LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham Reviews
It’s a Lego Batman game, but out of the trilogy of Lego Batman games, it’s a distant third. There are better Lego Games and better Batman games, ultimately this is skippable except for collectors.
Whilst lacking the open world from its predecessor, LEGO Batman 3 still offers plenty of content in the form of collectables and unlockable characters, although those who have little to no interest in the source material should probably steer clear of this and pick up one of the stronger LEGO titles.
Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham delivers exactly what you would expect from a Lego game: simple combat, light-hearted storytelling, and lots of smashing and collecting. Some rough edges sully the overall enjoyment, however.
Fans of the Justice League (or DC comics in general) will get a lot of enjoyment out of this game, but I wouldn't recommend playing if you're looking for a Batman adventure. There's simply too much fun to be had in the DC universe to give it all to one man. As far as Lego games go, it's not perfect, but it delivers a solid story and a plethora of DC characters to play around with, which is more than ICE can ask for.
A step backwards, but still solid as a brick
Lego Batman 3 may not be the greatest adventure — or even the greatest LEGO adventure — on the Wii U, but it's certainly still well worth a look for series fans. Repetitive gameplay elements and some occasionally awkward controls bring down the Dark Knight's latest, and the lack of an explorable open world feels like a step back from its predecessor, but fun writing, excellent co-op, and lots of LEGO charm are more than enough to seal the deal for DC devotees.
LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham feels like a step back for the sub-series. A lazy story, as well as a lack of open world content, prevents this from building upon the broad shoulders of its PlayStation 3 predecessor – even if it does have stunning visuals and some neat minigames.
Unlike some of the better previous titles like LEGO Batman 2 and LEGO Marvel, LEGO Batman 3 feels more claustrophobic, smaller in scale and lacks that open feel that the aforementioned titles gave us. There is a lot of content for your money, albeit nothing new and the little ones won't be disappointed but it just isn't as good as previous efforts. A handful of poor design decisions, the odd ropey celebrity cameo and a smattering of technical issues along with a small dose of LEGO game fatigue all add up to a slightly underwhelming experience. Good, but don't expect evolution.
It seems like Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham played it safe, keeping in most of the familiar and liked aspects of the game, without venturing into anything too different. Being able to change Suits at will, and the space vehicles missions are good new steps, and hopefully will help fans forgive the lack of real free roam.
It's a recycled formula that has worked over and over again and it has left some gameplay issues that should have been fixed long ago (e.g. floaty control or collision detection); however, the "if it ain't broke don't fix it" formula works and for many that will most likely be fine for them.
While the game is by no means perfect and there are a few issues present that should have been sorted by now, Lego Batman 3 looks great, plays superb, and provides enough humour and action to keep players engaged.
LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham is a worth addition to the LEGO Batman series, but while all that is good about these games has returned, all of the glaring issues with the series are worse than ever.
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. Go Aquaman Go!
Lego Batman 3 justifies its existence by expanding massively on what made its forebears successful. It probably won't hold the attention of mum and dad, but it's a great title for the kids.
Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham is another solid and humorous jump into the world of Lego and the DC universe. It has issues, such as sloppy AI and a sluggish start, but that aside, the game is packed with references pouring out of its ears.
Lego Batman 3, like other Lego games before, explores a wealth of characters and locales from the universe it focuses on. Unfortunately, it doesn't come together as well as it could have. The tone is inconsistent, certain levels won't hit fans emotionally, and the inclusion of celebrity cameo characters detracts for the experience at times. It's good, not great.
Lego Batman 3 is dumb fun, just like every other Lego game released in the last 10 years, but fans should be expecting more by now.
The latest in the long running Lego themed games is here with Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham, but is this enjoyable and loveable series running on empty fumes or are there will plenty of bricks left to stack?
The DC license lacks the star quality of its Marvel rival, but the refined elements of Lego Batman 3 ensure this is an improved sequel, despite the removal of an open world to explore. As ever though, this is best enjoyed in co-op if your sanity can take a bit of taunting from the camera.
A love letter to both Batman and the DC Universe that builds upon the expectations of the LEGO games while adding enough to justify returning to yet another installment in the series.