nothing but tips about where they are, and races that really put your speedster skills to the test.
The game has been optimized with a lot of "quality of life" stuff, as well. Now it automatically leads you to a character that can use whatever you need in that moment. Need Detective Mode for a clue? Here's Batman. You need to power up a generator? Automatically get tracked to Shazam or Livewire. Lantern construct? Take Sinestro, done. It is that simple. The levels have also been toned down on the stuff to do, so there are less repetitive stuff like minikits (only five per level now)
And to top it all off, there is the amazing voice acting, always on point. There are simply too many amazing works of voice acting to talk about, so take this link and see for yourself.
About the price, yes, it is really expensive, I would recommend waiting for a sale because it costs way too much. The game is totally worth it, but sales are always a good thing.
So, I loved every single bit of it, I definitely recommend it, even if you don't like LEGO games. This one is sure to give you a hell of a time.

One of the best LEGO videogames. The levels are very good, the animations of the characters, the open world is pretty big. Making your own LEGO protagonist is a fresh idea that's well implemented in the gameplay and story.
For the completionists, the golden bricks are interesting enough to get (many dubbed quests), not lazy like LEGO Movie 2. Also there are now only 5 minikits per level. I think it's better this way (missing 1 out 10 minikit in the whole level in previous LEGO games was kinda frustrating).
My Cons : 1. Alt+Tab messes up with the Resolution of the game(switches to 800x600).
It's pretty frustrating to have to re-set the resolution to 1920x1080 almost every time I Alt+Tab It's not the first LEGO game with this problem. This is a problem even when ticking "Windowed mode".
This needs a fix. I don't want to see this for the next LEGO Games like Skywalker Saga. PC deserves better. LEGO Games deserve better.
2. Level "credits" still too long.
3. Challenges (introduced in LEGO Marvel 2) are not interesting content. They're a chore and very hard to complete without cheating by watching a Youtube video. Challenges are required to complete 100% to complete the game at 100%. Hopefully they're not continued into Skywalker Saga.
All in all, they're not huge cons. This is a testament to how good the game is.

TT doesn't mix up the formula much from previous Lego games, allowing plenty of customising and easter eggs to keep most fans of the series enjoying another iteration of the tried and true Lego videogame. Sure, they slapped a heavy dose of graphic paint (read: graphic-intensive) on this one, meaning people who are expecting things to zoom with 60 fps using the same PC they had when Lego Batman or Lego Indiana Jones first came out, are in store for a surprise. Your potato won't cut it this time, time for an upgrade to run this beast.
That said, the game still is a blast to play, whether you're 8 or 80, provided you enjoy these types of games. I haven't tested the remote play option which allows for another person anywhere in the world that has the game to join you in play, so I can't comment on that aspect.
I expect everyone is going to get at least 10 hours of playtime, if you're only out to beat the campaign. I'll hazard a guess that you may be looking at four times that amount if you're a completionist and need to collect every achievement and 100% (which I try to do with Lego games but don't usually succeed).
Anyhow, thumbs up from me. These games may be geared towards young players, but they'll usually get my attention simply by doing the things they've always done: fun combat, intriguing puzzles, a coherent (if simple) plot and not taking itself too seriously.

