Don’t get me wrong. I like “LEGO Indiana Jones” — my girlfriend and I are currently working through the “Temple of Doom” section — but it’s a deeply flawed game.

What “Indiana Jones” proved is that the LEGO formula doesn’t work perfectly with every universe. There aren’t enough action sequences or memorable characters in the Indy franchise to make a LEGO game about it nearly as pleasurable as the “Star Wars” installments.

That’s not a problem for “LEGO Batman.” My recent 20 minutes of playtime with the latest LEGO game avoided every pitfall “Indiana Jones” fell in.

The reasons “LEGO Indiana Jones” failed to connect with me in the same way as “Star Wars” has less to do with the efforts of Traveller’s Tales and more to do with the constraints of what the studio had to work with. “Batman” doesn’t have the same issues; the world of “Batman” has a rich variety of heroes and villains. Like “Star Wars,” there’s more than enough from which the developers can choose.

The demo station at PAX 2008 where I played “Batman” had three scenarios to play through. I had time to try two of them. I decided to pick the ones that didn’t involve Batman and Robin, instead taking control of one mission with The Joker and Harley Quinn and another with Mr. Freeze and The Riddler. The best part? They played differently. The variety in the characters produced variety in the gameplay and made two-player co-operation feel distinct and natural.

Mr. Freeze can create icy platforms in the lava and create destructible blocks of ice out of enemies. The Riddler can execute mind control on some characters to do his bidding. The Joker has an electrifying handshake that can also supercharge certain machines. Harley Quinn can double jump. The demo showcased dynamic co-op puzzles — i.e. The Joker charging a machine that allows Harley Quinn to access an out-of-reach platform that houses a button. Those moments came fast and hard in just the demo sections of “Batman,” while they are few and far between in “Indiana Jones.”

“Batman” also looks significantly better than “Indiana Jones” and “Star Wars,” but that’s a moot point compared to the improved gameplay. You don’t play the LEGO series for high-definition fidelity; you play them for fun. In its demo form, “Batman” succeeds on this where the last LEGO game didn’t.

In just a few weeks, we’ll find out if the rest of the game managed to hold up that elevated standard.

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