Lego Batman: A Hilarious Twist on Arkham!

Lego Batman: Legacy Of The Dark Knight (, Xbox, PC, £59.99)

Verdict: Plastic fantastic

Star rating: 4/5 

I have a friend who adores Batman and enjoys tinkering with Lego, and he says that this Lego Batman release is literally the game of his dreams. He’s waited years to rappel around a plastic Gotham, pummeling bat-baddies in brick form. And now that he can, it’s the most fun he has had in ages.

Yeah, I know, what a loser.

But I can also see where he’s coming from. Legacy Of The Dark Knight is much more ambitious than previous Lego Batman games – and much better as a result. It’s effectively a child-friendly version of the brilliant Arkham series, and not just because it gives you an entire city to explore by foot, cape or Batmobile. The combat is similar, too: a free-flowing dance of punches and counterpunches.

Unlike the Arkham games, though, LOTDK is funny.

It delights in referencing the movies, TV shows, games and comics that make up Batman’s 87-year history – then putting an endearing Lego spin on them. And so the Joker’s blowing-up of a hospital in The Dark Knight (2008) becomes a rainbow explosion of different-coloured paints.

This is joyous for nerds of all ages, but the gameplay itself might be too straightforward for those at the older end of the spectrum. There’s very little challenge in LOTDK; which is fine, considering it’s mostly for children.

But the lack of any friction does make all the missions and side-missions rather blur into one.

Still, when you’re gliding around a beautiful recreation of Gotham City in Lego, the missions don’t seem to matter so much. As I said to my friend... oh, who am I kidding? That friend was me. I’m Batman.

Forza Horizon 6 (Xbox, PC, £59.99 or included with Xbox Game Pass)

Verdict: Speed tourism

Star rating: 4/5 

Oh, look, it’s Mount Fuji! Oh, look, it’s Tokyo’s Shibuya Crossing! Oh, look, it’s hundreds and hundreds of cherry blossom trees, all artfully dropping their petals!

You’ll certainly see a lot of Japan in Forza Horizon 6, except you’ll see it so quickly that it can seem more like an erratic slideshow than a true getaway.

Not that this is really a problem, though – because FH6 is mostly about speed. After recent stops in Mexico and Britain, this irrepressible driving series has landed in the country that gamers have been demanding all along. An abridged version of Japan now forms the backdrop to its street races, off-road contests and daredevil jumps.

And, golly, as always, it’s tremendous fun. There are few better experiences in all gaming than getting behind the wheel of a Forza vehicle and heading wherever you fancy, through day and night and different seasons, to encounter another automotive challenge. Even at high speeds, the scenery and the music on your car radio contribute to one hell of an atmosphere.

Some things are different this time, though – or, rather, a return to how they were in Forza Horizon instalments before numbers 4 and 5.

Rather than doing whatever you want, whenever you want, you now have to work towards the fastest cars and fastest races. This might sound constraining, but actually it adds a nice sense of structure and progression to what is otherwise a freewheelin’ game.

Is this enough, though? This isn’t the first Forza Horizon that’s basically an iteration on the previous release – the same game, in a different location – but it is the first to really feel that way to me.

Except there’s always something to distract you from any such concer... oh, look, it’s a paddy field!