Comic Chaos with a Custom Character!
Longtime fans of the LEGO series by TT games know that they always give you a way to create your own characters to play with.
Creating a custom character is the very first thing that LEGO DC Super Villains asks you to do.
How, you ask, is this possible when the other customizers used parts from the characters you had unlocked so far, plus whatever generic pieces they offered you.
Simple. There are a TON of pieces to choose from.
Ye gods, are there a lot to use! Be prepared to spend the better part of an hour deliberating everything. (Or hit the Randomizer!)
The choices for the heads/faces alone are staggering. You also get to choose colors for the various parts of the face. Skin tones include a decent selection of "natural" ones as well as a couple dozen more colors for alien or animal looks. You can also choose to "erase" a part of the face by blending it in with the skin tone, or you can make it stand out better. You'll also be able to choose some facial accessories that would be printed on the real-life physical plastic head, such as certain masks or Penguin's monocle or earpieces.
Body pieces for clothes include generic bodysuits you can color, or outfits from the pedestrians milling about. Then you can choose a topper such as hats, helmets, or hair. There are also pieces fit around the neck, such as ninja masks, bushy beards, or tanks worn on the back. You'll also be able to choose from a variety of weapons and shields to use. Much of this can be custom colored, too.
Really, your only limits are imagination and certain stacking rules of the physical LEGO minifigure; some parts are mutually exclusive.
But you still aren't finished! You'll also be able to choose from and color some impact effects. You can choose from three dozen "voices" for your character; they have no spoken dialogue, but still need oofs and grunts to express their efforts. You'll even be able to choose a color for the hearts in your health bar!
The best part is, you can tweak your character as the game progresses. Just return to the Character Customizer in the menu or hub world.
The only thing you can't customize to your heart's content are those all-important powers that you need to use to progress in levels. You can choose two of only three outright abilities offered to you (and all are already covered by you initial companions). However, the weapons you choose might grant you certain abilities, such as a ricochet trick from shooting weapons and boomerangs and bows, or special bolts from bows. You can also choose to be a speedster like Flash or not.
There is a narrative reason for this limitation: This custom character is really the standard create-a-character that starts many a game. (But the series' usual character-switching to solve puzzles is very much still in play.)
You are introduced as someone who can absorb other superpowers, as if like Marvel's Rogue. Really, though, you absorb certain collections of energy and use it to acquire a new superpower. The powers granted to you are eclectic, with some being a bit counter-intuitive for the location they are in. The only theme to them is that all can be an inherent power.
However, to service and earn the use of the huge ensemble cast, your character is sidelined (sometimes literally!) for parts of levels and entire levels. You only show up when the game is about to give you a new power or otherwise needs you. This diminishes the appeal of using a custom character from the start. The player can, of course, switch to this character in Free Play mode or the free-roaming intermissions between story levels.
Ironically, the real appeal of the expanded customizer comes in its usual use, as a midgame creator. Then you can create a second custom character and give them the powers and theme you desire.
Or gravitate to some favored characters who have the various powers in the game. The vocal talent landed for this game include a lot in the DC stable, including Mark Hamil's Joker and Clancy Brown's Lex Luthor, and John Barrowman's Malcolm Merlyn from the Arrow TV series. It's fun to use them and listen to their reaction comments, all very in-character ways to say "I'm here!" and "I can / cannot use this." Many bonus characters and some of the DLC ones have such verbal comments.
The hub world is a 3D overhead view of Metropolis, Gotham City, and Smallville, plus the nearby swamp the Legion of Doom's base is in. It's a claustrophobic conglomeration that makes Metropolis and Gotham City look like a coastal Twin Cities metroplex, with Smallville a rural suburb to the north. The overwhelming themes of both cities are "Art Deco Gothic Explosion" and "Where are the Residential Districts?"
Hilariously, the signage in Smallville clearly places it in its canonical location of Kansas, yet uses mountains for a sense of isolation. Also, Gotham is perennially drenched in dark rain, Arkham Asylum is shrouded in dense fog, and Metropolis is always sunny.
Fortunately, the wayfinding system between points of interest offers you both a guide trail along the roads and a tall shaft of light for your flyers. Triggering a map point that looks like a mall directory reveals on the map what hub world stuff is unlocked.
The map menu allows you to view what hub world challenges you need to finish, and clues to finish them. Many challenges are of the "do task X number of times," and the list offers you clues to each task location. (Warning: A progress counter in this menu spoils a storyline development.)
The Customizer is styled like a dossier file, and the theme extends to the character selection menu. Character portraits are in the form of mugshots against a height-measuring wall, and you can read short profiles and view their powers. The character selection menu also has a page for vehicles.
Boss battles are many and varied, and mostly in the story. Techniques include waiting for an enemy attack to make them vulnerable, tricking them into charging toward something to reveal something useful, some scripted dodges, and good old-fashioned smacking them around.
One of the new tricks in the game is that Joker and a handful of others can tag nearby henchmen and command them to form human chains to help move people to a new area.
Races (checkpoint time trials) have an added element in this game. Instead of simply asking for speedsters or flyers, some ask for other movement styles. A land race might ask for an acrobatic type like Catwoman or Robin because of certain leaps in the course. An air race might ask for a glider. Batman and others have an "advanced glide" capability that allows for more control not only side-to-side, but also up-and-down. (Some glide courses are tough, but you can switch midrace to a flying character and finish.) A couple demand a specific (nearby) vehicle.
You can take photos in the game, and there's automatic pics from winning boss battles. You can even swap out the pics in certain billboards around town.
The minikits now take only five instead of the usual ten pieces, and still represented with Bat-logo canisters. Here, they resolve into Daily Planet front pages. "Reading" them at the Daily Planet reveals a piece of the level's concept art.
Non-spoilery story highlights:
Lois Lane smells the Big Story (and is miffed at Perry White's sexist assignment choice). She and Jimmy Olsen chase it, but is frustratingly at the edges until the third act. And the Daily Planet is a traditional newspaper yet has video news capability.
Folks on either side of the Joker/Harley/Ivy love triangle will find their 'ship acknowledged, if in a predictable and kid-friendly fashion. Joker and Harley are in some sort of stable relationship, with Harley referring to them as a "cute clown couple." However, Ivy fiercely defends her friend Harley.

The developer really has the model down for these games. They're getting much less glitchy and much more refined in terms of story and gameplay. This is a great one to pickup whether new to Lego games (DC or otherwise) or looking for more Lego action.
Be forewarned, however, that going back to older Lego games may have you missing some of the great enhancements that this title brings to the table.

yes

As a DC fan who crying out for the type of Justice League game that is a semi open-world adventure that Crystal Dynamics is developing with the Marvel Avengers franchise this game does a good job. The bonus is that I got to enjoy with my 6 year-old son and 3-year old daughter. The villains leading was fantastic too, as DC villains are just tremendous!!