TT Games has called the caped crusader out of the Batcave once again, and this time they are taking him not only to cities outside of Gotham but to other planets. While LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham‘s story starts in Gotham and appears to just focus on the Dark Knight and Boy Wonder, it soon takes a turn and adds other great characters from DC’s lineup of heroes and villains all while exploring locations mainly seen in the comics. The story starts out as Batman is tracking Killer Croc in the sewers of Gotham, but in no time flat you will see Metropolis, the Hall of Justice, the moon and even the multiple home world planets of the Lantern Corps. Lego Batman is one of those games where it gets better and better the more time you put into the game. Early on I would often find myself losing interest due to the lack of options you are given while progressing through the story. However once you finish a level it opens it up to free mode, as in past Lego games, so that you can go back with anyone in the 100+ character roster you have unlocked.
While some characters will have the abilities and powers you’d expect (Superman can fly, do heat vision and ice breath), other characters will acquire suits such as Batman or Cyborg’s sonar suit so that you can break through thicker glass. Not all suits will prove as valuable, such as Cyborg’s stealth suit which transforms him into a washing machine of some sort with no abilities whatsoever. (It ties into Traveler Tales’ classic style of comedy seen in past LEGO games.) One thing I will say, the voice acting truly makes the experience for LEGO Batman 3. They tapped a lot of very talented members to bring the characters to life, not only for the main game but the post game too. The season pass will include content from the the CW show, Arrow, and it will have Stephen Amell reprise his role. The star-studded cast doesn’t stop there. Throughout the game you will hear some staples among the voice acting industry like Nolan North and Troy Baker. You also get Russell Crowe, Michael Caine, Kevin Smith, and even Adam “Freakin” West (The best Batman of all-time.
I mean what other Batman has had shark repellent bat spray?). Jokes aside, LEGO Batman 3 definitely fits the bill when it comes to content. Although the story mode is approximately 6-10 hours in length, there is not one moment of the story that left me unsatisfied. Now the game is not without its faults. There were a few occasions where they don’t give very big clues about where you are supposed to go next or do next. They will often allude to it, but I often found myself a bit lost when wandering around the Watchtower, which is the main hub world for Lego Batman 3’s adventures. Eventually they do give you ghost Lego pieces to lead you to your current objective. I would have preferred them just being a bit more upfront about where to go. At least give me a map or objectives so I can see all my options without walking all the way down to the wrong side, only to have to trek all the way back. While this was almost never an issue during story missions, this happened on a few occasions while exploring the Watchtowers.
There is a lot to do here, but all of these areas combined still feel like a step back when compared to last year’s Lego Marvel, which gave us a full city full of vehicles and tons of extra events to complete. It was a neat idea to include Conan O’Brien in the game, but his part did not seem to fit in with the rest of the normal Lego game’s creativity and humor. I found myself finding ways to avoid him when possible. Also this game doesn’t build upon the Lego franchise in real meaningful ways. Last year’s game had tons of characters, with previous Lego Batman games offering multiple suits for characters, and at its base this Lego game is still a simple adventure/platforming game for younger audiences that also serves as fuel for fans of specific characters and franchises. LEGO Batman 3 is by far one of the best Lego games made to date. It sits right up there with Lego Marvel and the previous Lego Batman games. Also this game should have really been titled LEGO Lantern Corps or Justice League, since a majority of the story revolves around the Lantern’s home worlds and has so many more characters besides Batman.
While these franchises are still very successful, hopefully the next Lego game will treat us to some more advanced mechanics, new franchises or find a way to break the current Lego brick model to help push the games to the next level.NEW SEALED LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham (Sony PlayStation 3, 2014)LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham promises to be the ultimate game for DC superfans, much like LEGO Marvel Super Heroes was for the comic publisher’s arch-rival. It’s a Batman game, of course, but it’s much more, with over 150 of the most (and not-so) well-known characters gracing the screen. Batman and Robin are front and centre, but there’s also Superman, Flash, Catwoman and Cyborg to name a handful. There are villains too, like Joker, Lex Luthor. Killer Croc and Firefly. Plus there are the more obscure characters, like Krypto the superdog, Black Manta, Blue Beetle and Beast Boy, who can turn into a bird, a shark, dormouse and a gorilla. Oh, and don’t forget Bat-Cow. Play as any of the key characters and you’re able to switch through a handful of costumes in an instant, each with their own characteristics.
The Dark Knight’s arctic suit comes with a freeze gun that turns his enemies into ice blocks, while 1960s Batman – voiced by Adam West no less – pulls his cape across his face to stealthily sneak past foes. Other nice touches include a telephone box, which pops up when Clark Kent changes into Superman. The game itself adheres to the tried-and-tested formula anyone who’s played a LEGO game will be familiar with. It has drop-in, drop-out co-op, the puzzles are simple and the action is light but fun. There is innovation though, to some extent. In one new level our DC heroes encounter the Reach mothership, a giant tentacled battle station which must be taken out in a 2D retro-style shootout. It’s plays a lot Resogun, but it’s much more forgiving – it’s a LEGO game after all, so you don’t die when you take a hit, but lose your weapons upgrades and power-ups instead. The 1960s level is the highlight though, perfectly riffing off the TV show from 50 years ago.