Like last year, a preview of Little Orbit’s Young Justice: Legacy was one of the first appointments on my list at E3. Unlike last year, I was able to get hands-on time with the top-down beat-em-up based on the popular Cartoon Network TV show.
I settled in to one of the game’s first levels and took control of a squad of three from the game’s total thirteen characters. Playing by myself, I started off with Nightwing, but could change it up to play as Artemis and Kid Flash — the other two members of my squad — using a bumper. Co-op is available in the title, but you’d obviously be locked in with your initial character of choice.
The game’s controls are very simplistic, which makes sense since the title is geared to the same age group as the Young Justice cartoon itself. You’ve a heavy attack button, a light attack, a jump and a dash button on your controller’s face. Combo attacks can be chained together with heavy and light strikes, and individual and group-based special attacks can be used by pulling down on each controller trigger, providing you’ve enough special energy to do so.
Fights are what you’d expect from a game of Young Justice‘s type. Battles are pretty frequent and fairly repetitive, but thankfully the game’s levels are fairly short, meaning you’ll get a bit of variety in terms of environments. As you fight with each character, you’ll also be leveling them up, allowing you the chance to purchase unlockables like additional powers, stronger powers and extra costumes using XP. It’s a fairly standard mechanic, but I know die-hard fans will be happy with these little extras. I know I was after seeing some of the alternate costumes for Kid Flash. You know how the members of Young Justice all have stealth suits in the show? Yep; they’re in-game too.
Graphically, Young Justice: Legacy looks a little rough around the edges — I was reminded of the Teen Titans game on PS2 and Xbox, to be honest — but character designs of both Young Justice and the Justice League are spot on. The Justice League will play a big part in the game — which focuses on the events that took place between seasons one and two of the cartoon show — but those elder heroes will not be playable. That doesn’t mean they don’t make appearances, though; Green Lantern was on-screen during the second level I played, using his power ring to shield civilians as my team of three escorted them all to safety.
Inn the end, I don’t think Young Justice will be for everyone. Children will love it, and so will fans of the show, providing they accept the game isn’t a multi-million dollar triple-A title. Little Orbit is delivering the chance to play as Nightwing, Robin, Kid Flash, Artemis, Aqualad and the rest of the Young Justice crew, and for some DC fans, that’s all I really needed to write.
Young Justice: Legacy will be out this winter on Xbox 360, PS3, Wii U and Nintendo 3DS.
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