The Dark Knight and all his Justice Lego allies must face the unstoppable threat of Brainiac. It's difficult to know why the developers, Traveller's Tales, gave this game the awkward title of Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham. While Batman certainly makes an appearance, he shares the spotlight almost equally with dozens of other characters like Superman, Wonder Woman and Green Lantern. It would've made more sense to call this title Lego DC Super Heroes - to coincide with last year's release Lego Marvel Super Heroes.For those who played Marvel's equivalent, you'll know exactly what to expect with Lego Batman 3. And this is the game's biggest problem. Apart from swapping out the characters from Marvel Comics, to DC Comics - the core gameplay feels like a well-worn 2x4 studded brick. Which is hardly surprising considering we've seen over twenty similar Lego titles from Traveller's Tales in less than a decade.Of course, this doesn't mean that Lego Batman 3 is a mediocre game. For fans of the series, it continues to offer that fun, humorous and easy-going romp of basic puzzle-solving and forgiving platform action.
For fans of DC Comics, there is definitely no shortage of geekarama to smother yourself in either, featuring over 150 characters from the DC Comics universe. Numerous celebrities lend their vocal talents to the latest Lego Batman entry, including Arrow's Stephen Amell as Green Arrow. It's not just your headline heroes who make an appearance either. As well as the standard Justice League team, there are dozens of lesser known characters including Plastic Man, Cheetah, Firefly, and Booster Gold who are all fully playable with their own abilities. Even Aquaman makes an appearance, which is rather unfortunate considering most of this game takes place in space. One day Aquaman will have his moment of glory, I'm sure of it.But the cast of characters almost goes from the sublime to the ridiculous in Lego Batman 3. There is Bat-Mite (a nice, but ultimately best-forgotten 'alien' from the 50's comic), Condiment King (who shoots mustard and ketchup), and Detective Chimp (yes, a primate with a magnifying glass).
The choice to include little Lego figurines of comic-book aficionado Kevin Smith and the legendary Adam West from the original TV show Batman, however, is solid gold brick genius.Cameos like this are all part of the humour that Lego videogames have continued to radiate. It's the essence to the charm and playfulness that has made the series so successful. Other instances include Cyborg, who turns into a washing machine which shuffles around awkwardly in stealth mode to avoid security cameras; or the fact that you can play as the Heath Ledger's Joker complete with nurses costume from the movie The Dark Knight. The Caped Crusader has costume changes galore. As mentioned earlier, this game isn't just about Batman - but he features in the introduction sequence in Gotham City. Batman and Robin are hunting down Killer Croc through the sewers leading to Arkham Asylum, where they meet their arch-nemesis, The Joker. However there is a much deeper storyline taking place concurrently in space, where the leaders of the various divisions of the Lantern Corps are ambushed by the forces of Brainiac.Brainiac is definitely one of the better villains in the series to date, and one of the highlights of Lego Batman 3 are the missions that take place on a miniature earth.
As part of his evil plot, Brainiac has developed a powerful shrink ray that shrivels entire cities so that they can fit inside bottles, for his depraved collections. There is definitely something awesome about being a tiny Lego minifig, and still being able to smash through buildings in Paris, or London that have been shrunk to be even smaller than you.As with previous Lego games, players will progress from mission to mission - using pre-determined characters like Superman or Green Lantern depending on the storyline. But along the way, you'll unlock other characters that you can replay the level with - and by doing so, unlock new collectibles as different characters can access locked areas of the maps. Lego Batman 3 also includes a variety of costumes to collect, many of which give Bats extra abilities such as a scuba suit, or an electricity suit to help solve puzzles throughout the game. Lego Batman and Robin on case yet again. There is definitely something awesome about being a tiny Lego minifig, and still being able to smash through buildings in Paris, or London that have been shrunk to be even smaller than you.
There is no shortage of collectibles either. Thousands upon thousands of studs, or special bricks and treasures await players who are willing to smash and explore every nook and cranny in sight. The two-player local co-op makes this whole process a lot more enjoyable, because if you're playing by yourself - you'll find that your AI controlled team-mate doesn't have this same wanton sense of destruction.Lego Batman 3 introduces a few different gameplay elements - such as a side-scrolling shooter, complete with power-ups and waves of enemies, that compliments the space setting perfectly. There is also a fairly enjoyable 'hacking' minigame, but in typical Lego fashion these are more arcade action than brain-taxing puzzles. Lego Cyborg keeps a watchful over Earth. These little extras and the impressive cast of characters (including excellent voice acting for each) makes Lego Batman 3 worth recommending - for newcomers to the franchise and still those who enjoyed Lego Marvel Super Heroes, or the previous Batman title.
But there is a sense of franchise fatigue creeping in here, and it will be very interesting to see where Traveller's Tales venture to next. Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham Studio: Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment Developer: Traveller's Tales Platforms: PS4, PS3, Vita, Xbox One, 360, Wii U, 3DS, PC Rating: PG Score: 7.7/10 The best-selling Lego video game franchise returns in an out-of-this-world, action-packed adventure. ActionBalance BoardCasualEducationalFightingMotionPlusMovies & TVMusic & PartyPuzzle & CardsRole-PlayingShooterSimulationSportsStrategyStrategy Guides Batteries & ChargersCables & AdaptorsControllersGame SystemsGear & ApparelHeadsets & MicsInteractive Gaming FiguresMemoryMounts & BracketsRepair & CleaningStorage & Cases Usually ships in 24 hrs Important Information:If you are a fan of Batman, check out all the latest Batman: Arkham City games and accessories available for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC and Digital Download.If you are a fan of LEGO games, in particular the Batman franchise games, you are in luck!
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and TT Games using this year’s San Diego Comic Con as a platform, have revealed a brand new trailer for the upcoming LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham and it is outstanding. In Beyond Gotham, Batman teams up with other super heroes of the DC Comics Universe (the Justice League) and blast off to space to take down super-villain Brainiac from totalling Earth. Abusing the power of the Lantern Rings, Brainiac shrinks worlds to add to his twisted collection of miniature cities from across the universe. Now the greatest super heroes and the most cunning villains must unite and journey to different Lantern Worlds to collect the Lantern Rings and stop Brainiac before it’s too late. So basically, the game takes you as far away from Gotham as you can get and off on an adventure literally out of this world. MORE: Marvel reveals first look of Ant-Man at San Diego Comic Con The trailer is filled with awesome heroes and villains (Joker is looking particularly sparkly) and it has plenty of trademark LEGO humour.
Below are 6 reasons why this game just needs to be played! Let’s face it, getting to be Batman for a little while, even if it is LEGO Batman is awesome. He is so much fun to play and his range looks even bigger in this newest game. He has plenty of swagger and being able to take down villains and get to work with the Justice League looks to be even more enjoyable then playing as him in the previous games (a hard feat, as the other two games are fantastic). Getting to play as other Justice League members definitely ramps up the potential for super powered fun. Dissolving foes into a pile of LEGO bricks with Superman’s heat vision and speeding around as The Flash alone makes this game worth a go. 3. 150 unlockable characters The game boasts the ability to unlock and play as over 150 unique characters, including the Justice League, Cyborg and more. Basically the DC hero and villain list will be at your fingertips. Brainiac is one of those villains that you can’t help but like, even though he is so destructive, and you know, evil…